SHAFRAN from page 74
KLEIN from page 73
that came earlier. It is as old a story as
the adoration of the golden calf, to
which Jewish commentaries — with all
due respect to Cecil B. De Mille —
ascribe sublime and idealistic motives,
no less.
Imagining that one's personal convic-
tions reflect Judaism is a sign of a Jewish
soul that cherishes its religious heritage.
But imaginings are not always borne
out by facts and can even be sorely mis-
guided mistakings of wrong for right.
The abortion issue is a case in point.
There is, in fact, a pertinent choice
here. It comes not, though, from the
book of liberalism but rather from the
book of Deuteronomy.
"I have placed before you," the
Creator informs us through Moses, "life
and death, the blessing and the curse."
"Choose life," the verse continues, "so
that you and your seed will live." ❑
The assembly within which that
rebuilding will happen is MOSES.
It is a congregation-centered, faith-
based community organization
reflecting the religious, racial and
ethnic diversity of both urban and
suburban metropolitan Detroit.
MOSES is the vehicle by which our
combined congregations might
become advocates for social change,
and through which the metro
Detroit faith community will
improve the quality of life through-
out the region.
Organized as a mutually depend-
ent coalition of congregations,
MOSES is more than 100
Protestant and Catholic, black and
white, city and suburb churches,
whose only Jewish partner is
Temple Emanu-El. With our
prophetic mandate of social trans-
formation, we are rebuilding the
coalitions that once brought
Christians and Jews, black and
white Americans, together.
Though our Jewish tradition tells
us that tikkun olam is the right
thing to do because it's "the right
thing to do," our efforts to repair
the world through a repair of our
inter-religious and inter-racial rela-
tionships is in our own self-interest.
Only if ours is a community-wide
chorus, backed by a large and dedi-
cated block of votes, will we be
heard by our elected leaders.
The three-county mosaic of
MOSES is that voice and promise.
We will be heard next week when
Gov. Jennifer Granholm is our
guest at our regular MOSES Clergy
Caucus. We will be heard on Sept.
26 when MOSES will bring 7,000
together with a unified purpose and
political presence in preparation for
national and state elections.
I am proud that Temple Emanu-
El has chosen to join that ,chorus.
We know that our back yard is all
three metro counties, and that it is
in our own self-interest to create a
strong coalition of congregations. I
am waiting for our sister syna-
gogues to join us. ❑
During the day, I found my younger
cousin, who resides in D.C., and her sis-
ter, who had come by bus with 50 other
students from the University of
Michigan in Ann Arbor. As we shared a
family hug, I thought that this must be
the way — from person to person, from
generation to generation, we will make
our voices heard, we will protect our
rights and the rights of our children. I
look forward to the day when my chil-
dren are old enough to join me in a
march on Washington.
On a spring Sunday in April, eight
Michigan moms chose to spend their
day peacefully demonstrating with a
million others for the lives of women
everywhere and particularly for their
right to control their own bodies. As our
T-shirts that day said, "In Michigan,
Choosy Mothers Choose Choice." ❑
SATAWA from page 74
"I'm marching so that the younger gen-
eration will never forget that choice is
ours only because the women who came
before us fought for it," she said.
I still cannot adequately describe my
emotions about that day. I have always
had strong feelings about the preserva-
tion of women's rights, especially
women's reproductive rights. The march
intensified those feelings because I
learned that day how the current admin-
istration continues to jeopardize those
rights.
Where there's a jelly
You'll find a jam.
Where there's a Kelly
You'll find a Sam.
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TEM ISSUE
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Although news headlines usually focus on the current violent
conflict between Israel and its PaleStinian neighbors, taking a
broader look shows Israel in a strong position on many
fronts.
Tel Aviv University analyst Dr. Shai Feldman noted recently
that there has been no major Arab-Israeli war for more than
30 years as well as a slowed arms race in the region. Israel s
Arab foes are not unified, even having difficulty agreeing on
a summit agenda. Iraq and Libya- are much less of a threat to
Israel.. And Israel is supreme militarily, economically and
technologically in comparison to its neighbors.
Mooseitila")
moosejaw.corn
— Allan Gale,
Jewish Community Council of Aletropolitan Detroit
Birmingham East Lansing
Grosse Pointe Rochester
5/21
2004
75