EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK P LETTERS Letters are posted and archived on JN Online: www.dettoitjewishnews.com Hitting The Right Notes 4 31 udaism is a symphony of high and low notes that extend our reach, strengthen our identity and test our will as a people. Metaphorically, we may enjoy playing in our local "Jewish commu- nity orchestra." But we must all take a turn with the conductor's wand to remind the "orchestra" what the score really is. So says Michael Brooks, the outspoken executive director of the Hillel Foundation of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. And I agree. Too many of us like making music, like playing in the "orchestra," but don't ever step up to conduct with hopes of bringing people together toward a crescendo of what it means to be Jewish. Like an orchestra, Judaism is only as good as the ROBERT A. sum of its individuals. SKLAR "As conductors," says Brooks, "we must not just bring musi- Editor cians together, but we also must make the orchestra sound so fabulous that people will stand in line to be part of it — to be part of our conversation, part of us." Brooks, on sabbatical following his 21st year with U-M's Hillel Foundation, keynoted the third annual meeting of the Detroit Jewish community's Federation-Synagogue Committee. The committee grew out of a desire to enrich our communal programs and stimulate interest in the synagogue. In his May 30 address, "What's the Score? Playing in a Jewish Orchestra," he pitched the idea that it's more important to provide a taste of Jewish culture than to try to engage nonobservant Jews or convert non-Jews. I interpreted what he said to mean that identifying Jewishly is as important as learning Jewishly. To be versed in Jewish history, law and ritual should be part of who we are as Jews. But to be able to articulate why we are Jewish beyond lineage is something special. I liked it a lot when Brooks said: "Yes, Jewish education is critical; I don't dis- miss that. But while we may have great resources and great teachers, at the end of the day, the larger culture must tell us why Judaism matters if we are to bring new people into the orchestra." Well- Tuned Music A 1997 winner of the Covenant Award as one of America's finest Jewish educators, Brooks foresees three outcomes emerging from the beat of an inspired, and inspir- ing, "Jewish community orchestra": • That "most Jews will believe that, all things being equal, the Jewish community is the place they will want to invest their lives, their passion, their time." • That "new life partners, whether they have Jewish parents or not, will both now play in this orchestra." • That "non-Jews will say what a wise and astute community these Jews are, and that maybe this orchestra is something they would consider if they had their lives to do over." Inviting as these outcomes are, Brooks is right: They will be a leap until we, as a "Jewish community orchestra," acknowledge we have spent more time trying to put a sizzle into our institutions than into our community — into the build- ings we use than into the people who use them. And this imbalance will stay until we raise the curtain on a truly stirring sym- phony that resonates from the depth of our neshamah, our Jewish soul. Giving the opening prayer before Brooks spoke, Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield hit the ultimate chord facing the communal and synagogue world. As he put it: "We are in more than the Judaism business. We are in the peo- ple business. We may think we have the best programs, but when it comes right down to it, we, quite simply, are in the business of relationships with people." ❑ Jewish Veterans Well Remembered On behalf of the Michigan Jewish War Veterans and Ladies Auxiliary, as well as the Canadian and Russian Jewish veterans, we want to thank you for the good coverage you provided for our Memorial Day services at Machpelah and Hebrew Memorial Park cemeteries ("Memorial Day," May 25, page 20; "Remembered," June 1, page 18). The publicity gives families and friends of fallen servicemen and women a chance to pay homage to those who served their country. It also helps dispel the stereotype that Jewish people benefit from wars but do not serve. The fact is that Jews served in greater numbers than their population warranted. Incidentally, if we gave the impres- sion that 550,000 Jewish servicemen were killed during World War II, then we erred. It was 550,000 who served and about 11,000 of those were killed. (We have more than 200 pic- tures of local men who died in the service on display in our Memorial Room at 16990 W. 12 Mile.) The numbers who served, as well as the 500,000 Russian Jewish servicemen, are some of the best-kept secrets of the war. It was a pleasure talking to your very capable writers, David Sachs and Bill Carroll, and to watch the professionalism of photographer Joshua Kristal. It is our wish to have a world with- out wars. But if they do occur, it is important to know that Jewish people will step forward as they have done in the past to serve with honor. Milton Klein program chair, past state commander Jewish War Veterans of the USA Southfield Nothing Replaces Direct Experience In response to the letter from Jay R. Shayevitz concerning the participation of Yeshivat Akiva in the March of the Living-Detroit Teen Unity Israel/Poland Experience ("What Are The March's Benefits?", May 18, page 6): LETTERS on page 6 Dollkie your Mitzvah/ Honor family and friends on your special occasion with a gift to JARC A loving way to celebrate a simcha A meaningful way to help people with disabilities in our community • Use JARC place cards which indicate your support of JARC • Present each guest with an elegant Home Sweet Home tribute with your unique message. • Use household or other useful items in your centerpieces and donate them to JARC. • Ask your guests to mark your simchas with a contribution to JARC. • Recognize your honoree with a special gift to a JARC home in his or her name. • Or your own idea — we love to create new opportunities! To discuss how to enhance the beauty of your important day, call JARC at 248-538-6611 30301 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 100 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 jarc@jarc.org JARC Does it With. Heart 6/8 2001 5