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

