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Our Shul Is A Community
Of People - Not A Building
I applaud Debra Darvick's sensitive
response to the "Shul-less" worship-
per ("Dear Debra: Sept. 24, page 44),
whose husband asked her not to attend
her synagogue's High Holiday services
because they were held in a church
building.
Each High Holiday season, with the
warm invitation and cooperation of our
friends at Covenant Baptist Church,
members of B'nai Israel Synagogue in
West Bloomfield transform the church
sanctuary into a lovely and inviting
Jewish prayer space.
The experience for us, now four
years going, has only reinforced our
self-understanding as a shul. We are a
community of people — not a build-
ing. We are a traditional, egalitarian
eyda (community) that is predicated
on relationship-building, both on the
Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe) and dur-
ing the rest of the year when we partner
with Temple Kol Ami in the use of its
beautiful facility.
Our services for Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur are inspiring, led in
prayer and in teaching by members of
the community. We are only sad that
someone like Shul-less could not be
with us. We would love their presence
at the High Holidays and at any of our
Shabbatot, morning and evening min-
yanim, and other functions well before.
And I would be pleased to sit down
and discuss such dilemmas with any
family.
'Cookies N' Dreams'
Aids Kids With Cancer
Friends of Camp Mak-A-Dream,
Michigan Chapter presents its 17th
annual Cookies N' Dreams event — a
cookie contest benefiting the cost-free
camp for children and young adults
touched by cancer.
The event will be 5-7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Somerset
Collection North, Troy.
Area bakers bring their favorite cook-
ies for the fun contest. Guests sample
each treat and vote for the best in a
variety of categories. Food, beverages,
entertainment and activities for all ages
will be provided.
To purchase tickets and for more
information, contact (248) 723-5575 or
visit www.campdreammich.org .
Camp Mak-A-Dream was founded by
Sylvia and the late Harry Granader.
Holocaust Center To Host
Kindertransport Conference
The Holocaust Memorial Center
in Farmington Hills will host the
2015 Kindertransport Association
Conference Oct. 9-11.
Between the years of 1938-39, nearly
10,000 Jewish children were transport-
ed from Nazi-occupied Europe to Great
Britain in what became known as the
"Kindertransport." The HMC is fortu-
nate to count two "Kinder" as some of
its most active supporters.
Kindertransport survivors, their
children and grandchildren are invited
to this inspiring conference as well as
the general public. Attendees will have
opportunities to meet Kindertransport
survivors and their descendants, and
tour the museum and archives, which
include a permanent exhibit of three
Kindertransport Memory quilts com-
memorating the historic rescue and
important Kindertransport artifacts.
The conference begins on Friday, Oct.
9, with dinner and ends Sunday, Oct.
11, after lunch and a closing presenta-
tion. Registration includes two break-
fasts, two lunches, two dinners and a
free shuttle from the hotel to museum.
Register at kindertransport.org/
conference.aspx and special-rate lodg-
ing is available at the Westin Hotel
Southfield Detroit. Contact Rebecca
Steiner at (248) 536-9601 or
ktaconference@gmail.com for addi-
tional information.
Birthright Israel Academic program is
an extended 13-day trip offering up to
three college credits through Tel Aviv
University. Participants will have the
option to select from two highly dynamic
courses in business, entrepreneurship and
international relations.
The second program, Birthright Israel
Focus, is a new pilot program offering
participants a 7-8 day trip during spring
break that will have two tracks. One will
focus on the geopolitical reality of Israel
and will allow participants to speak with
experts on politics, diplomacy, human
rights, Israeli-U.S. relations and the
changing realities of the Arab world. The
second track will focus on life in contem-
porary Israel.
For additional questions on reg-
istration for winter trips, visit www.
Birthrightisrael.com/go.
Early Jewish Connections
To The Local Film Industry
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, Jan Durecki,
archivist of the Rabbi Leo M.
Franklin Archives of Temple Beth El,
will reveal little-known stories of how
Jewish entrepreneurs brought the
movies and more to Detroit audiences
from the turn of the century through
the 1950s.
The lecture, titled "Lights, Camera,
Action — Jewish Connections to
Michigan's Motion Picture and
Commercial Film Industry, 1900-1950;'
is part of the archive's ongoing annual
Jewish History Detectives Series and is
sponsored by Dr. Robert and Joan M.
Jampel and co-sponsored by the Jewish
Historical Society of Michigan.
The 7 p.m. program in the Maas
Chapel of Temple Beth El in Bloomfield
Township is open to the community
without charge. For reservations or
information, call the archives at (248)
865-0628 or send an email to
atfarchiyes@tbeonline.org .
Birthright Offers New
Trip Plans To Israel
Birthright Israel, the organization respon-
sible for sending more than 500,000
young Jewish adults on a free 10-day trip
to Israel to learn about their heritage, has
launched an improved application portal
for its 2015/2016 winter season, To regis-
ter, visit www.Birthrightisrael.com/go.
Birthright Israel also introduced several
new opportunities for participants. The
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SAVE THE DATE
TUESDAY 11.17.15
7:30 PM
Rabbi Mark Robbins
B'nal Israel Synagogue
West Bloomfield
Walk The Haunted Forest
Of Adventure Park
The Adventure Park at West Bloomfield
will once again host its "Haunted Forest"
nights on weekends during October, fea-
turing haunted trails in the forest, trick-
or-treating and a pumpkin hunt. This
family friendly haunt is sure to delight the
kids and give parents ample opportuni-
ties to photograph their children with the
park's friendly Haunted Forest actors.
During the daylight hours, the
Adventure Park forest is typically alive
with people climbing and zip lining from
platform to platform in the treetops.
However, Fridays-Sundays, when the sun
goes down, the climbing activity in the
trees will be accompanied by a haunted
forest on the ground — a frightfully fun
adventure of another kind that kids and
their families won't want to miss.
Admission is $10 per person for the
Haunted Forest Walk. Discounted fam-
ily four packs at $36 are available for
purchase in advance at the Park's Haunt
website page. The discounts are available
online only.
DENNIS MILLER
EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT
A NIGHT OF COMEDY
MAX M. & MARJORIE S. FISHER
MUSIC CENTER
— exclusively for young adults 21-40 —
YOUNG
ADULT PREGLOW
5:30 - 7 PM
laughterlounge
free admission with ticket purchase to Dennis Miller
strolling dinner and cocktails
catered by quality kosher catering
Help enrich lives
and erase barriers for
people with disabilities.
FOR MORE INFO 248.538.6611
www.jarc.org
October 1 • 2015
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