RANBRO SCHOOLS Summer Day Camps 2015 Early Enrollment Somethi Brookside Tots Day Camp for Boys & Girls ages 3 — 4 Brookside Day Camp for Boys & Girls ages 5 — 6 Cranbrook Day Camp for Boys ages 7 — 14 Kingswood Day Camp for Girls ages 7 — 14 Rabbis Robert Gamer and Arturo Kalfus discuss their Jewish movements. Summer Theatre School for Boys & Girls ages 7 — 19 Comparing Views Summer Art Studio for Boys & Girls ages 7 — 14 Rabbis educate members about Reform, Conservative movements. Jazz Ensemble for Boys & Girls ages 11 — 15 Barbara Lewis Contributing Writer TECHNO-botics Robotics Camp for Boys & Girls ages 6 — 17 I Youth Multi-Sport Camp for Boys & Girls ages 5 — 10 Young Authors Day Camp for Boys & Girls ages 6 — 14 Fore & Aft Care Program for Boys & Girls ages 3 — 14 MUSIC INSTITUTE at Cranbrook ages open, by audition www.musicatcranbrook.org Camps available by the week For best pricing — register early For more information online visit: 1:1 1-4?" 121. www.schools.cranbrook.edu/programs/day ta r o . Phone: 248. 645. 3674 Y.,;..1 E-mail: summer@cranbrook.edu ® 1961570 NOW OPEN! FREE Your NEW Neighborhood Pharmacy DELIVERY .•fiLifliK1116 FREE Health Mart Pharmacy MEDICATION CONSULTATION Franklin Health Mart Pharmacy 29113 Northwestern Hwy. Southfield 248.355.1910 OTC Medications I Blood Pressure Monitors I Diabetic Supplies I Immunizations I Medical Equipment 1960930 MIPIPPMIN Air I. Keep your company top of mind with our readers. ADVERTISE WITH US! CALL 248.351.510 Visit theJEWISHNEWS.com 18 January 8 • 2015 J n the first of what they hope will be a series of inter-congregational adult education programs, a Conservative and a Reform rabbi engaged in a frank discussion about the strengths and challenges of their two movements. Rabbi Robert Gamer of Congregation Beth Shalom and Rabbi Arturo Kalfus of Temple Emanu-El, both in Oak Park, addressed about 65 people from both congregations last month at Emanu- El. The second program in the series, about end-of-life issues, is scheduled for Beth Shalom. Each rabbi gave a brief introduction explaining the history and current sta- tus of his movement. Then the rabbis asked each other a series of questions. Kalfus is uniquely positioned to compare and contrast the two religious movements. Raised in a Conservative home in his native Buenos Aires, he spent a year at the Conservative move- ment's Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. He left because he felt too con- strained by JTS' Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, which governs Conservative practice, and enrolled in the Reform movement's Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He said the Reform movement offered more autonomy. Both movements trace their roots to mid-19th century Europe, following the Enlightenment that gave Jews greater access to secular education and culture. Jewish immigrants brought religious reform with them to the New World — and some went too far in emulating their Protestant neighbors, Kalfus said. They dropped Hebrew prayers in favor of English, brought in organ music and professional choirs, and stopped using the yarmulke and tallit. A few congregations even held their services on Sunday. The Conservative movement was a reaction to the perceived excesses of Reform, Gamer said. Matters came to a head at the infamous "treif banquet" in 1880, celebrating the ordination of the first class of American Reform rabbis. The menu included numerous non-kosher items such as shellfish, and cream was served along with meat, out- raging the more traditional. The Jewish Theological Seminary was founded three years later. The movement's motto is "tradition and change:' Conservative Jews accept the authority of Jewish law, but seek ways to adapt it to meet the needs of modern society. Jewish Evolution Kalfus said the Reform movement has evolved a great deal since the 1880s, and most Reform Jews embrace tradi- tional practices. More Hebrew is used in services, and many Reform Jews wear a yarmulke to pray. He said it's a misconception that Reform Jews do not consider Jewish tradition when they make decisions about observance. "The image that the Reform Jew stands for almost nothing is a huge mistake he said. He also noted that Reform liturgy has changed in the past 20 years, mov- ing from "extreme rationality" to a more spiritual approach. "Our religious services were stale and boring, and fewer and fewer people par- ticipated," he said. "They did not appeal to the sensibilities of congregants."