Sta ff photo by Ang le Bea n

hen Rabbi Josh Bennett and his wife Meg
VV recently began to feel the burden of an
outdated home, one in which their family was
quickly outgrowing, they realized it was time to take
action. "We have a tri-level built in the
1950's, and it had 1950's styling and no
basement," explained Rabbi Bennett.

Though they were eager to update their
lifestyle, he said he and his wife were
apprehensive at the idea of moving from
the place they'd been calling home and
raising their three young children. So they
weighed their options. In the end, he said,
turning to Gittleman was the logical choice.

"We love our neighborhood and our neighbors, so working with Gittleman enabled us to get exactly
what we wanted in our existing home — without moving."

Judge Goldsmith

During the renovation process, the Bennetts relied on the expertise of the Gittleman team to design a
versatile plan that fit their family's needs. "We were totally dependant on the staff, and every person
was there for us. From start to finish, the entire experience was 100 percent positive," he said, noting
that he has already referred Gittleman to others.

Rabbi Starr

"Someone once said that prayer
is when we talk to God, but study
is when God talks to us. When I
study Jewish texts, I truly feel God's
presence. Plus, I am a better person, a
better husband, a better rabbi and a
better Jew because of my studies with
Rabbi Burnham."
Because their interpretations of
Halachah and Torah text are different
because of their denominational dif-
ferences, the study is more interesting.
"In fact, Rabbi Burnham and I have
been able to teach each other quite a
bit about the other's movements and
philosophy:' Rabbi Starr said. "While
we don't always agree with each other,
I think we both respect that we are
each striving to live lives of Torah
and struggling to understand what
God wants of us as 21st-century Jews.
Moreover, we recognize that the Jewish
people will be stronger through shared
learning and dialogue rather than in-
fighting and conflict."

Where Do We Meet?
Tuesday night's Partners pairs
gather in one room at the Yeshiva, but
Partners rabbis meet wherever there
is someone who wants to be part of
Jewish learning.
Rabbis Cohen and Burnham are
involved in executive study, bringing
together mentors and professionals in
a workplace setting, be it an office, a
store — or some place more unique.
"Once a month during lunch, Rabbi
Cohen comes to the Oakland County
Courthouse in Pontiac and holds a
class for 13 or so judges:' said Oakland
Circuit Judge Mark Goldsmith of
Huntington Woods and a member of
Young Israel of Oak Park.
"It is truly exciting to see how Torah
study compares and contrasts with
American law. After class, the judges
have expressed amazement at how
relevant the discussion is to our own
jobs."
Added Rabbi Cohen: "It is an eye-
opening experience for the judges to
see how the issues they are grappling
with today are the same ones that were

Today, the Bennetts enjoy a home that has been nearly entirely refurbished — from the master bedroom
with vaulted ceilings and elegant bath to the addition of 1,000 square feet, including a guest room,
playroom and extra storage space. "It was like walking into a new house," Rabbi Bennett said.

So when the time comes to either move up or move out, save yourself the hassle that comes with
relocating, and let Gittleman transform your existing house into the home of your dreams.

Rabbi Pinchas Zusis inside the
Partner's synagogue

around 2,000 years age
For the judge and his wife Judy,
involvement with Partners began
with their Tuesday night learning
when Judge Goldsmith meets with
the Yeshiva dean, Rabbi Avraham
Fishman.
"Many of our participants have
followed the same path as Judge
Goldsmith," Rabbi Cohen said of those
who begin on Tuesdays, then expand
their learning to include others.
Francine Taylor of Huntington
Woods discovered Partners from
a friend who attended a class. She
now joins Rabbi Burnham's weekly
women's Torah group at the Yeshiva,
and notices how "the rabbi always
ends with a correlation of the topic to
our daily lives." She says the class has
spurred her toward an interest in fur-
ther Jewish learning.
"Our hope is for people to say, 'I
need more," Rabbi Cohen said."Some
will add extra nights of study with
their partner or other classes. A num-
ber have also gone to Israel to study
at yeshivah after getting their feet wet
with us."

In The House
Jodi Berger hosts a monthly women's
group in her home taught by Rabbi
Burnham. Like many who learn at
Partners, this is the one regular study
program she attends. Often, she saves
her questions for the rabbi.
"I am grateful to have someone
share his knowledge on a small-group
basis and to be able to discuss things
that bring a deeper understanding of
things Jewish that I can convey to my

Partners In Torah on page 20

JUST ASK THE BENNETTS.

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April 12

2007

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