>> Torah portion
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 7:00 p.m.
• • •
DOCUMENTARY FILM & DISCU SS ION
Family
First!
Parshat Ha'azinu: Deuteronomy
32:1- 32:52; 11 Samuel 22:1-22:51.
T
he Lord remembered Sarah
and transmitting our national narrative,
as he had promised ... Sarah
values and lifestyle to our children and
conceived and bore a son ..."
grandchildren.
(Genesis 21:1, 2).
From this perspective, since the road
Rosh Hashanah always portends new
to new beginnings must be paved by acts
beginnings and fresh opportunities:
of repentance — Rosh Hashanah ush-
"This day the world was born:' or at least ers in our 10 Days of Repentance — we
the world beckons with possibilities of
must concentrate our repentance and
rebirth and renewal.
our resolutions for change upon our
Hence, I would have thought that
sins against family, spouse and children,
Rosh Hashanah, the day on which we
rather than our sins against God.
"enthrone" God as Lord of the Universe
Permit me two stories:
— and not Shemini Atzeret-Simchat
1. The Talmud provocatively sug-
Torah — would be the festival on which
gests that the numerous sounds of the
we should begin the new Torah reading
shofar that are a call to repentance are
cycle of the year, the most apt occasion
meant to confound Satan. Who is Satan?
for reopening our Book of Books with
Another passage of the Talmud explains:
"In the beginning God created the heav-
"A certain couple lived in one dwelling
ens and the earth:'
together with Satan; every
So why have our Talmudic
Friday night they would
sages ordained that we read
argue with each other. Rabbi
of Isaac's birth and sacrificial
Meir entered the household
binding on the two days of
and lived there for three
Rosh Hashanah?
consecutive Friday evenings
However, on second
until he made peace between
thought, I truly believe I
them.
understand the deep wisdom
"He heard Satan cry out,
of our sages.
`Woe unto me; I have been
Yes, Rosh Hashanah is
forced out of the house
Rabbi Shlomo
probably the most universally
because of Rabbi Meir ...-
Riskin
oriented of all of our festivals,
Satan is family discord.
and yes, the Jews of Israel
2. When I was a young
have certainly returned to the global
rabbi in Manhattan with a growing fam-
family of nation-states after a hiatus of
ily, I got into a cab. During my conversa-
close to 2,000 years, taking center stage
tion with the driver, he told me he had
on the world arena. Nevertheless, the
been married to the same woman for
"world" that initially and most compel-
35 years, had four professional children
lingly consumes most of our day-to-day
and had never been schooled beyond the
thoughts and activities is the more per-
eighth grade.
sonal world of our individual families.
"To what do you owe your incredible
And perhaps on an even deeper level,
success?" I asked.
the building blocks of every national
He explained, As long as the chil-
society are the individual families within dren lived in the house, all of us had to
the country's borders; the nation of Israel be around the dinner table at 7 p.m.,
emerged from the family of Abraham!
without radio, television or newspaper.
Moreover, it is the family that is the
Everyone had to tell the best moment
necessary medium of communicating a
of the day and the worst moment of the
specific national narrative from genera-
day.
tion to generation.
"That's how I brought the family
God elected Abraham as the first
together and was able to give over how
Hebrew because he was commanding
important I think education is."
his children and his household after him
I burst into tears; that taxi driver who
to observe [be responsible for] the path
never went past elementary school was
of the Lord, to do acts of compassionate
much wiser than I. ❑
righteousness and moral justice. Indeed,
Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Ohr Torah
virtually all of our familial feasts and
Stone and chief rabbi of Efrat,
celebrations are dedicated to nurturing
Rescue in the Philippines
R n
escue in the Philippines
tells the previously
untold story of 1,200
Jews who escaped the
Nazis to the Philippines.
After the film, join
us for a special Q&A
discussion.
At this event, guests may
preview a panel which
will honor the coordinators of the rescue and will be installed as part of the
HMC's permanent exhibit.
Refugees Attend Dinner at the Frieder Home – ApriI30, 1940
■ LOCATION: The Berman Center for the Performing Arts
■ ADMISSION: $10 HMC member/$15 nonmember
■ TICKETS: Call 248.661.1900 or visit http://theberman.org
WITH SUPPORT FROM
VOICE
FOUNDATION
VISION
Susan & Nelson Hersh • Michael Liebowitz
Stephanie & Jared Miller • Aviva & Jack Robinson
Anita & Kenneth Volk • Lori & Steven Weisberg
Anti-Defamation League'
StandVVIthUs
MICHIGAN
Questions on events?
Call Lawrence Willim at 248.536.9604
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS
28123 Orchard Lake Rd. • Farmington Hills, MI 48334 www.holocaustcenter.org
DR. JASON H. BODZIN ,"T AND RENEE ZUCKER
SAVE THE DATE!
Sunday, November 8
at 7 pm.
Followed by an
afterglow reception
Open to the Community
A NIGHT OF BEAUTIFUL MUSIC
FEATURING
Cantor Earl G. Berris, Congregation B'nai Moshe
Charles Berris, Ritual Director - Congregation B'nai Moshe
Cantor David Propis, Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Assistant Cantor Leonard Gutman, Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Cantor Frank Lanzkron-Tamarazo
Cantor Pamela Schiffer, Congregation Shaarey Zedek, East Lansing
Cantor Penny Steyer, Congregation Shir Shalom
Cantor Dan Gross, Adat Shalom Synagogue
The Congregation B'nai Moshe Choir
The Cliff Monear Quartet, Cliff Monear, Pianist
will be performing and accompanying the singers.
Cliff
Monear
Frank
Lanzkron-
Tamarazo
B'NAI
12
MOSHE
)
11V13
Dan
Gross
Pamela
Schiffer
Earl G.
Berris
Penny
Steyer
Charles
Berris
6800 Drake R
West Bloomfield, 1Mi, 4
248-788-0600 • Bnaimoshe.org
FREE ADMISSION f
Leonard
Gutman
David
Propos
DETROIT
JEWISH NEWS
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September 24 • 2015
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