EDITOR'S LETTER What's the Frequency, Moishe? .E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, who translated the 1986 attack on CBS newsman Dan Rather into popular lore with his song, "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" said he wrote the song portraying the protagonist as someone search- ing to understand meaning. So, in that vein, I'm wondering what the "frequency" is to make a magazine relevant to all Jews. I ask aloud because some of the feedback we got after February's issue is telling of the dilemma we face every month: What does the audience want to read? We demurred from publishing the authors' names but wanted to share a few examples: R "I think Red Thread is heavy on the Orthodox subject mat- ter and personally, its not relevant to me. I'd try to strike for more balance." ... and " ... one comment (not that you want to hear it) is I just no- ticed a whole lot of treif, which I know they do in the JNews, but between Adam Helfman's reviews and whatever else, it seemed like it was too much treif!" Those e-mails, at least, were reasonable. Another e-mail I received didn't even make sense at first — until I did some digging: "I was amused at the article 'In the Garden [with Adam and Steve].' What especially caught my attention was ref- erencing out holy text as 'G-d's playbook.' WOW!!! I wonder what G-d (hyphenated) thinks of this." I explained to this person that the word "playbook" is a figure of speech derived from American football and, as used in the aforementioned context, was appropriate, at least according to both Merriam-Webster and Oxford American dictionaries — the bibles of journalism. (As well, there is no hyphen necessary when writing out the word "God," according to many rabbinic sources I consulted, unless it's in Hebrew characters. Otherwise, it's just another proper noun.) After some e-mail volleys, I got to the bottom line: This person believed that giving press to gays and lesbians was inappropriate — and something that may cause karma to take retribution against me. I suggested that since we were discussing a contentious issue through civil discourse — versus using the sword — perhaps it was karma's way of balancing the scales for gay people, who have faced centuries of persecu- tion. And, karma is a Hindu thing anyway. Hence, the conundrum: How to create a publication for a Jewish audience — so varied in beliefs and practices — and not piss somebody off? The short answer is ... we can't. Even when you try to be all things to all people, you only please a few (which is a derivation from First Corinthians, by the way). Tell us what you think; go to our Facebook page and shoot off of a note. Starting this month, Red Thread kicks off a series of coffee klatches around the area. These meetings are totally casual and are our way of soliciting feedback — and hosting some old-fashioned community dialogue. Our first coffee klatch will be from 9-10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 9, at Barnes & Noble Booksellers on Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield. We'll have coffee and danish on hand, so swing by. No pressure, no cost — hope to see you there. AND THEN THERE'S BOB (FEEL FREE TO HUM THE MAUDE THEME, NOW) When I shared the first half of this Editor's Letter with my friend, JN Editor Bob Sklar, his response was a per- fectly calibrated indicator of the hard row he has hoed for 13 years: "Sounds like you split the difference," he said, in his typically understated way. And, that's Bob for you — always trying to control the Hydra that is Detroit's Jewish community. As most of you now know, Bob has made the decision to retire as editor of the Detroit Jewish News. I remember first hearing the news from our boss last December and feeling conflicted: Happy for him but sad for our community. : •• "00 Not that Bob and I always agreed on everything. I'm sure he (continuously) thinks I skate too close to the edge on issues. However, he has always been gracious to me and I have nothing but respect for him, his integrity and his commitment to community journalism. Bob has an amazing passion for Jewish causes, both religious and secular; and for issues that touch Israel and the diaspora. He is well-versed in the subjects he tackles, and his thoughtful editorials offer unambiguous opinions about what he believes to be right and wrong. Although short-lived as colleagues, I have known and written for Bob as a freelance writer for several years prior to RT's launch. And, before that, I was a "Detroiter-in-Exile"who would eagerly get my JN fix each time I came home to visit. It is not only the JN that has benefited from Bob's pres- ence at the helm but the communities he helped cover over his 38-year career. The deference he pays to different points of view is a model for how our Jewish community should co-exist. Bryan S. Gottlieb bgottlieb@redthreadmagazine.com Looking for the Red Thread Captioin Contest? Go to redthreadmagazine.com for March's winning entry. ROMA_ SPOSA PANDORA'" UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS uri.11:11 SANTO tk R iow e ,//r/ewll/er Couture Bridal Collection Trunk Show March 3-5 2011 Couture Bridal Collection Trunk Show March 10-12 2011 INEs Di —4 3 4 0`'k 4tti 1 f -,, , C.: A C)1"; I .R. R FT. NN Couture Bridal Collection Trunk Show March 17-19 2011 Scozoila egateete, Couture Bridal Collection Trunk Show Personal Designer Appearance March 24-26 2011 GIFT WITH PURCHASE MARCH 10TH- 1 3 T H RECEIVE A PANDORA LOBSTER CLASP BRACELET (A $50 US RETAIL VALUE) WITH YOUR PURCHASE OF $50 OR MORE OF PANDORA JEWELRY.* *BRACELET UPGRADES ARE NOT PERMITTED. CHARMS NOT INCLUDED. GOOD WHILE SUPPLIES LAST, LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER. GMeRY'S Creative Jewelers 30975 ORCHARD LAKE RD. FARMINGTON HILLS 1/4 MILE S. OF FOURTEEN MILE RD. 248.855.0433 MONDAY—SATURDAY • 10AM-5:45PM OPEN SUNDAY MARCH 13TH 12PM-5PM U.S. Pat. No. 70)7• 507 • i(7) • All rii I,i onerved • PANDORA NET www.redthreadmagazine.com ALTA MOM SPOSA Couture Bridal Collection Trunk Shmv April 1 -3 2011 $5 Entrance fee to benefit Fashion for Compassion By Appointment • 248.723.4300 • 708 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, MI 48009 • www.romasposa.com Rth ma I March 2011 5