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The Shul celebrates 13 years
as a welcoming Jewish home.

ecoming a bat mitzvah is an
important occasion for any
Jewish girl; for Ariella Stein,
the first baby to be named at The Shul-
Jack & Miriam Shenkman Building in
West Bloomfield, it is a special honor
to share this milestone with the place
that has become the
spiritual home for
her family and many
others throughout the
community.
This High Holiday
season, The Shul,
which is run by the
Chabad-Lubavitch
Ariella Stein
movement, invites
families and indi-
viduals of all ages to
commemorate its bar mitzvah, called
"Celebration 13:' the culmination of 13
years of prayer, learning and social expe-
riences for children and adults in a warm
and welcoming setting.
Eileen and Juan Stein, Ariella's parents,
met Rabbi Kasriel and Itty Shemtov,
spiritual leaders of The Shul, when the
family moved to Farmington Hills from
Miami 15 years ago. In her search for
a place to observe the holidays, Eileen
made several calls and was impressed by
the Shemtovs' welcoming manner.
"They didn't ask for money; they just
invited us to join them:' Eileen said.
"They were very friendly, and we had
children the same age — it was a very
organic and easy relationship:"
Along with Ariella, 12, the Steins'
other two children, Hannah, 17, and
Max, 15, attended Hebrew school at
The Shul, where they became student
mentors, while Eileen attended women's
classes taught by Itty Shemtov.
"It's a great community; we've made
awesome friends; Eileen said. "I feel we
were put here on purpose to share this
bar mitzvah. It was beshert [meant to
be]:'
The Shul-Jack & Miriam Shenkman
Building, which stands on the high-
est point of a hill surrounded by for-
est greenery, was made possible by a
donation from the Shenkmans, a West
Bloomfield couple who were acquainted
with the late Lubavitcher Rebbe

Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader
of the worldwide Lubavitch movement.
After 13 years, Jack Shenkman is proud
of the benefits his contribution has
reaped.
"We helped establish a foundation
and an acceptance by the community
for what used to be referred to as a
Shenkman said. "Now, The Shul
has taken in the whole community and
has become an asset to the surrounding
community as well:'
The Shul was designed to incorporate
several features that are not only striking
but also meaningful, including a 9-foot
stainless steel menorah that stands at
the Maple Road entrance. The meno-
rah, which features hand-blown glass
"flames" and programmed LED lights,
was designed by Martin Abel, a retired
manufacturing engineer, inventor,
entrepreneur and longtime Lubavitch
supporter, in honor of the 65th wedding
anniversary of Abel and his wife, Phyllis.
Some of his other projects include
the Holy Ark, the mechitzah (a lace
divider that separates the men from
the women during services), the roll-
ing bimah (podium) used during the
High Holidays, and the hand-blown
glass Ner Tamid (eternal light), which
is suspended above the ark by an
almost invisible wire that makes it
appear to be floating.
In keeping with the Lubavitch tradi-
tion, The Shul is intended to be a place
where all Jews feel welcome and free
to explore their Judaism, regardless of
labels, denominations or affiliation.
"It's a place to develop a sense of com-
munity, to enhance the experience of
being Jewish, to learn and to have fun,"
Rabbi Shemtov said.
For Ariella and her family, The Shul
has more than accomplished its mission.
"I feel special having my bat mitzvah
at the same time as the building where I
had my naming," Ariella said. "The Shul
is really helpful to other people, and I
like helping other people, so I feel really
connected:'
A complete schedule for High Holiday
services and programs for adults, teens
and children can be found on The Shul
website, www.theshul.net, or call (248)
788-4000 for information or reserva-
tions. Services and programs are free
and open to the public.

❑

