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Volume 44, No. 6 — January 2010 — Tevet/ Shevat 5770
More Night Under the Stars details...see pg. 5 Holocaust Memorial Center Tour see pg. 4
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Are You Hip?
“Hip (slang) – 1. Keenly aware of or knowledgeable about the latest trends. 2. Very fashionable or stylish.” Recently, within the span of a couple of days, I read two related articles – one about “hip” Jews (as Commentary Magazine called them) and another about “the new” Jews (a label used by CNN). Each dealt with Jews who are “reinventing” Judaism. Not surprisingly, they came at it from very different perspectives.
The Commentary article subheading tells how its author, D.G. Myers, feels about this current trend: “What happens when you mix the radical pursuit of personal identity with one of the world’s most venerable faiths? The faith loses.” The other one, appearing on CNN’s website, caught my eye when I went there to check on the stock market. How could I ignore the photo of a very large star of David tattooed on the back of a man’s neck? I clicked on the link. The text spoke admiringly of how young Jews are finding ways to make Judaism work for them. (Speaking of tattoos, the article did address – with a quote from Rabbi Joel Roth – the question of whether a tattoo would prevent a Jew from being buried in a Jewish cemetery.) Throughout our history, we Jews have often faced the temptations of secular culture. This is certainly not the first instance of secularism seeming to gain the upper hand over the traditional Jewish culture. I am writing this just before Chanukah, the celebration of the victory of traditional Jews over the Assyrian Greeks whose reign in ancient Israel resulted in the Hellenization of a large number of Jews. The two articles agreed that many Jews – particularly the younger generation – do not consider being Jewish as necessarily something positive or negative. They are comfortable identifying as Jews, but feel that it is merely a starting point from which they should be free to pick and choose among everything available to them. That includes traditional Judaism, practices that feel Jewish to them, or something they find meaningful but that is entirely unrelated or even foreign to Jewish religion or culture. And today, with the entire world available with a few keystrokes on the computer, a person has limitless choices. This leads to some questions. Is it good to have this freedom? Are the results positive or negative? Should we care? How should we react? Not surprisingly, for the CNN writer Jessica Ravitz, being a Jew is all about finding individual meaning. She sees this freedom as a means by which Jews can find relevance and thereby gain personal fulfillment. She thinks it would be wrong to constrain or put limits on personal choices. Myers, on the other hand, believes Judaism is defined by a specific set of religious and cultural choices. For him, Jewishness cannot exist without agreement upon some basic concepts that tell us who we are and provide boundaries. So what is better for the Jewish community? Should we try to seize the opportunity to be open to hipsters and seek to draw them and their new thinking and ideas into our mainstream? Or, do we eschew secular temptation and keep focused on our traditions? This is a debate being held in many places. As a member of the Conservative movement, Congregation B’nai Moshe subscribes to the tenet that we are not free to pick and choose. Rather, we are committed to tradition and it should shape our lives and lifestyles. According to our central beliefs, each member should: 1. Support a Conservative synagogue. 2. Study as a Conservative Jew. 3. Use Jewish values to guide behavior. 4. Increase personal Jewish living. 5. Use values of tikun olam in the world's continual repair. 6. Consider the effect of decisions on Klal Yisrael. 7. Increase ties to Israel. 8. Increase knowledge of Hebrew. The implications of the debate are important. What is your opinion? See you in shul, Kerry Greenhut
HOW YOU CAN REACH US
Telephone: (248) 788-0600
Fax: (248) 788-0604
School office: (248) 788-3600
email: [email protected]
on the web: www.bnaimoshe.org
Clergy
Rabbi Elliot Pachter ... [email protected]
Cantor Earl G. Berris .... [email protected]
Executive Director
Charles Berris ............. [email protected]
Director of Education.......................... Gail Gales
Office ....................... [email protected]
President .................................... Kerry Greenhut
Vice Presidents ............................. Douglas Zack
Alisa Peskin-Shepherd
Dan Sperling
Treasurer ........................................... Joel Shayne
Secretary ................................... Steve Mondrow
(USPS 981-880) Published Monthly except July
POSTMASTER:
Send Address Changes to:
B’nai Moshe Bulletin
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West Bloomfield, MI 48322
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Paid at Pontiac, MI 48343
February Bulletin Deadline February Bulletin articles are due in the office on
January 4, 2010. Stories may be delivered to the
office, faxed to 248-788-0604, or e-mailed to
[email protected]. (If e-mailing, send as
text only in the body of your message, please.)
