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ing a warm and welcome environment
Sisterhood will host a festive oneg
for anybody to become part of our
Shabbat afterward. This community-
community:' said Sleutelberg. "New
wide service will be led by Sleutelberg
people who come in will feel immedi-
and longtime friend of the congrega-
ately embraced, without any judgment,
tion, Rabbi Eli Cohen of the Jewish
with no expectation that they need to
Renewal community in Santa Cruz,
Calif.
be anybody other than who they are."
Last year, Sleutelberg wed his part-
On Saturday, March 2, the celebration
ner, Robert Crowe, in Windsor. After a
will continue with a gala dinner at 6
p.m. at the Michigan
ceremony in Robert's
native England with
State University
family and friends,
Management
they had a ceremony
Education Center in
Troy. The night will
at their home in Lake
Orion, where nearly
feature food, music,
400 congregants
dancing, entertain-
joined them in cel-
ment and a tribute
ebrating their union.
to Sleutelberg. The
While Sleutelberg
event is open to the
community. Tickets
is fully entrenched
in his commitment
are $65; dessert and
to the local commu-
entertainment, $20.
nity, where he also
On Sunday,
March 10, from
has served on many
boards, he still man-
• 3:30-6:30 p.m., Shir
ages to find time to
„ Tikvah will host
help others outside of
a grand mitzvah
Michigan.
project, "From
At his birthday party last
One of his pas-
Slavery to Freedom:
September, Rabb i Sleutelberg
sions has been con-
Two Journeys, One
with his late mo ther, Edith
Destiny:' which
necting with lost
Jewish tribes around
will feature a
the world as well as
seder meal for 300
sharing spiritual traditions with indige- people at Gompers Elementary in the
nous tribes. He has traveled throughout Brightmoor community in northwest
Africa and Asia, teaching and gleaning.
Detroit.
He brought suitcases of ritual items for
"One of the centerpieces of our cel-
the Jewish Lemba tribe in South Africa
ebration is the opportunity to share our
and created a Shabbaton for them. He
joy with those who are less fortunate
has taught in New Zealand, Costa Rica,
by providing food via a seder meal in
Nepal, Thailand, India and Senegal as
Detroit,” Sleutelberg said. "This mul-
well.
ticultural program will commemorate
Bridge-building between the Jewish
our experience with slavery in Egypt
community and other religions, ethnici- with theirs in this country:'
ties and races also has been among his
Traditional foods from both cultures
will be on the menu, ranging from mat-
passions. Helping foster understanding
with Muslims, African Americans and
zah and charoset to collard greens and
Christians is a focus of his rabbinate.
collard green juices or "pot liquor:'
"Valuing diversity is what makes for
"This was a tremendous opportunity
a rich life," he said. "Having exposure to for us and a great message, too," said
a wide variety of thoughts, people, tra-
Wren Hack, Shir Tikvah's family educa-
ditions and views is part of what makes tion director. "A year ago, we realized
life worth living. A world that really
that to appropriately do a tikkun olam
treasures diversity would very likely not project we cannot ignore Detroit, but
have the plagues that we face today:'
we didn't have any connections there.
We started partnering with community
Time For Celebration
leaders and people involved with social
"The events we planned are indicative
action and community service, and we
of who we are as a congregation and of
began to build relationships.
the community that Rabbi Arnie has
"We didn't want to just show up and
helped us to create Silverstein said.
leave food; we wanted to create rela-
Festivities began by celebrating
tionships," she explained.
Sleutelberg's birthday last September,
The closing celebration, a special
followed by a synagogue fundraiser last Havdalah service that coincides with
October.
the last session of the religious school,
On Friday, March 1, at 7:45 p.m., a
will be held at Shir Tikvah on May 4.
special Shabbat service will be held at
Shir Tikvah commemorating the rabbi's To see if tickets are still available for the
25th anniversary and the 100th anni-
March 2 gala dinner, or dessert and enter-
tainment only, call (248) 649-4418 ext. 1.
versary of Women of Reform Judaism.

❑

248.540.4622 I 100 South Old Woodward, Birmingham, MI 48009
wachlerjewelers.com

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