I Front Lines

NOTEBOOK

JNenline

Who Says Rabbis Can't Spell?

Keri Guten Cohen

He goes back to his seat to await his next word. Later, a cast mem-
ber grabs his arm and he's in a dance number, holding hands with the
other remaining audience/cast members, jumping up and down in a
hat started as a night at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit to
circle. Next, he's holding on tight as the bleachers spin rapidly.
celebrate his wife's birthday evolved into an unexpected
"At one point, the emcee character comes over to me and whispers,
star turn for Rabbi Elliot Pachter of Congregation B'nai
`Did you bat mitzvah her?' (referring to cast member Dana Steingold,
Moshe in West Bloomfield.
a local young actress who's sitting inches from
At the Oct. 7 evening performance of The 25th
me):' Pachter said. "I shake my head 'no! I can't
Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Pachter was
believe she just asked me in the middle of a live
one of four audience members preselected to par-
show."
ticipate as a spelling bee contestant in the show.
Eventually, his fun comes to an end when he
"So I'm now sitting in the theater, next to Naomi,
misspells his second word — apoop. "Naomi
nervously waiting for what's to come," Pachter said.
later tells me she can't believe I didn't just spell
"My name is called first. I walk up on stage and
it the way it sounds," he said. "I figured the obvi-
take my seat among the real actors. A lot of people
ous spelling was too simple, and that it must be
in the audience know me, so the reaction is great.
trickier. I was the second of four eliminated. I
"So I'm sitting on these bleachers with the cast.
received a hug and a juice box.
A number of cast members get called for words,
"After I was eliminated, the next audience
interspersed with songs and other added parts
participant misspelled atheist. I was steaming
of the show. I get called for my first word. As I
— I would never have missed that one Pachter
approach the microphone, the emcee introduces
said. Also in the show, they use the word phy-
me, saying something like: 'When he grows up, he
lactery, the English translation of tefillin, which
hopes to be a priest: The audience, especially those
is accurately defined as 'small black boxes worn
who know me, are roaring.
by Jews during morning prayer services.' The
"Then I get me word — jihad. Again laughter:'
hilarious sentence was something like, 'Timmy,
he said. "More laughter when I ask for a definition, Rabbi Elliot Pachter "on stage" dur- take off that phylactery, we're Episcopalian!'
ing Purim with his son, Jonathan.
and then a sentence using the word. I don't have
"It was an outstanding 20 minutes of my life
any memory of the funny answers given to my
spent onstage. I guess I was cut out for this role.
questions, especially the sentence, because all I can focus on is cor-
I often stand up in front of an audience and recite words that many
rectly spelling the word, which I do. Wow! I'm still in the contest."
people don't understand." 1-1

Story Development Editor

W

This Week

www.JNonline.us

E-Newsletter

Desire notification when
stories that interest you
in particular are posted on
JNonline? It's easy to des-
ignate the kinds of stories
you like when you sign up for
your personalized e-newslet-
ter.
Only at JNonline.us . Just
click on Newsletter on the
menu near the top of the
page.

Latest From Israel

Want the most current
news from Israel? Check
our streaming news from
Ynetnews.com for continuous
updates and longer news,
opinion and feature stories.
And look at the center of our
Homepage for an Israel story
that changes twice daily.
Just visit JNonline.us and
click on a scrolling story on
the left.

Celebrations!

EC!udaism

Conservation Tips

What you can do to stop
global warming:

1.Use a green option for your elec-
tricity. Go to
my.dteenergy.com/products/
greenCurrents/index.html
2. Be certain your furnace is tuned
up and replace the filters as fre-
quently as needed to save energy.
3. Keep the moisture level of your
home high during winter, either with
a humidifier or lots of plants. Higher
humidity makes the body feel warmer
so you can turn your thermostat
down and save energy.
4. Insulate your home properly,
www.simplyinsulate.com . Seal and
insulate ducts, doors and windows.
5. Turn your thermostat down two
degrees in winter and up two degrees
in summer.
6. Install a programmable thermostat.
7. Whenever possible, heat your body,
not your house. Use heavy quilts on

your bed. Wear sweaters and warm
socks around your house. You'll be
much warmer for less money.
8. Keep closet doors closed. There's
no need to heat storage spaces.

Jewish Thought On
The Environment
Many mitzvot (commandments)

found in the Bible and laws found
in the Talmud instruct us to protect
what the Jewish tradition views as
"God's creation" - the totality of the
physical world in which we live. Bal
tashchit (do not waste) teaches us to
conserve resources.

MICOEJL will present at Federation's
Lunch & Learn noon to 1 p.m. on Nov.
5 and Dec. 3 at the Max M. Fisher
Federation Building, 6735 Telegrpah,
Bloomfield Township.

Contact Michigan Coalition on the
Environment & Jewish Life for global
warming presentations: (248) 642-
5393, ext 7, or mi-coejl©jfmd.org .

Source: Michigan Coalition on the Environment & Jewish Life

Film Examines Suicide Bombers
StandWithUs-Michigan, the nonprofit Israel edu-
cation organization, will premiere Pierre Rehov's
documentary Suicide Killers at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct.
29, at the Landmark Maple Art Theatre in Bloomfield
Township. Lisa Magnus, executive producer, will intro-
duce the film and answer questions afterward.
The film looks at how someone can strap on a
bomb, walk into a roomful of innocents and detonate
the bomb. The movie also looks at how survivors
cope. It includes unprecedented interviews with
would-be suicide bombers now jailed in Israeli pris-
ons, jailed terrorists who set up suicide bombings and
with survivors. Prominent sociology, psychology, reli-
gion, law and sexuality experts weigh in as well.
"Like the other Rehov films, Suicide Killers forces
the audience to confront a difficult topic, and the
imagery can be shocking," said Jonathan Harris,
director of StandWithUs-Michigan. "But this film is
perhaps the best investigative attempt by a filmmaker
to explain and understand the suicide bombing phe-
nomenon."
Magnus is working with Rehov on the sequel to
Suicide Killers, which involves film shoots in Iraq, and
on his next documentary dealing with the persecu-
tion of Christians in Lebanon and Egypt.
The Maple Art Theatre is at 4135 W. Maple at
Telegraph, Bloomfield Township. General admission
tickets are $9 and can be purchased in advance or at
the door.

— Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor

A8

October 25 • 2007

Find weekly listings of births,
b'nai mitzvah, engagements,
weddings and anniversaries
online as well as past sim-
chahs all online. They are all
bundled under each week's
publication date.
Just visit JNonline.us and
click on Lifecycles on the
left.

Last week's poll results:
Should Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert suspend himself
from office because of three
criminal investigations plus
the Winograd report?

Yes 50%
No 50%

This week's poll question:
Do you think the Annapolis
summit will achieve any-
thing?

Visit the JNonline.us
homepage, below the left
menu, to cast your vote.