Photographs are encouraged to accompany
stories when appropriate. Late stories are subject
to inclusion on a case-by-case basis.
HAVE YOU VISITED
OUR WEBSITE?
www.bnaimoshe.org
We Have Archived Bulletins
Thoughts From Our President
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by Rabbi Elliot Pachter
Finding Strength from the Past
The Fall 2009 edition of the University of Michigan’s LSA Magazine caught my attention because of its connection to a strong value in Judaism. The magazine contains a variety of articles all united by the theme – preserving the past, something we are quite familiar with in the Jewish community. Included in the contents:
A UM alum who photographs Antarctica, to preserve its beauty, lest global warming brings about changes.
Three LSA faculty who are dedicated to saving the Great Lakes as a fresh water resource.
A collection of recipes and cookbooks from the 19th century to help us remember how people used to eat.
An explanation of how certain UM football game traditions “came to be,” including The Victors and the Little Brown Jug.
The same issue of the magazine features a sampling of treasures from UM’s various museums, including: art work, plant life, a whale skeleton, an authentic letter from Christopher Columbus, and a book of Psalms (Genoa 1516) written in 8 different languages, including Hebrew. Dean of LSA (UM’s college of Literature, Science and the Arts), Professor Terrence J. McDonald, explains the overall content of the journal as tying in with this Academic year’s focus on museums, and the introduction of a new Museum Studies minor. Dean McDonald concludes his remarks by stating his “hope to continue the crucial dialogue between the ever-present now, and the equally important then.” As Jews, we can appreciate, and relate to these efforts to preserve these relics of the past, for that is something we do well, and we are pained when remnants of our history are destroyed, and therefore lost. On the other hand, our goal is only partially to record and remember our history. More prominently, we are people who daily strive to keep the past alive. Rather than place Torah Scrolls in museums, we embrace the Torah through our chanting of its words and our practice of its principles. The tzitzit on the corner of the garment, and the tefillin on the arm and head, both described in the millennia old words of the Shema, are still among our sacred garments today. A story is frequently told that as immigrants on boats (at the turn of the century) were about to arrive on the shores of North America, they would throw their tefillin overboard, to symbolically express their rejection of “old world values.” Fortunately, this effort to rid ourselves of tefillin has not been a success. Even when we are innovative in the synagogue and Jewish life, we must be wary to not trade away our precious past, rather to embrace it. This is successfully evident in our recent adoption of new liturgical books. Both our Siddur Tefillah l’Moshe, and the Etz Chaim Chumashim a few years before, retain and return to the traditional language of Torah and Jewish prayer, only intending to make the transmission of these words to our congregants an easier process. I was delighted recently to see what has become of some of our former Siddurim and Chumashim. While spending a Shabbat with students and faculty of the Frankel Jewish Academy at the Butzel Conference Center in Ortonville, I was moved to see that our own Sabbath and Festival Prayer Books and Hertz Chumashim are in good supply and being used by Butzel guests. In fact, both of the Frankel minyanim — the mechitza
A Word From Our Rabbi
by Cantor Earl G. Berris
Don’t Be a Bad Neighbor
"I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel." This verse is connected to the verse by Korach which states, "Remove yourselves from the midst of, this wicked congregation." We know that the minimum number for a congregation is 10 because of the statement about the spies who were sent out to investigate Canaan as well as the story of Abraham
