vro

strong symbolic affirmation we make
in this simple act — we are ready to
fulfill our mission in life as we sit
down to a meal with our family and
friends, in our holy home, at a holy
moment, with awareness of the pres-
ence of God, as it were, hovering
above us.
Often two Challot are now wait-
ing at the table. They remind us of
the two columns of breads, the
Lechers Hapanim, six in each col-
umn, which were present on the
Table of Shew Bread in the inner
sanctuary of the temple of Jerusalem.
Those 12 breads represented our
responsibility for the material well
being of the twelve tribes of Israel. If
even one bread was absent, if even
one parr of the Jewish people was
neglected or negated. the worship
was utterly deficient.
This symbolic communication is
further emphasized by the use of salt
on the bread.
Salt, which never spoils, was the
symbol of the eternity of the
covenant between God and the
Jewish people, the Brit Melach. As a
simple spice, it was also the symbol
of chesed, kindness, of welcoming

the stranger into our homes. For
that reason, the wife of Lot who,
accordinc, to the Midrash, resisted
her husband's welcoming of the
two angels, was turned into a pillar
of salt. Our covenant with God
cannot be complete unless it
encompasses the fullness of our
responsibility towards fellow Jews
and toward the stranger.
Thus, on Friday evening, Jews re-
enact the rituals of the ancient tem-
ple in Jerusalem. Our Sages wanted
to assure that the destruction of the
physical structure would not cause
the irreparable loss of the content,
of the messages, of the symbolic
words, actions and objects of the
temple. And so, they implanted
them into our tradition and, there-
by, into our hearts, eternally. All
that is necessary is that we learn the
language of the rituals to become
bearers of their values.
Shavuot is a commemoration of
the values of Torah as the substance
of the covenant between God and
the Jewish people. It is the perfect
time for each of us to commit to
daily study of Torah as the source of
our distinctive values and to commit
to the learning of the language of
Jewish ritual so that it can occupy a
more integrated role in our religious
lives. 0

Career & educational counseling
Employment- services and seminars
Vocational rehabilitation & training
Senior adult volunteer opportunities
Adult day care
School-to- zvork programs
Student internships
Retirement activities
Therapeutic work activi ties
Supported employment
.Independent living skills
Refugee employment services
Educational loans t7 scholarships

Indiana University sophomore Ben Anchill knows that
work experience is key to landing a good job. That's why
he came to the Pro-Detroit Internship and Employment
Connection, a JVS program for Jewish college students
who want to learn skills crucial to entering the workforce.
Ben is now a summer intern at the Law Offices of George
P. Mann. His future points to law school and perhaps a
career in politics or criminal justice. Pro-Detroit is yet
another example of how Jewish values work at every level.

248-559-5000

www.jvsdet.org

TEMPLE BETH EL 16 PROUD TO HONOR
ITS CONTIQMAND6 AND Gl:MDUATE6
Confirmation Clam

ASHLEY AIDENBAUM

ALEXANDER HALPERN

RACHEL PHILLIPS

CASEY ANBENDER

AARON HULL

GINA ROZMAN

JENNIFER BASS

SARRI KELLER

CARYN RUSSMAN

TRACY BERGER

HEATHER KERWIN

JESSICA SCHWARTZ

WILLIAM DEITCH

MARISSA LOWEN

JENNIFER TRIGGER

HAYLEY DREYFUSS

MEARA MACWILLIAMS

JUSTIN VICTOR

DEVORAH G LANZ

JONATHAN, MILLER

MICHAEL ZEIDMAN

JAY HALL

BLAIR NOSAN

Graduation Class

DANIEL CANVASSER

MELISSA KELLER

DANIELA SHANI

ALISSA DANZIG

RICHARD KERWIN

KYLE STONE

ANDREA FINKELSTEIN

ALLA MANT

MEREL VAN DEN BERG

SARAH HULL

JANE MIRCHUK

DUSTIN ZACKS

CHARLES RUSSMAN

STEVEN SARAQUSE

JACOB SELTZER

5/25
2001

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