. Torah Portion

Power Of Yosef's
Positive Thinking

wedding blessing of Michelle Gurvitz and Adam Wichman.

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 a.m.

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.

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.

REFORM/REEWAL

CONGREGATION SHIR TIKVAH

3900 Northfield Parkway, Troy, 48084, (248) 649-4418.
Rabbi: Arnie Sleutelberg. Services: Friday 7:45 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.

SECULAR HUMANISTIC

THE BIRMINGHAM TEMPLE

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

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.

JEWISH PARENTS INSTITUTE

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

SHOLEIVI ALEICHEM INSTITUTE

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 ARBETER
RING

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 mitzvah; Sunday
school.

SEPHARDIC

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.

KENYANS

FLEISCHMAN RESIDENCE

6710 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 661-2999.
Rabbi: Avie Shapiro. Services: Saturday and Sunday 9:15
a.m. Minchah Monday-Friday 4:30 p.m.; Saturday 1:30
p.m. Maariv Monday-Saturday 5:30 p.m.

YESHIVAT 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 communi-
ty is invited.

n on

I

:

) JN Digest

Selected news and feature stories
from the Detroit Jewish News.
wvvw.detroitjevvishnews.cominews

finally reveals himself to his
brothers, they are speechless — they
literally cannot answer. And they
begin to back away until Yosef
) Back In Time
finally has to say, "Come here!
I'm talking to you."
LOok for Alexis P. Rubin's
Why do they back away? They
ne of the benefits of a
"This Month in Jewish History"
shrink from their long-lost brother
recent family simchah was
for December.
out of embarrassment and fear —
the opportunity to spend
wwvv.detroitjewishnews.com
shame for what they've done and
time with my brother and
fear of what they expect Yosef to do
his family, who came from Israel.
to them in return.
Faced with constant physical
) What's Eating
Yet, Yosef continues, "Don't be
threats from without and a dubioul
upset,
and
don't
even
be
angry
with
economy from within, their love for
Harry Kirsbaum?
yourselves that you sold
the land and dedication to
vvvvw.detroitjewishnews.com/opinion
me because God sent
it remain steadfast; I con-
me here to preserve life.
stantly marvel at their opti-
It wasn't really you who
mism and good nature; and
sent me
it was God's
when I hear their attitude
hand all along.
towards life, it makes my
Imagine that. After
problems seem trivial in
the years of pain and
comparison.
suffering, the years of
Imagine that you are
servitude, slavery and
Yosef, about to confront
Wanted: Cool Jews
prison, when Yosef final-
your brothers — the very
ly has the chance to
same men who, 20 years
Heeb, the two-year-old
confront the people who
before sold you into slav-
Jewish hipster magazine,
put him in that horrible
ery. This isn't some minor
RABBI REUVEN
has both spawned and
situation, what does he
argument they got into —
SPOLTER
cashed in on a thriving
say? "Don't be upset
they didn't fight about who
Special to the
with yourselves. It was
would sit in the front seat
alternative. Jewish culture.
Jewish News
meant to be all along."
of the car on the way home
Read about it on
Yosef is a man who
from the ball game or who
www.jewish.com
.
can look at the worst
got to choose what television.show
possible situation and find the good
they'd all watch.
.
within
it. Yes, those years were diffi-
Yosef's brothers actually got rid
cult and painful. But Yosef is a man
of him — or at least they thought
`The Last Jew'
whose attitude overcomes all else,
so — forever. They sent him away
In this Jewish.com feature,
and who finds the good that comes
— away from his home, his family,
out
of
the
pain
and
suffering.
Marlena
Thompson
his life. Can you imagine being sent
Life
is
all
about
choices.
When
away from home at the age of 17,
reviews this tale of tragedy
you cut away all the junk, every sit-
never to return? Now imagine that
and triumph, adventure
uation is a choice. We might not be
your own brothers had been the
and faith.
able to control the circumstances,
people who sent you. How would
but we certainly can control our
you feel? How would you react?
reaction to them.
Well, I can tell you how I think I
We choose how we react to
would feel about my brothers. I'd
situations.
Only we choose how
hate them. I'd want them to suffer
people
will
affect our mood.
for the rest of their lives for what
The bottom line is that it really is
they did. And Yosef is in a position
all up to us.
to make it happen. He's the second
in command in the entire country!
He can throw the brothers in jail,
have them locked up, throw away
asp
the key and see how they feel. He
can sell them into slavery and see
how they do. And they would have
Rashi teaches us that when
www.detroitjewishnews.com/advertisers
deserved it.
Yosef finally meets his father
Ira Kaufman Chapel... www.irakaufman.com
What does Yosef really do?
and cries on his father's shoul-
How does he react to his brothers?
der, his father cannot answer
GEM'S
The Torah tells us that when Yosef
because he's reciting the
DetailsArt.com www.detailsart.com
Shema. Can't Ya'akov find a
Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young
better time to daven? Why
Israel of Oak Park. His e-mail address is
does he say the Shema precisely
rabbispolter@yiop.org
at this time?

Shabbat Vayiggash:
Genesis 44:18-47:27;
Ezekiel 37:15-28.

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