Metro Studies from page 17 Other Views Steinsaltz's prodigious work stirs debate. Sue Fishkoff Jewish Telegraphic Agency San Francisco 0 n Nov. 7, Talmud scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz will formally conclude his Hebrew translation of the Babylonian Talmud, a monumental task that has occupied him for the past 45 years. But as scholars and Jewish leaders herald his remarkable accomplish- ment, Steinsaltz himself has become a figure of controversy, criticized in some Orthodox circles for what many consider his unorthodox behavior. Five years ago, he found himself outside the Orthodox consensus for accepting the post of nasi, or presi- dent, of a modern-day Sanhedrin, a re-creation of the ancient Jewish legal body that set ritual observance for the Jewish people. Steinsaltz resigned the post in 2008 out of concern for the direction the organization was taking and potential breaches of Halachah, or Jewish law. For some, it was his life's work — the translation of the Talmud — that was problematic. Rabbi Yosef Blau, spiritual adviser to students at Yeshiva University, said there was no way Steinsaltz could complete such a task without some controversy. "We're talking about a complex legal work put together over hundreds of EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION - Register before November 30th and save $500. Excluding Travel Trips and TSS INFORMATIONAL MEETING Monday, November 15, 2010 5:30 pm — 6:30 pm Max M. Fisher Federation Building 6735 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills Contact kphillips@tamarackcamps.com to confirm your attendance. years by generations of scholars, and one person wants to translate it? It's not surprising that people will ques- tion," Blau said. The author of nearly 60 books, Steinsaltz, 73, also has established a network of schools in Israel and the former Soviet Union, and has taught widely around the world. In 1988, Steinsaltz won the Israel Prize, the country's highest honor, for his work in Jewish education. Steinsaltz began his translation proj- ect in 1965, motivated by the desire to make the Talmud more accessible to Hebrew speakers, primarily the secular Israeli public. Whereas reading the Torah is not Other Views on page 20 2010 CAMPER AND STAFF THANKSGIVING REUNION AT CAMP MAAS! Friday, November 26, 2010 Registration form is online TAMARACK CAMPS ALUMNI REUNION Saturday, November 27, 2010 8 pm Dino's Lounge 22740 Woodward Ave.., Ferndale All Alumni invited. We will honor TSS throughout the years. 21 years and older only. 248-647-1100 www.tamarackcamps.com 18 November 4 • 2010 person can come for what he or she needs. If Jewish education is the castle, then the Global Day offers an opportunity for all to enter, however they choose. "There is a different key for each person" that leads to learning, or knowledge, or understanding — a spark that draws him/her closer to Judaism, he said. For Jeffrey Lasday, director of Federation's Alliance for Jewish Education, the Global Day of Jewish Learning gives participants the chance to "be Jeffrey part of an interna- Lasday tional experience, joining Jewish communities around the world for a day of learning." It also opens a door to a kind of home where everyone in the Detroit Jewish community is welcome and everyone can stand together, with all prejudices and suppositions and fears aside. Everyone is wanted; everyone has a place. Thoughtful Pathway "I find it very inspiring that thanks to Rabbi Steinsaltz, we all have the opportunity to learn together as one people," said Carol Weintraub Fogel, chair of the JCC's 59th Annual Jewish Book Fair. Mickey Eizelman knew from the start that he wanted to be part of the Global Day. "This," he said, "is a unique opportunity;' a forum with a variety of topics, where all Jewish movements will be represented, so there is "literally something for everyone." Jewish education, Eizelman says, is like "a path:' and when that learning is shared with others, an extraordinary bond is created. "Learning is the ideal way for people to connect," he adds. "Jewish learning, no matter where it takes you, allows you to create a closer bond to your heritage." 17 For information, contact Dale Alpert Rubin at (248) 203-1520 or rubin@jfmd. org.