22 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J
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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.