pleading for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah where the final number was 10 righteous to be considered a community. How do we know the importance of communal prayer over personal prayer and that Hashem never rejects communal prayer? It is written "You have redeemed me from my foes, because there were many with me." Don’t be a bad neighbor. Reish Lakish said, "Anyone who has a synagogue in town and does not frequent it, is called a bad neighbor." The story goes in the Talmud that Rav Yitzchak asked Rav Nachman, Why didn't you come to synagogue to pray?" Rav Nachman answered, "I was too weak." Rav Yitzchak asked, "So why didn't you gather a minyan where you were?" Rav Nachman answered, "It was too difficult to do so." Rav Yitzchak asked, "So why didn't you ask that someone should notify you when the communal prayers began?" Rav Nachman asked, "What is concerning you?" Rav Yitzchak explained, "The verse states: May my prayer come before Hashem at a favorable time. Rabban Shimon bar Yochai taught, 'When is it a favorable time? When the public is praying.'" (Talmud, Brachos 8a) Rav Nachman was a bad neighbor. Don’t you be a bad neighbor. One may pray in any language that he understands. This is true in communal prayer. But privately, one may not pray in Aramaic. This is because communal prayer goes straight to God, while private prayer goes through the angels, and they don't like to deal with Aramaic (Shulchan Aruch 101:4, and Mishnah Berurah (4,15,18). This is one of the reasons why the Kaddish, which is written in Aramaic must be said in a Minyan. Having said this, the main application of communal prayer is when the 10 people are reciting the Amidah together. Not as people think, that the main goal of communal prayer is to be able to say Kaddish, Kedusha, and Barchu (Mishnah Berurah 90:28, see however Ishei Yisroel 12:7 and 8:13, and Teshuvot V'Hanhagot 1:102 teffila bitzibur, teffilat hatzibur). I was asked by a member of the shul; “If we can't get a Minyan every day, but can gather eight or even nine people, as is sometimes the case, is there any point in doing so.” As long as there are three people, they are within the statement "God does not reject the prayers of a group,” as is the case for Birkat HaMazon. Also coming together to pray to God with others of like mind has benefit even if some prayers are not said because the main reason as stated above, to bring a community together for prayer is not just the saying of Kaddish. Don’t be a bad neighbor. At least twice in our lives, it is incumbent upon all of us to recite Kaddish for our parents for eleven months and thereafter once a year. You don’t know how many time those of us who are regulars to the Minyan have heard someone who comes once a year, to say Kaddish, “How come we didn’t make a minyan today?” If you want a Minyan there for your time of need, be there for others. Come and help make the Minyan. During the winter months when many of our regulars are in warmer climates we have trouble making 10 for services, especially, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. One of the main reasons for
A Word From Our Cantor
Continued on page 7 Continued on page 7
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L.I.F.E. / Youth News
Holocaust Memorial Holocaust Memorial
Center Visit PlannedCenter Visit Planned Seventh-grade students and their families are planning a tour of the Zekelman Family Campus Holocaust Memorial Center at 9:50 a.m. Jan. 24. B’nai Moshe member Pearlena Bodzin will guide the group as they explore the different exhibits. Seventh-grade students, under the leadership of Gail Gales, have been studying the Holocaust and the visit is the culmination of that effort. In past years, this tour has been reserved for seventh-grade students and their families. But this time, the invitation is extended to the entire congregation. Although the visit is free for students, adults are requested to make a $10 donation. The Holocaust Museum Center is located at 28123 Orchard Lake Road, just north of the Twelve Mile Road intersection. If you’re interested in taking this guided tour, please RSVP by Jan. 17 to Gail Gales at the L.I.F.E. Program office, (248) 788-3600.
Bar Mitzvah
of Jaron
Kirshenbaum Jaron Daniel Kirshenbaum, son of Ken and Rena Kirshenbaum, will read from the Torah on January 30, 2010 in celebration of his Bar Mitzvah. Jaron is brother to Samuel and Ezra, and the grandson of Lucy Kirshenbaum of Scarsdale, New York, Doris Laskin of Toronto and the late Isidor Kirshenbaum and Morris Laskin. Jaron is a seventh grader at West Hills Middle School in West Bloomfield. Jaron enjoys being a goalie in soccer, reading and playing the clarinet in the school Jazz Band. For his Mitzvah project, Jaron earned money for and volunteered at the Animal Rescue League's animal shelter in Pontiac.
Bar Mitzvah
of Hank Pinter
Hank Issac Pinter, son of Alan and Tina Pinter,
will read from the Torah on January 16, 2010 as he celebrates his Bar Mitzvah. He is the brother of Tony, Simon and Zoe, and grandson of Sarah Pinter and Gertrude Rosen, and the late Stanley Pinter and the late Herbert Rosen. Hank is in the seventh-grade at Hillel Day School in Farmington Hills. Hank has been a volunteer at the Friendship Circle for a number of years and loves working there. He enjoys soccer, basketball and Camp Tamarack.
