S D, ri,

Machon Dinner

44

Synagogue List

45

Torah Portion

47

HOME Is Where
The ARK Is

With its new wooden ark,

Chaye Olam prepares to

move to a permanent home

in Bloomfield Township.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN

Staff Writer

A

Cantor Dubov
in front of the
new Chaye
Olam building

t Congregation Chaye Olam, the Biblical phrase "be fruit-
fill and multiply" was certainly taken to heart during its
first 10 hectic — but productive — months.
Since the opening of the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah 2002, the congre-
gation has expanded to 58 member families, established a religious school and now is
packing to move into their newly purchased building at the southeast corner of Maple
and Inkster roads in Bloomfield Township.
"It took 40 weeks," said Cantor Stephen Dubov, who founded and leads the congre-
gation. "Noah floated for 40 days. The Israelites roamed for 40 years and we got a
building in 40 weeks," he said.
Since Chaye Olam's belongings are "portable and movable," Cantor Dubov expects
the early August move from the synagogue's current location inside the International
School of Arts and Languages in Farmington Hills to go smoothly. Before that, services
had been held at Green Elementary School in West Bloomfield.

Inside Chaye Olam

A focal point of the new building will be a handmade wooden ark, created by a group
spearheaded by synagogue member Robert Penfil of Brighton.
Penfil and his wife, Ginger, became members of Chaye Olam after they and the can-
tor discovered they each had something the other needed.

Ginger and Robert Penfil of Brighton and their granddaughter Isabella
Rosenberg, 2, of Commerce at the dedication of the Chaye Olam ark.

HOME IS WHERE THE ARK IS on page 44

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7/18
2003

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