r
Spirituality
Torah Portion/Synagogues
Flight Recorders Of The Exodus
Shabbat Bo:
Exodus 10: 1- 13: 16;
Jeremiah 46•13-28.
E
idden from sight on every
airplane is a small black box.
Silently it records the move-
ment of the vehicle as it hurtles
through the sky. No object is imper-
ishable, but this instrument is
designed to preserve essential data
about the passengers' journey through
time and space.
This black box is a new aeronauti-
cal invention, but we Jews have long
carried smaller black boxes called
tefillin on our historic trek through
the millennia. Nearly 2,000 years ago
in the Judean desert, tiny tefillin were
hidden in a cave. Today these black
boxes silently recall the valiant rebel-
lion waged by Simon bar Kokhba,
Rabbi Akiva and many others in 132-
135 CE against the Roman oppres-
Daniel S. Nevins is a rabbi at Adat
Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
sors. The rebellion was crushed, but
to love of God.
these tefillin survived and are dis-
Tefillin are designed for tefillah
played in the Israel Museum, remind-
(prayer). They accompany us as we
ing us that the people and Torah of
make our daily ascent on the wings of
Israel have far outlasted the empire
prayer to appear before the divine
and pagan pantheon of ancient Rome.
throne, and our descent to return to
Inside these black boxes are the
ordinary activities in the world. Like
four scriptures or parshiot, two each
the modern black box, the tefillin are
from Exodus and Deuteronomy, where
usually silent, but they have an impor-
this mitzvah is recorded. The
tant message within. They
first two are found in this
are survival tools, reminding
week's portion, and they
us of who we have been in
teach us that the tefillin are a
the past and who we may
reminder on the arm and
yet become.
between the eyes that "with a
There are, of course, sig-
mighty arm the Lord took
nificant differences. The air-
you out of Egypt." They are
plane's black box is designed
a record of our flight. The
for disasters, whereas the
second two parshiot are
tefillin are meant to be sym-
familiar from the recitation
bols of royalty. When we say
of Shema. They speak of
RABBI DANIEL the morning blessing oteir
tefillin as a measure of our
Yisrael bitifarah, that God
S. NEVINS
love for God.
crowns
Israel with glory, we
Special to the
Tefillin are a potent sym-
are
referring
to the tefillin.
Jewish News
bol of the covenant — they
The airplane's black box is a
recall what God has done for
passive recorder of the deci-
us and what we are commanded to do
sions made by the crew. The tefillin
for God. They are an outward expres-
are more like a compass, guiding our
sion of the internal Jewish progression
path through the world, filling our
from memory to mitzvot and, finally,
minds with wisdom and our arms
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CONSERVATIVE
ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE
29901 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248)
851-5100. Rabbis: Daniel Nevins, Herbert Yoskowitz,
Rachel Lawson Shere. Rabbi emeritus: Efry Spectre.
Cantor: Yevsey Gutman. Cantor emeritus: Larry
Vieder. Services: Friday 5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5
p.m.; weekdays 7:30 a.m., 5 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m.
AHAVAS ISRAEL (GRAND RAPIDS)
2727 Michigan St. SE, Grand Rapids, 49506-1297,
(616) 949-2840. Rabbi: David J.B. Krishef. Cantor:
Stuart R. Rapaport. Services: Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, 7:30 a.m.; Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30
a.m.
BEIT KODESH
31840 W. Seven Mile, Livonia, (248) 477-8974.
Cantor: David Gutman. President: Larry Stein. Vice
presidents: Martin Diskin, Al Gittleman. Services:
Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.
CONGREGATION BETH AHM
5075 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 851-
6880. Ritual director: Joseph Mermelstein. Rabbi
emeritus: A. Irving Schnipper. Cantor Emeritus:
Shabtai Ackerman. Guest rabbi: Aaron Bergman.
Visiting scholar: Dr. Howard Lupovitch. Services:
Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m., 4:45 p.m.; week-
days 7 a.m., 7 p.m.; Sundays and civic holidays:
8:15 a.m., 5 p.m.
BETH ISRAEL (FLINT)
G-5240 Calkins Road, Flint, 48532, (810) 732-6310.
Cantor emeritus: Sholom Kalib. President: Dr. Harold
Steinman. Services: Saturday 9:30 a.m., 6 p.m.;
weekdays 7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holi-
days 8 a.m., 6 p.m. lvriah religious school (810)
732-6312.
BETH ISRAEL (ANN ARBOR)
CONGREGATION
2000 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, 48104, (734) 665-
9897. Rabbi: Robert Dobrusin. Services: Friday 6
p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m.; weekdays 7:30 p.m.;
Sunday 5 p.m.
CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM
14601 W. Lincoln, Oak Park, 48237, (248) 547-7970.
Rabbi: David A. Nelson. Cantor: Samuel L.
Greenbaum. Ritual director: Rev. Samuel Semp.
Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5:25 p.m.;
Sunday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 6:30 p.m.
BETH TEPHILATH MOSES
146 South Ave., Mt. Clemens, 48043, (586) 465-
0641. Services: weekdays 7:15 a.m.; Saturday 10
a.m.; Sunday 8 a.m.
