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Anticipation …
A
Joey Weisenberg leads Havdalah for Shabbaton participants.
Rekindling Spirit
Temple Beth El holds Shabbaton
in former building in Detroit.
Rachel Rudman | Special to the Jewish News
O
n Feb. 26-27, Temple Beth
El brought nationally known
musician Joey Weisenberg
to Detroit to lead a soulful and song-
filled Shabbaton. The event took
place at the former home of Temple
Beth El at Woodward and Gladstone
in Detroit, now home of the Bethel
Community Transformation Center
(BCTC).
On Friday evening, nearly 50 adults
gathered for a spiritual Kabbalat
Shabbat service followed by a sustain-
able homemade vegetarian dinner and
an evening singing session. A group
of Shabbaton participants stayed the
night at BCTC and were joined by
more young adults throughout the day
on Saturday for Shabbat morning ser-
vices, Torah study with Rabbi Ariana
Silverman, lunch and zemirot (Shabbat
table singing), and afternoon learning
with Rabbi Mark Miller.
Saturday evening, more than 100
people of all ages gathered for a sing-
ing experience with Weisenberg, fol-
lowed by Havdalah in the sanctuary
— the first Jewish service to take place
in that space in more than 40 years.
Participants of all ages and religious
observances came from both city and
suburbs.
Because Beth El, now in Bloomfield
Township, is the oldest synagogue in
Michigan, many Shabbaton partici-
pants could trace their family’s history
to the Temple. Sitting in the building
that housed TBE from 1922 to 1973,
young adults told powerful stories
of their grandparents and great-
grandparents in Detroit. Participants
explored common connections to the
city and its Jewish roots.
With an eye to the past, Shabbaton-
goers also began to shape a new story
for the future — one of interfaith com-
munity, pluralistic experiences and
love of Detroit.
Justin Wedes, TBE member and
BCTC board member, said, “‘We are
a people in whom the past endures,’
said the famed Rabbi Abraham Joshua
Heschel. Our return to the halls of
Temple Beth El in Detroit is a return
to the rich history of Judaism in the
Motor City. That we return to the
space in partnership with our broth-
ers and sisters of faith from Breakers
Covenant Church — the current stew-
ards of this historic building — echoes
the long tradition of Jewish activism
for social justice and reconciliation
across race, creed and religion.”
Rabbi Miller added, “At Temple
Beth El, we are committed to build-
ing stronger connections both within
our Jewish community and across the
broader Detroit Metro area. The com-
bination of deeply spiritual experienc-
es with a vibrant call to action brings
out the best in us, and I am looking
forward to many more opportunities
like this one.”
BCTC is an interfaith community
center forged in partnership with
Breakers Covenant Church, Temple
Beth El and the larger Metro Detroit
Jewish community. Pastor Aramis
Hinds, the building owner and pas-
tor of Breakers Covenant, reveres the
Jewish heritage in the building and
envisions BCTC as a home for the
interfaith community in Detroit.
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The former Temple Beth El building in
Detroit
28 March 17 • 2016
Rachel Rudman is program director at Temple
Beth El.
nticipation is an instinctive
years ago. So, preemptive ire may be
reaction to an event before
disconnected from anticipated events.
it takes place, based on
Depression is another preemptive
previous experiences. Such feelings
feeling. It happens when you do not
can be positive, such as anticipating
anticipate an outcome correctly, are
seeing friends and family at
surprised by unforeseen con-
a special event. Or it can be
sequences or you suffer a loss
negative, such as having to go
of some kind.
to the doctor or being called
If a child does not perform
into the boss’ or principal’s
up to standards, for example,
office. In either instance,
a parent may anticipate that
anticipation helps us prepare
unfulfilled expectations will
ourselves for any eventuality.
be a recurring problem. Both
When anticipation occurs, we
the child and the parent can
try to preempt — that is, plan Daniel
become depressed preemp-
or predict the best way to
Rosenbaum, tively if either believes that the
respond, rather than wait for Ph.D., LMSW child’s potential is underused.
the event to occur.
If a student does not study
The two basic definitions
sufficiently for a test, he or
of the word “anxious” help us under-
she may preemptively anticipate that
stand the concepts of anticipation and his or her future will be filled with
preemption. One definition of anxious poor grades, or worse, parental disap-
is positive: We are excited or enthusi-
pointment. Yet, if assisted by a par-
astic. The other definition of anxious
ent, the student can learn to preempt
is negative: Here, we are worried or
anticipated failure by developing the
fearful.
study and test-taking skills necessary
When we experience either kind
for success.
of anxiety prior to the actual event,
To calm harmful thoughts or feel-
we form attitudes, beliefs or feelings
ings, one needs to preempt feeling
about what may occur. When we
in a different way. Whether facing
hear about a loved one going to the
depression, anger or anxiety, one can
hospital, for instance, our preemptive
counter debilitating feelings by focus-
tendency is to anticipate the worst,
ing only on what is known. Rejecting
despite hoping that everything will
preemptive assumptions unsupported
turn out well.
by facts or awareness allows you to
Predicting the outcome of any
regain a sense of control over demor-
future event is difficult. Often, we lack alizing concerns.
adequate evidence that can ease our
Similarly, choosing to delay your
uncertainty. If we preemptively choose reaction to preemptive emotions can
feelings that direct us toward an
give you the time to consider a range
encouraging result, we may become
of options and confirm that you have
overconfident. Despite wanting to
anticipated well.
be correct, we must admit that a less
Life, after all, is like a movie or a
acceptable ending can happen.
book; you can’t figure out how the
Psychologists call excessive preemp- story ends unless you have an idea
tive feelings “catastrophizing,” exces-
what the backstory is. Anticipation
sive worry that is difficult to manage
without presuming an outcome will
or minimize. Doing so can be exhaust- lead to better possibilities. Preempt
ing, particularly when our qualms
only when you have some certainty of
drain us of expended emotional
outcome; anticipate when the possibil-
resources. If our fears are proven
ity for success is evident.
inaccurate, we can be overcome with
Finally, after the situation has
joyful feelings. Even then, we cannot
passed, assess why you reacted the
prepare for unexpected happiness.
way you did. Did you anticipate well
The most common preemptive feel- or poorly? This will influence future
ing is anger, which can trigger a cas-
anticipation and limit your inclination
cade of unanticipated reactions, like
to preempt.
frustration and depression. Consider
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum is a clinical social worker
anticipating a confrontation or a
at Counseling Associates Inc. in West Bloomfield,
failure. Preemptive anger builds up
where he counsels children, teens and adults
internally, like a volcano, long before
experiencing family or personal psychological
it erupts externally. Anger can have
problems.
roots in an unrecalled anguish from
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