“Laughs, tears, danger and rewards.” - The New York Observer May 24 - June 17 “Mr. Fierstein’s most engagingly insightful play to date.’’ -The New York Times s pirit t orah portion “Hilarious and Heartbreaking.” -The New York Observer “Plenty of belly laughs.” -Huffington Post Try, Try Again BY 4-TIME TONY™ WINNER HARVEY FIERSTEIN (La Cage aux Folles, Kinky Boots) Nestled in the Catskills in 1962, an inconspicuous resort caters to a special clientele who is given an opportunity to share their secret lives with the world while risking personal ruin. Based on real events, we see what happens to “ordinary people when they’re transformed externally into what they think they are.” -The New York Times 25'(521/,1($7MHWWKHDWUHRUJ RUFDOOWKHER[RƯFHDW :HVW%ORRPƬHOGoV3URIHVVLRQDO(TXLW\7KHDWUH JET productions run in the JET THEATRE Aaron DeRoy Theatre 6600 WEST MAPLE RD. at Maple and Drake Roads WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48322 LQ:HVW%ORRPƬHOG Rest aurant GUIDE Ad deadline is July 12, 2018 Issue date July 19, 2018 Follow us online Detroit Jewish News Go to thejewishnews.com and click “Subscribe” @JewishNewsDet @detroitjewishnews 32 June 7 • 2018 NOW YOU CAN MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION ONLINE! jn I n this week’s Torah portion, 12 spies are sent to check out the land God promised the Israelites. Among them is Joshua, Moses’ per- sonal assistant, chosen from the tribe of Ephraim. It was Joshua’s first big solo assign- ment, his first shot at real leadership. He must have been excited. How the end of his life, it is Joshua whom then must he have felt when the people accept as his suc- he flopped? cessor. The Joshua whom Of course, we know that the people ignored years things don’t end well. When earlier becomes the unani- the spies come back, 10 mous choice. of the 12 advise not to go And he is good! He learns forward. Caleb, the only from experience. In the spy who shares Joshua’s haftarah that goes with view, speaks up and tries this week’s portion, we Rabbi Brent Gutmann to dissuade them. Only get a glimpse. In a second after Caleb’s failure do we story of spies, this time sent hear Joshua’s voice, and by to Jericho as Joshua now that time it all seems way leads the Israelites into the too late. Most of the people promised land, it is not a around them have already been dis- delegate committee. Instead, Joshua suaded and the cause is lost. A gen- handpicks two representatives to be eration is fated to die in the wilder- sure not to get the same result as a ness. Joshua had failed. generation before. Many people in this kind of situa- We get these two stories together tion would find the easiest and most this week, both involving Joshua, perhaps to remind us of something attractive choice open at this point we all know from experience. We to be early retirement. Joshua has don’t always get great success with had a great run as assistant at the our first try. One of the most impor- top level, a try at local politics, a tant qualifications for long-term suc- chance to serve in what could argu- cess is the ability to deal with short- ably be seen as the most important mission of the generation and a total term frustration. Very likely there will be temptations to give it all up failure. and try something else. But history Many leaders throughout history is filled with examples of people who have surely started their careers in didn’t give up and ultimately became a manner something like this and truly great and gifted leaders. ended their careers like this as well. In a way, throughout life the pat- Truthfully, I have known more than tern is the same. Some people face a few rabbis, and more than a few terrible reverses and devastating volunteers in various Jewish com- losses — loss of job and income and munities, who have been in similar housing and support system and situations. Lots of people have good sometimes more. We understand qualifications, good training, some why some people find that crush- terrific experience, enthusiasm for ing. But there are also stories, many the cause; and then they are given of them, about people who face the their first taste of real community losses, keep trying, allow others to service and quickly call it quits. help, learn from experience, keep But some people stick with it. Joshua stuck with it. In his first effort plugging away and eventually make it successfully. • on his own he bombs. But that first effort is hardly his last. He will yet Brent Gutmann is a rabbi at Temple Kol Ami in appear in many more of our Bible stories. And when Moses approaches West Bloomfield. Parshat Shelach Lecha: Numbers 13:1-15:41; Joshua 2:1-24.