Metro

Studies In The
Key Of Life

Jewish representatives from every movement come together
in Detroit and the world for a Global Day of Jewish Learning.

Elizabeth Applebaum
Special to the Jewish News

"Learning is the
ideal way for people
to connect."

I

magine a beautiful castle filled
with an endless number of
rooms, each of which contains
an extraordinary treasure that is
yours to keep.
And yet, just the idea of enter-
ing the castle seems daunting. It
appears unbelievably large and
overwhelming and perhaps entire-
ly unfamiliar. But you are brave
and you go ahead.
You approach the door, where a
sign reads: "Take a key." There are
millions and every key is different:
They are large and small, thick and
thin, the weight of the ocean and
lighter than a whisper, golden and
green and rainbow-colored.
Finally, you pick one key. You
put it in the lock and, amazingly,
you hear it click. Slowly, slowly you
open the door...

A World Awaits
Mickey Eizelman was raised in a
traditional Jewish Conservative
home — and he always wanted to
learn more.
It took some searching, but at
last he found what he was looking
for in a home-based class where
he, his wife and friends studied
with a rabbi. Very soon, Eizelman
was in love with Jewish learning
and Jewish life.
The class was Eizelman's key of
sorts to a brilliant new world. Now,
he invites others to find their own
key.
Eizelman, of Oak Park, is co-
chair of the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit's Alliance for
Jewish Education, which planned
and organized Detroit program-
ming for the Global Day of Jewish
Learning in conjunction with
the Jewish Community Center
of Metropolitan Detroit's 59th

–Mickey Eizelman, Alliance co-chair

Mickey Eizelman

annual Jewish Book Fair and the
JCC's Seminars for Adult Jewish
Enrichment (SATE).
The Global Day was initiated
to mark the completion of Rabbi
Adin Steinsaltz's 45-year-long
project translating the Talmud
into English and will be held this
Sunday, Nov. 7. More than 300
Jewish communities on six conti-
nents will participate in the event,
which was coordinated by former
Detroiter Rachel Weiss-Berger (see
adjacent story).

Where To Go
Locally, the program will include
events with Reform, Conservative
and Orthodox (and everything
in-between) representatives, with
support from 36 local Jewish agen-
cies and congregations.
Presentations will be held at
the JCC facilities in Oak Park
and West Bloomfield, begin-
ning with keynote speaker Dr.
Erica Brown, author of When
Jews Do Bad Things, with par-
ticipation from Rabbis Steven
Rubenstein of Congregation Beth
Ahm, Rob Morais or Temple
Israel, Avi Cohen, Tzvi Muller and
Leiby Burnham of Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah's Weiss Family Partners in

Torah, Aaron Starr of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek, Aaron Berman of
Adat Shalom, Robert Gamer of
Congregation Beth Shalom and
Jason Miller of Tamarack Camps,
as well as Temple Beth El Rabbinic
Associate Keren Alpert and
authors Rabbi Naomi Levy, Laurel
Snyder and Myrna Shanker. (For
a complete list of class titles and
times, and to register, please go to
www.jewishdetroit.org .)

Lots To Choose From
Mickey Eizelman loves the idea
of the Global Day because each

Studies on page 18

Inspired by Rabbi Steinsaltz,

A Former Detroiter Organizes

etroit may be only one of 300 communi-
ties participating in the Global Day of
Jewish Learning — but without this city,
the event might never have come about.
Detroit native Rachel Weiss-Berger, now liv-
ing in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and
daughters, is project director for the Global Day
of Jewish Learning. Weiss-Berger says her experi-
ences in Detroit helped guide her work on the
Global Day.
"From my early days at Adat Shalom Nursery
School to Hillel Day School, the University of
Michigan, and even a summer
internship with the Federation,
the Detroit Jewish community
has always painted a picture
for me of what a unified Jewish
community could accom-
plish," she said. "The Detroit
Federation/Alliance for Jewish
Education was one of the first
Rachel Weiss-
organizations I contacted
Berger
because I knew this project was
something the greater Detroit Jewish community
would embrace."
Weiss-Berger's inspiration was, of course, Rabbi
Steinsaltz, who made it his life's mission to trans-
late the Talmud into English. The Nov. 7 date was
selected to coincide with Rabbi Steinsaltz's com-
pletion of the 45th and final volume of his trans-
lation and commentary on the Talmud, which he
began when he was 27.
"The Talmud belongs to all Jews, and not just a
special sect or elite group:' Rabbi Steinsaltz said.
"Through the power of these translations and the
power of modern technology, we are awakening
Jews to their shared heritage."
"Even though we as Jews think differently and
have different practices, learning and engaging
each other around our sacred texts can unite
us," Weiss-Berger said. "It has been an honor to
be part of a process that is bringing the Jewish
people together?' Li

For more information about the Global Day of Jewish

Learning, visit www.TheGlobalDay.org .

November 4 • 2010

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