Staff Notebook
AIPAC Director Urges
More Support For Israel
he Back Street Horns
Simone Vitale Band
Hot Ice • Cassens Murphy
• Rave • JoyRide
Nightline
•
Radio City
Higher. Ground
• Persuasion • LIMA
Cheers • Intrigue
Nouveaute
Sun Messengers
Teen Angels
bout 75 metro Detroiters gathered at Temple
Beth El in Bloomfield Township Nov. 3 to hear
Howard Kohl-, executive director of the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), speak about
the importance of standing behind Israel during this
critical historic time.
Calling this an "emergency community briefing,"
Kohr stressed the need to give our support to Israel and
also to the political candidates who uphold our shared
values. He also talked about the need for greater public
awareness to counteract the negative image of Israel por-
trayed by the media.
He told of a sign he saw recently in
Israel on a discotheque wall where a
terrorist attack had occurred. It read:
"We will not stop dancing." Kohr
said the message indicates Israel's
spirit and determination, even in the
face of the ongoing terrorism.
"I came here today because I want-
ed more information on the situation
in Israel," said Jay Sole of Bloomfield
Howard Kohr
Hills. "I thought Howard Kohr was
absolutely terrific."
"I'm a Lutheran," said Eva King,
who drove in from Flint to hear Kohr
speak, "and I believe that now is the
time to stand up for Israel or it will
be wiped out. I'm here because it's
important to get that word out."
— Ronelle Grier
Big Crowd Expected
At Nimoy Book Talk
emple Shir Shalom in West
Bloomfield is bracing for an
overflow crowd when Jewish
actor-photographer Leonard Nimoy
speaks about his controversial new
book, Shekhina (Umbrage Editions;
Leonard Nimoy
$39.95), in the synagogue's main
sanctuary at 8:15 p.m. Thursday,
Nov. 14.
Nimoy, the renowned Vulcan alien
"Mr. Spock" of the popular Star Trek
television series of the 1960s, was
given a change of venue from the
Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield, where he
was to have appeared with other Jewish Book Fair
authors.
The nature of the photos in Nimoy's book — depicting
nude or semi-nude women, some wearing tallit and tefill- •
in — caused a heated artistic debate in the Detroit
Jewish community. The venue and sponsorship for
Nimoy's appearance were changed after a consensus was
reached following meetings of lay, professional and rab-
binic representatives, and supported by the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
The new sponsor is the National Foundation for Jewish
Culture.
T
The Jerry Ross Band
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The Shir Shalom sanctuary holds about 950 people,
but Nimoy has been drawing crowds of 1,000 or more at
appearances in Texas and Florida. No one younger than
18 will be admitted to the free lecture.
Nimoy also created dissent in Seattle where he with-
drew from a Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle fund-
raising dinner following local concern about the book's
explicit photography and use of the sacred Jewish objects.
"The decision reached by our Jewish leaders was very
appropriate for the community," said Shir Shalom Rabbi
cannel Schwartz. "The leadership at our temple agrees
witth,the decision and is happy to offer Shir Shalom as
the lo?ation of the meeting.
"As far as'Unow, none of our members objects 't6 Mr.
Nimoy co milig-:here."
•,
— Bill itarroll
B'nai Moshe Hosts
Teen Discussion Series
aniella HarPaz Mechnikov, education director at
Congregation B'nai Moshe in West Bloomfield,
had a brainstorm for bringing teens back to
Jewish education. Her thought was twofold — to hook
teens with quirky Jewish questions (Can you be buried
in a Jewish cemetery if you have a tattoo?) and to utilize
educators from the Jewish Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit.
What evolved is a series of seven classes open to all
teens in grades 8-12, regardless of synagogue affiliation.
The series begins Wednesday, Nov. 13, at B'nai
Moshe, 6800 Drake Road, with a discussion on organ
donation with Rabbi Lee Buckman, head of JAMD.
The 6-8 p.m. classes on the second Wednesday of each
month will include pizza, pop and learning. Cost is $18
per session or $100 for the series. To register or for
information, call (248) 788-3600.
— Keri Guten Cohen
D
Corrections
• The program Shhhema and Sweet Dreamt7z ("People
Of The Books," Nov. 1, page 81; "Family Fare At Book
Fair," Nov. 1, page 120), is 2:30-3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov.
17, at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloom-
field and intended exclusively for children being raised in
single-parent Jewish families, their parents and grandpar-
ents. $5 per child. RSVP by Thursday, Nov. 14, to
Lauren Morton, Agency for Jewish. Education, (248)
645-7860, ext. 377, or e-mail morton@ajedetroit.org
• The appearance of Book Fair speaker Georgia
Witkin, Ph.D., author of Stress — Relieffor Disasters
Great and Small, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday,
Nov. 14, at the Jewish Community Center in West
Bloomfield, has been canceled.
• The seventh annual North American Alliance for
Jewish Youth Conference on Informal Jewish Education
will be held in Israel Jan. 13-17. The date was incorrect
in "Local Principal Chairs Forum," Oct. 25, page 64.
For information, log on to vvwvv.naajevvishyouth.org