Spirituality

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Staff photos by Angie Bean

a

Emily Meretsky, 7, of Farmington Hills holds a Torah as people dance around her.

Carrie Subeisky, 17, of Farmington Hills, Sarah Hepner, 17, of Farmington and Anna

Dorf of Walled Lake

Block Party

Outdoor Simchat Torah celebration gets everybody dancing.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

Senior Writer

S

Merry! Schwartz of West Bloomfield

Spiritually Connected

Kol Ami celebrates Simchat Torah
with a hands-on tradition.

Kol Ami Rabbi
Norman
Roman care-
fully unrolls
the Torah.

ome participants at an Oct. 4
outdoor Simchat Torah gathering
spent the morning praying for
rain in Israel during Shemini Atzeret ser-
vices. But that evening they were thrilled
with West Bloomfield's clear skies and
mild weather.
To the sounds of honking horns and
the waves of those driving by, hundreds of
members of the three synagogues based
near the intersection of Orchard Lake and
Walnut Lake roads met near the corner for
a Simchat Torah block party.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

Senior Writer

long with the traditional
Simchat Torah celebration that
took place at Temple Kol Ami in
West Bloomfield on Oct. 3, the congrega-
i followed a unique synagogue custom,
tion
allowing the entire group to carry a single
Torah scroll — all at the same time.
"We have a cherished Simchat Torah
tradition that has become very popular
with the congregation and we get phe-
nomenal participation every year," said
Paul Gross, a member of Kol Ami's board
of trustees. "After the formal service, the
clergy and congregation jointly unroll one

Singining and dancing were members
of the Conservative Congregation Shaarey
Zedek (CSZ) of Oakland County, the
Sephardic Keter Torah Synagogue and the
Reform Temple Shir Shalom.
The massive group danced to live music
on the lawn of Shir Shalom and marched
between the synagogues to songs led by
CSZ Rabbi Eric Yanoff, amplified through
a megaphone that accompanies him to
the event each year. With the help of West
Bloomfield police officers, who blocked
off the streets for safe crossings, the party
continued as a roving celebration, hosted,
___
in part, by each synagogue. —

of our Torah scrolls until the entire Torah
is being held around our Conrad Social
Hall."
Describing the ritual as an "amazing
sight," Gross said what came next was "a
great moment that really engaged people,
especially our kids." After the entire scroll
was unrolled, the synagogue's rabbis and
cantor walked around identifying signifi-
cant passages, including the b'nai mitzvah
portions of the participants.
"It creates a tremendous attachment
with the Torah, and does it in such a fun
and energetic setting': Gross said." [The
program] really portrays the essence of
Simchat Torah, one of the more joyous
— and fun, if you do it right — holidays
on our calendar."

October 11 • 2007

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