Rabbi Dobrusin in the Beth Israel sanctuary
Inspiring from page 12
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14 April 16 • 2015
JAI
based on the novel by Ian McEwan,
about making amends for bad behav-
ior. She decided to write to Beth
Israel's rabbi, Robert Dobrusin, to
apologize for her actions as part of the
anti-Israel group.
She expected him to ignore her or
to respond sarcastically. Instead, she
said, "He was very kind and offered to
meet with me:'
When they sat down together,
the rabbi talked about why Israel is
important to Jews. "He was kind,
understanding and forgiving. It totally
shocked me," Federbush said.
She started attending Shabbat ser-
vices at Beth Israel and eventually
became a member. She learned to read
Hebrew and, a few years ago, celebrat-
ed her bat mitzvah by reading Torah.
Looking back, she says it's unfor-
tunate that the Jewish Witnesses for
Peace and Friends chose to protest
in front of the synagogue rather than
talking over their differences with the
rabbi.
"He would have been very willing
to talk to them about human rights in
Israel or about anything else," she said.
Indeed, Dobrusin has played a
leadership role in Rabbis for Human
Rights. "He sets an example of how to
bring Jewish values into the broader
world," said Michael Appel of Ann
Arbor, who also nominated Dobrusin
for the Forward's "most inspiring"
designation.
"He creates a congregational life that
is a safe place for Jewish expression
while opening the doors to discussions
that push that comfort zone," said
Appel, 53, who works for a nonprofit
low-income housing organization.
In discussions about Israel and
Zionism, the rabbi used materials
from the Shalom Hartman Institute
in Israel and from Zeitouna, an Ann
Arbor Jewish-Palestinian dialogue
group, Appel said.
At a Shavuot study session, the rabbi
talked about being accessible, not only
in the context of disability but in how
the community welcomes interfaith
families and people who are gay, les-
bian, bisexual or transgender.
"As a result, the discussion was less
about letting 'others' into the com-
munity and more about how we can
remove obstacles that we have cre-
ated," Appel said.
Interfaith Work
Ruth Kraut also cited Dobrusin's inter-
faith activities in her nomination. She
noted that he was a co-chair of T'ruah,
an organization of rabbis and cantors
dedicated to human rights. He was one
of the "tomato rabbis," working since
2011 to support fair wages for workers
in the tomato fields of Florida. In Ann
Arbor, he is active in the Interfaith
Roundtable and the Interfaith Council
for Peace and Justice, and has reached
out to the local Muslim community.
Dobrusin is characteristically hum-
ble about the Forward's honor. In fact,
he's a little uncomfortable being called
one of the most inspiring; but the fact
that others find him inspiring at all is
important.
He feels the most important part of
being a rabbi is interacting with people
on a personal level, especially within
his congregation of 470 families.
"It's wonderful to see the impact a
synagogue can make in the lives of
individuals," said Dobrusin, 59, who
has been at Beth Israel since 1988.
He says he tried to work with Jewish
Witnesses for Peace and Friends, but
because the vigils started almost 12
years ago, he says, "There's not much
to say. They have the right to free
speech, but I try not to direct too
much attention to them:'
Dobrusin and his wife, Ellen, have
two children. Son, Avi, is about to
graduate from Emory University in
Atlanta, while daughter, Mickie, is a
student at Eastern Michigan University
in Ypsilanti.
His chief hobby is geocaching,
using a GPS to find hidden "treasures"
that others stash in locations all over
the world.
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