EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK LETTERS Letters are posted and archived on JN Online: www.detroitjewishnews.com - F The Little Shul That Could ounded during a parking-lot conversation 18 years ago, the Troy Jew- ish Congregation seemed destined to fail. It had no rabbi and no sanctuary. And few Jews lived east of Woodward Avenue. Then came Rabbi Arnie, and its destiny changed. Every once in awhile, someone comes along who moves spiritual mountains and helps you touch the hand of God. Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg is such a person. He's beloved by family, friends and colleagues, but says humbly: "I have so much more to learn." Rabbi Arnie was showered with plaudits on Shabbat last week as the congregation, now Shir Tivkah, marked his "bar mitzvah" year there and its chai, or 18th, anniversary. Some 450 people came to honor him on his return from a three-month sabbatical, where he probed the rhythms of his soul through a visit to Israel and, later, the study of Buddhism ROBERT A. in Nepal and Thailand. He asked worshippers to "soak one another up" and we did; everyone clapped and sang and many SKLAR danced. In the spirit of Synagogue 2000, the national push to Editor invigorate our synagogues, we built upon each other's energy and inspired each other. We were inside, but the sun seemed to be shining on us as Simon Sleutelberg performed the bar mitzvah ritual of placing a tallit on his son, Rabbi Arnie. The prayer shawl has been in the Sleutelberg family for 100 years. Simon got it about a month ago, especially for the celebration, from a cousin whose wife's grandfather had it until he was sent to a Shoah deportation camp near Amster- dam, where he died. It was hard for congregants to stay focused on prayer as the rabbi, draped in the tallit and bursting with pride, wiped away the tears while singing Shalom Aleichem. Rabbi Arnie has come a long way since growing up in the 1960s in the hard- ly Jewish enclave of Hudson, near Jackson, where his family ran Meyers Depart- ment Store. Under his spiritual leadership, Shir Tivkah has grown to 300 fami- lies, built a Reform house of worship on a tree-lined corner of Troy, advocated social causes and created new ways to learn for Jews of all ages. Shir Tikvah openly appeals to traditional Jews, unaffiliated Jews, interfaith families raising their children as Jews, gay and lesbian Jews, really anyone searching for the nutrients of Torah. And it's thriving. Shir Tivkah, Hebrew for "Song of Hope," has proven that religious unity is possible in the midst of diversity. It welcomes and warmly accepts you for who you are, period. God's Way What is Congregation Shir Tivkah? Rabbi Arnie looked to last week's Torah portion, Terumah, for the answer: "And build for me a sanc- tuary, God says, that I might dwell among you." "God can only be found where we let God in," said Rabbi Arnie. "We need to provide an opening for God. It can happen anywhere — in the woods, at home — but we may need help in finding a place to become inspired and to have an opening to let in God. "That's what this plate is all about." Rabbi Arnie "No one hugs like Rabbi Arnie, no one smiles like Rabbi Arnie," said Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield — a friend since rabbinical school. "He's just intensely loving and positive and good." Approaching Judaism much as Shir Tikvah does, with a similar dedication to a vibrant, flexible congregation, "we at Temple Israel call ourselves Shir Tikvah West," Rabbi Yedwab added. Amid his second "bar mitzvah" year, it's not a stretch to say that Rabbi Arnie gives of himself freely to help Detroit Jewry embrace Judaism's vigor — lifting worship to something more than a spectator sport. .0 One Size Does Not Fit All Archival Claims Weren't Purchases The Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives Committee of Temple Beth El very much appreciated your splendid arti- cle on the 1867 cornerstone's home- coming ("Cornerstone Comes Home," March 2, page 7). In the interest of complete accura- cy, the unexpected discovery and the Burton Historical Collection's return of the cornerstone, and its return two years earlier of the Beth El Collection, did not involve purchases. Revival and interest in the Franklin Archives made the temple collection's return possible. What was worked out to the mutu- al satisfaction of the temple and the Detroit Public Library was the return of the original documents to the Franklin Archives, coupled with reim- bursement to "the Burton" for the cost of having the collection copied on microfilm for both archives. This important community history is now available to researchers at two great institutions. The cornerstone is a bonus: a visible reminder and evi- dence of Beth El's history. Mary Shapero co-chair, Franklin Archives Committee Temple Beth El Bloomfield Township Jewish Education Foils Missionaries The account regarding the danger from missionary activities to our youth ("Shock Treatment," Feb. 9, page 11) reminded me of an occur- rence in our family years ago. It was in the late 1970s when we lived in New York City. One Sunday, our doorbell rang and, being busy in the kitchen, my eldest son, Gilead, then a student at RAMAZ, a renowned Jewish high school on the upper east side, answered the door. There stood two clean-cut, white- shirted, black-tied young men who told him that they would like to teach him about the Mormon reli- gion. Eclectic and intellectually curi- ous, he invited them in and took them to the basement to what was the beginning of a series of weekly sessions, which, frankly, made me increasingly uneasy. But I trusted my son and decided to let nature take its course. LETTERS on page 6 jARC INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES TAILOR-MADE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL'S NEEDS • WE PROVIDE MORE THAN DAILY LIVING ASSISTANCE... WE PROVIDE A COMMUNITY. Friends to meet, activities to enjoy, cultural and religious opportunities - all that makes life full and complete. • JARC INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES • Newly expanded • Serving people with any level of disability • Professional staff to ensure your family member's life is well-coordinated • CALL 248-352-5272 V/TTY FOR MORE INFORMATION. intA Jewish Association for Resdental i Care for persons with developmental disabilities • 1 28366 Franklin Road Southfield, MI 48034 3/9 2001 5