metro High-Flying Bar Mitzvah 82-year-old marks ritual somewhere between New York and London. Berl Falbaum Special to the Jewish News D avid Usher of Downtown Detroit did not have to study for his bar mitzvah. He did not even have time to get nervous. If those two facts appear unusual, con- sider that his bar mitzvah took place at 31,000 feet on a Delta Airlines flight from New York to London. And finally, Usher had his bar mitzvah at the age of 82. Usher is founder and chairman of Marine Pollution Control of Detroit, a company that cleans up oil on the oceans and hazardous materials throughout the world. A pioneer in the "science" of cleaning up oil spills, he helped clean the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, and was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to help clean the Persian Gulf after Saddam Hussein dumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf during the 1991 war, "Desert Storm:' A very frequent traveler, Usher was pre- pared for a routine flight when he boarded his plane in New York and sat next to a man he recognized as an Orthodox Jew. The man turned out to be a Sephardic rabbi from France who spoke English halt- ingly, so Usher asked if he spoke Yiddish. The rabbi's eyes lit up, and for the next few hours, they spoke about a variety of subjects. During the conversation, Usher discov- ered that he was talking with Rabbi Ariel Mashash, the son of Rabbi David Mashash, the chief rabbi of Paris. (Rabbi David Mashash has since died and was buried in an elaborate funeral in Israel.) Usher explained that, as a boy, he attended the Arbeter Ring (Yiddish for Workmen's Circle) in Detroit for his reli- gious training. The Arbeter Ring was orga- nized in 1900 by immigrants from Eastern Europe, many of them with Socialist tendencies. It was a labor fraternal order dedicated to social justice, offering a wide variety of activities, and its members com- municated primarily in Yiddish. Its educational focus, however, was very progressive and emphasized Jewish culture and history rather than religious ritual and tradition. As a result, while fluent in Yiddish, which he spoke at school and at home with his parents, Usher told the rabbi that he had never had a bar mitzvah. Without hesitating, the rabbi replied: "Well, you're going to have one now:' When the rabbi said "now," he meant now.> From a package stowed in the overhead bin, the rabbi brought out a tallit, tefillin and a prayer book. He put the tallit over Usher's shoulders, the tefillin on Usher's arm and forehead and, after learning that Usher did not speak, read, write or understand Hebrew, asked Usher to simply repeat the prayers he would recite. With the passengers watching in puzzle- ment, the rabbi conducted a 10-minute service, and when he concluded he told Usher: "Now you had a bar mitzvah:' After his surprise subsided, Usher said, "I was not embarrassed in having this bar mitzvah on the plane. I was elated. Frankly, it was a highlight in my life for this to happen when I was 82 years old and under these somewhat strange cir- cumstances:' When the plane landed, the crew, stand- ing by the cockpit, congratulated Usher on his bar mitzvah as he exited the plane. David Usher "They were all smiles:' he said. "I think it is safe to say they had never seen this on their plane before:' No one threw candy at Usher at the conclusion of the service. But one steward- ess, who had watched the ceremony, told Usher: "I am not Jewish," she said, "but my husband is." Instead of the traditional candy, she served Usher a kosher meal. ❑ A veteran West Bloomfield journalist and author, Berl Falbaum teaches news writing and media ethics at Wayne State University. 613th Mitzvah Bais Chabad's new Torah allows community to join in its writing. Ruthan Brodsky Special to the Jewish News I t's not often that Jews have the chance to fulfill the mitzvah of writ- ing a Torah scroll — the 613th and final commandment in the Book of I Deuteronomy. This opportunity now is available because a Sefer Torah was commissioned for the Sara and Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center in West Bloomfield by Dr. Bruce and Mindy Ruben in memory of Mindy's Dr. Bruce father, Stuart Freedman, Ruben and Bruce's father, Jerald Ruben. "We commissioned the Torah in May 2012 as part of our obligation to living a spiritual life and giving tzedakah so that we can 'give back' to the shul and community that were instrumental in my journey to Orthodox Judaism:' says Bruce Ruben, who is a doctor specializing in wound care. Mindy Ruben says she is evolving toward a more traditional Jewish lifestyle. 22 August 22 • 2013 JN "Our home has been kosher since last April, including separate dishes for Passover, and I'm very proud of the change she says. "Friday night is our time to be with the family, and Saturday is our time to rest and relax. Although I am not Orthodox, I always feel very wel- comed attending events at Bais Chabad." Written by a sofer (scribe) in Jerusalem, the incomplete Sefer Torah was sent to New York and from there traveled with Bruce Ruben to Detroit. The Torah was available several weeks at the Ruben home in West Bloomfield for viewing before it was dedicated to Bais Chabad. As planned, the Torah arrived with sev- eral paragraphs missing. Jewish law states that the lack of even one letter renders the Torah invalid. Therefore, when a person participates in the writing of even one let- ter in a Sefer Torah, it's as if he or she has written an entire Torah. Community members may buy a let- ter to fulfill the mitzvah of completing a Sefer Torah. Through the generosity of the Rubens, who want as many people as possible to perform the mitzvah, the sug- gested minimum donation is $18 per let- ter. Proceeds benefit Bais Chabad. Scribe Rabbi Levi Kagan of Oak Park will finish the Sefer Torah on Monday morning, Labor Day, Sept. 2, just prior to festivities that will include a procession with the Torah from Orchard Lake Road to the nearby synagogue on Maple Road. "To have a new Torah is an excit- ing event for Jews," says Rabbi Shneur Silberberg, assistant rabbi, program director and outreach director of Bais Chabad. "Despite the differences in how we practice Judaism, the Torah is the same everywhere and is an absolutely unifying source for all Jews. "To have a new Torah is to celebrate the Judaism and Jewish unity that have helped us survive over 2,000 years. It is an honor to the Ruben family to bring a new Torah to the world; every time the Torah is read, it is a continuing honor:' Bais Chabad began in 1975 with a small group of men, mostly Holocaust survi- vors, who lived in West Bloomfield. Rabbi Elimelech and Chaya Sarah Silberberg and their two small children came here as emis- saries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Over the past 38 years, they have built a thriving Torah Center and a close-knit community welcoming to all. The Torah Center was built in 1982, and doubled its size in 1998 to accom- modate the growing membership. "We were the first Orthodox presence in West Bloomfield and have a commit- ted membership of about 150 families and a growing, vibrant community that joins us for our numerous educational and social programs:' Shneur Silberberg says. "Our philosophy is that while we maintain Orthodox observance, our doors are open to Jews of all back- grounds and levels of observance. "This is the second time our shul is welcoming a new Torah; the first time was 20 years ago:' he says. ❑ The Torah procession begins at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 2, on the Orchard Lake service road across from the Beaumont Building and ends at Bais Chabad on Maple Road. Children will be given African drums to use during the procession. For information, call (248) 855-6170. To ful- fill the mitzvah of writing a letter in the Sefer Torah, call Rabbi Shneur Silberberg at (248) 207-5513 or go to www.baischabad.com .