Spirituality
Torah Portion/Synagogues
Community Choices
Shabbat Beshalach:
Exodus 13:17-17•16•
Judges 4•4-5:31.
ecently, our community experi-
enced a change that has altered
my Shabbos experience forever.
No, I'm not speaking about the
Jewish Community Center's decision to
open on Shabbos morning. Rather, I'm
writing about the Jewish News' decision
to publish its paper not on Friday, as it
had done for years, but instead on
Thursday.
It's going to take some time to get
used to. In the past, I would arrive
home with just enough time to get the
mail, put the JN on the coffee table and
prepare for Shabbos with the knowledge
that I could thumb through the paper at
a leisurely pace on Friday evening. The
new Thursday publication presents me
with a dilemma: On the one hand, I
can just leave it until Shabbos. But what
if there's something I need to know
about, and I just left that JNsitting on
Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young
Israel of Oak Park.
my table, unread, for a day?
phrase. In addition to showing Moshe
My dilemma, as silly and flippant as
the Splenda Tree, the,Torah tells us that
it is, got me thinking about my — and
"there He gave him a statute and a law
our — communal Shabbos experience.
..." (15:25) The vague language seems
You see, Shabbos isn't just a personal
strange: First of all, what statute and
choice. Rather, the Torah considers
law does God give? Moreover, why does
Shabbos both a personal command-
the Torah use the singular language —
ment and a communal imperative.
"He gave him'? If God gave this statute
After Red Sea returns to normal with
and law to the Jewish people, why not
the Egyptian army sinking to
say that He gave it to them?
the bottom, the Jewish people
Rashi explains that along
look around at each other, and
with the water, God gives the
invariably, someone must have
people three things: Judicial
asked, "Hey, did anybody
law, laws of ritual purity and
bring a canteen? Anyone got
the laws of Shabbos. The
something to drink ... for 2
Torah uses the singular form
million of us?"
to convey that these laws,
Not surprisingly, no one
perhaps more than anythin g
had given it a second thought.
else, would define the new
They simply followed Moshe
Jewish nation as a singular
RABBI
into a barren desert with no
community.
REUVEN
going back. When they finally
Without interpersonal
SPOLTER
discover a well, its bitter taste
laws, society cannot function •
Special to the
prevents them from drinking
The people needed laws of
Jewish News
the water. So the people
purity to be able to interact
kvetch to Moshe. Moshe cries
with God. Finally, God
out to God. God shows Moshe a tree
teaches us that for any community to
(let's call it the Splenda Tree) that he
achieve a level of sanctity, it must, as a
throws in the water, the people drink,
group, dedicate itself to uphold and
and everyone's happy.
observe the Shabbos.
Yet, the Torah adds an important
While individuals might uphold
Services: weekdays 7:15 am.; Saturday 10 am.; Sunday
8 a.m.
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CONSERVATIITE
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 am. B'not mitzvah of Lou
Goldman, daughter of Barbara and Stewart Mandell and
Lori and Lee Goldman; Katherine Kovan, daughter of Ilene
and Bruce kovan.
AHAVAS ISRAEL (GRAND RAPIDS)
2727 Michigan St SE, Grand Rapids, 49506-1297, (616)
949-2840. Rabbi: David J.B. Krishet 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 Gittieman. Services: Friday 8 p.m.;
Saturday 9 a.m.
CONGREGATION BETH AHM
JI14
1/20
2005
60
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., 5
p.m.; weekdays 7 am., 7 p.m.; Sundays and civic holi-
days: 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 am., 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holidays 8 a.m., 6
p.m. Ivriah 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 p.m.; Sunday 9 am., 5 p.m.; weekdays
7 am., 6:30 p.m. Bar mitzvah of Samuel Pearlstrein, son
of Suzi and Alan Pearistein.
BETH TEPHILATH MOSES
146 South Ave., Mt. Clemens, 48043, (586) 465-0641.
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 am.,
Monday-Thursday 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holidays 9
am.; Sunday 5 p.m. Sisterhood Shabbat. Haftorah, Naomi
Pinchuk.
DOR CHADASH - U. OF MICH.
U-M Hillel; 1429 Hill St., Ann Arbor 48104, (734) 769-
0500. Rabbi: Jason A. Miller. Co-chairs: Naomi Karp, Perry
Teicher. Egalitarian Cariebach-style service 5:30 p.m.
Fridays. Monthly Shabbat morning service. Monthly
Shabbat Minchah-Seudah Shlishit. Check Web site for
times vvwvv.u.mhillel.org
ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN
SYNAGOGUE
1457 Griswold, Detroit, 48226, (313) 961-9328. Chazan:
Cantor Usher Adler. Baal Kriah: Howard Marcus. C,antorial
soloist Neil Barris. Ritual director. Dr. Martin Herman.
President Dr. Ellen Kahn. Services: Saturday 8:30 am.
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
am.; Monday, Thursday 7:15 am.; daily 5 p.m.; Friday
5:15 p.m.; Saturday 8:45 am., 5 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m.
B'not mitzvah of Alissa Graff, daughter of Patrice DuQuette
and Steven Graff; Sarah Oleinick, daughter of Claire Greco
and Allan Oleinick.
these laws on their own, without each
of these three things on a communal
level, we can never aspire to become a
covenantal community with God.
I guess I really am talking about the
JCC being open on Shabbos after all. I
understand quite well that many people
do not make the personal choice to
observe Shabbos and while that saddens
me, it remains their personal right and
choice. At the same time, when a Jewish
Community Center makes a choice, it
chooses for the entire community —
not just for the individuals who utilize
the health club on a Shabbos morning.
That decision isn't a personal
choice, or a business choice, but a reli-
gious and spiritual choice that affects
each and every one of us in the com-
munity, whether we read about on
Thursday, Friday, or any other day of
the week. ❑
Conversations
Are community decisions made
from the top down or from the
bottom up? Why are imperatives
the same for both individuals and
the community?
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
2300 Center Ave., Bay City, 48708; (989) 893-7811.
Cantor. Daniel Gale. President Dr. Jonathan Abramson.
Services: Saturday 9:30 am. A liberal, egalitarian congre-
gation serving the tri-cities area. Religious and Hebrew
education programs for children and adults.
INDEIPENDENT
AHAVAT SHALOM
413 N. Division St., Traverse City, 49684, (231) 929-4330.
Rabbi: Chava (Stacie) Bahie. Weekly Shabbat celebra-
tions, holidays, year round programming, children's edu-
cation. Summer programming for downstate visitors.
GROSSE POINTE JEWISH COUNCIL
(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, fol-
lowing 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.