$_pirituality

Synagogues

Torah Portion

Abraham's Mndness To Others
Made Him Worthy Of Covenant

TEMPLE BETH EL

7400 Telegraph, Bloomfield Township, 48301, (248)
851-1100. Rabbis: Daniel B. Syme, David Scott
Castiglione. Cantor: David Montefiore. Services: Friday
7:30 p.m. Saturday 10:30 a.m. Sunday 9:40 a.m.
Saturday b'nai mitzvah of Matthew Jay Hollander, son of
Jane E. Smitt and Harvey Hollander; Wade Louis
Henney, son of Ray and Dr. Lucy Henney. Tot Shabbat at
9:15 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 b'not mitzvah of Morgan Binder,
daughter of Lisa and Steven Binder; Carli Cecchini,
daughter of Sherril and Anthony Cecchini. Saturday baby
naming of Sabrina Anne Carson, daughter of Lauren and
Stephen Carson.

TEMPLE BETH EL (FLINT)

REFORME/RENEWAL

TEMPLE BETH EL (MIDLAND)

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 Hannah
Kanter, daughter of Cindy Frenkel and Daniel Kanter.

5150 Calkins, Flint, 48532, (810) 720-9494. Rabbi:
Karen Companez. Cantorial soloist: Aleksander
Chernyak. Services: First Friday of the month 6:15 p.m.;
second Friday 8 p.m.; all other Fridays 8 p.m.

2505 Bay City Road, Midland, 48642, (517) 835-4822.
Guest teacher: Hal Greenwald. President: Stuart J.
Bergstein. Services: Friday 8 p.m. once a month.
Regularly scheduled High Holiday services for the tri-city
area.

TEMPLE BETH EMETH

2309 Packard, Ann Arbor, 48104, (734) 665-4744.
Rabbi: Robert D. Levy. Chazzan: Ann Zibelman Rose.
Services: Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. Family service
once a month at 7:30 p.m. replaces 8 p.m. Friday serv-
ice; call for specific dates.

BETH ISAAC SYNAGOGUE

2730 Edsel Dr., Trenton, 48183, (734) 675-0355.
Services: Friday 7:30 p.m. Congregational leaders con-
duct services throughout the year.

CONGREGATION SHIR TIICVAH

SECULAR HUMANISTIC

THE BIRMINGHAM TEMPLE

28611 W. 12 Mile, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248) 477-
1410. Founding rabbi: Sherwin T. Wine. Rabbis: Tamara
Kolton, Adam Chalom. Services: Friday 8 p.m. Friday,
celebration of newcomers.

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.; cultural Jewish celebrations, secular
bar/bat mitzvah programming, cultural Sunday school.

801 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson 49202; (517) 784-3862.
Rabbi: Jonathan V. Plaut. Rabbi emeritus: Alan Ponn.
Chazzan: Evette Lutman. President: Dr. Cathy Glick.
Services: Friday 8 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. the first
Saturday of the month.

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

SHOLEM ALEICHEM INSTITUTE

CONGREGATION CHA_YE OLAM

4875 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Twp. 48301-2805,
(248) 851-7485. Cantor: Stephen L. Dubov. Services:
Friday 7:30 p.m. Shabbat services 10:30 a.m. Saturday
9:30 am. Tot Shabbat.

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

WORKMEN'S CIRCLE ARBEIER RING

14450 W. 10 Mile, Oak Park, 48237, (248) 967-4020.
Rabbi: Joseph P. Klein. Cantor: Norman Rose. Services:
Friday 8 p.m. Saturday 10:30 a.m. Friday bar mitzvah of
William Ruggirello, son of Susan Buskell.

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 mitz-
vah; Sunday school.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

SEPHARDIC

TEMPLE EMANU EL

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5725 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield, 48323, (248) 661-
5700. Rabbis: Harold S. Loss, Paul M. Yedwab, Joshua L.
Bennett, Marla Hornsten. Cantor: Lori Corrsin. Cantorial
soloist: Neil Michaels. Rabbinic intern: Jennifer Tisdale.
Services: Friday 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. Saturday 10:30 a.m.
Friday early service baby naming of. Faith LeAn Lewis,
daughter of Gayle and Steven Lewis. Later service b'hot
mitzvah of Jessica Skulsky, daughter of Carol and Craig
Skulsky; Alexa Eisenberg, daughter of Beth Ann and Dr,
Bruce Eisenberg. Saturday b'nai mitzvah of Jeffrey _
Klegon, son of Teresa and Frank Klegon; Elizabeth Kole,.
daughter of Linda and Bernard Kole. Alternative service
bar mitzvah at 11 a.m. of Joshua Zeman, son of Marci
and Paul Zeman. Havdalah bar mitzvah at 6 p.m. of Seth
Samuels, son of Gayle and Gary Samuels.

