Temple and Synagogue Listings Sponsored by Spirituality Tern ► le Israel TORAH PORTION Synagogues from page B7 Services: Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. the first Saturday of the month. Secular Humanistic Temple Emanu-El The Birmingham Temple 14450 W.10 Mile, Oak Park, 48237, (248) 967-4020. Rabbi: Joseph P. Klein. Cantor: Darcie Sharlein. Services: Friday 7:30 p.m. Saturday 10:30 a.m. Temple Israel 5725 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield, 48323, (248) 661-5700. Rabbis: Harold S. Loss, Paul M. Yedwab, Joshua L. Bennett, Marla Hornsten, Jennifer T. Kaluzny. Cantor: Michael Smolash. Cantorial soloist: Neil Michaels. Minyan Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.; Friday 7:30 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. Friday, Shabbat Under the Stars with the Temple Israel All-Stars. Wedding blessings for Lauren Jacobs and David Weiner; Johanna Politzer and Steven Lezell; Nicole Leff and Marc Moss. Baby naming of Alexis Samantha Gitler, daughter of Stella and Howard Gitler. Temple Kol Ami 5085 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield, 48323, (248) 661-0040. Rabbi: Norman T. Roman. Rabbi emeritus: Ernst J. Conrad. Soloist: Tiffany Steyer. Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m. Congregation Shaarey Zedek 1924 Coolidge, East Lansing 48823, (517) 351-3570. Rabbi: Amy Bigman. Rabbi Emeritus: Morton Hoffman. Cantorial solo- ist: Pamela Schiffer. Services: Friday 8 p.m. (7 p.m on the second Friday of the month), Saturday 9 a.m. Temple Shir Shalom 3999 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield, 48323, (248) 737-8700. Rabbis: Dannel Schwartz, Michael L. Moskowitz, Daniel Schwartz. Cantorial soloist: Penny Steyer. Services: Friday 8 p.m. Saturday 10:30 a.m. U-M Reform Chavurah 1429 Hill St., Ann Arbor 48104, (734) 769- 0500. Regular Friday evening services through the school year. Co-chairs: Shayna Liberman, Stefanie Albowitz, Edi David, Rebecca Kamil. Reformchairs07@umich.edu . 2935 Birch Hollow Drive, Ann Arbor, 48108- 2301, (734) 975-9872. First Friday Shabbat observances, adult programs, pre-school. Sunday school, b'nai mitzvah program, High Holiday observances. Jewish Parents Institute JCC, 6600 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 661-1000. Director: Marilyn Wolfe. Alternative cultural Jewish celebra- tions; secular bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies; adult programming; cultural Sunday school from nursery through teen. Sholem Aleichem Institute 28690 Southfield, Suite 293, Lathrup Village, 48076, (248) 423-4406. President: Alva Dworkin. Holiday observances; Friday night oneg Shabbat; cultural events. Workmen's Circle Arbeter Ring JCC, 15110 W. Ten Mile, Oak Park, 48237, (248) 432-5677. President: Arlene Frank. Michigan district director: Ellen R. Bates- Brackett. Secular and cultural holiday observances. Shabbes potlucks, bar/bat mitzvahs, educational and cultural pro- gramming. Welcoming community, Jewish/ Yiddish culture, social justice. Sephardic Keter Torah Synagogue 5480 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, (248) 681-3665. Chazan: Ben Zion Ben Shimon. Services: Friday at candlelighting. Saturday 9 a.m., 5:45 p.m. Monday and Thursday 6 a.m.; Thursday 9:15 p.m. Wiwi David Congregation Shir Tikvah 3900 Northfield Parkway, Troy, 48084, (248) 649-4418. Rabbi: Arnie Sleutelberg. Services: Friday 7:45 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. Saturday, Aura Ahuvia will assist with services. Renewal P.O. Box 251574, West Bloomfield, 48325, (248) 855-5007. Cantor: Ben-Zion Lanxner. Services: Saturday 9 a.m. at Hadassah House, 5030 Orchard Lake, W. Bloomfield. Minyans Fleischman Residence Pardes Hannah 2010 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, 48104, (734) 213-8374. Rabbi: Elliot Ginsburg. Affiliation: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. Services: Friday night, monthly. Shabbat morning second and fourth Saturday each month — led by rabbi and group leaders. August 28 • 2008 Jewish Cultural Society Traditional Reform/Renewal B8 28611 W.12 Mile, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248) 477-1410. Rabbi: Tamara Kolton. Services: Friday 7:30 p.m.; monthly family service 