$0 DOWN DAYS AT
AUDETTE CADILLAC

of the Reform movement, American
Jewry remains in crisis because younger
Jews do not believe their Jewish identity
has any relevance without state-spon-
sored anti-Semitism to define them.
"I'm trying to stir up the pot," said
Bronfman, who was criticized by
Rabbi Yoffie for calling synagogues
boring. "I'm trying to get people to
say, 'Hey, this is a problem. Let's do
something about it.' I find Rabbi
Yoffie's writing about me as if I was an
insolent outsider as not to the point.
What I would like them to do is figure
out ways they can get more young
people to come into the synagogue
not just tell me it's not boring. If •
they're doing a thousand things, then
nobody seems to know about it."
The most creative initiatives to get
younger, unaffiliated Jews interested in
Jewish life have come from outside the
major Jewish streams, he said.
Birthright Israel, which sends young,
unaffiliated Jews on free 10-day trips
to Israel, is a good example, he said.
The initiative was launched last year
by Steinhardt and Edgar Bronfman's
brother, Charles.
"I don't even want to talk about
movements. I really want to talk about
Jews, and I don't care what branch of
the religion anybody's involved in. I
just want them to know a little about
the history of the Jewish people, what
Judaism is all about and what it stands
for," Bronfman said.
So, why not also point out what's
going right in American Jewish life?
"Unfortunately, I don't think there's
an awful lot going right, except Hillel,
Birthright and a few initiatives that are
trying to turn the tide. But, in 10
years, what will the figures of assimila-
tion be then? How many Jews will be
left? These are problems that I think
we should try to face honestly."

In The Trenches

Rabbi Yoffie said that while the philan-
thropists criticize, the hard work of
improving the shuts still falls on those
who are working within the movements.
"The heroes of Jewish life right now
are those who toil day in and day out in
the synagogues of America in order to
perpetuate Jewish life," Rabbi Yoffie said.
For example, he said, a year and a
half ago, the Reform movement began
to answer the call to provide more
meaningful worship services.
So, on a national level, the Reform
movement offered alternative worship
models and encouraged congregational
boards to establish ritual committees.
Teams of rabbis, cantors and lay peo-

ple took it on, and today hundreds of
congregations around the country are
responding to the call to make services
more participatory
"To look at worship in Reform syna-
gogues now and not see how different
it is from just five years ago, you'd
have to be blind," he said.
"Look at Temple Israel [in West
Bloomfield], to take an example in
terms of creative approaches to Jewish
life," Rabbi Yoffie said. "It would be
hard to find a place more creative than
that. That's a wonderful example of a
place very much within the system that
continues to innovate regularly and has
been a model for other synagogues.
Other metro Detroit Reform syna-
gogues — Temple Beth El, Temple
Shir Shalom, Temple Emanu-El,
Temple Kol Ami, Congregation Shir
Tikvah, Beth Isaac Synagogue and Bet
Chaverim — are smaller than Temple
Israel's 3,400 member-families, but
still are committed to synagogue
renewal and innovation.
Rabbi Yoffie said openness in the
synagogue world for experimentation
would have happened without philan-
thropic efforts like STAR, which funds
cross-denominational cooperation and
promotes use of technology.
"My hope is that STAR will be success-
ful. I wish them success. But, as of now,
the most significant efforts are those that
emerge from within and are led, in fact,
by creative figures who are within the
movements and are pushing for change.
That kind of awareness, he said,
does not come from remarks made by
Edgar Bronfman, who said rabbis are
resistant to change because they "are
comfortable, they have a nice life, they
have a car, a decent salary"
Bronfman, for his part, says he stands
behind those statements, but does not
really want to quarrel with Rabbi
Yoffie. If the Reform leader says his
movement is doing wonderful things,
then that's fine, Bronfman said. But, he
added, the big picture stays the same:
All the current efforts are not enough
to halt the trend of assimilation and
loss of Jewish identity and pride.
What is happening, he said, is the
disappearance of American Jewry.
"I feel that as a Jew I have an obliga-
tion to try my best to do something
about this because it is important that
Jews take tikkun olan2 (repairing the
world) seriously and being God's part-
ner in creation and all the wonderful
things that Judaism stands for,"
Bronfman said.
"I'm very proud of being a Jew and I
want others to feel the same way, and
that's what I'm all about."

*CURRENT
ORIGINAL OLDSMOBILE
OWNERS OR LESSEES '96
OR NEWER RECEIVE
ADDITIONAL $1500
REBATE CURRENT
CADILLAC LESSEES
RECEIVE ADDITIONAL
$500 REBATE

2001 DHS

Wood steering wheel, chrome wheels, memory/heated seats, Bose

00
$599

GM Employees

Valued Customers

mont

0 + tax* h

month
+ tax*

$1159.00 Due at Signing

$1194.00 Due at Signing

36 Month Leases, 1 2,000 Miles/Year

AUDETTE

THE POWER 08L_

THE FUSION OF DESIGN S., TECHNOLOGY

Mon. & Thurs. till 9; Tues., Wed., Fri. till 6

7100 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield

248.851.7200

Plus tax, title & license with approved GMAC credit.

AMAZING
SAVINGS
The Brand Name Quality Close out Store

.

Save BIG money on Brands like Rubbermaid, Mikasa,Revere Ware,

Pryex, Ekco, Crayola, Fisher-Price & many more!

Just tkrrilv6d1

25 styles aluminum Pans
Refrigerator Liners
Oven Liners
Plastic Plates
10-Pack Clear Tablecovers
Plastic Wine Glasses

For Passover

Free

1/2 size deep
aluminum pan!

Ftsensiitglon
Hi/Is

(no purchase necessary)
Bring this Coupon

14/111. Id.

Where you can find Famous Brand Name Merchandise
30% to 70% off retail EVERYDAY!

*

ANAI7NO

1111111.

AAILLTINO
/4117/103.

.L/P7A41.f*

Ilahn

Hunters Square
Shopping Center
(248) 932-5110

Sherwood Square
Shopping Center
(248) 569-6699

Advertise in our. Arts & Entertainment Section!

,. (;:i fif

_.1 ( 24 i l l

JNArts & Entertainment

Call The Sales Department

( 248)354-7123 Ext. 209

DETROIT
JEW IIMI =WS

J'N

3/23

2001

21

