Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Southfield [MAP]

Chene Street, once one of Detroit’s most vibrant commercial corridors, was also the heart of family, work and social life for thousands who arrived in Detroit from all over the world including East European Jews. Although virtually no sign of that neighborhood remains today, Marian Krzyzowski’s Chene Street History Project has helped to recreate the special culture of the community.

The Jewish presence on Chene Street provides a glimpse into the day-to-day life of the hundreds of Jewish families who made their living along the street and contributed to the growth and dynamism of the Chene neighborhoods. Using an archives of nearly 30 recorded oral histories of neighborhood Jewish families, personal photographs and hundreds of letters and postcards written in Yiddish, Polish and German, the Project has attracted the attention of historians, academics and U-M Jewish students interested in social history. Together, this team has devoted hundreds of hours to preserving the material and spiritual world that was Chene Street Jewry.

» RSVP to www.michjewishhistory.org or call (248) 432-5517. $5 at the door

Graduation of the class of 2013 will take place at the Community Arts Building Auditorium on the Wayne State University Campus.

Temple Israel, West Bloomfield [MAP]

Graduation Celebration for Teens who participated in an innovative and unique Madrichim Leadership Institute training program for religious school teens working with children with learning and behavioral differences. The program is sponsored by the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit. Teens, their families and school directors are invited. Speaker to be announced.

» For more information eMail Ellen Maiseloff.

Berman Center for the Performing Arts, West Bloomfield [MAP]

An evening to benefit the JCC Maccabi Games® and JCC Maccabi ArtsFest® to be held in 2014 in Detroit. Reunite with JCC Maccabi athletes, artists, coaches, volunteers and supporters. Dinner (dietary laws observed), program and entertainment, dessert reception.  Business attire. Reunion photos will be taken: wear your medals and pins from past competitions!

Tickets are $36; $125 for sponsors and $360 for patrons (includes two tickets).

» RSVP by May 13 by eMailing Paul Barker or by calling (248) 432-5538. For sponsorship information,  eMail Wendy Strip or call (248) 432-5420.

Temple Kol Ami, West Bloomfield [MAP]

Temple Kol Ami is having another rockin’ Shabbat! Our service is perfect for teens and tweens, along with their families. Or for anyone looking to celebrate Shabbat in a lively, uplifting way.

» For more information eMail Julie Flashner.

Max M. Fisher Federation Building, Bloomfield Hills [MAP]

JCRC Annual Meeting and Election of Officers and Board of Directors featuring an Israel Update by the Honorable Baruch Binah, deputy chief of mission at Israel’s Washington Embassy.

» For more information, eMail Beverly Phillips.

Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Southfield [MAP]

All are welcome to celebrate all who contributed to the Opening the Doors success which made a Jewish education possible for children with learning differences.

Speakers include Richard Bernstein, J.D., and Harlene Appelman, with the Opening the Doors Make a Difference Award presentation to Mary Must and Madelon and Lou Seligman.

» For more information, visit jewishdetroit.org/events

May 20–30 and June 3–13

The Detroit Community is sending two Birthright buses this summer, bringing 80 young Detroiters to Israel for the first time. For more information on Detroit’s unique Birthright Israel program and to register for the next trips, eMail Ayelet Kon.

Honoring Joel Jacob, 2013 Dream Maker Award Recipient; Karen and Jim Berger 2013 Rabbi Jacob Segal (z”l) Award. Celebrating the dedication of the William M. Davidson (z”l) Sefer Torah. Dinner, Music and Dancing with Simone Vitale Band. For more information, eMail Cheryl Schanes at (248) 539-1488.

Help make a difference in our community! Join college students and young adults as Hillel of Metro Detroit volunteers at Yad Ezra, metro Detroit’s Kosher food pantry. Chairing this program is Aleksandr Mikhailovich.

» Please RSVP by Friday, May 17 to Neil Cantor at hilleled@wayne.edu or at (313) 577-3459.

Parade the Torah to Hillel Day School and celebrate with the community. Bring your family; Rabbi Pincus will write the last letters of the Sefer Torah; dance the Torah to its new home in the Aron Hakodesh (ark); Refreshments to follow.

Please RSVP by May 13 to Cheryl Schanes  or by calling (248) 539-1488.

You are cordially invited to our Comedy & Cocktails Spring Fundraiser. For $75, you’ll be treated to appetizers, cocktails, a trio of comedians and desserts after the show. Give a call at (248) 737-8700 and RSVP today, or visit www.shirshalom.org to purchase your tickets.

Jewish Community Center of Oak Park [MAP]

Join Hillel of Metro Detroit for a Shabbat dinner with food and traditions from around the world. Celebrate with other young adults on the Taubman Campus at the JCC in Oak Park. Cost is $8 and the chair of this dinner is Jordana Hoffman.

» Please RSVP by Tuesday, May 14 to Neil Cantor at hillelel@wayne.edu or at (313) 577-3459.

