Opinion

OTHER VIEWS

Twin Lights From Afar

When
W.
hen my twin sister and I
appeared in Detroit-area
in the 1950s, we
stayed with our aunt and uncle in Oak
Park. When we weren't visiting disc jock-
eys, our relatives took us to various
tourist sites they knew we would enjoy.
We went to the Detroit Zoo, downtown,
through the tunnel to Windsor and, of
course, the Detroit Institute of Arts and
the magnificent main Detroit Library.

The place they were proudest to show
us was the brand-new Northland
Shopping Center in Southfield, the first •
regional shopping center built in the
United States. We were impressed with the
gardens, the beautiful J. L. Hudson and J.
C. Penney, the Chinese restaurant, the post
office, Kresge's, Gray Drug, the many
beautiful shops, including a bookstore
and toy store, and the full-scale bus sta-
tion, for goodness sake. We loved the boy

menorah, which was , sat
frame Mort.

Denise Murray, the marketing
on the bear as well as all the
director at Northland, and her
other beautiful sculptures
boss,
Larry Ruppert, the center
throughout.
manager. It had been very badly
In 1972, my husband and I
neglected, sitting in a storage
settled in Southfield because he
room off Larry's office. I took a
had become the cantor at
look at it, fell in love with it, told
Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park. I
our rabbi about it and Rabbi
was really excited to get back to
Joseph Klein looked at it. He
Euni Rose
Northland. Much to my dismay,
Comm unity - then called temple member
the years had not been kind to
Arnold Partner, a.master crafts-
Persp ective
Northland. I learned that most
man, to see if the broken elec-
of the Jewish community had
tric lights and stem could be repaired. Oh
moved on to other shopping centers. In
boy, could it! It is so gorgeous; you need
order to compete with enclosed places
to come see it.
like Oakland Mall in Troy, the owners of
I did learn that Congregation Beth
Northland decided to encloSe Northland
Shalom, also in Oak Park, has an identical
as well. .
menorah, albeit not electric, which was
As luck would have it; I was hired as a
given to the congregation by Beth Achim
"temp" to do clerical work in.the
when that Southfield synagogue merged
Northland office during the reconstruc-
tion. I met Naomi Siegel, then the market- with Adat Shalom Synagogue in
ing director, and since it was getting close Farmington Hills. The menorah was pre-
sented to Beth Achim in honor of a con-
to the holiday season, we talked together
gregant's 50th birthday in 1967. Now the
about programming. I mentioned that I
two menorahs are practically side-by-
-
directed our temple youth choir, and
side, less than a half-mile away from each
Naomi invited us to join the other choirs
other..
•
performing during the holidays and sing
I don't even care that Denise Murray
Chanukah songs.
has no idea how Northland acquired the
Thus began a 20-year tradition. During
all those years, I never noticed a menorah menorah. I'm just thrilled that Northland
anywhere in the mall. People tell me there was kind enough to give this beauty to
was a large brass one in the main hall, but my temple!
We mustn't let the bad guys win! ❑
I really don't remember seeing it.
That brass menorah now stands proud- Eunice Rose is a Southfield resident. •
ly in the foyer of my temple, a gift from

The Right Approac

Day O'Connor, who was often
opposed, Judge Ahto has an
the swing vote in protecting
extensive 15-year record on the
fundamental rights for women,
federal bench. The president has
religion, and minorities -
Nevi Yol k
assured the nation that what we
These resolutions join over a century
rights that our movement and
see is what we get..
. and a half of work that illustrates our
others in the American JeWish
Further, the reality of the judi-
movement's profound commitment to the
our editorial "The Wrong
community have considered
cial nominating process is such
Jewish people's prophetic mission, to liv-
Approach' (Dec. 8, page 40 )
central to our safety and secu-
that, with a judge so well known,
ing the moral values of Torah, and apply-
offered support for most of the
much will be decided in the next Rabbi Maria J. rity in this country. -
ing them to the real problems of the
resolutions adopted at the Union for
As we lumw, American
Feldman
month. Our biennial delegates
world in which we live.
Reform Judaism's November 2005
jurisprudence deeply affects
Special
The editorial, though, asserted that in . • overwhelmingly decided that sit-
Biennial, one of the largest gatherings of
nearly every issue of social jus-
Commentary
ting on the sidelines would have
deciding to oppose the nomination of
North Atherican Jewry with 2,000 voting
tice, equality, and fundamental
delegates among the 4,000 representatives- Judge Samuel Alito Jr. to the U.S. Supreme been wrong, given what we
freedom that we as a movement have long
already know about Judge Alito's judicial
Court, the Union"... abandoned the moral
of 500 synagogues.
fought to establish and uphold.
temperament. We did however establish a
high ground" because the hearings are
The article spoke to the "moral high
How could we be a movement dedicat-
procesS to review our decision after the"
not yet complete and we acknowledged
-ground" that the Union pursued on issues
ed to our work on the separation of _
hearings, in- case something unexpected
his intelligence and integrity. Indeed,
such as opposition to the war-in Iraq and
church and state and not be troubled by a
happens that would cause us to rec-onsid--
quite the opposite is true.
support for the•Millennium Development
judge who held that the Establishment -
er.
First, it is true the nomination process
Goals to end world poverty. We would .
Clause was not violated by a holiday dis-
Equally important in this decision was
is not yet complete. But in contrast to
proudly add to this list new resolutions
the balance on the High Court. Judge Alito play on public property that contained
Judge (now Justice) John Roberts and
ranging from supporting workers' rights
religious symbols (ACLU v. Schundler)
is nominated to replace Justice Sandra
Harriet Miers, neither of whom we
to denouncing torture.

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38

December 22 2005