I

To Life!

Keter Torah
hosts
exotic
evening of
food and
music.

Right: Keren Walsh, 16, and
Leiana Monkman, 17, both of

Huntington Woods, serve
Mediterranean food to Marty

and Sheila Guyer of

Southfield.

Far right: Myrna Doppelt of
Farmington Hills, who is of

Syrian descent; Sylvie Salei

of Farmington Hills, who is

Tunisian; and Irit Cohen of
Oak Park, who is of Moroccan

Susan MINH.
Special to the Jewish News

B

illowing, harem-style
gold and red cloth
draped the walls and
support posts of the lOwer level
of Keter Torah synagogue in West
Bloomfield to usher in "A Taste of
- the Mediterranean:' a Middle
Eastern dinner experience spon-
sored by Kollel Torah MiTzion-
Detroit.
• Close to 200 people crowded
the clove-scented, candlelit room
in•the area's only Sephardic syna-
gogue, among them were Dr.
Leonard and Shoshana Pollack of
Oak Park and David and Fayge
Dombey of Southfield. Dr. Robert
and Carolyn Kelman shmoozed
with fellow Southfielders Dr. Phil

and Laurie Goldmeier, talking
over the syncopated beat of the
exotic background music.
Southfield neighbors Dr.
Michael and Brenda Tainsky and
Tzvi and Marge Burstyn lined up
at the buffet for an intriguing
repast of bourekas, couscous,
stuffed grape leaves, chickerr with
olives and other dishes. Linda
Lefkowitz and her mother, Gladys.
Yahia, both of Southfield, dipped
fluffy pita-like breads into hum-
mus and other spicy dips. Ruth
and Benno Levi of Oak Park and
son and daughter in-law Dr.
Noah and Cherie Levi of
Southfield enjoyed a dessert table
featuring a variety of pastries,
such as baklava and basbusa (a
sweet semolina-based cake).
The young Israeli couples of

Kollel Torah MiTzion — Rabbi
Betzalel and Ayelet Safra, Rabbi
Asaf and Irit Cohen and Rabbi
Shai and Ayala Urim — 'wore
flowing, embroidered Middle
Eastern robes. Dinner volunteers
and several guests, such as
Avraham Mifsud of Southfield
and Andree Nordam of West
Bloomfield, also dressed for the
occasion in traditional Sephardic
garb. Keter Torah Rabbi Michael
Cohen looked particularly
resplendent in his gold-embroi-
dered white chacham's (rabbi's)
robe.
Lorret Levadi, Sylvie Sali, both
of West Bloomfield, and Ayelet
Safra, currently living in
Southfield, told fascinating per-
sonal stories about the Jewish
communities of Morocco, Tunis

Top right: Lital Tatelbaum

of Southfield wears a color-
ful Sephardic costume.

Above: Rabbi Shai Urim. and
Ayala Urim of Southfield

represent one of the. Kollel

Torah MiTzion couples who

have come to Detroit from

Israel.

and Yemen, their respective
countries of origin. Safra's story
was particularly poignant: her
grandmother, at age 12, refused
the man selected for her
arranged marriage..
The brief talks were inter-
spersed with words of Torah
from Rabbi Cohen and Rabbi
Safra, and with spirited
Sephardic singing (to the accom-
paniment of darbukkal hand
drums) by members of Kollel
Torah MiTzion and Amitzur
Nachshoni of West Bloomfield.
Whether Sephardic or
Ashkenazic, all enjoyed the con-
vivial evening. "It is good to
maintain our separate tradi-
tions," said Rabbi Safra, "but as
Jews, we all love each other
despite our differences!' ❑

descent — enjoying the party.

January 26 • 2006

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