Spirituality
Join 1
O
Beth Ahm cantor sings praises of
Chasidic-flavored service.
needs to be more involvement in
the service," says Cantor
Montefiore. "We all have a chal-
ncle David Wants You!
lenge today to reach out to our con-
Cantor David Montefiore
gregations. Our intention is to cre-
that is.
ate a spiritual and moving service
The cantor, of
that is fulfilling not to just the few,
Congregation Beth Ahm, is on a
but the many."
mission — to advertise his new cre-
Because of the use of instruments,
ative musical Shabbat services.
the service is currently held prior to
With a glossy
Shabbat. The
8 by10 flier
shul will not
displaying a
be able to con-
picture of him-
tinue the serv-
self in a pose a
ice after Sept.
la Uncle Sam,
14 due to the
"Uncle David"
increasingly
is trying to
early hour of
attract an audi-
Shabbat.
ence for his
The cantor's
"Hassidishe
next project
Kabbalat
will be to bol-
Shabbat Music
ster the Beth
Service."
Ahm Youth
"People loved
Choir. He also
it; they
plans to start
thought it was
another cre-
very creative,"
ative service,
says Cantor
Tefilati (my
Montefiore.
prayer), his
Although he
personal
has adopted an
arrangement
unorthodox
based on mod-
advertising
ern contempo-
method for a
rary music.
Jewish clergy-
On Shabbat,
man, it has
the service will
been successful.
Cantor David Montefiore
be done with-
The Hassidic
out instru-
Music Service,
ments.
which will take
However, he
place for the fifth time on Friday
also plans to have a Sunday after-
Sept. 14 at 6 p.m., greatly increases
noon service with the instruments,
the normal Friday night attendance.
so that congregants can "expand
Cantor Montefiore and Rabbi
their consciousness about what kind
Charles Popky will lead the family
of music is out there," says the can-
service, with the help of 12-year-old
tor.
choir member Rana Zdrojewski.
Uncle David says that he plans to
Four members of the congregation
use other "out of the box" methods
will provide musical accompani-
to advertise his upcoming programs.
ment.
"I don't want to be so conservative
"There's a growing awareness
in the Conservative movement — I
among synagogue leaders that there
want to be more contemporary."
JAMIE ROSEN
College Intern
U
❑
9/7
2001
56
Forum To Explore
Intermarriage
Adat Shalom
Shows Artwork
Rabbi Avraham Jacobovitz, director of
Machon L:Torah/The Jewish Learning
Network of Michigan, will discuss
"Interdating, Intermarriage and Racism,"
at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11 at Machon
L'Torah, 15221 W. 10 Mile, Oak Park.
He has given this talk 60-70 times in
the past 12 years on college campuses
and at many other venues in North
American and Israel. The program will
be an interactive discussion format and
will emphasize the logical arguments
against intermarriage.
"Our aversion to intermarriage is not
a matter of racism," says the rabbi. "It is
a theological matter. People need to
understand what spirituality and mar-
riage are about. Marriage is between
souls, not bodies."
Rabbi Jacobovitz will use role-playing
techniques to draw out the audience and
get them to understand the issue and to
consider the consequences. As a result of
the talk, Rabbi Jacobovitz maintains that
many people have reconsidered inter-
marriage and interdating.
The rabbi is writing a book,
Intermarraige• Why Not? "The book is in
touch with reality," he says. "It can defi-
nitely help hundreds of people decide
about interdating."
For information, call Machon at (248)
967-0888."
Adat Shalom Synagogue will display
the David Moss shtender master-
piece, courtesy of Joy and Allan
Nachman, at 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept.
8. The work contains ritual objects
for the entire Jewish year carved in
walnut and other woods.
Adat Shalom's Selichot program
and service will take place then. In
addition to viewing the shtender,
members will share stories about
family ritual objects, join in the
dedication of a new mezuzzah to be
placed at the dorrway of the main
entrance and participate in the
changing of the Torah mantel covers
for the High Holidays.
The new silver mezuzzah was
designed and crafted in Jerusalem
and selected for the synagogue by
Beverly Lis, Sharon Hart and Rabbi
Daniel Nevins during the unity mis-
sion last January, to symbolize in
the strength of the congregation's
link to Israel during this period in
the Middle East.
The program will be followed by a
coffee and cake reception, the dedi-
cation and services.
At 11 p.m., Adat Shalom will
hold traditional Selichot services led
by the clergy together with Cantor
Larry Vieder's High Holiday choir.
Forum Focus:
Teen Suicide
Aish HaTorah
Slates Services
Congregation Beth Shalom will host a
forum on Preventing Teen Suicide 10:30
a.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at the synagogue.
The breakfast forum will feature
Goenda Everett of Yellow Ribbon Youth
Suicide Prevention Program, an organi-
zation dedicated to preventing teen sui-
cide. Everett, the parent of a child who
committed suicide, is executive director
of Light for Life Foundation; Michigan
contact for the Yellow Ribbon; board
member of the Michigan Association on
Suicidology; and a member of the
Michigan chapter of the American
Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the
(Michigan) Governor's Task Force on
Suicide, Victims and the Media; and the
Wayne County Committee to Reduce
Underage Drinking.
The forum is sponsored by the Beth
Shalom Men's Club Publicity
Committee. Breakfast will be served;
admission is $3. The public is invited.
For information, call Seymour
Rabotnick, (248) 557-8652.
Aish HaTorah will hold holiday
learning services geared toward
young professionals and others who
do not want a traditional synagogue
experience but do not want to be
left out at holiday time.
There is no membership require-
ment, no cost and no dress code.
Hebrew reading ability is not need-
ed. Services emphasize the educa-
tional and spiritual and are interac-
tive, understandable and fast-paced.
With the exception of the Shona
and the Torah reading, the services
will be in English. The shofar will
be blown and discussed as the cen-
tral theme of the holiday,
The free services will start at 10
a.m. on Sept. 18 and 19. Optional
services will start both evenings at 7
p.m. Kiddush will be served before
the shofar is blown.
For information, call Amy
Margolis, (248) 593-5138.