To Life Sabbath Gift Cardinal Maida extols the value of a day of regenerative rest. ROBERT A. SKLAR Editor S "Sabbath is about coming to know in some new way our complete dependence on God. It is also an opportunity to celebrate our interdependence with each other." —Cardinal Maida 9/15 2005 20 abbath rest is one of the great gifts that the Jewish communi- ty has bestowed on the world community and the family of faith, a revered leader of the Catholic Church said from the bimah of Temple Beth El last Shabbat. "Sabbath rest and Sabbath praise of the Lord of all creation is one of the many foundation stones of our com- mon faith experience — indeed, one of the necessary building blocks for human civilization," Adam Cardinal Maida of the Archdiocese of Detroit told Beth El worshippers on Friday night, Sept. 9. "Sabbath rest was — and remains even more than ever — a revolution- ary idea," he said. "No other ancient culture had the custom of a day with- out work. Indeed, the Greeks and Romans found the whole concept quite perplexing." He called the Sabbath a day to relax, rejoice and refocus. "On Sabbath as we rest and praise," he said, "we begin to see ourselves and all creation from a new perspective. We make our own the joyful procla- mation of the psalmist that the earth and all its peoples belong to the Lord." Sabbath observance may make no sense economically, but isn't that the: point, he asked. "Rather than worrying about maxi- Muslim Center Tour Slated Interfaith Events Planned The Southfield-based Dove Institute (formerly the Ecumenical Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies) in coopera- tion with the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan will pres- ent a tour of the Muslim Unity Center in Bloomfield Township Sunday, Oct. 2, at 2:30 p.m. Visitors will meet members of the Unity Center. An afternoon program will include a question and answer period and a tour of the center. The center is at 1830 W. Square Lake Road and the program is open to the public at no charge. Reservations are requested; call (248) 557-4522. Metro Detroit interfaith groups have planned a number of joint programs this fall. • The Troy Interfaith Group will cele- brate the International Day of Peace, hosting a screening of the film One at the Bharatiya Temple, 6850 Adams Road, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21. For information, call (248) 879-2552. The group is also planning a public Thanksgiving observance Nov. 20. Congregation Shir Tikvah is a co- sponsor of the Troy Interfaith Group. • Temple Emanu-El, the Islamic Center of America and thcr . Presbytery of Detroit, with help frorricrs Interfaith Partners, will host a series of events Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. mum productivity or profitability," he said, "we simply give thanks and rec- ognize that our successes can never be measured by the pace or intensity of our own efforts." He added, "Sabbath is about corn- ing to know in some new way our complete dependence on God. It is also an opportunity to celebrate our interdependence with each other." Cardinal Maida, 75, has visited Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township three times. This visit, he spoke on "Sharing Sabbath Rest, Reconciliation for Our World" for Brotherhood Shabbat. Brotherhood President Gerald Cole gave the cardi- nal a mezuzah. "Our gathering allows us a privi- leged opportunity to reflect on the challenge and opportunities we face together as people of faith in the midst of a culture that often overlooks or trivializes religion," Cardinal Maida said. Cardinal Maida praised the state of Catholic-Jewish relations. Whenever and wherever I travel," he said, "I am continually reminded how blessed we are to have such strong, close bonds of faith and friendship between our Catholic and Jewish com- munities — relationships that have been forged over the decades by many of our predecessors." Cardinal Maid.a came to Detroit in 1990 as archbishop. Pope John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 1994. Speaking at Beth El two days before the fourth anniversary of 9-11, the cardinal acknowledged how the Jewish community "has endured the still raw suffering, pain and haunting devasta- tion of the Shoah." "Even now," he said, "your commu- nity continues to experience violence and discrimination on a daily basis throughout the world." He also reflected on the devastation and suffering caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast. "In the midst of such suffering and violence of any kind near or far," he said, "our Sabbath rest will always be somewhat uncomfortable and muted in tone, but nonetheless, we still need to light the Sabbath candles with grat- itude for the past and hope for the future." Beth El President Dennis Frank found resonance in the cardinal's refer- ence to the story of Creation and how God rested on the seventh day. "In today's fast-paced world," Frank said, "the day of rest, the Sabbath, continues to hold a prominent place for both Jews and non Jews." Rabbi Daniel Syme called the ser- mon a quiet, but profoundly transcen- dent address. "It was a sensitive moment in time," Rabbi Syme said. "In many ways, hav- ing his presence and hearing his mes- sage had elements of the sacred. No question about it." 1-1 On Friday, Sept. 30, Rabbi Joseph Klein will lead a discussion following 8 p.m. Shabbat services at Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park, focusing on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, Imam Hassan Qazwini at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn will explain the holy days of Ramadan. The Presbytery of Detroit will com- memorate World Communion and Peacemaking 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, hosting a Taize worship service of songs and prayers for peace based on ecumenical music from a commu- nity of reconciliation in France. The service will be at Fort Street Presbyterian Church in Detroit. For information, call Temple Emanu-El, (248) 967-4020. • The Farmington Area Interfaith Association will host its annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service Wednesday night, Nov. 23, at Adat Shalom Synagogue. For more infor- mation, call Adat Shalom, (248) 851- 5100. • Metro Detroit Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders will ask their con- gregants to donate to community hunger and relief agencies for the vic- tims of Hurricane Katrina, the geno- cide in the Sudan, the tsunami disaster and the world hunger crisis. Lists of appropriate charities will be distrib- uted. For information about community interfaith activities, call the American Jewish Committee at (248) 646-7686.