r Community Spirituality Building A Jewish Home Construction under way for The Shul T.40,Ak ri.Az 4 44,5ati,. `3. > • SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN StagWriter Itty and Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov and Martin L. Abel from West Bloomfield take a look at the first stage of The Shul construction. JAMIE ROSEN College Intern N ine years after the first mention of the Chabad- Lubavitch Synagogue Campus of Living Judaism, construction is under way for the first of four projects of the multi-million dollar, 40-acre educational and reli- gious complex in West Bloomfield. Celebrating completion of the first level of the 18,000-square-foot syna- gogue, with an expected opening in July, The Shul will hold a 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, event at its future home. The event will be held in conjunc- tion with a Sukkot celebration with music, refreshments and a children's program. A tour of the campus will also be available. The synagogue, led by Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov and his wife, Itty, holds Shabbat and holiday services and runs a youth club, classes and monthly Friday night dinners in a temporary West Bloomfield location, with involvement of some 150 families. "We're going to have a home so that people will have a place where they can 10/5 2001 54 come at any time," says Itty Shemtov. "We will have the opportunity to offer much more for anyone who is looking for anything Jewish. People tell us that when they are here, they feel in touch with their Judaism. They feel accepted as they are." In June, The Shul moved up the date of groundbreaking for the build- ing, in tribute to Rabbi Yitschak Kagan, director of development for the campus, as well as associate director of the Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan, who died that month. The campus will eventually also include the Michigan Jewish Institute, a four-year accredited senior college currently meeting in Oak Park; the West Bloomfield-based Meer Family Friendship Center, serving children with special needs; and the new Emma Lazaroff Schaver Judaica Library. ❑ The 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 7, building celebration and Sukkah party will be held at 6890 Maple Road in West Bloomfield. For information, call The Shul, call (248) 788-7131. There is no charge. ❑ A group of children, parents and volunteers learned how to go beyond merely tasting honey to sweeten their New Year. They created their own. Nearly 100 guests attended two Sweet Things to Come workshops on Sept. 16 sponsored by the West Bloomfield-based Chabad Lubavitch Friendship Circle, which serves chil- dren with special needs. Participants joined Rabbi Levi and Bassie Shemtov in visiting with a beekeeper, viewing a contained beehive and trying out an extractor to remove honey from the hive. While his wife, dressed in a bee- keeper's safety uniform, helped the kids, Rabbi Shemtov taught about holiday customs. He says the hope of the workshop was to provide "an interactive and fun atmosphere for participants to learn about the reli- gious significance of Rosh Hashanah." The workshop, co-sponsored by the Congregation Shaarey Zedek Men's Club, took place at the syna- gogue's Irving and Beverly Laker Education and Youth Complex in West Bloomfield. The group also made their own candles from the golden beeswax and, following the tradition of eat- ing something sweet on Rosh Hashanah, they shared apples and freshly made honey. ❑ Top: Rabbi Levi Shemtov demon- strates how to blow the shofar. Above: Beekeeper Joel Letvin teach- es the group about bees and honey.