111 1 11 1 1111 1 111k ii:;,,-
Torah Center Appeals
To Supreme Court
I
Hundreds of local Jews attended the memorial service at Adat Shalom Synagogue.
Sharing Israel's Loss
Detroit Jews honor the lives of the slain Israeli teens.
Michael Higer
JN Intern
H
undreds gathered at Adat Shalom Synagogue in
Farmington Hills Wednesday night, July 2, for
a community-wide memorial service to honor
the lives of Eyal Yifrach, Naftali Fraenkel and Gilad
Shaar, the three kidnapped Israeli teenagers who were
found murdered two days before.
Four organizations helped to quickly organize the
event — the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Jewish
Community Relations Council (JCRC) and the Anti-
Defamation League (ADL). Between 750 and 1,000
people paid their respects to the three teens.
"Look at how many people came out with two days'
notice said Allan Gale, associate director of the JCRC.
"What it says to me is two things. One is that many
Jewish Detroiters are very connected to Israel. Two,
is that we watched the news very closely and we were
really hopeful that the three teens would be found alive.
And when they were found dead we needed a program
like this to really bring together the community:'
For some, the loss of Eyal, Naftali and Gilad hit closer
to home than most in Metro Detroit.
"I feel a close kinship to Israel and to the loss; said
Adele Nodler of Oak Park. "I have family there, and los-
ing these young boys is like losing family."
Rachael Vettese, 21, a senior at Kalamazoo College,
traveled to Israel on a Birthright trip in December and
now, with friends in Israel, she felt even more connected
to the three teens.
"There's such a deep connection, especially after
going on Birthright:' Vettese said. "Having those friends
who were Israeli soldiers, knowing that my friends
could have been those three teens who were kidnapped
or killed, they were the same age as them. There was
such a strong connection you felt like you were a part of
it:'
'Our Hearts Are Broken'
Rabbi Aaron Bergman of Adat Shalom opened the ser-
vice with words of loss and wholeness.
"The word shalom, peace, is from the word for whole-
ness. We do not feel whole today:' Bergman said. "Our
hearts are broken for Naftali, Eyal and Gilad and their
families and loved ones.
"The Baal Shem Tov said that there is nothing more
whole than a broken heart. We are a community of the
broken-hearted, and when we come together to grieve
the loss of our boys, we bring peace and wholeness to us
and to the world:'
Following Rabbi Bergman's opening remarks, three
18 July 10 • 2014
Hazzan Daniel Gross of Adat Shalom and Israeli
counselors working at JCC camps lead the singing of
"Hatikvah."
candles were lit, one for each boy, by Douglas Bloom,
president of Federation, Howard Brown, president
of AJC, and Jeannie Weiner, past-president of JCRC.
Among others who participated in the service were
Israeli campers at Tamarack Camps Danna Ezer and
Eitam Silverman, who gave a reflection on the three
boys.
At the conclusion of the service, Israeli counselors
working at JCC camps this summer led an emotional
singing of Israel's national anthem, "Hatikvah."
Connection To Israel
One of the attendees, Jordan Weiss, 28, of West
Bloomfield thought that even though the service was
put together in just two days, it did a great job of memo-
rializing Eyal, Naftali and Gilad.
"I thought they did a beautiful job with the selection
of songs and the readings, and I thought it was very well
done and very inclusive amongst all the participants:'
The outpouring of support from the Metro Detroit
Jewish community shows how connected Jews are to the
State of Israel, Ruth Vosko, 90, of Farmington explained.
"I think it was wonderful to see so many people here
Vosko said. "I was hoping that we would have a big
showing. Our Jewish community in Detroit is the best
Jewish community in the country:'
Although the loss of the three teens is still fresh in the
minds and hearts of many Jews in Metro Detroit, the
memorial service did its part in giving those who came
some closure.
As Rabbi Bergman said to end the memorial service,
"When we leave each other we say `tzeitchem l'shalom,'
may we go out in peace, may we go out for the sake of
peace. May our boys rest in peace:'
❑
David Sachs
Senior Copy Editor
n June 30, the Sara & Morris Tugman Bais
Chabad Torah Center in West Bloomfield
(Torah Center) filed a request for the
Michigan Supreme Court to review its May 22 loss in
the state Court of Appeals.
The Court of Appeals ruling reversed the Oakland
County Circuit Court decision that the lawsuit by
Chabad of Michigan seeking the deed to the syna-
gogue was filed too late, after the statute of limita-
tions had run. Chabad of Michigan successfully
argued in the Court of Appeals that the arbitrations
in bet dins (rabbinical courts) with Rabbi Elimelech
Silberberg of the Torah Center suspended the run-
ning of the statute of limitations.
Todd Mendel of the Detroit-based law firm Barris,
Sott, Denn & Driker represents the Torah Center. He
said his application to the state Supreme Court sus-
pended the Court of Appeals' ruling — which would
have sent the case back to the trial court — until the
Supreme Court deals with it. The process could take
five to seven months — or much longer if the high
court agrees to hear the appeal.
In its application for leave to appeal, the Torah
Center argued that the Court of Appeals created new
law in ruling that arbitration suspends the running
of the statute of limitations. "The Supreme Court jus-
tices are not judicial activists:' Mendel said.
The Torah Center's other argument is that only
Rabbi Silberberg was party to the arbitrations, not
the Torah Center — and it's the Torah Center that
owns the property. "We've got exhibits from the actu-
al proceedings that say that:' Mendel said.
"In addition, the argument about Chabad of
Michigan going to vaads [rabbinical boards] seeking
permission to sue is persuasive Mendel said, refer-
ring to Chabad of Michigan's self-stated need to get
approval to sue. "The Chabad vaad said don't sue, but
Chabad of Michigan did an end run [by going to a
different vaad to get permission].
"I'm saying they never got permission to sue from
the hierarchy they say they're part of. And they never
got it against the Torah Center and the board — and
since it's the Torah Center and the board that owns
the property, we shouldn't even be in court:'
Chabad of Michigan Attorney Norman Ankers of
Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn, also based in
Detroit, said, "I don't think that any of the Torah Center's
arguments are new, and I think they're incorrect.
"To us, it's really disturbing that a rabbi and his
congregation are flouting clear rulings and orders
and directions of rabbinical courts and the entire sys-
tem of Lubavitch — and then complaining about the
hardships and money being spent and how difficult
this is — when they could just follow the rulings of
the bet din and follow Jewish law, which would be
appropriate for any congregation.
"Instead, they are pursuing further legal action
when they could close this matter by following those
pronouncements:' Ankers said. "We will respond to
their application for leave to appeal in due course.
"Lubavitch spent many years trying to resolve
this matter within the process that was set up by the
Rebbe, and it was only after several clear verdicts
were issued that were flouted by the other side that
we were obligated to seek court intervention — and
that's unfortunate:'
❑