Torah Portion

(248) 967-4020. Rabbi: Joseph .P Klein.
Cantor: Norman Rose. Services: Friday
7:30 p.m. Saturday 10:30 a.m. Friday
baby naming of Rayna Gold, daughter of
Robin and Richard Gold. Saturday bat
mitzvah of Emily Tasman, daughter of
Cathy and Richard Tasman.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

5725 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield,
48323, (248) 661-5700. Rabbis: Harold
S. Loss, Paul M. Yedwab, Joshua L.
Bennett, Marla Hornsten. Rabbi emeri-
tus: M. Robert Syme, Cantors: Harold
Orbach, Lori Corrsin. Services: Friday
7:30 p.m., 8 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m.;
weekdays 7:30 a.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.
Friday early service wedding blessing of
Steven Zlotnick and Lorey Eisenberg;
Seth Faber and Esti Yudelev. Saturday
b'nai mitzvah of Steven Benson, son of
Lori and Dr. Kim Benson; Sasha Fields,
daughter of Jessica and Dr. Richard
Fields. Havdalah bar mitzvah at 5 p.m. of
Scott Sonenberg, son of Julie and Dan
Sonenberg.

TEMPLE KOL AMI

Miriam Jerris. Services: Friday 8 p.m.

JEWISH CULTURAL SOCIETY

2935 Birch Hollow Drive, Ann Arbor,
48108-2301, (734) 975-9872. Board
president: Karla Rice. School principal:
Ramona Brand. Shabbat services first
Friday of every month 7:30 p.m.; cul-
tural Jewish celebrations, secular bar/bat
mitzvah programming, cultural Sunday
school.

JEWISH PARENTS
INSTITUTE

JCC, 6600 W. Maple, West Bloomfield,.
48322, (248) 661-1000. Director:
Marilyn Wolfe. Alternative cultural
Jewish celebrations; secular bar/bat
mitzvah ceremonies; adult program-
ming; cultural Sunday school from
nursery through teen.

SHOLEM ALEICHEM INSTITUTE

28690 Southfield, Suite 293, Lathrup
Village, 48076, (248) 423-4406. Co-
presidents: Alva Dworkin, May
Moskowitz. Holiday. observances; Friday
night onegey Shabbat; cultural events.

5085 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield,
48323, (248) 661-0040. Rabbi: Norman
T. Roman. Rabbi emeritus: Ernst J.
Conrad. Cantorial soloist: Susan Greener.
Services: Friday 7:30 p.m.; Saturday
10:30 a.m. Saturday bat mitzvah of
Courtney Lubin, daughter of Helene and
David Lubin. Havdalah adult bar mitzvah
at 7:30 p.m. of Dr. Tor Shwayder.

WORKMEN'S CIRCLE
ARBETER RING

CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK

SEPHARDIC

1924 Coolidge, East Lansing 48823,
(517) 351-3570. Rabbi Emeritus:
Morton Hoffman. Cantor: Pamela Jordan
Schiffer. Student rabbi: Oren Hayon.
Services: Friday 8 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m.

TEMPLE SHIR SHALOM

3999 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield,
48323, (248) 737-8700. Rabbis: Dannel
Schwartz, Michael L. Moskowitz.
Cantorial soloist: Penny Steyer. Services:
Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. Friday
bat mitzvah of Sarah Castator, daughter
of Wendy and Fred Castator. Saturday bat
mitzvah of Rachel Piliawsky, daughter of
Joan Mahoney and Monte Piliawsky.

REPOR1/1/RENEWAL

CONGREGATION SHIR TIKVAH

26341 Coolidge, Oak Park, 48237,
(248) 545-0985. Chair: Arlene Frank.
Michigan district director: Ellen R.
Bates-Brackett. Year round holiday
observances, Nokh Shabbes Havdalah
once a month; secular bar/bat mitzvah;
Sunday school.

KETER TORAH SYNAGOGUE

5544 Drake (Drake and Walnut Lake
roads), West Bloomfield, (248) 788-
1006. Services: Saturday 9 a.m.; Sunday
9 a.m.; Monday and Thursday 6:50
a.m.

TRADITIONAL

B'NAI DAVID

5640 W. Maple, Suite 102, West
Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 855-5007.
Cantor: Ben-Zion Lanxner. Services:
Saturday 9 a.m. Services at Hadassah
House, 5030 Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield. Haftorah, Harold Strom.

