they weren’t really gone, and that
their essence gave me a sense of
comfort on a certain level,” he said.
“I was positive after that day that
there is a spiritual world. It was
almost an embarrassment that it
had taken me so long to realize that
I was overthinking things and not
embracing the traditional things
around me.”
Back in Michigan, a friend
invited Hertz to a Partners in Torah
Learning Night, an experience he
initially found baffling.
“That lesson was on why it is not
OK to eat a bat. I said, ‘I don’t even
want to eat a bat, how is this help-
ful to my spiritual development?’ I
didn’t understand the entire world-
view of my entire heritage.”
He then met Rabbi Chanoch
Hadar of the Woodward Avenue
Shul. “He has more of an interest in
mysticism. He invited me to Tanya
class, and the book had a big effect
on me. I started developing my own
desire to do mitzvahs,” Hertz said.
As his spiritual quest contin-
ued, Hertz went through a painful
divorce. He surprised himself, he
said, by embracing the Orthodox
life.
“At the time I reinvented myself,
I never really imagined I could
become someone who puts all
these barriers around my life.
It’s still hard,” he said. “Keeping
kosher, there are only three or four
places I can take people for a lunch
meeting, and I am off the map on
Shabbat. When you have lived your
life as a secular person, that is a big
life change.”
Hertz met his wife, Katharina,
while she herself was delving deep-
er into Judaism. Her faith helped
reaffirm his own path.
“She took the lead in saying,
‘Yeah, we can do this stuff.’ Seeing
her take to it so naturally made me
feel inspired and we fed off of each
other,” Hertz said. “By the time we
got married [in 2015], it was very
clear how were going to live our
lives.”
They live in Huntington
Woods, are active members of
the Woodward Avenue Shul and
are regulars at Chabad of Greater
Detroit events. They use their
Orthodox names of Yehudah and
Batyah in their private lives.
Batyah is also a social worker;
the couple finds solace from their
sometimes-painful work in art,
singing and playing music.
“I don’t think she and I would be
able to cope with it in a healthy way
without our faith, observance and
community,” Hertz said. “Shabbat
is the cure-all — the ultimate
recharger. Since I have been shomer
Shabbat [Shabbat-observant], I am
far more capable of emotionally
coping. To help people, I need to be
healthy, capable and sharp, not sit-
ting in the corner weeping.”
Hertz considers himself still
very much on a journey and wel-
comes talking with those struggling
with their faith. “Anyone looking
for a way to connect back, like I
was seven or eight years ago, can
come for a Shabbat dinner any-
time,” he said. “Reach out to me on
Facebook.” (Facebook.com/
yehudahleyb.)
PITCHING IN
Several local synagogues, includ-
ing Beth Shalom, Temple Israel and
Shir Tikvah, have partnered with
SOS to shelter homeless clients for
a week.
“I love the way congregants from
all ages come together to help
make sure our guests from SOS feel
comfortable and welcome,” said
Rabbi Rachel Shere of Adat Shalom
Synagogue in
Farmington Hills,
which hosts each
year. “Ryan cares
deeply about the
people SOS serves
and the greater
societal prob-
lems that lead
Rabbi Rachel to poverty and
Shere homelessness in
the first place. He
does an outstanding job connecting
with people and bringing diverse
populations together in the service
of good.”
Sallyjo Levine of West Bloomfield
helped coordinate SOS at
Congregation Kol Ami for several
years and pitched the idea to Shir
Shalom when she joined last year.
Everyone embraced the experience,
she said.
“We had 220 people, including
3-year-olds, teenagers and everyone
in between, helping our 29 or 30
guests — everything from baking,
schlepping, organizing and doing,”
Levine said. “It’s an incredible
experience. It’s really important to
reach out to the community. Yes, we
are Jews, but we take care of every-
body.”
Though his faith brings comfort,
looking life’s sorrows squarely in
the eye day after day can take a toll,
Hertz admitted.
“I get angry at God, maybe more
often than not. I think it’s inhu-
mane not to be angry when the
world has so much pain,” he said.
“I also recognize,” he added, “that
I don’t have the playbook.” •
Ruth Tobin 10-10-2010
Harold Tobin 5-2-2016
Not a day goes by that we don't think about you!
We cherish all our wonderful memories.
Your loving children,
grandchildren and great grandchildren.
National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section
Presents
“What Am I Doing Here?”
An entertaining look at aging, directed by author Judi Schram
based on her book “Lights Out In the Attic”
Purchase a
mess
to honor age
a cast mem
$18 per m ber!
essage
for the
Playbook
Thursday, June 8th
7:30 p.m.
Temple Shir Shalom
3999 Walnut Lake Rd.
West Bloomfield
rom:
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Break a le !
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A star is b
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Cast: Joan Brode, Heléne Cherrin, Susan Gertner, Terry Hollander,
Susie Jacob, Marilyn Kohen, Robin Lash, Mollene Levin, Marian Littman,
Susan Marwil, Sandi Matz, Janet Moses, Barbara Rosenthal,
Sharon Schmidt, Sue Simon, Ellie Slovis, Diane Urquhart, and Dottie Wagner.
Proceeds support National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section’s community
services, benefiting women, children, and families in need, for over 125 years.
For tickets and to order a message, please visit www.NCJWGDS.org or call (248) 355-3300 ext. 0
Tickets: $36 General Admission, $75 Priority Seating. Order message by 5/24
2179910
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May 18 • 2017
15