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Sharing The Bimah from page 32

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Detroit, Michigan 48201

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34

eptember 4 • 2014

JN

"The song 'Shalom, My Friends'
reflects the Church's teaching on how
Christians should respond to Jews who
have remembered the Sabbath for thou-
sands of years:' Brother Al continued.
"We sing in praise of the children of
Israel, our ancestors in faith, who have
guided the world by keeping Shabbat."
"And before we put out the Havdalah
candle added Klaper, "we use it to light
a DomeniCandela, or Sunday candle,
thus passing the sacred flame from one
tradition to another."
Brother Al also called upon the con-
gregation to come up individually and
light candles.
Mary Gilhuly, Klaper's wife, said,
"Everyone can light a candle — for
need, remembrance or intercession.
Jews and Christians alike do this. As
Jewish people light candles to recall
loved ones, so too do those of the
Christian faith. This meaning of candle-
light is universal."
According to attendee Robin Lampert
of Rochester Hills, "The candlelighting
was my favorite part of this beautiful
service. It was meaningful for both
Jewish and non-Jewish people in the
congregation:'
The service ended with the song "Be
Holy, Hear the Whisper," whose words
entreat us to behave as God intended.
"We are here to care for one
another and to recognize the image of
God in our brothers and sisters," said
Brother Al.
Both Christian and Jewish partici-
pants agreed on the positive impact
the service had on them. Karla Huber
of Farmington Hills has been coming
to Song and Spirit for one and a half
years, and appreciates the interfaith
camaraderie.
"There's a unique spirit here that I
haven't found in other places:' she said.
"Worship without emphasis on a central
human figure allows our prayers to go
straight to God:'
Other worshippers included Wendy
Robins, who has been attending
services at the Institute for Peace for
several years, and her friend Nancy
Combs, who was a first-time visitor.
"Wendy invited me tonight," said
Combs of Grosse Pointe Park. "Diversity
in spiritual practice is a key value in my
life. With all the strife in the world, I felt
the need to pray within this communi-
ty. Being here is a wonderful way for me
to be effective in my desire for peace:'
Robins, who lives in Huntington
Woods, said she was active in
Conservative Judaism in the past, but
now goes to different congregations for
new experiences.
"Coming to Song and Spirit has
opened me up to being more accepting
of interfaith relations. The service here
touches my soul. I've come to have a

new understanding of Christianity, and
my Judaism has been enhanced:'
Farmington Hills resident Barbara
Morganti has attended services at the
Institute for Peace for nearly two years.
"Here I can understand the roots of
my Catholic faith through the words
and music of Steve and Brother Al. The
older I get, the more I realize what Jews
and Christians have in common. The
beauty is we can celebrate together and
can share traditions:"
Grace Laverdiere of Bloomfield
Township said, "I enjoy Song and
Spirit's services. I love the music and I
always learn something from listening
to Steve and Brother Al. Judy Lewis'
enthusiasm is contagious. It's such a
warm and inviting environment:'
The songs and stories shared by
Klaper and Brother Al during the ser-
vice also proved meaningful for Oak
Park resident Dan Rich.
"There's a beautiful harmony
between Steve, Al and Judy" he said,
"and they're all so down to earth. I feel
like I'm part of the experience, not just
watching a performance. Steve and Al
always sneak in some learning when
I'm not looking, and that excites me. I
feel a real spiritual connection through
their sharing themselves with deep
honesty, and with a love of each other's
faith:'

Serving A Diverse Community

"The decision to establish this Institute
for Peace was based on the potential
benefit such an organization could
provide to a religiously diverse area like
Metro Detroit:' Brother Al said.
"Mary, Steve and I felt this was a
worthy way to exercise our respective
gifts as musicians, artists, teachers and
religious leaders to offer more creative
means of promoting interfaith relations.
"We feel there must be opportuni-
ties for people of different religious
backgrounds to move beyond merely
tolerating each other to actual friend-
ship and affection. We believe Song
and Spirit serves this important and
much-needed role!"
Klaper echoed this ideal. "Sharing
sacred space, prayers and traditions
implies a certain religious fearlessness.
If we are to engage in deep ecumen-
ism — which Renewal Judaism insists
upon — then we need to engage with
one another's 'aid moments.
"We need to understand what's
beyond the dogma: why Jews dance in
joy with the Torah, why saying Kaddish
at Yizkor brings tears to the eyes, why
the Saturday night vigil before Easter
Sunday is such an overwhelming
emotional experience of Jesus Christ's
sacrifice. This understanding of one
another's deepest faith experiences
really serves to deepen our own:'

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