Temple and Synagogue Listings Sponsored by

Tern le Israel

Spirituality

TORAH PORTION

Synagogues from page B9

Temple Emanu-EI

14450 W.10 Mile, Oak Park, 48237, (248)
967-4020. Rabbi: Joseph P. Klein. Cantor:
Darcie Sharlein. Services: Friday 8 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., 8 p.m.; Saturday
10:30 a.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. Friday early ser-
vice baby naming of Aidan Joseph Spry and
Austin James Spry, twin sons of Jacquelyn
and Jason Spry; Joseph Tyler Squarcia-
Sheaves, son of Jessica Lynne Squarcia and
Brock Sheaves.

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 .

Reform/Renewal

Congregation Shir Tikvah

3900 Northfield Parkway, Troy, 48084,
(248) 649-4418. Rabbi: Arnie Sleutelberg.
Services: Friday 7:45 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.
Friday, Steve Klaper will lead services.

Renewal

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.

Secular Humanistic

The Birmingham Temple

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.

Jewish Cultural Society

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.

Traditional

B'nai David

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

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.

B10

September 11 • 2008

Promises, Promises

Shabbat Ki Tzetze: Deuteronomy
21:10 - 25:19; Isaiah 54:1-55:5.

W

mouth" (23:24). Of great importance
ith Yom Kippur fast
here is the word voluntarily. Here, God
approaching, I spend a
is speaking of the promises we make to
lot of time thinking about
help another person; whether it be the
oaths, promises and pledges. I try to
task of weeding their garden or lend-
remember the promises I made to
ing them money free of interest. These
family, and friends — oaths made in
are pledges of emotional support, an
public and in private. Then, I bring to
mind the pledges that I made to myself. assignment accomplished, or a chore
done right. These differ greatly than
Those kind, the kind we make in the
the oaths that Kol Nidre was originally
quiet of our own mind, are seemingly
meant to release us from. Kol Nidre was
so much easier to make and yet so
written to render those oaths to convert
much harder to keep. All of this time
made under duress null and
taking a cheshbon nefesh, an
void. The oaths we make
accounting of my soul, and
today are hardly of the same
I have not even touched on
caliber, and yet the admoni-
the pledges I made to God!
tion in Ki Tzetze and the
I know that on that night
release of Kol Nidre still give
that I sing Kol Nidre in front
us guidance and comfort.
of our beautiful ark, I will be
Taking the time to think
bringing all of these internal
before we speak is a fun-
and external oaths to mind;
damental lesson learned
congratulating myself on
early in childhood. Once we
those I brought to fruition
speak, our words travel with
and thanking God for this
Rabbi
all their power and signifi-
prayer for all those that I
Jennifer
cance and no matter if they
did not. Words fall so easily
Kaluzny
have earnestness behind
from our mouths that many
Special to the
them, they are in the world
times, we forget just how
Jewish News
for everyone to hear and
much of ourselves we have
believe. Keeping promises to others is a
"put out there" for everyone to know,
way of making ties that bind and lasting
come to rely on and trust.
friendships that we rely on every day.
In this week's Torah portion, God,
Maintaining oaths that we say to
through Moses, reminds the children
ourselves, or in our prayers to God, are
of Israel that taking oaths and mak-
no less poignant and important in our
ing promises is not to be taken lightly.
Moses tells the people "When you make lives. If we do not uphold those promis-
es made in our hearts and our prayers,
a vow to the Lord your God, do not
we can hardly stand before another
put off fulfilling it, for the Lord your
person, let alone God, and be expected
God will require it of you, and you will
to be taken seriously. We are our own
have incurred guilt"(23:22). Basically,
best barometers for how well or how
God expects us to follow through and
poorly we follow through on what we
if we do not, we are guilty of not living
say we are going to do. ❑
up to our word. Brilliantly, God adds
that if we do not make vows in the
first place, we take no risk in incur-
Jennifer Kaluzny is a rabbi at Temple
ring any guilt for not having fulfilled
Israel in West Bloomfield.
them! Unfortunately for many of us,
our mouths work independently of our
minds (and our better judgment); and
so we find ourselves guilty of not fulfill-
Conversations
ing the promises we made.
What does a promise mean to
The caution against making hasty
you? When did you not keep a
oaths and promises continues: "You
promise and why? How did it
must fulfill what has crossed your lips
feel to know you did not live up
and perform what you have voluntarily
to your word?
vowed to the Lord your God, hav-
ing made the promise with your own