CONGREGATION B'NAI MOSHE
6800 Drake, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 788-
0600. Rabbi: Elliot Pachter. Cantor: Earl Berris.
Services: Friday 5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.;
Monday-Friday 7 a.m., Monday-Thursday 6 p.m.;
Sunday and legal holidays 9 a.m.; Sunday 5 p.m.
DOR CHADASH - U. OF MICH.
U-M Hillel; 1429 Hill St., Ann Arbor 48104, (734)
769-0500. Rabbi: Jason A. Miller. Co-chairs: Rebecca
Murow, Perry Teicher. Egalitarian Carlebach-style
service 5:30 p.m. Fridays. Monthly Shabbat morning
with greater strength to do God's will.
When I first strapped on the tefill-
in prior to my bar mitzvah, I felt
transported back into an ancient era.
Since that day, my tefillin have trav-
eled the world with me — to Israel;
Egypt and India; to the former Soviet
Union, where we distributed tefillin;
on camping trips; on beaches; and yes,
on airplanes. Each time that I wear
the black boxes, I try to remember the
path of our people's journey from
slavery to the final redemption.
As we read Bo, let us remember not
only what God did for us in ancient
Egypt, but also what we are able to do
for God, completing the work of
redemption through our own acts of
loyalty and love. LI
Conversations
It would have been plausible to
interpret this mitzvah allegorical-
ly. Why did Judaism take it so
literally, teaching us to strap the
words to our body?
service. Monthly Shabbat Minchah-Seudah Shlishit.
Check Web site for times www.umhillel.org
children's education. Summer programming for
downstate visitors.
ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN
SYNAGOGUE
GROSSE POINTE JEWISH
COUNCIL
1457 Griswold, Detroit, 48226, (313) 961-9328.
Chazan: Cantor Usher Adler. Baal Kriah: Howard
Marcus. Cantorial soloist: Neil Barris. Ritual director:
Dr. Martin Herman. President: Dr. Ellen Kahn.
Services: Saturday 8:30 a.m. also the second Friday
of every month at 7 p.m.
CONGREGATION SHAAREY
ZEDEK
Rabbis: Joseph H. Krakoff, Jonathan E. Berkun, Eric
S. Yanoff. Rabbi emeritus: Irwin Groner. Cantor:
Chaim Najman. Ritual director: Leonard Gutman.
Southfield: 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, 48034,
(248) 357-5544. Services: Tuesday, Wednesday,
Friday 7:30 a.m.; Monday, Thursday 7:15 a.m.; daily
5 p.m.; Friday 4:45 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.;
Sunday 8:30 a.m.
West Bloomfield, B'nai Israel Center: 4200 Walnut
Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323-2772, (248)
357-5544. Services: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
7:15 a.m.; Monday, Thursday 7 a.m.; daily 6 p.m.;
Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.; Sunday 9
a.m.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
(313) 882-6700. Rabbi: Nicholas Behrmann.
Cantorial soloist: Bryant Frank.
JEWBILATION
P.O. Box 130014, Ann Arbor, 48103, (734) 996-3524
or 995-1963. Rev. Lauren Zinn. Services: Friday
6:15, following dinner. Jewish Roots with Interfaith
Wings holds bi-monthly Shabbat dinner, services,
kids' programs, family school and Hebrew school for
all ages.
ORTHODOX
AGUDAS YISROEL MOGEN
ABRAHAM
15751 W. Lincoln, Southfield, 48075, (248) 552-
1971. Rabbis: Dov Loketch, Asher Eisenberger.
President: Irwin Cohen.
ANN ARBOR CHABAD HOUSE
715 Hill St., Ann Arbor, 48104, (734) 995-3276.
Rabbi: Aharon Goldstein. Services: Friday at sundown;
Saturday 9:45 a.m., 20 min. before sundown; week-
days 7:30 a.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. Times for weekdays
and Sunday are for the academic year.
2300 Center Ave., Bay City, 48708; (989) 893-7811.
Cantor: Daniel Gale. President: Dr. Jonathan
Abramson. Services: Saturday 9:30 a.m. A liberal,
egalitarian congregation serving the tri-cities area.
Religious and Hebrew education programs for chil-
dren and adults.
ANN ARBOR ORTHODOX MINYAN
INDEPENDENT
32000 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248)
855-2910. Rabbi: Chaim Bergstein. Services: Friday
sundown; Saturday 9:30 a.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m.;
weekdays 6:50 a.m.
AHAVAT SHALOM
413 N. Division St., Traverse City, 49684, (231) 929-
4330. Rabbi: Chava (Stacie) Bahle. Weekly Shabbat
celebrations, holidays, year round programming,
1429 Hill St., Ann Arbor, 48014. Rabbi: Rod Glogower.
Services: Friday at sundown; Saturday 9:30 a.m. and
20 minutes before sundown; weekdays during the
academic year 7:30 a.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.
BATS CHABAD OF FARMINGTON
HILLS
SYNAGOGUES
on page 58
4T
1/13
2005
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