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Steve Klaper and Brother Al Mascia have just started an online, monthly
show, Song and Spirits, at UDetroit Cafe.

Celebrating Faith

A Jew and a Christian co-create the
Song and Spirit Institute for Peace.

Esther Allweiss Ingber
Contributing Writer

were co-music directors at Oak Park-
based Temple Emanu-El.
Klaper, raised modern Orthodox,
draws upon more than 30 years' expe-
Jew married to a Christian
and their friend, a Franciscan
rience as a professional musician
to infuse traditional Jewish teachings
monk, have taken on a big
challenge: creating a community that
with mystical chants and melodies
at the soulful, renewal-style Kabbalat
promotes greater understanding among
Shabbat.
people of diverse religious, cultural and
"This is what your grandfather's
ethnic backgrounds.
Song and Spirit Institute for Peace,
shul would have been like if they spoke
English, played guitar and counted
a nonprofit in Berkley, is the venture
founded by Steve Klaper and Brother
women in the minyan," he says.
"Everything that I present religiously
Al Mascia, the program directors, and
Mary Gilhouly — the art director and
will always be representative of norma-
tive Judaism, and everything Brother Al
Klaper's wife of 27 years. The institute
offers music, art, cultural programs, dia- presents represents Franciscan Roman
• Catholicism."
logue and study opportunities.
Song and Spirit's interfaith Havdalah
"Living in a diverse society and
culture, inter-religious cooperation is
begins with a fully Jewish Havdalah
service. With the onset of Saturday
no longer an option but a fact of life
says Klaper, a maggid (inspirational
night — after the Havdalah candle is
speaker) ordained by Yitzhak Buxbaum
extinguished — the Lord's Day begins
for Christians.
in Brooklyn N.Y.
The men met three years ago. Brother
"The Christians sing to the Jews in
Al walked into Klaper's sukkah upon the attendance, thanking them for their
faithful tending of Shabbat all these
recommendation of a mutual Catholic
friend.
centuries, and the Jews sing to the
Christians, welcoming them into the
Brother Al "had never been to a suk-
kah, didn't know what to expect — but
deep and fulfilling practice of marking
he had brought his guitar," Klaper
sacred time Klaper says.
Free education programs include
says. "We talked about the holiday of
Sukkot — how the fragile nature of this
"Faith in Our Community:' clergy
explaining their beliefs. Temple
structure mirrored our fragile place in
the world; how we rely on the grace of
Emanu-El Rabbi Joe Klein's series,
"Reading Exodus Again:' meets 7:30
heaven to keep our health, our jobs, our
families and, indeed our lives, intace
p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 26-Feb.9.
The spacious building housing
Talking and playing music, the men
began imagining how they could take
Song and Spirit was a convent in 1957.
their stories and songs and do some-
Jesuits were tenants about 50 years.
thing meaningful with them. Song and
The Archdiocese of Detroit found the
Spirit was born.
building for the partners at Brother
Shir HaNishamah (Song of the Spirit) Al's request. They moved there in April
is a monthly Shabbat service on the first 2011.
Friday. Leaders Klaper and Judy Lewis
Gilhouly, a mosaic artist and a

BEING A

ELMO

FEB. 3-4-5

www.dia.orgicift
313.833.3237

DE1"ROIT

INSTITUTE

OF ARTS

12

January 26 • 2012

home-based graphic designer along
with her husband, hosted "Art-in-Action
Day" on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
holiday. Nearly 50 participants became
well acquainted making peace collages,
painting bowls and designing mosaic
squares for the gift shop. Proceeds help
the institute and Brother Al's Canticle
Cafe Bicycle Cart Ministry.
There's no membership requirement
at Song and Spirit. Klaper says they'd
rather charge for specific events and
opportunities than institute dues.
On Jan. 22, he and Brother Al started
an online, monthly show, Song and
Spirits, at UDetroit Cafe. They explore
diverse cultures, times and places
through music, stories and interviews
from 5-7 p.m. on the third Sunday
(www.udetroit.com).
Looking ahead, Klaper says the part-
ners would love to have a Muslim mem-
ber join them, and also a Hindu and a
Buddhist, but "we just haven't met the
right people yet."
He also wants to "procure a Torah
scroll, even a used one." 0

Maggid Steve Klaper and Brother
Al Mascia will be honorees at
World Sabbath of Religious
Reconciliation, 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan.
29, at Greater New Mount Moriah
Missionary Baptist Church, 586
Owen, Detroit. Free. Visit
www.worldsabbath.org or
gailkatz@comcast.net.

Song and Spirit
Institute of Peace

2599 Harvard
Berkley, MI 48072
248-895-3011
www.songandspirit.org

oRsez' _
Klaper and Mascia founded the Song and

Spirit Institute for Peace, a nonprofit in

Berkley.

