Arts & Life THE SPOS►TA FAMILY "DOES IT RIGHT" AT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD RISTORANTE... Danny Raskin September 20, 2002 — JOURNEY TO JUDAISM from page 93 Sposita's wishes all their customers and patrons a Happy New Year! Fine Italian Dining in a Casual Atmosphere 33210 W. 14 Mile Road In Simsbury Plaza Just East of Farmington Road West Bloomfield SPOSITA'S RISTORANTE (248) 538-8954 883140 Open 7 DdyS for Lunch & Dinner Lye Visit our 2nd Livonia location at: 37273 W. Six Mile Rd. (in Newburgh Plaza) (734) 464-5934 FEATURING AUTHENTIC CHINESE/ASIAN COOKING, SUSHI BAR & DIM SUM On March 3, 2003, an entourage of friends and relatives accompanied Winningham to the official ceremony at the UJ. "Sitting in on her beit din, [rabbinical court], was one of the most moving experiences I have ever had of conver- sion," Rabbi Netter said. "It was appar- ent to me and to the other rabbis that this was a woman who was born a Jewish soul, in terms of the depth of her feelings and the rawness of her emo- tion." Cori Drasin, a former Beth Am vice president, says she was especially touched by the ritual immersion part of the ceremony. "I stood behind the curtain as Mare chanted the blessing in the mikvah, and the walls just resonated with her beauti- ful voice," Drasin says. A friend placed a Star of David around Winningham's neck (she's still wearing it) and "I cried a lot," she says. She was moved not only to become Jewish, but because her family has been so supportive. "When I told my mother I was going to become Jewish, she said, 'You know Mary, they were the first,"' Winningham recalls. The actress' children have also been accepting, which, Winningham says, "is lucky, considering that it must be weird for your mom to embrace a new religion when you're a young adult." The performer also feels lucky to have been embraced by the Beth Am com- munity, where she recently chanted from the Torah for the first time. "Everyone in the minyan rejoiced," Rabbi Netter says. "It was as if one of our children had become bat mitzvah." Winningham isn't content to stop there. A self-prescribed "cheerleader for the Torah," she intends to read the entire Bible in its original language, which is why she's taking that Thursday Hebrew class at the UJ. "I don't care if it takes decades, I'll fin- ish it eventually, I really will," she says. "I may be 80 when I finish, but that would be a beautiful thing." Winningham sounds more like a schol- ar than the world's second Jewish country singer when she adds, "Judaism for me is like a mystery novel. I just can't stop read- ing; that's what it's like for me." fl - Mare Winningham stars in Clubhouse, debuting 8-9 Sunday, Sept. 26, on CBS, before moving to its regular 9-10 p.m. Tuesday time slot on Sept. 28. Healing And Hope DINE IN OR CARRYOUT Winningham lends voice to new CD. Nrii. good %kith any other offer t coupon pt:r table • with critipon Expires 9/30/04 Lei Ting Szechuan Empire Restaurant 525 N. Main St., Ste 150 Milford 29215 Five Mile Rd. 39450 14 Mile Rd. Livonia (corner of Haggerty in the Newberry Square Plaza) (734) 458-7160 (248) 960-7666 (just N. of Commerce in the Valley Plaza) (248) 684-0321 Dim Sum Available Dim Sum & Sushi Bar Available vecit,u,,44. 9,44-deft. • Szechuan • Hunan • Chinese Szechuan Empire North •Healthy Diet Dishes Made With No Oil •Brown Rice Upon Request r 880 „, 10% OFF DINNER ONLY or Carry-out One coupon per visit. Excluding holidays. With coupon. Expires 09/30/04. J (248) 353-7890 • 29875 Northwestern In Applegate Square, Between 12 & 13 Mile Roads Southfield Mickey Alterman and all the folks at Floorin0 Warehouse wish you a happy, heahhy and prosperous liew Year JIM 9/10 2004 04 880350 20750 Hoover Road (3 miles south of 1-696) Open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and by appointment. Call Mickey at 586-756-2400. weel'attc°'s Flooring Warehouse We set the floor on prices. SUZANNE CHESSLER Special to the Jewish News A ctress/singer Mare Winningham and Temple Israel Rabbi Paul Yedwab — along with some 60 people known for expressing themselves through music or writing — have joined inspirational forces in a project planned to promote emotional healing and insight. The World is a Narrow Bridge, a CD and book combination, has been released by singer-songwriter Craig Taubman for reflection during the High Holidays. The two releases make up the seventh project in Taubman's "Celebrate Series," which is based on recordings built around Jewish themes. "Well It's Gone," a song written and performed by Winningham, deals with the grief felt after the death of Winning,ham's drama teacher and friend. "0 Lord Won't You Buy Me ...," an essay written by Rabbi Yedwab, explores the power of prayer. "It's as if [many] dif- ferent roads were taken," Taubman says about the pieces and what they represent. "Yet each traveler is on the same essential journey — from darkness to light, from pain to peace, from loss to hope, from grief to healing." Among the more familiar contributors are singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman, whose version of the "Mi Shebeirach" addresses the death of a friend's husband as the friend marks a milestone birthday, and actor Kirk Douglas, whose essay "Going Home, Going Home" recalls his resolve in coping with debilities left by a stroke. Information on the CD and book — both recounting highly personal and trying times — is available at wwvv.celebrateseries.com. The CD and book together cost $30. The CD alone sells for $15, while the book alone has a price of $20.