For Openers

A Light Unto Life

V
oirmit Snow
By Goldfein

© 2002
"HIV-AIDS has destroyed a lot of
lives, and will continue to do so, unless
we get together to help the scientists
find a cure," said actor Robert Goulet,
who had just arrived in town to replace
1 Michael Nouri as Emile de Becque in
the Fisher Theatre cast. He sang The
egarding kosher foods,
Impossible Dream in his first synagogue
milk products cannot be
performance.
mixed with meat prod-
Actor Skie Ocasio dedicated a song
ucts; but both can be
Ito his mother, who died of AIDS six
1 mixed with pareve products, which
years ago. He told of how he became
contain neither meat nor milk. Except
1 depressed when the virus killed her — one pareve food cannot be cooked
and how he "discovered that my
with meat. Can you name it?
mother may not be here physically,
but is very much here spiritually."
Ron Elkus and Andrea Nitzkin,
T s!d :1 Ms uy
MJAC's vice-presi-
dents of develop-
! ment, co-chaired
the 90-minute
songfest.
"We want to be
out of business as
soon as possible
"The metaphor of the Conservative
and devote our
Jew climbing the ladder of Jewish
commitment is powerful. We are not
: energies to some-
Ron Elkus
'thing else," said
required to be at the top of the lad-
Elkus, referring to
der. But, we are expected to climb."
MJAC's 11-year
-- Rabbi Jerome M Epstein, executive
battle against a killer disease that takes
vice president, United Synagogue of
people of all ages, backgrounds and
Conservative Judaism, as quoted in the
means. It's not limited to the gay
USCJ Review..
community, as some believe.
Temple Israel Cantor Lori Corrsin
set the tone for the evening in open-
"Especially places like Westchester
[County] and Long Island, you're
ing with her prayer Or Chadash (A
New Light)", which she wrote in the
expected to have a big affair, and if
you don't, it's almost as if people say
aftermath of Sept. 11. In part, it
`wow, they didn't have anything.'"
!goes:
— Brett Chasen, a partner in New
Avinu Malkeinu, hear my prayer,
That I'll see a new light deep within me.
York-based BarMitzvah NI; a Web site
that assists families in planning b'nai
0 God, be with me all my days.
mitzvot celebrations, referring to lavish
Surround me with Your spirit.
parties of $25,000 or more, as quoted
Enwrap me, 0 God, with Your
in the Forward.
warmth.E1
— Robert A. Sklar, editor

I

magine your energy sapped,
your breathing labored, your
hopes dashed and your loved
ones brokenhearted.
That's the world of the HIV-AIDS
monster.
It's that monster Detroit Jewry set
out to conquer on Monday night,
March. 4.
The Jewish commandment of
pikuach nefesh (saving a life) dominat-
ed the spotlight in Temple Israel's
sanctuary as 650 guests came to enjoy
the national touring cast of South
Pacific in "Celebrating Life!" The
event generated $34,000 to fight
HIV-AIDS. A live auction raised
$1,825 — including $375 for two
teddy bears made by the cast's
wardrobe designer. A silent auction
netted $950.
"So often," said actress Kisha
Howard at the sixth annual musical
revue, "we forget about what life is
really about — sacrifice."
The cast donated their time to ben-
efit the Southfield-based Michigan .
Jewish AIDS Coalition and the New
York City-based Broadway Cares-
Equity Fights AIDS, representing the
American theater community. MJAC's
mission is to help the victims of, and
teach the public about, HIV-AIDS
(human immunodeficiency virus and
acquired immunodeficiency syn-
drome).
The disease, rampant in Africa but
occurring everywhere, disables the
immune system. Nationally, nearly
50,000 new HIV infections are
reported each year. In Michigan,
13,000 people are HIV-positive; more
than 9,000 have AIDS, according to
the Michigan HIV News. Most are
between ages 30 and 34.

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) IAThars ating
Harry itirsbaulli?

His 15 minutes are alinost up: After his
defeat, Gary Condit will disappear from
the public eye, for now.
wwvv.detroitnewishnews.com/opinion

Quotables

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) Day School Pinch

Whether from slashed Rind-raising revenues,
heightened requests for financial aid
or forced tuition hikes, day schools
throughout the United States are feeling
the pinch of the recession.
www.jewish. co m

) Quiet Moments

Faith is why I can dream, writes columnist
Karla Hailer-Fidelman, why we work
feverishly to repair the world even though
we know we can not personally finish
the job.
www.jewish.corn

) Converts Blocked

In the nearly two weeks since Israel's High
Court of Justice recognized Reform and
Conservative conversions as valid and
binding for purposes of national
identification, converts from both
movements have tried to put this
ruling into action with little success.
www.jewish. corn

Yiddish Limericks

"That meteor's still got me reeling,"
A dinosaur said. "It's concealing
The sun altogether,
And changing the weather.
A finster yor's* near, I've a feeling."

— Martha Jo Fleischmann

* (idiomatic) a curse
(literal) a dark year .

N'W
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3/8

2002

11