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Founders of Thread:
Jennifer Haber Fishkind
of Bloomfield Hills,
Sherrie Oppenheim
Singer and Amy
Koenigsberg
Shefman, both
of West Bloomfield.
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Lakes Area Auto Experts
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New women’s group plans
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18
July 14 • 2016
Stacy Gittleman | Contributing Writer
F
rom plans to welcome an Israeli
guest speaker who champions
women’s rights to an upcom-
ing weekend getaway to discover the
roots of the American Reform move-
ment, Thread, a newly formed and
independent group for Jewish women
ages 30-55, is weaving its way into all
denominations of the greater Jewish
community in Metro Detroit.
Thread’s founders are Sherrie Singer
and Amy Koenigsberg Shefman, both of
West Bloomfield, and Jennifer Fishkind
of Bloomfield Hills — three women
who knew each other peripherally over
the years but truly bonded when they
enrolled together in the Florence Melton
School of Adult Jewish Learning through
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit.
For an hour or so each Monday morn-
ing, they became embroiled in discus-
sion about Jewish traditions and view-
points that may have just been skimmed
over in their Hebrew school days.
“Many women like us attended
Hebrew school as kids but since then
have not been involved in Jewish learn-
ing,” Singer said. “Now, as our children
are getting a bit older [pre- and post-bar
mitzvah age], we want to model for them
and show them that learning and prac-
ticing Judaism is something you can do
your entire life.”
The Thread founders know time
constraints make it difficult for many
women to commit to full Melton course-
work. That is why they want to offer
“Melton-style” programs to bring togeth-
er women to introduce — or reintroduce
— them to the notion of lifelong Jewish
learning, Singer explained.
Thread has several events planned for
the summer and fall, including a Sept.
16-18 weekend getaway to explore the
Jewish historical roots of Cincinnati,
Ohio, the birthplace of American Reform
Judaism. The trip, which will feature
historical tours of the city’s old Jewish
neighborhoods, is modeled after the one
organized for Temple Israel’s post-b’nai
mitzvah students — with a little grown-
up shopping and dining on the side. For
more information and to register, go to
www.threadcommunity.org.
On Dec. 8, Thread will host an eve-
ning discussion with Anat Hoffman,
executive director of the Israel Religious
Action Center, to discuss her struggle for
egalitarian Judaism in Jerusalem, namely
her work with Women of the Wall as well
as her concepts of tikkun olam.
The group also plans to host other
informal lectures and cooking classes
corresponding with Jewish holidays.
Though the founders are members of
Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, they
stress that Thread is an organization
independent of TI or any other current
Jewish affiliation in town. It is designed
to inspire and connect Jewish women
to Jewish educational opportunities for
themselves and, in turn, for their fami-
lies, Singer said.
It seems they are in good company.
With dozens of women in the area
expressing interest either online, through
social media or in informal parlor meet-
ings the women hosted, the fledgling
organization started just this spring
is taking off. The women have also
reached out to their friends in cities
like New York and Chicago, who also
expressed the need for a Jewish edu-
cational outreach group to hit this age
demographic.
“When you inspire the mom, you
inspire the family,” Shefman said of her
Jewish learning experiences as an adult.
“Usually, it is the parent who asks the
child what they are learning in Hebrew
school. When I was taking Melton
classes, my son would ask me what I was
learning in Hebrew school. I would tell
him, and he would actually listen with
great interest. Our kids realize we are
learning Jewishly not because we have to,
but because we want to.”
*