Great Lakes & Rivers
Region, Hevra West
Torah Portion
Ensuring the creative growth of
Conservative Judaism
An Open Letter To The Almighty
On This Rosh Hashanah, 5764
Are You not Shomer Yisrael, the
guardian of Israel, keeper of our
destiny?
Your prophet declared: "Seek the
Lord where He can be found."
Where shall we find You? And
where shall we not find You? In the
year that has passed, some of our
lives have been touched by
moments of great fulfillment and
some of us have been seared by
ear God,
unspeakable tragedy. You were ever
We come before You
with us. You sustained us. You
on these Days of Awe as
uplifted us, if only we would have
individuals cre-
opened our eyes.
ated in Your image and as
We have so much to ask
children of the Covenant
of You, Sovereign of the
to thank You for Your
Universe. Stay the hands of
blessings and to seek guid-
violence, silence the
ance for the year to come.
tongue of the malevolent.
We close the chapter of
Remove the diabolical
the old year uncertainly
hatred that erupts in sense--
like a book whose meaning
less violence. Protect the
we have not fully compre-
land of Israel and the
hended. Wonderful chap-
Jewish people everywhere.
ters were in it. We are
Give wisdom to our lead-
RABBI 11 WIN
grateful for inspiring
ers.
Save our abundant
GRON ER
moments. But we are left
earth and keep pure the air
Special to the
with haunting questions.
we breathe. Guard our
Jewish N ews
Will the people of Israel
cities. Protect our homes.
ever find peace and securi-
Preserve us from weapons
ty? Will American Jewry discover
of mass destruction. Enable us to
the path of spiritual renewal? Will
nurture and enlighten our precious
the sounds of violence no longer be
children.
heard in this land and the scourge
Above all, we ask that You
of terrorism be utterly removed?
inscribe us in the Book of Life, for
We ask not for an escape from the
ourselves and our people. Link our
difficult choices we must make, but
names with prophets and sages and
rather for insight and courage to
saints who labored to preserve Your
choose wisely and bravely.
teaching. Enable us to continue
It seems to some of us that we
their sacred work. Unroll our days
have lost You; lost You so easily, so
as a scroll and use our lives as holy
effortlessly, so unknowingly. Dare
parchment in which to inscribe
we commend ourselves to You, for
Eternal truths.
we have been given so much, we
Be not so far away. Bring us to
can lay just claim to added bless-
our senses. Arouse our conscience.
ings? Yet we must. Our very exis-
In this year, strengthen us to find
tence is in Your hands.
You and possess You. Enable us to
Another year and we grow older
love You with all our heart, with all
along with it. If only we could grow our soul, and with all our might.
in wisdom as we grow in years.
Come nearer to us and remain in
There is little point in pleading
our midst. We do not want to fail
that we are weak and subject to
You. But God, do not fail us. You
error. After all, we possess the dig-
are our Father.
nity of our humanity, we are creat-
We are humbly and devoutly,
ed in Your image, we are favored to
Your children
live in this time and place. Why,
then, Oh God, have we lost You?
Even if we acknowledge this as our
fault, still, why were You so easy to
lose? We need You, our innermost
Did God not say, "Return to Me,
heart longs for You. Do You not
for I have returned unto you"?
also need us? Are we not Your part-
Why is this so significant this
ners in perfecting Your creation?
Rosh Hashanah? ❑
Irwin Groner is chief rabbi at
Shabbat and
Rosh Hashanah:
Genesis 21:1-34;
Numbers 29:1-6;
I Samuel 1:1-2:10.
D
Conversations
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
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Best wishes for a healthy, happy and
sweet New Year
Adat Shalom Synagogue
Farmington Hills, MI
Congregation B'nai Moshe
West Bloomfield, MI
Beth Israel Congregation
Ann Arbor, MI
Congregation of Moses
Kalamazoo, MI
Beth Israel
Flint, MI
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Southfield, MI
West Bloomfield, MI
Congregation Ahavas Israel
Grand Rapids, MI
Congregation Beth Ahm
West Bloomfield, MI
Congregation Beth Shalom
Oak Park, MI
Temple Israel
Bay City, MI
Congregation B'nai Israel
Toledo, OH
Judy Kornblith
President
Dr. Richard Lederman
Executive Director
Ruth Marcus
Executive Committee Liaison
Arlyne Bochnek
Youth Director/Assistant Director
■ \‘‘,..!.),
BASSONOVA
Happy Holidays to our friends
Reopen Saturday October 4th
Sweater Clearance Sets $35
Rhinestone Zipper Pull-on vests$30
Gabardine Pants (Black Excluded) $49
OPEN EVERY SATURDAY
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
COMFORT INN • FARMINGTON HILLS
(12 Mile just East of Orchard Lake Rd.)
(248) 471-9220
Mon-Fri call 586 754-6360
9/26
761210
2003
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