JANUARY 20 • 2022 | 19

A

mong many programs
the Woodward Avenue
Shul is offering this
winter is the “Soup and Study”
program, an
opportunity to
participate in a
weekly discussion
analyzing a larger
Jewish topic that
connects with the
weekly Torah por-
tion, accompanied
with a warm, hearty soup.
There have been three ses-
sions so far, the first on the
topic of trust and faith in God
and the next two on freedom of
choice and determinism.

The program can
be enjoyed in person
or virtually, with a
Zoom link available
upon request. The in-person
program takes place at 7 p.m.
Wednesdays at the shul.
For the Woodward Avenue
Shul, which Rabbi Mendel
Polter calls a warm, welcoming,
family-oriented “small-town
shul,
” the COVID-19 pandemic
has caused havoc in terms of
community engagement.
“We continued to have
in-person services. We fol-
low the Orthodox version of
Judaism and don’t have the
option of virtual services on

Shabbat or
the holidays,
but we are
trying our
best to engage
people who
don’t come on
Shabbat or hol-
idays, and also
offer an option
that will work
for everyone at different times
of the week,
” Polter said.
He says the goal for the pro-
gram’s length was at least for the
duration of the Book of Exodus,
taking it week-by-week to see
how it goes and, if it kicked off,
it would continue and, if not,
that would be fine.
“Every Torah portion has
something we can sort of delve
into on the Jewish perspective
of things,
” he said.
Polter says the attendees are
really enjoying it so far, even

spreading the word to others
they know.
“It’s engaging. We talk to each
other, and whoever attends in
person can talk to people on the
Zoom,
” Polter said. “
Any oppor-
tunity to create community
engagement, even if it’s virtual,
is, in my opinion, very import-
ant, healing and comforting. It
adds meaning and purpose to
the Jewish people, and really to
anyone’s life.
“The Yiddish word would be
‘hamish,
’” he said. “
A hamish
atmosphere, people feel com-
fortable and everyone’s enjoying
themselves whether at home or
in person. It’s very light, but also
touching on deeper subjects.
”
Interested in participating
virtually? Email office@thewas.
net for the Zoom link.
For other programs at the
Woodward Avenue Shul, visit
https://thewas.net.

Rabbi
Mendel
Polter

Woodward Avenue Shul of
ers study
program in person or on Zoom.
‘Soup and Study’

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

T

he Donald R. and
Esther Simon
Foundation has award-
ed a grant to the Society for
Humanistic Judaism (SHJ) to
expand its Jews for a Secular
Democracy social justice ini-
tiative by piloting a state-spe-
cific program in Michigan.
The goal is to build a plu-
ralistic network of partners
in the state across Jewish
communal institutions and
denominations to bring a
Jewish perspective to educa-
tion and advocacy defending
the separation of church and
state.
SHJ Executive Director
Paul Golin explains, “The

results of this grant will be
a Jewish community more
aware of how social-justice
issues of great concern to
Jews, such as reproductive
rights and LGBTQ+ equality,
tie into First Amendment
religious freedom; a greater
understanding of how to
advocate for positive change
on these issues; and a work-
ing coalition to learn togeth-
er and foster that positive
change through shared Jewish
values.”
The grant provides the
opportunity to create a state-
based model and “learning
lab” for the Jews for a Secular
Democracy initiative nation-

ally as it seeks to then expand
into other states.
Sarah Levin, program
coordinator for the initiative,
adds, “There are, unfortu-
nately, church-state separa-
tion issues in every state that
should be of concern for Jews,
as a religious minority. We
have an obligation to share
our diverse perspectives and
historical experiences to help
more grassroots activists edu-
cate decisionmakers to not
favor one religion’s approach
over others or none.”

Society for Humanistic Judaism

(www.shj.org) is the central body for

the Humanistic Jewish movement in

North America. Founded by Rabbi

Sherwin Wine and volunteers in

suburban Detroit in the mid-1960s,

Humanistic Judaism combines the

Jewish values of loving-kindness

(gemilut chassadim), charity (tze-

dakah), and making the world a

better place (tikkun olam), with the

recognition that the responsibility for

putting those ideals into practice lies

in human hands. It is a nontheistic

movement in which cultural Jews and

their families can affirm, celebrate

and enrich their Jewish identity and

values.

Society For Humanistic Judaism receives
grant from the Simon Foundation to
launch Michigan programming.

Grant for ‘Freedom
of Religion’ Initiative

JN STAFF