metro Update On Israel From Consul General Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) officer Nancy Welber Barr greets Israeli Consul General Orli Gil at Temple Beth El on Sept. 6. More than 150 were in attendance for Gil's talk, which covered Israel's accom- plishments on many fronts, plus its challenges making peace, facing ter- rorism, social inequities and conflicts within society. The event was co-sponsored by the JCRC and Temple Beth El's Israel Chaff Committee. MSU Hillel Joining In "Talk Israel" Event On Sept. 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Michigan State University Hillel will erect a large and open tent next to the MSU Auditorium as part of "Talk Israel: Join the Conversation:' an international initiative that fosters dialogue about the changing landscape of the Middle East. The tent will provide a venue in which students of all backgrounds and beliefs will converse in an atmosphere governed by the rules of civil dialogue and the university's code of conduct. Trained facilitators will be available to moderate the conversations. "We want to give the campus community the opportunity to talk civilly and freely about the Middle East:' explains Hillel executive director Cindy Hughey. "Many are eager to discuss the implications of revolu- tions from Algeria to Syria, social justice demonstrations in Israel and the challenges presented by a possible vote on the status of Palestine in the United Nations." In addition to MSU, tents will be raised on 20 campuses as part of the Talk Israel program which is funded, in part, by the Jim Joseph Foundation and coordinated by Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. All campuses will be linked over the Internet and individuals can join the dis- cussion through a Facebook page. MSU Hillel is the only Hillel in Michigan participating in the project. For information, contact Audrey Bloomberg at audrey@msuhillel.org , Felix Shoihat at israelfellow@msuhillel.org or call (517) 332-1916. Torah From Terror Recaps 9-11 Sermons In 2001, Rabbi Neil Gillman and Rabbi Jason Miller collected more than 100 of the sermons delivered in the days immediately following the 9-11 attacks given by rabbis of different denominations and published them on a website. These sermons were compiled into the "Torah From Terror" project. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9-11, this collection of sermons is now available in an easily searchable website: torahfromterror.blogspot.com. Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield is included. "In the wake of the horrors visited upon us on 9-11, people had many questions for God:' Gillman said. "`Where was God on Sept. 11, 2001?"What kind of God lets this /STEMS STEMS • D Hie KEN i SEAFOOD . SALADS PASTAS • BURGERS - SANDWICHES WRAPS •MUSSELS • SOUPS•111,40 MORE!! HAPPY HOUR 2-6 pm 1/2 All Wines OFF cS by the Glass Choice Beers, Cocktails, Liquors a liqueurs 0;:-.- 7 Dar,: LLI , =''' & V", --er II''' i"}",-1 11a.--': 1p ,---, F.1.:. NNW FRESH BROILED CHARBROILED Lake Superior Hand-Cut Angus SIRLOIN WHITEFISH $995i Includes: Soup or Salad, Baked Potato Or Rice, and Vegetable $95 Includes: Soup or Salad, Baked Potato or Rice, and Vegetable Orse Cowen Per Peruse OFFER EXPIRES 9722S11 40 iN One Coupon Per Pets= OFFER EXPIRES 9231l SIRLOIN STEAK 32769 Northwestern Hwy. 3. at 14 Mile RC * riSgrille.DOM * 32 September 15 • 2011 248-737-9600 happen?' They looked to their rabbis to help them explore these questions of faith." "Most rabbis had already written their Rosh Hashanah sermons by 9-11',' Miller said. "They quickly put those aside and began the process of creating new sermons that would address what no one could articulate. So many rabbis rose to the occa- sion, presenting words of comfort and consolation, words culled from the pages of our Torah." Miller is rabbi of Congregation T'chiyah in Oak Park, president of Access Computer Technology in West Bloomfield and founder and director of Kosher Michigan, a kosher certification agency. Gillman is a Jewish philosophy professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and author of several books. Live Detroit Fund Meets Fundraising Goal Two thousand Detroit expats and 900 donors across the country took part in the "Do It For Detroit" campaign last month through fundraising, social media cam- paigns, charity sports tournaments and