SPEND
NEW YEAR'S EVE
STARILANES
AT
For more info, see inside!
$2.00 DEC.
RESTAURANT 8 SPORTS BAR
1m
29, 2011-JAN. 4, 2012/3-9 TEVET 5772
A JEWISH RENAISSANCE MEDIA PUBLICATION
i
AT EMAGINE ROYAL OAK
theJEWISHNEWS.com
Up Close And Personal
Detroit Jewish leaders dialogue with Israeli President Shimon
Peres. See page 17.
Chanukah In The City
For the first time, Downtown Detroit plays host to the lighting
of a public menorah. See page 23.
›› The 'Theological Ping'
In her book The Choosing, a rabbi documents a coming out, a
conversion, a life in Israel and more. See page 27.
Dr. Conrad and Dr. Lynda Giles with Israeli
President Shimon Peres
metro
»cover story
In Review
ewish community celebrated milestones
nd focused on its future.
By JN Staff
2011
will probably be best remem-
bered as the year of the Arab Spring, the
Occupy Wall Street movement, Gilad Shalit's
return to Israel, congressional gridlock and a
sluggish economy.
However, Metro Detroit's Jewish community
found much to celebrate over the year: several
synagogues marked significant anniversaries,
the community cut the ribbon on the new
Berman Center for the Performing Arts, wel-
comed a new Moishe House in Detroit and
continued to be dedicated to tzedekah for the
Jewish community and beyond.
While the year's end is a time to reflect on
lessons learned, what was done and what was
left undone, it's also a time to celebrate accom-
plishments, express gratitude for all that we
have, and make new and bolder plans for the
year ahead.
From all of us at the JN, we wish our readers
a healthy, happy and prosperous 2012. I I
Jan. 30
The annual World Sabbath for Religious Reconciliation
interfaith service was held at Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield. The service was led by Gail Katz of West
Bloomfield. During the event, a Jewish youth blew the sho-
far and a Muslim youth chanted the Call to Prayer. It was
the first time the event was held in a Jewish house of wor-
ship. The processional included nearly 100 children of 11
different faith traditions waving peace flags.
Feb. 15
Representatives from the new Oakland University William
Beaumont School of Medicine and Israel's Emek Medical
Center announced a memorandum of understanding stat-
ing their sincere intentions to establish mutually beneficial
academic, research and commercial collaboration between
the institutions.
March 3
Robert Sklar retired after 13 years as editor of the JN. He
currently serves as a contributing editor.
Mich
1942 - 2011
-----
Covering and
Connecting
Jewish Detroit
Every Week
1
8 08805
33363 5
Jared Goldman and Leah Bold, both of Royal Oak, Marni
Aaronson of Waterford and David Kramer of Bloomfield
Township
March 6-8
Thirty-three young Jewish people from Metro Detroit,
including national co-chair Robb Lippitt of Bloomfield
Hills, traveled to Las Vegas for TribeFest Las Vegas, put on
by the Jewish Federations of North America. More than
1,300 young people from across the country gathered for the
event, which was designed to allow young Jews to connect,
explore and celebrate the richness of Jewish music, food,
arts and culture.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8