Save
This
Date The calendar may say January, but it’s not too early to start talking about Purim, which begins Saturday evening, Feb. 27. After last year’s marvelous Megillah reading and family bingo event, we’re doing it again. So be on the lookout for more details soon.
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Synagogue
Come and join us as Congregation B’nai Moshe celebrates a Night Under the Stars on Saturday, Jan. 23. This elegant evening, which begins after a 6:30 p.m. Havdalah service, is open to the public so bring your friends and family for the festivities. There’s a $10 cover at the door. A Night Under the Stars will feature:
A wine and cheese tasting, where you’ll have an opportunity to sample the best in kosher wines as well as purchase a few bottles for your own collection. A gold party, where you can transform your old, broken and unwanted jewelry into cold, hard cash. A silent auction featuring a wide variety of
exceptional, and often, exclusive items to bid on. Congregation members have spent months talking to local merchants and others in the community as they gathered exciting items for you to bid on. Some of the more unique items include Shabbat dinner, computer training, Hebrew tutoring sessions, babysitting and calligraphy services, all donated by synagogue members. In addition, you can learn how to make challah with Marc Sussman, or go bowling with Rabbi Pachter, if the price is right. You’ll also find a wide variety of gift cards from local merchants and eateries such as Jerusalem Pizza and Zeman’s. Other items up for bid include a serigraph by Israeli artist Ari Gradus, beautiful pieces of jewelry, movie passes, and an overnight stay at Embassy Suites Hotel. If you’re looking for distinctive pieces of Judaica such as a silverplate Kiddush cup or a glass and wood menorah, you can find it at the silent auction. So mark your calendar and celebrate a Night Under the Stars Jan. 23. For more details, please contact Jon Isenberg at jrisenberg@comcast or call (248) 408-7275.
Celebrate a Night Under the Stars
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Sisterhood
Seeking Judaica Shop Volunteers
The Sisterhood needs help with the Judaica Shop. We need volunteers to help with displaying, inventory and selling. Sisterhood would like to open the Judaica Shop three days a week for a few hours beginning in January. We also would like to be available after social functions at the shul, but that’s a job for more than one person. Rita Greenspan, who is in charge of the Judaica Shop, is trying to form a committee. If you’re interested please call (248) 592-0431 and leave a message or e-mail Rita at [email protected].
Sisterhood Bazaar showcases unique gifts Whether it was a beautiful bauble, a decorative piece for the home or something a bit more practical that caught the eye, lots of people found what they were looking for at last month’s Sisterhood Gift Bazaar. Artisans showed off hand-knit sweaters, textured purses, fabulous hats, spectacular scarves, dramatic jewelry, unique pieces of art, and even sports memorabilia as shoppers snapped up a wide variety of gifts. Linda Mondrow, Bazaar chairwoman, said that overall,
the bazaar was quite successful. That includes the Sisterhood Judaica Gift Shop, which almost doubled its sales from the previous year.
Take a look at
some of the
artwork and other
items featured at
the bazaar. A big
thank you goes out
to those who
worked hard to
make the bazaar
a success and to
those who came
and gave their
support. That includes the committee: chairperson
Linda Mondrow, Annette Kaufman, Ruth Shayne,
Susie Iovan, Shelly Milstein, Shirley Silber, Rita
Greenspan, Sue Kaufman and Pearlena Bodzin.
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Synagogue / Men’s Club/ Community News
A Word From Our Rabbi Continued from page 3 and the egalitarian — made use of our former holy books. Through smiles and tears, I glanced at many of the dedication labels, and I feel confident that those whose names appear on the inside covers are honored that though the location has changed, the value of the books live on.
A Word From Our Cantor Continued from page 3 having a synagogue is to guarantee to the community a place to come in fellowship and worship daily and not just on Shabbat. So what is the essence of this message? It is to try and get more people to come to shul and to let you know that you don’t have to be saying Kaddish to benefit from weekday prayers. The difference between 10 and 20 people at a weekday Minyan is the equivalent of going from 100 to 200 people on a Shabbat morning. Be a good neighbor and be part of the solution. Come and daven. Services at B’nai Moshe take place twice a day, every day; Monday thru Friday mornings as 7 a.m.; Shabbat, Sunday and Civil Holidays at 9 a.m.; and evenings during the winter at 5 p.m.
