g
Interfaith services give comfort
after Charleston shootings.

Shari S. Cohen I Contributing Writer

Rabbi Mark Miller and Rev. Kenneth Flowers hug after Flowers spoke at Beth El Shabbat services about the shootings at a church in Charleston, S.C.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

"African Americans have experienced
years of violence, and there have been any
number of places where Jews are under
attack," he said. "Jews have the highest num-
ber of hate crimes committed against them,
according to the FBI:'
He knew of the special relationship
between Beth El and Greater New Mt.
Moriah, fostered by the close 19-year friend-
ship between Rabbi Daniel Syme and the
Rev. Kenneth Flowers. Buttrell contacted
Rabbi Mark Miller, Beth El's lead rabbi
since last year, and Flowers, asking them to
conduct joint services — and they quickly
agreed.
In only a day's time, the two congrega-
tions, along with the Interfaith Council and
the Jewish Community Relations Council,
publicized the interfaith services to their own
members and the general public.
Beth El's Friday night outdoor service
drew an unusually large turnout of about
225 individuals, including temple members
as well as representatives of local Protestant,
Catholic, Muslim and Sikh congregations,
the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the
Interfaith Leadership Council.
The interfaith council is a faith-based civic
organization that builds coalitions to tackle
faith-based issues such as literacy and vio-
lence. The president of the Michigan Council
of Rabbis is a standing member.
Many members of Flowers' church had
attended services at Beth El previously, but
for others it was a first-time experience.
Miller and Cantor Rachel Kalmowitz made
special efforts to explain the prayers and
encourage participation in the service.
Flowers is active in interfaith work locally
and internationally and has traveled to Israel

8 June 25 • 2015

JN

Rabbi MarkJklifre-r greets
congre-gants from Greater
New Mt. Moriah.

"We must learn to work together with those
who are different from us and form coalitions
and alliances of friendship and goodwill."

— Rev. Kenneth Flowers

five times, including participation in an
AIPAC African American Leaders Mission
to Israel. At the Friday night service, he
described Beth El and his church as "sister
congregations:'
"This is a time for us to be together," he
said at the service. "Tonight our hearts are
saddened. In the midst of the pain from
Charleston, I still have hope. God is our
refuge and strength. We must learn to work
together with those who are different from
us and form coalitions and alliances of
friendship and goodwill ... That is why I am
glad that members of the Jewish community
are with us today. They, too, have a history
of anti-Semitism and hatred against them.

But they also have a rich history of working
together with the black community to com-
bat racism, anti-Semitism, bigotry, hatred
and violence against our communities, to
fight for civil rights, human rights and peace
and justice for all."
His message resonated positively. Beth El
member Margaret Start described the service
as "very inspirational, wonderful and warm:'
Deenie Hertz Zonder, daughter of Beth El's
late Rabbi Richard Hertz, was very encour-
aged by Flowers' "message of hope:'

United, Not Divided
On Sunday, Miller visited Greater New Mt.
Moriah Church. He was joined by his wife,

Rachel, and their two young sons, along
with Beth El's President L. Steven Weiner,
Kalmowitz and about 25 temple members,
as well as others active in the interfaith
community, including Heidi Budaj, regional
ADL director, Kari Alterman, director of the
American Jewish Committee, and interfaith
activist Brenda Rosenberg.
In his sermon to the interfaith group,
Miller said, "The world is filled with people
telling us that we are different, judging us,
dividing us. But this church, our synagogue
and religious institutions across the land are
here to remind us that all the things that
unite us are much more than that which
divides us — to remind us that we are, in
fact, more alike than we are different:'
Joining arms, he and Flowers proclaimed
their "oneness in standing together against
evil:'
Miller "spoke beautifully' said Raman
Singh, president of the Interfaith Leadership
Council and a member of Gurdwara Sahib
Mata Tripta, a Sikh temple in Plymouth.
She noted that Jews and Sikhs, as well as
African-Americans, have been targets of
recent violent attacks. "We need to be forging
relationships especially to support each other
when evil occurs:' she said.
Miller ended his Sunday sermon with
thoughts about counteracting hatred.
"How do we respond to hatred? The same
way we choose to live every day — in rela-
tionship — with good words on our tongue,
with positive images surrounding us. And
as we remember the Charleston Nine, I pray
that we will stand united, not [just] today, but
next week and next month and next year so
that our strength will grow into that mighty
stream of righteousness that we dream of for
our children and grandchildren:"

❑

