THE Keter Torah Synagogue SEPHARDIC Presents COMMUNITY F GREATER DETROIT The History and Legacy Of Sepharclic Jews To Life! TORAH PORTION A four-part lecture series featuring Professor Howard Lupovitch Sephardic desserts and coy following each lecture , Four Sundays 7:00 p.m. Sunday, November 12 Shabbat Lech Lecha: Admissioil, free charitable do don appreCiated Babylonian Roots Sunday, December 10 Convivencia: How Golden was the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. Reconquista: Between Cross and Crescent All lectures will be held at.' Sunday, February.4 Keter Torah Synagogue 5480 Orchard Lake Road,West Bloomfield MI 48323 The Sephardic Diaspora (corner of Orchard Lake Road and Walnut Lake Road) Sponsored by the Ari Nissim Leyadi Lecture Fund 1173820 NIWWWWW410 ''' A QUALITY PERSON WHO SUPPORTS HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE EDUCATION BEYOND GRADE 12 ELECT JAMES R. GEISLER, TRUSTEE Oakland Community College •Jim brings 37 years experience in Michigan Public Education •Jim completed 18 years of effective leadership as Superintendent, Walled Lake Schools •Jim accomplished significant increases in student achievement in a growing and diverse school district while supervising more than $300 million in school construction • Endorsed by: L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County Executive; Jean Chamberlain, former South Oakland County Liaison; Dave Woodward, Oakland County Commissioner and The Oakland Community College Faculty Association. Poklfor by the Committee to Elect ,fames it Geisler OCC Trustee, Myrick NOV. 7TH ELE M. Do/truly, Treasurer C T JANIES R. CrEISLEilt, Trustee • Oakland Community College 1179120 50 November 2 • 2006 iN Genesis 12:1-17:27; Isaiah 40:27-41:16. H reserva4o 81.36 Sunday, January 14 Not Like Us ere's a quick question: One of the most important descrip- What did Abraham's father, tions of God in the prayer book is Terach, do for a living? that "God lowers the proud and raises Most people will answer immedi- up the lowly."A belief in God can is ately that Abraham's father sold idols. intended to bring us to a more even They remember the story keel in life: To bring us of Abraham breaking all out of a sense of loneli- but the largest idol and ness and desperation with putting a stick in its hand a vision of the exalted claiming to his father that potential of the human the idol was responsible. being while helping us His father scoffed at the avoid a sense of arrogance story and Abraham said: and conceit by reminding "Your ears should only us that we are but dust and listen to what your heart is ashes and not the pinnacle saying." Rabbi of the universe. This tradition is not Rober t Dobrusin We should enter into found in the Torah but the Spe cial to the prayer or study or medita- story isn't technically just Jew ish News tion with the idea that we a bubbie meise (old wives' want to become closer to tale) either. The stories of Abraham God, not by making God conform to working in his father's idol shop our situation in life but by finding come from the rabbinic tradition of something greater, or lesser perhaps, midrash, textual intrepretation. in our expectations of ourselves and The rabbis told the stories pre- the world. sumably to help explain Abraham's According to the way we usually transformation from idol worshipper read the story, Abraham's frustration to monotheist, which, according to with the people who came into his most rabbinic perspectives, happened shop centered on their dependence on before God's call to him. a statue made by human beings. But, God called out to Abraham because perhaps his greater frustration came he believed in one God and the rabbis from people who insisted that their reasoned that he came to this revo- God should reflect who they were, not lutionary idea based on experience. who they could be. Some connected that transformation The beauty and the wisdom of our to his observation of the world; oth- tradition is that one God can mean ers to his recognition of the futility of different things to us at different worshiping idols. stages in our lives, always helping us There are actually different versions be better than we are. of the "idol store" story. But, the one which I find the most meaningful is Robert Dobrusin is rabbi of Beth Israel the story that is told of customers ask- Congregation in Ann Arbor. ing Abraham to sell them an idol "just like them."A warrior comes in ask- ing for a strong idol. A poor, humble woman asks for a humble idol. Conversations The intriguing part of this story is that while we might strive to emulate How do the different "meta- what our tradition identifies as Divine phors" used to describe God qualities — righteousness, patience, (shepherd, ruler, parent, etc.) loyalty, etc. — Judaism's approach become useful at different times concerning God is that we need a God in our lives? who is not "just like us" nor one that reflects our situations in life.