other contributing events. This dynamic group reached its goal to raise $100,000 for the Live Detroit Fund (LDF), which will provide rent subsidies for up to 25 "Next Generation" change agents to move to the city of Detroit. The subsidies will be in the form of $250 a month per person for up to one year, $3,000 annually. Recipients of the LDF will be required to host one community event a month that will strengthen the Jewish and larger Detroit community. CommunityNEXT (CNXT), an arm of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit focused on attracting and retaining young talent in the region, organized the Do it for Detroit campaign and will manage the fund and the application process, which opens on Oct. 1. CNXT will also host the LDF Launch Party on Saturday, Oct. 15, at Cliff Bell's downtown. Visit LiveDetroitFund.org to learn more. E. Lansing Shul Brings Free Books to Children The PJ Library ("PJ" is short for "pajamas") started as a way to get Jewish children's books into the hands of young readers each night for story time and as a meaningful point of connection for families over Jewish tradition and faith. Congregation Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing is partnering with the PJ Library to bring this free program to surrounding communities. "I am so excited that our con- gregation is bringing this wonderful pro- gram to our area',' said Rabbi Amy Bigman. Jewish children from ages 6 months to 8 years old are eligible to participate, regardless of synagogue affiliation. Age- appropriate books are mailed directly to children's homes each month. For information about the PJ Library, visit www.pjlibrary.org or contact Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing at (517) 351-3570 or executive@shaareyzedek.com . JCC Gallery To Host National Conference The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit's Janice Charach Gallery will host the next national confer- ence of the Council of American Jewish Museums (CAJM) in February. CAJM members from throughout the United States will attend the event, set for Feb. 26-28. The theme of the conference is "Place and Purpose: Jewish Museums and Community Renewal" and will feature vis- its to Detroit museums, including CAJM members the Janice Charach Gallery, the Holocaust Memorial Center and Shalom Street, as well as the Temple Israel Judaic and Archival Museum, along with numer- ous Detroit historical landmarks. The event will be hosted by Janice Charach Gallery Director Terri Steam and Holocaust Memorial Center Executive Director Stephen Goldman. According to CAJM spokesmen, author Elie Wiesel describes Detroit's Jewish com- munity as leading the way in outreach and support, and "we look forward to learning a lot from our friends in the Midwest." For information, contact Gallery Director Terri Steam, (248) 432-5448. Guilt-Free Inspiration For The High Holy Days For the seventh consecutive year, Craig Taubman and Craig 'N Co. will publish Jewels of Elul Vol. VII, a collection of sto- ries and anecdotes for the Jewish High Holy Days. With jewels from Groupon's founder Brad Keywell, artists Eminem, Idan Raichel and Mary J. Blige as well as insights from rabbis, a reverend and an imam (no joke), readers will find unique perspectives on the Art of Seeking Light. This year's Jewels of Elul will benefit the work of Beit T'Shuvah, a residential drug treatment facility in Los Angeles. New to the project this year is an Amazon sampler CD. The release con- tains 15 songs for the High Holy Days from such artists as David Broza, Michele Citrin, Basya Schechter, Alberto Mizrahi and Mare Winningham. For more information or to sign up to receive this year's Jewels of Elul VII online, visit www.jewelsofelul.com . 'G-d Project' Launched For Spirituality On Web PunkTorah.org, a Jewish nonprofit that develops Web-based tools to enhance Jewish life and promote independent Jewish spirituality, is launching the G-d Project (theg-dproject.org ), a social media platform dedicated to Jewish questions about God and spirituality. The website serves as a free, online, evolving documen- tary and tool for Jewish learning. The heart of the project is a series of mini-documentaries interviewing Jews across North America and Europe with different backgrounds, affiliations and life- styles to discover how people live and believe Jewishly in the post-modern world.