metro » Theory continued from page 13 Brett Mountain “My calling is to help others along their Jewish journey.” West Bloomfield 248-851-1260 Thursday & Friday, 10am-6pm I Saturday, 10am-5:30pm I Sunday, 12-4pm Hidden Treasure Discovered in Oakland County 2068370 Shalom Kantor, Congregation B’nai Moshe Hometowns: Oakland, Calif., and Sun Valley, Idaho Ordained: Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, American Jewish University, Los Angeles, 2007 Residence: Farmington Hills Married to Shana Kantor; children Rena, 9, Noam, 7, Ari, 2 John Hardwick Theory invites you to an exclusive trunk show featuring the Fall/Winter 2016 women’s collection Thursday, September 15 through Sunday, September 18 Elegant estate jewelry and beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces can be yours for less than you would imagine & R Estate and Fine Jewelry R Since 1956 at David Wachler & Sons 112 South Old Woodward Ave, Birmingham, MI 248.385.0100 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10am-5:30pm Thursday, 10am-7:30pm Saturday, 10am-5pm Closed Sunday and Monday 14 September 8 • 2016 Ariana Silverman, Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue Hometown: Chicago Ordained: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 2010 Residence: Detroit Married to Justin Long; children Rebecca, 2, and August, born in July On becoming a rabbi: “My path toward the rabbinate started in my college years at Willamette, where I founded the first Jewish Student Union on campus. In Salem, Ore., I became involved with the local synagogue and, through that process, I got a great piece of advice from the rabbi there: ‘Go work a secular job, but live an observant life before becoming a rabbi. Then see if you want to be a rabbi or just a knowledgeable, observant Jew.’ “So I took his advice, moved to Jerusalem and got a job as a wine stew- ard at the King David Hotel. Working at the hotel, I found myself reaching out to guests, inviting them to my house for Shabbos dinners, building a community — and it was in that way that I realized my calling was to help others along their Jewish journey.” On coming to Detroit: “The profes- sional and volunteer leaders of the com- munity are genuinely dedicated to helping one another and working together to advance Jewish living into the next gen- eration.” On becoming a rabbi: “I was 16 when my rabbi told me I should be a rabbi. I thought he was joking. And as far as I knew, only men with gray beards could be rabbis. “At Harvard, I was involved with Hillel and, though I loved Jewish studies, I also felt there we so many other things to do. After graduation, I moved to D.C., where I worked for the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, focusing on their environmental portfolio. “A year later, I took a job with the Sierra Club, and it was there I realized why I cared so much about environmentalism: I believe deeply that the world is sacred and holy; how we use the resources of our planet is not just a matter of policy, it’s a matter of ethics. Suddenly, it became clear: If that’s how I framed the world, I belonged in rabbinical school. On coming to Detroit: “The synagogue is home to a very diverse membership, and while it is impossible to make every- one happy all of the time, to enrich the Jewish lives of most of our members, most of the time, will be my sacred challenge and responsibility.” “Becoming a rabbi is one of the decisions in life I will never regret.”