22 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J
N
A
s Israel responds to
the brutal attack by
Hamas and engages in
ongoing war, local rabbis and
cantors are working around
the clock to help the Jewish
community navigate the grief,
pain and antisemitism of our
day, and to emerge resilient
and ready to respond.
To keep spiritually and
intellectually prepared for
this moment, members of the
Michigan Board of Rabbis and
the Michigan Board of Cantors
gathered last month at the
Max M. Fisher Building of the
Jewish Federation of Detroit
for a special learning opportu-
nity with the Shalom Hartman
Institute of North America.
The Shalom Hartman
Institute is a leading center
of Jewish thought and edu-
cation, serving Israel and
North America. Its mission is
to strengthen Jewish people-
hood, identity and pluralism;
to enhance the Jewish and
democratic character of Israel;
and to ensure that Judaism is
a compelling force for good in
the 21st century.
Thanks to a grant from
the Hermelin-Davidson
Foundation for Congregational
Excellence and the hard
work of Rebecca Starr of the
Shalom Hartman Institute
and Marianne Bloomberg
of the Jewish Federation of
Detroit, the Michigan Board
of Rabbis and Michigan Board
of Cantors spent the better
part of a day learning with
Elana Stein Hain, the Institute’s
Rosh Beit Midrash and senior
fellow, on “The Role of Torah
Right Now” and Joshua Ladon,
the Institute’s director of edu-
cation, on “Navigating Power
and Vulnerability.”
Participants benefited from
studying ancient and contem-
porary Jewish texts relevant
to this moment, as well as
the opportunity to engage
with each other in traditional
chevruta and brainstorming
ideas and initiatives to better
serve their synagogues, organi-
zations and the community.
Rabbi Robert Gamer, presi-
dent of the Michigan Board of
Rabbis and spiritual leader of
Congregation Beth Shalom in
Oak Park, said, “This gather-
ing was an important opportu-
nity for clergy to help support
each other and further develop
our message that Israel’s war
is morally just and must be
fought.”
Starr, director of Regional
Programs for the Shalom
Hartman Institute, added,
“This type of gathering among
our community’s clergy
leaders is essential always
and even more so right now,
as the Jewish world at home
and abroad faces incredible
challenges.
“Our local clergy are among
the thought leaders, change
makers and visionaries that
imagine a vibrant Jewish
Detroit, and they also help to
create strong and meaningful
connections to the State of
Israel in all its complexity. The
Hartman Institute is honored
and proud to serve as a
partner in this initiative.”
Due to the overwhelming
success of the day of learning,
the Michigan Board of Rabbis
and the Michigan Board of
Cantors plan to apply for
additional grant monies to
continue their learning.
Reflecting on the day,
MBOR vice president and
Temple Israel Rabbi Jennifer
Lader explained, “Our
community clergy have
responded to the call to hold
our people close through their
sorrow, their pain, their fear
and their anger.
“Sharing this experience,
inspired by some of the great
thinkers and scholars of our
day, served as a meaningful
way to renew ourselves, engage
with each other, and imagine a
better future for us all.”
OUR COMMUNITY
Michigan Board of Rabbis and Michigan Board
of Cantors participate in study opportunity.
Day of Learning
JN STAFF
Elana Stein Hain and Joshua Ladon from the Shalom Hartman
Institute spent the day learning with local clergy.
Metro Detroit clergy met for
a day with experts from the
Shalom Hartman Institute.