MINTANS

3900 Northfield Parkway, Troy, 48084,
(248) 649-4418. Rabbi: Arnie
Sleutelberg. Services: Friday 7:45 p.m.;
Saturday 10 a.m. Saturday bat mitzvah of
Claire Kander, daughter of Ken and Lisa
Kander. Aufruf of Ben Singer and Durga
Peria.

FLEISCHMAN RESIDENCE/
BLUMBERG PLAZA

SECULAR HUMANISTIC

YESHIVAT AKIVA

THE BIRMINGHAM TEMPLE

28611 W. 12 Mile, Farmington Hills,
48334, (248) 477-1410. Rabbis: Sherwin
T. Wine, Tamara Kolton, Adam Chalom,

6710 W. Maple, West Bloomfield,
48322, (248) 661-2999. Director of
religious services: Rabbi Avie Shapiro.
Morning services every day 9:15 a.m.
Minchah Monday-Shabbat 5:30 p.m.

21100 W. 12 Mile, Southfield, 48076
(248) 386-1625. Services: During the
school year, morning services at 7:30
a.m.; afternoon services at 2:40 p.m.
The community is invited.

The 'Childishness' Of
The Children Of Israel

days, but for a solid month, until it
comes out your noses and is loath-
some to you! I'll teach you to wail
and whine about having to leave the
wonderful place that was Egypt!"
Moses, so caught up in his own
complaining, lets God's sarcasm go
right over his head, saying: "So much
ur Torah reading this week
meat, God? The people here number
contains the famous (and
600,000 men and they're all going to
frustrating!) story of the 12
get that much meat? Where are there
spies who return from the
flocks or herds enough for that? And
Promised Land with a report
God answered, "Do you
to Moses and the Israelites.
really think, Moses, that I
The spies find a rich land,
am limited in what I can
eretz zavat chalav udvash —
do?"
one that "flows with milk
These are our ancestors?
and honey," but report (over
We're supposed to point to
the objections of Joshua and
them with pride?
Caleb) that it is a place of
Though the Israelites
giants and danger. And this
this week are whining in
isn't the first time that we're
their wandering, we know
troubled that the Israelites
that they will indeed pull
are frightened and passive.
RABBI JOSEPH themselves together, that
Back in Exodus, within
KL EIN
they will affirm a covenant
only three verses of the mag-
Sp ecia to the
with God that will sustain
nificent miracle of the split-
Jewis h News
them unto_ us, 3,500 years
ting of the sea, the Israelites
later. In finally figuring
complain of having no water
out who they were, they found
to drink! And last week's Torah por-
strength in their communion with
tion contained a particularly embar-
God and in their community under
rassing episode with the people weep-
God.
ing in their desert tents that they only
While it is somewhat embarrass-
have manna to eat. As God burns
ing to read these stories of our
with anger at the people, Moses regis-
ancestral leaders, way back at the
ters his own complaints to God.
beginning of our people — there is
• "Why have You, God, treated me
an ennobling reassurance that from
so poorly?" Moses cries. "Why have I
them rose this enduring and world-
not found some favor in Your eyes
changing nation. We are they, and
that You have laid the burden of these
they are us — and the chosen peo-
people on me alone? Did I give birth
ple are still choosing themselves. ❑
to them, that now You make me lift
them to my breast and nurse them?
Why do I have to carry them to the
land You promised them? Now where
am I going to get meat for them to
eat? If this is the way You, God, are
Interestingly, we call Ynai Yisrael
going to treat me, then just kill me
the "Children of Israel." In how
now and put me out of my misery!"
many ways are they acting like
This is our leader? Is he any differ-
children in this week's Torah por-
ent from the Israelites he's supposedly
tion?
in charge of Has Moses also lost faith
How are we to understand
in God's presence and protection?
Moses, the greatest of our leaders,
God, it appears, is "up to here"
when he seems to be acting as
with the lot of them. So God declares
childish as his people? If the
to the people: "You want meat to eat.
Israelites coming out of Egypt are
I'll give you your meat — you will eat
behaving this way, in what way
it for not just one day, not just for
does that explain why they must
two days or five days or 10 days or 20
spend 40 years in the desert before

Shabbat Shelach Lecha:
Numbers 13:1-15:41;
Joshua 2:1-24.

0

Conversations

Joseph Klein is rabbi of Temple

entering the Promised Land?

\`.

6/7
2002

69