Torah Portion
Synagogues
Investing In The Future
Guarantees Dividends
SYNAGOGUES from
page 57
CONGREGATION BETH EL
2525 Mark Ave., Windsor; (519) 969-2422. Rabbi:
Jeffrey Ableser. Cantor: Marci Shulman. Services: 5:45
p.m. the first and last Friday of the month; 8 p.m. inter-
mediate Fridays.
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.
TEMPLE BETH EL (FLINT)
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.
TEMPLE BETH EL (MIDLAND)
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 service; call for specific dates.
BETH ISAAC SYNAGOGUE
2730 Edsel Dr., Trenton, 48183, (734) 675-0355.
Services: Friday 7:30 p.m. Congregational leaders
conduct services throughout the year.
TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL
3900 Northfield Parkway, Troy, 48084, (248) 649-4418.
Rabbi: Arnie Sleutelberg. Services: Friday 7:45 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. Friday bar mitzvah of Jared Lee, son
of Jordan and Gail Lee.
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 princi-
pal: 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 cere-
monies; adult programming; cultural Sunday school
from nursery through teen.
CONGREGATION CHAYE OLAM
WORKMEN'S CIRCLE ARBETER
RING
14450 W. 10 Mile, Oak Park, 48237, (248) 967-
4020: Rabbi: Joseph P. Klein. Cantor emeritus:
Norman Rose. Services: Friday 8 p.m. Saturday
10:30 a.m. Friday conversion of Anne Costello.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
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-Kroll. Services: Friday 7:30
p.m., 8 p.m. Saturday 10:30 a.m., 6 p.m. Friday
early service baby naming of Madison Diane
Salzenstein, daughter of Gina and Douglas
Salzenstein; Bryn Leah Dubin, daughter of Cindy and
Bryan Dubin.
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
ZED EK
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.
58
CONGREGATION SHIR TIKVAH
SHOLEM ALEICHEM INSTITUTE
TEMPLE EMANU-EL
2/20
REFORM/RENEWAL
801 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson 49202; (517) 784-
3862. Rabbi: Jonathan V. Plaut. Rabbi emeritus: Alan
Ponn. Cantorial soloist: Clara Silver. President: Dr.
Cathy Glick. Services: Friday 8 p.m. Saturday 10
a.m. the first Saturday of the month.
4875 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Twp. 48301-2805,
(248) 851-7485. Cantor: Stephen L. Dubov. Services:
Friday 7:30 p.m.
2004
Moskowitz. Cantorial soloist: Penny Steyer. Services:
Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. Saturday bar mitz-
vah of Aaron Smith, son of Julie Rodecker Holly and
Kendal Smith.
28690 Southfield, Suite 293, Lathrup Village, 48076,
(248) 423-4406. Co-presidents: Alva Dworkin, May
Moskowitz. Holiday observances; Friday night oneg
Shabbat; cultural events.
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.
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. Haftorah, Saul Chudnow.
MINYANS
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.
YES H IVAT 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.
really more. Only when we worship
God alone does He promise us mate-
rial, physical and spiritual success.
Worshipping idols doesn't make us
better. Instead, it only serves to drive
us farther away from God and the
blessings in life that we truly value.
magine that your broker calls
Let's return to our imaginary call
you with an investment oppor-
from your broker. He did call you, but
tunity that, the way he puts it,
not for business. Rather, as an actively
"Can't lose."
involved parent at a local Jewish
No, he's not trying to sell you on a
school — be it Hillel, Jewish Academy
Martha Stewart ImClone deal that
of Metropolitan Detroit or Yeshivat
will land you in federal court. This is
Akiva — he wants you to invest in
the real deal. While the investment
your children by sending
represents a significant outlay
them to a Jewish day school.
of assets at the outset, he
Would you still consider his
confidently guarantees that
offer? Might you still invest?
ultimately your investment
Remember his guarantee:
today will undoubtedly
Investing in your children
change your family's future
by sending them to real,
for generations to come. Will
meaningful full-time Jewish
you do it? You have faith in
education will undoubtedly
him — enough to entrust
change your family's future
him with your life's savings.
for the better for generations
But can you take that leap of
to come.
RABBI
faith to scrimp and save
But we want to hedge
REIJVEN
today to ensure your family's
our
bets. Sure, Jewish educa-
SPOLTER
security down the road?
tion is great, but I want my
Special to the
In our portion this week,
child to get into a top col-
Jewish News
God tells the Jewish people
lege. I need to send her to
that if they invest, in Him —
prep school and soccer and
not financially but spiritually — He
violin lessons and drama. When you
-promises them a similar guarantee.
add it all up, there's no time or money
The Torah warns the Jewish people
left for full-time Jewish education.
that when they arrive in the Promised
Ramban reminds us that in spiritu-
Land, they must be careful not to suc-
ality, sometimes less is more. Judo and
cumb to their desire to worship idola-
drama are great, but not at the
try. Rather, "You shall worship the
expense of giving your child a solid
Lord your God and He will bless your
basis of Jewish knowledge. Prep
bread and water, and remove sickness
schools are wonderful, but not for a
from your midst" (23:25). That's the
young Jewish child who cannot confi-
deal: If we worship God and not the
dently navigate a siddur or Chumash.
idols, He promises to provide our
Yes, it's expensive. But when you
physical and material needs.
think about it honestly, ensuring your
Ramban (who lived in Spain in the
child's Jewish knowledge and identity
mid-1400s) wonders: What's the deal?
is an investment that's just too impor-
On the one hand, if you believe in
tant to pass up. ❑
God, you wouldn't worship idols any-
way. And, if you don't believe in God,
why would His promise make any dif-
ference?
Ramban answers his question with
a powerful insight into human nature.
The people certainly believed in God.
Think about this (and talk about
But they also wanted to hedge their
it too!): Idolatry seems weird —
bets. So they figured, "Why not also
it's not something that entices us
worship the sun to ensure that we get
today. But we are drawn to other
a good crop? Why not worship the
things: Culture, fashion and
moon to get good rain?" They figured
money are just a few examples.
that the more they'd pray, the better
Do these and other values
things would get.
contradict Jewish ideals, or can
God tells us that in this case, less is
we somehow use both in
coexistence to enhance our
lives in a meaningful way?
Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young
Shabbat Mishpatim:
Exodus 21• 1-24:18;
II Kings 12:1-17.
I
Conversations
Israel of Oak Park. His e-mail address is
rabbisplter@yiop.org