Frankel Food Series This month, Frankel Jewish Academy will host an adult education series entitled “Jews and Food.” You can choose either all or one of three sessions:
Jan. 6: Cooking demonstration at Specialties Showroom, featuring Annabel Cohen, food, travel and lifestyle writer. Jan. 20: Dr. David Kraemer, Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, will speak about keeping kosher. Jan. 27: FJA’s Rabbi Eric Grossman will talk about our Biblical dietary laws, while Rabbi Eliezer Finkelman will address recipes from Rabbinic literature.
All sessions will be held at 7 p.m. at the West Bloomfield JCC. It’s $5 for one session, $8 for two and $10 for all three. To RSVP, call Kelly Underwood at (248) 592-5263, ext. 221.
From Elite Kosher Catering
and Mimi Markofsky I thought I'd share one of my favorite winter recipes with all of you. This is a quick meal to prepare and freezes well if you want to double the recipe. For those of you who remember The Traffic Jam & Snug on Wayne's campus, you'll recognize this delicious treat!
Mimi’s Vegetarian Chili YIELD: 3 quarts
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots 1-1/2 cups sliced onions 1-1/2 cups sliced green or red bell peppers 1-1/2 cups sliced celery ¼ cup vegetable or olive oil 1 (15 oz.) can stewed tomatoes 1 (15 oz.) can tomato puree 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice 2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans, not drained 1 (15 oz.) can chick peas, not drained 2 large garlic cloves, minced 3 Tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda® 1-1/2 Tablespoons dried basil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon hot sauce Heat the oil in the bottom of a large, deep stock pot (at least 4 quarts). You may spray the pan with non-stick vegetable spray instead of using the oil. Sauté the chopped vegetables until they are barely tender. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until hot. Season with more salt or chili powder to taste. DO NOT OVERCOOK OR VEGETABLES WILL BE MUSHY.
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Synagogue
Here we are in January and it is now, believe it or not, the year 2010! It seems that it was just yesterday we were preparing for the hoopla of the year 2000 and worrying about the collapse of all the computer systems as the new millennium began. Now we are already into the next decade of the new century. Last week, as I was sitting with my sister who was visiting from Boston, I was lamenting the fact that I did not have a good idea for the January bulletin article. She suggested that I write something on the theme of the number 10 in honor of the new calendar year. So here are 10 titles with the number 10 in them. Look for them in the library!
FOR THE YOUNGSTERS:
The Ten Commandments for Jewish Children by Miriam Nerlove. This charmingly illustrated book describes how Moses received the Ten Commandments, what they contain, and how they should be obeyed. Ten Good Rules: A Counting Book by Susan R.Topek. Engaging photographs and simple phrases introduce toddlers to the Ten Commandments while teaching number counting from 1 to 10. The Book of Tens by Mark Podwal. This unusual picture book demonstrates the importance of the number 10 in Judaism by presenting biblical and midrashic stories and incidents in which the number 10 predominates. From the creation of the world (10 words were used) to the 10 curses inflicted on Adam and Eve to the 10 righteous men who could have saved the city of Sodom, the text covers a wide expanse of biblical history. The Ten Tests of Avraham by Shoshana Lepon. Lively rhyme and adorable full color illustrations bring to life the story of Abraham's life and the many difficult challenges he faced and overcame. Wise and Not So Wise: Ten Tales From the Rabbis by Phillis Gershator. This is a delightful collection of Talmudic and Midrashic Folklore that that Bring to Life the Teachings of our Ancient Sages.
FOR THE ADULTS: The Ten Commandments of Character by Joseph Telushkin. The Genesis of Justice: Ten Stories of Biblical Injustice that Led to the Ten Commandments and Modern Law by Alan M. Dershowitz. Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money by Daniel Lapin. Ten Thousand Lovers by Edeet Ravel. Ten Days of Birthright Israel: A Journey in Young Adult Identity by Leonard Saxe.
Ten Good Books for 2010
