Unbound

Young visionaries
change Jewish life.

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a Lear

0

Young and old at the Beth Ahm

event will get a taste of the

"Beit Midrash" learning style

practiced at Rabbis Kaunfer and

Tucker's New York yeshivah.

Innovative young rabbis
bring bright ideas to Detroit.

respective services — singing the latest litur-
gical melodies along with newly discovered
pre-Holocaust melodies from Europe that
lie Kaunfer and Ethan Tucker became they use at their own Kehilat Hadar minyan in
New York.
friends at Harvard and eventually
On Saturday afternoon, they will lead
dreamed up whole new concepts to
two learning sessions. The first exercise will
change the world.
explore how one can better connect to prayer
No, they didn't create Microsoft.
by researching the prayers'
But Kaunfer, an aspiring
Biblical origins. The other lesson
journalist, and Tucker, a science
will demonstrate how to exam-
history major, decided instead
ine and implement Halachah
to dedicate their intellect, energy
(Jewish law) — in this case,
and lives to re-invigorating
probing the legality and propri-
Jewish religious life.
ety of whether to play musical
The pair became rabbis,
instruments at Shabbat services.
helped develop many indepen-
A musical Melavah Malkah
dent minyanim (prayer groups)
with the rabbis and featuring
around the world and then start-
Professor Howard Lupovitch
ed their own non-denomina-
on guitar will be at 7:30 p.m.
tional learning institution — the Rabbi Kaun fer
Saturday.
first year-round yeshivah in the
Kosher meals will be served 7
country, they boast, that wel-
p.m. Friday and noon Saturday
comes women as well as men.
at a total cost of $36; ages 4-12
Yeshivat Hadar on Manhattan's
is $15; students and Jewish
Upper West Side, has attracted
educators is $18; (prorated for
equal numbers of students of
those not attending both meals).
Orthodox, Conservative and
Light refreshements will be
Reform backgrounds.
served at Seudah Shlishit and
On Friday and Saturday,
the Melavah Malkah.
March 5-6, the rabbis will bring
On Sunday morning, the
a taste of their inspiring meth-
Jewish Forum, a Southfield-
ods to West Bloomfield. Rabbi
Rabbi Tucke r
based independent group that
Steven Rubenstein invited the
sponsors educational events, will
pair to Congregation Beth Ahm
hold a panel discussion at Beth Ahm which
to lead what he has pegged a "Beit Midrash
Experience" — a reference to the intense one- will include Rabbis Kaunfer and Tucker (see
adjacent story).
on-one learning style practiced in yeshivot.
"These rabbis are the creme de la creme of
Education Is Key
new things that are happening in the world
How are the two guest rabbis hoping to
of Jewish learning:' said Nancy Kaplan, ritual
enhance Jewish consciousness?
assistant at Beth Ahm. "They are creative
"We're interested in promoting an
thinkers and have their pulse on the vibrancy
American Jewish community that has an edu-
of the innovative Jewish community'
cated laity' said Kaunfer.
Knowledge of Hebrew is not required for
To this end, Kaunfer and Tucker nurture
the event. Rubenstein has invited the commu-
independent minyanim around the world
nity, regardless of age or affiliation, and has
provided food at discounted rates for students through their Mechon Hadar institute and its
Web site, www.mechonhadar.org . Kaunfer's
and professional Jewish educators. Shabbat
book Empowering Judaism: What Independent
hospitality can be arranged.
Minyanim Can Teach Us About Building
The two rabbis will speak Friday night
Vibrant Jewish Communities (Jewish Lights
and Saturday morning and will help lead the

David Sachs

Senior Copy Editor

E

Publishing, 2010) also details their methods.
Many of their ideas can be used by syna-
gogues as well as small minyanim — and
the rabbis don't discount the value of larger
institutions.
"What synagogues do very well is appeal
to a wide range of people, ages and back-
grounds' said Kaunfer. "We view this as a big
strength.
"What we've seen in cities where we've
done this program is that its an opportunity
for young people to connect to the synagogue.
And when we did this in Seattle, the rabbi
coupled it with a renewed focus on adult
learning.
"My hope is that people in the shul won't
look at this an isolated weekend that was
a fun experience, but would be motivated
to look for other opportunities for engaged
Jewish education.
Rabbi Tucker's mother is Hadassah
Lieberman, now the wife of independent
Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman. His father
is Rabbi Gordon Tucker, a longtime teacher at
the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
"I realized in my years after college that what
I had a real passion for in life — what I could
make a difference in — is helping to contribute
to the Jewish future Ethan Tucker said.
"What's exciting about the weekend is that
it offers the kind of engaged mode of learning
with an opportunity for cross-generational
interaction:"

❑

n Sunday morning,
March 7, the Southfield-
based Jewish Forum will
present an opportunity to meet
a representative group of young
visionaries and up-and-coming
dynamic leaders.
The young activists will
appear on a panel titled "Jewish
Community Unbound" that exam-
ines "How creative, enthusiastic and
dedicated young Jews are reshaping
the Jewish community"
The program at Congregation
Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield
will look at what it refers to as the
((paradigm shift in Jewish com-
munity building, development, and
organization" and what it means for
the Jewish future.
Attending will be Rabbis Elie
Kaunfer and Ethan Tucker of
Mechon Hadar, which facilitates
independent minyanim. They will
be at Beth Ahm for a Shabbat Beit
Midrash event (see main story).
Also on the panel will be Josh
Lichtman of Avodah, a youth corps
that aids people in poverty. He will
also represent Adamah, a Jewish
environmental fellowship.
Two leaders of the Isaac Agree
Downtown Synagogue, Jon Koller
and Leor Barak, will speak of their
social action, including outreach
to black youth in the neighboring
Detroit community.
Also attending will be a repre-
sentative of Hazon, a group that
seeks a healthier, more sustainable
Jewish community.
Moderating will be Dr. Irving
Goldfein of the Jewish Forum. He
describes Kaunfer and Tucker's
minyanim as being fueled by the
young generation's "desire for a
spiritual community that reflects
their values and their sense of
meaning — to encourage substan-
tial and transformative participa-
tion." This description seems fitting
for all the guest panelists.

- David Sachs, senior copy editor

The "Belt Midrash Experience" at
Congregation Beth Ahm is spon-
sored by the Menasche and Sara
Haar Fund. It begins at 6 p.m.
Friday, March 5, followed by dinner
and resumes 8:45 a.m. Saturday,
March 6, with lunch at noon, and
the Beit Midrash beginning at 1 p.m.
The cost for meals is $36; children
4-12, $15; students and Jewish edu-
cators, $18; (prorated if not attend-
ing both meals). For inquiries or to
RSVP by March 4, contact Nancy
Kaplan, (248) 737-1931 or
nancyellen879@att.net .

"Jewish Community
Unbound" will be 10 a.m.-
12:15 p.m. at Congregation
Beth Ahm in West
Bloomfield and is open to
the community. Registration
and coffee begin at 9:30.
Cost to attend is $10; $5
for students. RSVP: pro-
grams@thejewishforum.org
or (248) 354-6415, ext. 2.
For information, visit www.
thejewishforum.org .

February 25 • 2010

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