30 | APRIL 6 • 2023 

T

he Passover seder is 
often celebrated with 
family and friends 
and, unlike other holidays, it 
is commonly done in individ-
ual homes. Being outside of 
the synagogue, it impacts the 
communal feeling of a holiday 
that celebrates the freedom of 
our people. For this reason, 
Congregation Beth Ahm in 
West Bloomfield found a way 
to bring the synagogue to the 
seders of its members.
The congregation organized 
an initiative to give a bottle of 
wine to all of its congregants. 
As David Stryk, 
president of the 
congregation 
stated, “While 
your Beth Ahm 
family may not 
be at your seder, 
we want to help 
you celebrate the four cups of 
wine by providing our mem-
bers with a bottle of wine.
”
Giving a bottle of wine for 
seder is a continuation of an 
initiative that 
began during 
the COVID 
pandemic. 
“COVID 
had a signif-
icant impact 
on the feeling 
of community 
at Beth Ahm,
” Rabbi Steven 
Rubenstein said. “The syna-
gogue was closed, activities 
were canceled or shifted to 
online, and relationships 
among our members were 
weakened. We did a number of 
things to keep our community 
strong, including giving holi-
day gifts to members.
” 
In place of the synagogue’s 
signature Chanukah party, 
fried chicken and latkes were 
given for family celebrations 
at home. A mishloach manot 
initiative was conducted on 

Purim. Honey has been mailed 
to every member’s home for 
Rosh Hashanah.
“While the gifts helped with 
in-home holiday celebrations, 
more importantly, they became 
symbols of how much each 
person is valued at Beth Ahm,
” 
Stryk said. “The response from 
our synagogue family has been 
amazing. I continually get 
feedback from our members 
expressing their appreciation 
not just for the gift but for the 
relationship the synagogue is 
creating with them.
”
For this reason, 
Congregation Beth Ahm 
continues to prioritize rela-
tionships and community 

building in its everyday activ-
ities. Spring’s arrival means 
the return of outside Kabbalat 
Shabbat followed by an oneg 
(light dinner). This popular 
way to start Shabbat, with 
spirituality and social time, 
allows members and guests to 
strengthen their relationship 
with God and each other. 
Travel experiences, kid-
dush club and Shabbat lunch, 
in-person daily minyan, and 
meaningful programming for 
tots through seniors all enrich 
Beth Ahm members and 
guests. This spirit is captured 
in the Beth Ahm philosophy 
— Big enough to enrich you. 
Small enough to know you. 

Passover Wine

OUR COMMUNITY

Congregation Beth Ahm ‘brings 
the synagogue to the seder.’

DAVID GOODMAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Faye Wolf and Ruth 
Kwaselow receive a bottle 
of wine from David Stryk.

Rabbi Steven 
Rubenstein

David Stryk 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Jewish Family 
Service Receives 
Grant 

Jewish Family Service is 
honored to have received 
a generous grant from The 
Ravitz Foundation to support 
the agency in providing 
emergency financial assistance 
to community members in 
need. 
Through the agency’s 
Family Support Services, low-
income families can receive 
emergency financial assistance 
and ongoing case management 
to help them reach their goals 
of meeting their basic needs 
and becoming self-sufficient. 
“By providing a family with 
the support of a social worker, 
JFS is often able to prevent 
an individual or family from 
decreasing stability and 
moving into deeper poverty 
or crisis,” says Dini Peterson, 
chief program officer, Family 
& Community Services.
 “Clients can receive 
assistance with eviction and 
foreclosure prevention, home 
or car repairs, increased access 
to food and utility payments. 
Often when one of these issues 
is not resolved in a timely 
manner, a family’s crisis can 
spiral into additional financial 
needs, making it more difficult 
for families to recover.”
The long-term goal is to 
help low-income families 
develop an enhanced ability 
to take care of their household 
needs, have access to resources 
that improve their situation, 
and to have increased 
wellbeing and a positive 
outlook on life.
“We are so appreciative 
of The Ravitz Foundation,” 
Peterson says. “Their 
support allows us to 
continue strengthening our 
community.” 

