spirit
Small Shul
torah portion
Big Horizons
Debunking Jewish Stereotypes
with Professor Howard Lupovitch
Bettering Ourselves
T
here is a joke of the U.S. Navy
a child of God, he was incorrect in
once challenging Canada as
taking on the lighthouse, namely
follows:
U.S. Ship: Please divert your
course 0.5 degrees to the south to
avoid a collision.
CND reply: Recommend you divert
your course 15 degrees to the south
to avoid a collision.
U.S. Ship: This is the captain of a U.S.
Navy ship. I say again, divert your
course.
CND reply: No. I say again, you
divert YOUR course!
U.S. Ship: THIS IS THE
AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS
Moshe.
CORAL SEA. WE ARE A
This, to me, is what the
LARGE WARSHIP OF THE
Torah is coming to teach us.
U.S. NAVY. DIVERT YOUR
No matter how little or how
COURSE NOW!
much we do, it does not
CND reply: This is a light-
change how close we are
house. Your call.
with God and how much He
Korach is the story of
loves us. Some of us will end
Rabbi Yarden
how one person challenged
up being leaders of differ-
Blumstein
Moshe and asked, “Why are
ent sorts; others will end up
you so much more special
on creative projects and yet
than I that you get to be the
others will find their niche
leader and I can’t? Are you
in other things entirely.
better than I am?”
Those positions do NOT define
At face value, the challenge seems
our character, our morals and our
to have merit; are we not all the chil- spirituality. We each have our own
dren of God? Why is one termed the courses we are meant to take, and
leader? Yet, it is this very challenge I
flexing our muscles and accomplish-
believe plagues our teens today.
ments to those around us does not
Our youth believe they need to
change the voyage we need to travel.
reach the top to attain completion.
Just as Korach was wrong for
From GPA pressures to ACT scor-
fighting for a position that wasn’t
ing to college application builders,
his in the hopes of finding an inner
young people have this concept that fulfillment and deeper connection
acceptance to a more prestigious
to his spirituality, so, too, we need
college earlier on will make them
to teach our children not to allow
better.
external things to define their inner
(I am not sure why people think if
emotional state of being.
they can just be better than some-
We need to remind them we love
one else then they can be better
them unconditionally and that they
themselves; why does someone else
truly matter. That trying their hard-
have to be less than and lacking
est and being true to their morals
in order for us to be complete and
are what matter most, not that they
happy?)
are some product of a generalized
This strongly reminds me of the
standardized test. •
above parable. While we build up
Yarden Blumstein is the spiritual director at the
our youth and turn them into war-
Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House in West
ships of great magnitude, let’s make
Bloomfield, an organization focused on
sure we aren’t having them take
building a community of people helping those
on lighthouses. While Korach was
affected by isolation and other life crises,
correct in his statements of being
such as addiction.
Parshat Korach:
Numbers 16:1-18:32;
(Shabbat Rosh
Chodesh) Isaiah
66:1-24.
Where did people get all these
wrong ideas about us?
In this series, we’ll deconstruct
religious, cultural, and political
stereotypes about Jews.
Wednesday nights beginning at 7:30 p.m.
June 28 - Did Jews Kill Jesus?
July 5 - Horns and the Blood Libel
July 12 - Shylock: The Jewish Affinity for Business
July 19 - All Jews Are Communists/ All Communists Are Jews
July 26 - The Jewish Mother
August 2 - Jews and the Media
$15 per session or $75 for the series.
No charge for Beth Ahm members.
Advanced registration to 248-851-6880 or ablau@cbahm.org is requested.
Congregation Beth Ahm
co-sponsored by:
Big enough to enrich you. Small enough to know you.
>LZ[4HWSL>LZ[)SVVTÄLSK40
www.cbahm.org
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jn
June 22 • 2017
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