TEMPLE KOL AMI

5085 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield, 48323, (248) 661-
0040. Rabbi: Norman T. Roman. Rabbi emeritus: Ernst J.
Conrad. Cantorial soloist: Susan Greener. Services:
Friday 6 p.m. Saturday 10:30 am. Saturday bar mitzvah
of Benjamin Evanson, son of Nancy Evanson.

CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK

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

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2003

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JEWISH PARENTS INSTITUTE

TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL

can be seen in the final verses of the
Torah before God decides to destroy
the world in the great flood (Genesis
6:1-3): "And the sons of the power-
ful saw that the daughters of the
men were good and took the women
from all that they chose."
The Torah tells us these stories to
his week's Torah portion
describe the ruthless intimidation of
begins with Abraham lit-
the strangers and powerless and the
erally "running to greet"
moral degeneracy in these communi-
the three
ties. It is within this
strangers" and insisting
moral climate that the
that they enjoy his exten-
forefathers found them-
sive hospitality (Genesis
selves and not only sur-
18:2).
vived, but insisted in
Whether the
behaving differently —
strangers" are angels as
offering aid and comfort,
Rashi (1040-1105 C.E.)
hospitality and relief to
interprets, human
those in need.
prophets as explained by
Lot certainly learned
Gersonides (1288 1344)
this lesson from Abraham
or a prophetic vision
and was even put in
according to Maimonides
jeopardy by protecting
(1135-1204; Guide for the
the strangers in Sodom
Perplexed, 11:42),
(Genesis 19:2 11). Such
RABBI
Abraham's behavior stands
hospitality
to the stranger
ELIEZER
in the sharpest of contrasts
became the "test" for
COHEN
to the despicable behavior
Abraham's slave to choose
Special to the
of the men of Sodom
a wife for Isaac (Genesis
(Genesis 19:5-9) in their
Jewish News
24:14).
attempt to molest the
Although the Torah
strangers.
doesn't explicitly state why Abraham
Likewise, Abraham as a defense-
and his descendants were chosen to
less stranger in G'ror (Genesis 20: 1-
become "God's holy nation," these
11) fears that he will be killed so
stories in Genesis clearly point out
the differences between Abraham's
household and the rest of the world
in which they lived.
It was the violent victimization of
the vulnerable that caused God to
bring the flood. Only the responsible
caregiving and stewardship of Noah
sustained the world during the flood.
And it was to Abraham, who
cared for the needy strangers, that
God offered His covenant and to
Abraham's descendants to whom
He gave the Torah.

Shabbat Vayera:
Genesis 18:1-22:24;
II Kings 4:1-37.

KETER TORAH SYNAGOGUE

5480 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, (248) 681-
3665. Rabbi: Michael Cohen. Services: Friday at candle-
lighting time; Saturday 9 a.m., Minchah 1 1/4 hours
before the end of Shabbat; Sunday 9 a.m.; Monday 7
a.m.; Wednesday 9 p.m., Thursday 7 a.m., 9 p.m.

TRADITIONAL

B'NAI DAVID

6346 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 100, West Bloomfield,
48322, (248) 855-5007. Cantor: Ben-Zion Lanxner.
Services: Saturday 9 a.m. Haftorah, Harold Strom.

MINTANS

FLEISCHMAN RESIDENCE

6710 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 661-
2999. Rabbi: Avie Shapiro. Minchah Monday-Thursday
5:30 p.m.; Sunday, Shabbat Schacharit 9:15 a.m.

YFSHIVAT AKIVA

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 commu-
nity is invited.

It was the violent
victimization of
the vulnerable that
caused God to
bring the flood.

❑

that his wife can be taken by the
king. Similar treatment of strangers
is described two other times in the
Torah: Once before, with Abraham
and Sarah in Egypt (Genesis 12:11-
20) and with Isaac and Rebecca in
G'ror (Genesis 26:6-10).
In addition, later in 'the Torah
( Genesis 34: 1-31) we are presented
with the kidnap and rape of Dinah,
Jacob's daughter, by the son of the
king of Sh'chem.
Such evidence of the victimization
of the vulnerable and of the "other"

Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation
Or Chadash.

Conversation's

How was the lesson Lot learned
in Abraham's household
corrupted by his stay in Sodom?
Why is the treatment of the
vulnerable and the "other" the
test of a moral society? What
conduct of the forefathers has
become characteristic of the
Jewish community?
How can we personally better
implement these traits?

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