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4101111,1011iimmoosimmiTst*PROMINO,

LETTERS

YOU ARE CORDIALLY
INVITED TO OUR
COMPLIMENTARY:

LETTERS from page 6

I applaud the existence of the
HMC, both as a memorial and as an
education center, and I do not argue
the need for some expansion, but I do
ask how many times the memorial and
education value will be enhanced to go
from 12,000 square feet to five times
as many square feet? Will the value be
five times what it is now?
In any endeavor that involves the
community, whoever the donor(s), the
logic of dollars spent versus value
received should be part of the equa-
tion. How many times can the goal be
enhanced or bang for the buck be real-
ized to pay for an expansion five times
as big and many, many times that in
costs? I question a new HMC and
keeping the original site as well.

Dr. Gerson Weiner
Farmington Hills

Reform's Core
Needs Explaining

JUL? MTH

The Rod Borke The Phil Gram
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Refreshments will be served
Please RSVP to Libby at (248)352-0208

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Forest City Management Inc.. Apartment. Inc.. Apartment Division. does not discriminate on
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in its programs and activities. Equal Housing Opportunity/Equal Opportunity Employer.

I appreciate your article on Rabbi Eric
Yoffie, preeminent leader of Reform
congregations in North America
("Pounding The Bully Bimah," June
29, page 53). It was informative
and complimentary about his role as
an administrator.
But Reform also needs leaders who
address major issues in a deeply
thoughtful way. On this standard,
there is reason to worry.
Example: Rabbi Yoffie defines the
"core of distinctively Reform religious
principles" (in a speech of Feb. 2,
1998) as favoring change, gender
equality, social justice, inclusiveness
and rabbinic-lay collaboration.
Nothing much Jewish here and noth-
ing distinctively Reform.
Again: he consistently; faithfully
makes his top program priority the
spiritually animated study of Torah.
Fine. But he has provided no rationale
for doing so.
Such is the quality of Reform
thought generally. In fact, after years
of searching, I can find no one within
Reform Judaism who has both the
intellectual depth to address the fun-
damental quandaries of liberal religion
today and the breadth to engage in
dialogue with leading thinkers in the
wider world.
There are certainly plenty of smart
and learned Reform leaders.
But with -very few and partial excep-
tions (notably Eugene Borowitz and
Arnold Eisen), none are deeply thought-
ful about the fundamental issues that
perplex us. I remain an active, searching
Reform Jew nevertheless.

I just have to seek our fine
Conservative and modern Orthodox
thinkers like David Hartman and
David Novak, and be thankful.

Carl M. Dibble
Lathrup Village

Healing Preview
Was Welcomed

On behalf of Adat Shalom Synagogue,
I want to extend our appreciation for
the outstanding preview of the
Benderoff Memorial Healing Lecture
("In Search Of Healing," June 22,
page 5; "The Spirit Of Healing," June
22, page 47).
Our clergy, staff and lay leadership
were most impressed by your extensive
coverage. The Benderoff family was
very gratified to see such an in-depth,
sensitive focus on a topic so near and
dear to them.
Thank you for helping Adat Shalom
familiarize the community with how
those who are hurting can find greater
peace and strength within the syna-
gogue setting.

Judy Marx

communications director,
Adat Shalom Synagogue
Farmington Hills

Rabbi Conrad
Is Deserving

What a great tribute to a great bridge
builder in our community ("Bridge
Builder," June 22, page 49).
Rabbi Ernst Conrad has been an
outspoken advocate of social action for
many years. I have had the honor and
pleasure of working with him going
back to the Nixon years, when we
shared a room at a retreat at the
Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit.
The rabbi's background as a refugee
from Nazi Germany made him espe-
cially sensitive to what could happen
here, and the importance for us all to
our best daily at building relations
with our fellow men and women of all
races and creeds.
Last winter, he was a part of a pres-
entation of the unusual confluence of
Chanukah, Christmas and Ramadan
— an inspiration for all who attended.
We are all so fortunate that he is in
our community; making Michigan a
better place for us, as well as our chil-
dren and our grandchildren. May God
bless him with health and Years to
continue building bridges.

Arnold Michlin

Fa On ington

