This Week
Remembering 9-11
Sharing 'Our Common Humanity'
Planners of interfaith service for 9-11 find bonus in working together.
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
StaffWriter
earthing to find a thread of meaning in the
S events of 9-11, Rabbi Joseph Krakoff of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek discovered
something positive as he planned for a
community-wide, interfaith prayer service on the
first anniversary of the fateful day.
"It made many of us recognize that although we
may have different religious beliefs and back-
grounds, this human tragedy helps us celebrate our
commonalities," said Rabbi Krakoff.
Area clergy from various faith communities are
coming to his Southfield synagogue for a worship
program 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11.
"It seems to me that since we were all attacked, we
all have something to discover or re-discover in the
process of dealing with this," said the Rev. Bill
Walker of First Baptist Church of Detroit, who is on
the planning committee. Looking to "find common
goodness, hope, love and forgiveness," he sees the
attacks of 9-11 as-transcending a religious strike, but
rather, representing an assault upon humanity.
"Our religious world views may explain the world
differently, but the common element is the human
person who seeks meaning and purpose," he said.
Rabbi Krakoff says initial discussions at his syna-
gogue centered on commemorating the tragic day as
Jews.
"We felt it was important to mourn in a Jewish
way," he said.
"That happened on Aug. 31, the Hebrew yahrtzeit
(anniversary of Jewish death) for Sept. 11, this year
on the 23rd of Elul.
That left the secular calendar's Sept. 11 as the
time to join together in prayer with members of
other faith communities," Rabbi Krakoff said.
"I think that most people will not want the day to
go by without some kind of formal commemora-
tion," said Betsy Kellman, director of the Anti-
Defamation League-Michigan Region and part of
the service-planning committee.
"I think there are a lot of people who want to per-
sonally connect to the events of Sept. 11 and this is
one positive way to do that. One message that came
out of the tragedy is that we share a common grief.
Religion and prayer is one positive way to handle
that grief and build a sense of hope."
Making Plans
Planning for the worship service, which came to
include community, cultur"al and civic groups as well
as leaders from synagogues, churches and mosques,
took many weeks and many minds.
"If all my sermons could be written with the input
of all those at the planning committee meetings,
they would be very easy to write," said Rabbi
9/ 6
2002
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Shaarey Zedek Rabbi Joseph Krakoff
Krakoff, chair of the program, at an Aug. 23 gather-
ing of the planners.
In an extraordinary showing of participation,
respect and tolerance, the group continually offered
suggestions, regularly agreeing to all of them with
occasional modification.
For example, they wondered if the choir should
sing "Glory, Glory Hallelujah?" The,group answer
was yes, but with the omission of specific religious
references.
A discussion over whether or not to add a physical
representation of those lost in the tragedies quickly
became a plan to set an empty chair covered with a
black shawl on the Shaarey Zedek bimah. A lighted
votive candle will be placed on the chair.
Other discussions moved from the simple deci-
sions of whether clergy should wear robes, who
would place the 3,026 flags representing 9-11 vic-
tims in the ground and what day would be best for a
rehearsal, to the more somber talks on security and
whether film clips should be viewed or if partici-
pants would welcome a break from a day's inunda-
tion of graphic pictures of victims and terror.
Committee members contacted printers, candle
distributors and flag manufacturers, divvying up the
jobs. "We are all doing what we are good at," said
Kellman, whose assignment was to arrange media
connections.
"It has been absolutely awe-inspiring to come
together with my brothers and sisters across religious
lines," Rabbi Krakoff said. "I know the friendships
we have developed and the church-synagogue rela-
tionships that are being built will make this commu-
nity and this world a better place for all of us."
Kellman agrees. "It is very interesting to see th e
dynamics of this group," she said. "They are very
respectful of each other, which really is uplifting. We
are all coming from a different place, but we are all
getting to the same place — together."
Among the more than 35 sponsoring religious,
civic and community groups involved in planning
the program are Congregations Shaarey Zedek, Beth
Ahm and B'nai Moshe and Shir Tikvah, Temple
Emanu-El, American Jewish Committee,
Ecumenical Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies,
ADL, Center for Jewish Healing, Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit, Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit, Jewish Academy
of Metropolitan Detroit and Michigan Board of
Rabbis.
Ira Kaufman Chapel in Southfield will underwrite
security costs for the event and ADL has funded the
purchase of the flags that will be planted in the
ground around the synagogue. Steven Traison of
Walker Printery in Oak Park, whose rabbi, Charles -
Popky of Congregation Beth Ahm, is on the plan-
ning committee, is donating printing costs.
Program Expectations
"We're expecting participants of many religious
faiths to attend the service looking to get away
from the images of the day," Rabbi Krakoff said.
"We're anticipating an all-encompassing group
from a wide cross-section who want a venue to
express their feelings and thoughts," he said.
The Rev. Walker says he hopes participants leave
the service with a sense of renewed hope.
"I would hope people leave remembering those
ultimate sacrifices of those who died that day and
the effort of people of all faiths and creeds who are
affected," he said. "And I would hope people
would leave trusting that God does indeed hold
the future and that there is more to gain by seek-
ing to understand than by being understood."
The Rev. Jim Holley of Little Rock Baptist
Church in Detroit, who, with his church mem-
bers, joined Shaarey Zedek congregants in a
December 2001 program to feed homeless
Detroiters, will offer a short presentation on the
theme of the service: solidarity, peace, hope and
moving forward.
Cantor Chaim Najman of Shaarey Zedek will
chant a memorial prayer in Hebrew and Allan
Gale, assistant director for government relations at
the JCCouncil, will recite "The Prayer for Our
Country."
A color guard procession will take place and