7 p.m. Saturday 9:30 a.m. Shabbat study. Sunday school, b'nai mitzvah pro- gram, holiday observances. Rabbi's tish Sunday 10:30 a.m. .114 6710 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 661-2999. Rabbi: Avie Shapiro. Sunday-Thursday abbrev. Minchah: 10 min. before sunset, followed by Maariv. Friday- Saturday, Minchah 5 p.m.; Maariv 6:10 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9:15 a.m. Call to confirm. Yeshivat Akiva 21100 W.12 Mile, Southfield, 48076, (248) 386-1625. During school year, services at 7:30 a.m.; 2:40 p.m. Community is invited. No Greater Love Shabbat Mevarechim; Parshah Reeh: Deuteronomy 11:26 16:17; I Samuel 20:18-42. - y ou hate me! I know you hate promise you made to yourself when me! If you really loved me, you were young? You didn't forget. But you would let me do what I now you are a parent and, as such, real- want to do!" ize that our parents were correct and Do these words sound familiar? raised us properly. We sometimes hear them from the As we mature and create our own mouths of our children, and we bite our families, we appreciate our parents tongues, thinking to ourselves: "Hate you? more and more. And this memory If I didn't love you so much, I wouldn't helps to develop our relationship with bother; allowing you to do what you want God. The roles are double-sided: We are would be so much easier." adults to our children, and at the same King Solomon in his great wisdom time we are children to God and can't (Proverbs 13:24) said, "One see the whole picture. Thus, who withholds the rod, we can't appreciate how God hates his child." What do comprehends all possibilities the ancient king's words and has chosen the very best have to do with the portion option for us. this week? What God has decreed may A most important verse not be convenient or pleasant. in this week's Torah portion Likewise, our children don't (Deuteronomy 14:1) states: always find our decisions to "You are children to the their pleasing. 1 Lord your God:' Here God The Eben Ezra said a curi- tells us a remarkable fact. Rabbi ous thing. He said that "God We are His children and His Avraham loves us more than a father relationship to us is that of Cohen loves his son!' How could he a father and mother to a Special to the know this and state it as a son. This is also the reason Jewish News fact? that all of us are brothers The answer to this question and sisters. We have the same Father. forces us to contemplate the essence of Let's look at the rest of the verse. God. Our sages explain that God is pure "Therefore, don't cut yourselves and goodness and love. Solely from this divine don't pull out your hair over a person goodness did He create man. who has died?' As loving as a human being may be, What is the connection between the His love can't be entirely selfless. But fact that we are God's children and not God who has no "self" can love others cutting and pulling our hair out over a completely; and He does: Each and person who has died? every one of us, without exception. God The Eben Ezra explains this beautifully cannot do otherwise. as follows: "Now that you know that you If we can recall the principle of God's are children to God and that He loves you selfless love for His children, we will be even more than a father loves his son, comforted greatly when life inevitably don't panic when something seemingly afflicts us. [1] terrible happens. Everything that God does derives from His love and ultimately Avraham S. Cohen is director of the Weiss is for your benefit. And even if you don't Partners in Torah program at Southfield- understand how that could be — just based Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. as children often don't understand the actions of their parents, yet trust them Conversations — so, too, should you trust in God's Has it ever happened that you were goodness sure your parents were wrong, but Obviously we don't hate our children. in the end they turned out to be Quite the opposite is true. We force our right? How did you react? Based children to face consequences for their on the above, how can I change my actions because we love them. perspective when something goes How many times have you repri- wrong? manded your child, contradicting a