Rosh Hashanah Metro Detroit's Best Kept Secret Steven E. Stein, M.D. With 25 years of experience Dr. Stein has performed over 1000 face and neck lift procedures, along with blepharoplasties (eyelid surgery) and fat grafting. Because of his vast knowledge, Dr. Stein is the only plastic surgeon you should be choosing for your facial cosmetic surgery. ah T ova ! Brandon Klein leads a meditation class. 'S L Enjoy wine, appetizers and discounted pricing on select services and products. Please RSVP 248.643.7710. han Join us at our Open House on Thursday, October 26th – 4:00pm to 7:00pm Somerset Center for Plastic Surgery Steven E. Stein, M.D. 1579 W. Big Beaver Rd. Suite B-7, Troy, Michigan 48084 ‡ZZZVWHYHQVWHLQPGFRP Franklin Cider Mill “A FAMILY TRADITION” NOW OPEN! 248-626-8261 14 Mile Rd. and Franklin Rd. HOURS: Open Daily 7am-6:30pm Weekends 8am-6:30pm Thanksgiving Day 8am-4pm Last Day of Season, Sunday, November 25th Wishing our Friends a Happy and Healthy New Year Make us your stop for the Jewish Holidays. A full assortment of Dakota Breads and our Franklin Homemade Apple Pies. 26 September 6 • 2018 jn Jewish Paths Meditation is a way to connect with yourself, others this season. STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER A pproaching the High Holiday season, most would not think to bring any meditation or mindfulness skills they learned on a yoga mat or a meditation workshop along to High Holiday services. But Brandon Klein, who left a doc- toral program in psychology at Hofstra University and, in 2016, moved back to Michigan to start his own meditation coaching business, thinks meditation is just the thing Jews need at the start of a new year. In fact, meditation in Judaism dates back to the practices of the Chasidic masters who often sat silently with their thoughts and intentions before praying formally. At press time, Klein will be offer- ing several High Holiday meditation workshops at area congregations such as Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield and Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, and at Tashlich on the first day of Rosh Hashanah with The Well at the Franklin Cider Mill. Within each session, and with the help of congregation rabbis, Klein hopes to weave the liturgy and the themes of the High Holiday season — return, repentance, introspection and forgiveness — into a meditative practice that congregants can use not only during the high holidays but also throughout the new year. “Meditation can and should be a Jewish practice even though most associate it with more Eastern reli- gions,” said Rabbi Mark Miller of Temple Beth El, where Klein was to lead a workshop prior to Selichot ser- vices Sept. 1. “At Selichot services, thinking inwardly and being mindful are actu- ally what we are supposed to be doing. Meditating right before will create a natural connection to the mood of the season and help us think deeply and contemplate: ‘Am I ready for the High Holidays on a spiritual level?’ With so many practicing these techniques out- side a Jewish setting, bringing it into a Jewish framework is relevant and relatable to many,” Miller said. Klein’s meditation session the after- noon of Yom Kippur at Shir Shalom will focus on fasting and include visu- alization exercises about forgiveness. “With a rabbi by my side serving as a facilitator into the meaning of the liturgy, these supplemental workshops on the High Holidays will help people regain the intent of contemplation and focus during services, something that has been lost in Jewish services over time,” Klein said. Growing up at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, Klein said that conventional Jewish prayer “didn’t do it” for him and says he knows many others feel the same. He takes this into consideration as he begins his new position as program and partnerships coordinator with The Well. Nowhe says he sees attending ser- vices as a way for him “to be well” and to connect to other Jews. He has also incorporated Jewish rituals and con- cepts, such as unplugging on Shabbat and putting on tefillin in the morning, into his own meditative practices. “I have found that these things are small ways for me to stay on Judaism’s path,” Klein said. “As my work begins to become more specialized around the Jewish community, I hope to con- tinue to work in creating new ways for others to gain footing on their own Jewish paths, starting with the High Holidays and moving forward throughout the year.” •