THE THEATRBNSEMBLE PRESENTS
TO
TORAH
SAME TIME NEXT YEAR
PORT1ON
Darkness, Then And Now
Shabbat Bo:
Exodus 10:1-13:16;
Jeremiah 46:13-28.
I
that, va'chamushim
magine the follow-
alu (13:18), which the
ing scenario: Moses
Midrash interprets to
himself appears
mean: "one out of five
in Detroit and offers
went up." Eighty percent
to redeem the Jews of
of the Jewish community
Detroit from our suf-
perished in the plague of
fering in the exile. (He
darkness. That's a stagger-
knows about the Lions.)
ing, startling number.
How many of us would
But is it really?
go? What percentage of
Darkness has many forms
the Detroit Jewish com-
Rabbi Reuven
— but it appears in every
munity would take him
Spolter
exile along the path of
up on the offer? Fifty
Special to the
Jewish history. And per-
percent? Thirty-five per-
Jewish News
haps the most frightening
cent? Ten percent?
darkness is the darkness
It's a challenging
that you cannot even see.
and frightening question. Yet, this
I began by asking what percentage
question helps to explain a curious
of Detroit Jewry would join Moses
plague that appears in Parshat Bo.
today. Do we truly believe that 20
Following the frightening power
percent of our community would
of the hail (seventh plague) and the
go? How many Jews even identify
economic devastation of the locusts
with the teachings that Moses would
(eighth plague), we expect God to
espouse?
bump things up another notch for
We in Detroit have lost more than
the ninth and tenth plagues. But the
20,000 Jews during the past decade
ninth — darkness — seems tame,
alone. Where have they gone? Some
even disappointing. "And Moses
died; others moved away. But we
stretched forth his hand toward
cannot deny we have lost many to
heaven; and there was a thick dark-
the darkness of assimilation, never
ness in all the land of Egypt three
to return to the warm embrace of
days!' (10:22) Darkness? That's it?
our community.
Sure, it might have been disconcert-
Sadly, too many spiritual leaders
ing for the Egyptians — but why
seem more concerned with political
does God bring such a seemingly
correctness and feel-good Judaism
unexciting plague at this critical
than with stemming the terrible tide of
juncture?
assimilation, apathy and indifference.
The rabbis in the Midrash give a
The day will come. The messenger
startling explanation: There were
will arrive. But will we — or our
sinners in Israel that had dealings
children or, perhaps, our grand-
with the Egyptians, or had wealth
and honor and did not wish to leave. children — feel connected enough
to join that 20 percent? Unless we
Said God, "If I bring upon them a
change the way we do things right
plague publicly and they die, the
now, their chances are not good.
Egyptians will say: Just as He did to
us, He did to them!" Therefore, God
Reuven Spotter is rabbi of Young Israel of
brought about three days of dark-
ness in Egypt, so that the Jews could Oak Park.
bury their dead without the knowl-
edge of their enemies. (Shemot
Rabbah 14:3)
Conversations
The plague of darkness came not
How did the Jews in Egypt
to punish the Egyptians as much as
declare
their allegiance to God
to hide the simultaneous destruc-
and
their
willingness to leave?
tion of much of the Jewish people.
How
would
we declare that same
How many perished? When the
allegiance
today?
Jews finally leave Egypt we read
Bernard Slade's romantic comedy tells the story of
two people who find enduring love with each
despite being married to other people.
Meadow Brook Theatre
Jan 10th - Feb 4th
www.mbtheatre.com
248-377-3300
1206510
THE
SEPHARDIC
COMMUNITY
OF GREATER
DETROIT
4r
Keter Torah Synagogue
Presents
The History and Legacy
Of Sephardic Jews
A lecture featuring
Professor Howard-tapovitch
Sephardic desserts and coif) ee vial follow the cture
/
c
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I
1
Admissi free
,I
reciatect
charitable donitNibp
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,
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Space limifed.lifor rck
8L36
I / f
will be held
Keter To 11--Sy.nagogue.
5480 Orchard Lake Road,West Bloomfield MI 48323
The le0
(corner of Orchard Lake Road and Walnut Lake Road)
1196290
Sponsored by the An Nissim Levadi Memorial Lecture Fund
January 25 • 2007
47