Congregation Beth Shalom, Oak Park [MAP]

Celebrate with a sleepover party and lots of learning! The event starts with Minchah services, followed by learning with Rabbi Robert Gamer, Cantor Sam Greenbaum, Cantor Frank Lanzkron-Tamarazo, Joe Lewis and others. There will be stories and games for children of all ages. There will be a variety of dairy treats, including cheesecake and ice cream. Everyone is invited to stay the night! Following this all-night study session, there will be an early morning festival service at 5 am led by Rabbi Robert Gamer and Cantor Frank Lanzkron-Tamarazo (with lots of fresh Chazzano coffee). The regular morning festival service will be held at 9:30 am led by Cantor Sam Greenbaum. This celebration is FREE, and all are welcome.

Events include Shavuot Candy Land from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.: a fun Shavuot experience for children ages four to seven with experiential, hands-on learning and a pizza dinner. Free and open to the public. For information or to RSVP, eMail azimberg@shaareyzedek.org or call (248) 357-5544. Minchah at 7:00 p.m., Learning and Text Study from 7:15 to 10:00 p.m., and Shavuot Ma’Ariv at 10:00 p.m. CSZ is proud to partner this year with Congregation Shir Tikvah for our annual Shavuot evening of learning. RSVPs preferred to kdavis@shaareyzedek.org or by calling (248) 357-5544.

Congregation Beth Ahm, Oak Park [MAP]

5:00 pm: Shavuot stories and snack. Preschoolers, their siblings, families and friends are invited to meet Moses for a Shavuot story, craft, games, and Torah cookies and milk. 6:00 pm: We’re on our way to Sinai! We’ll walk through the Bible Garden and meet some biblical characters, then trek through the desert and arrive at Mount Sinai where we will help Moses put the Tablets of the Commandments back together. (Bring your climbing clothes.  Moses may need some help getting up the mountain.) 6:30 pm: Bring your own dairy picnic dinner. We will eat and play at the Beth Ahm playground.  (Velcro Mountain for the older children). 7:00 pm: Ice Cream Sundaes

» For more information, call Congregation Beth Ahm at (248) 851-6880.

Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit [MAP]

Explore the newly renovated Detroit Historical Museum with a tour emphasizing Jewish history makers. A light breakfast will be served. Couvert is  $18; an optional bus from the Max M. Fisher Federation Building to the Museum is available for an additional $15.

» Click here to register.

Milliken State Park, Detroit [MAP]

Please join us as we gather for a Shabbat afternoon potluck picnic with Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and Temple Kol Ami. We invite you to bring kosher or kosher-style dishes, board and outdoor games to share and a happy mood! We will schmooze, sing, study a little Torah related to the weekly portion and celebrate Havdallah once it becomes dark.

» Please RSVP to Rabbi Dorit, (248) 543-4255 (and contact her with any questions about parking/location/potluck-items).

Max M. Fisher Federation Building, Bloomfield Hills [MAP]

Rabbi Aaron Bergman will be the featured speaker at the Detroit Jewish Coalition for Literacy’s (DJCL) spring workshop. Given in gratitude for DJCL’s extraordinary volunteer corps, the workshop will include Rabbi Bergman’s insights about “The Power of Positive Living: How Sharing your Love of Reading with a Child Can Enrich Your Life.”

To register for the May 10 workshop or to learn more about DJCL volunteer opportunities, eMail Linda Foster or call (248) 642-2656.

Berman Center for the Performing Arts, West Bloomfield [MAP] and Jewish Community Center of Oak Park [MAP]

The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit presents the Stephen Gottlieb Music Festival, May 9-19. Highlights include: Opening Night: The Michigan Board of Cantors in “Made in the Motor City” (May 9 at 7:30 pm at The Berman); Patron Night: Honoring Karen & Todd Sachse, with a concert performance by Ethan Daniel Davidson (May 11 at 8:30 pm at The Berman); Tovah Feldshuh in “Witches of Lublin,” followed by Yale Strom and Hot Pastrami (May 12 at 7 pm at The Berman).

» For a complete schedule and list of pricing information, visit www.jccdet.org.

Max M. Fisher Federation Building, Bloomfield Hills [MAP]

Join us as we officially induct our 2013-2014 Board of Directors. We will be showcasing “Witness Theater” and New Business will include a vote to change our name from Women’s Department to Women’s Philanthropy. Couvert $20.  Brunch will be served.

» To register go to www.jewishdetroit.org/events.

Barnes & Noble Cafe, West Bloomfield [MAP]

In October, we sat in the Sukkah! In January, we joined up at Jewish Family Service! In March, we toured the Federation Building! In May, we’ll be sipping on lattes and learning from Lisa Soble-Siegmann!

Known as the People of the Book, Jews across the world treasure education as the foundation of a lasting community. Detroit is no exception to this rule. Sip on a latte (or beverage of your choice) and learn about how Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education ensures the learning needs of all, from child to adult, are met.

» Click here to RSVP.

Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit [MAP]

Join JHSM as we celebrate our 54th year celebrating and sharing Michigan’s Jewish history.  Josh Linkner, CEO and Managing Partner of Detroit Venture Partners will be the keynote speaker and Irwin J. Cohen will be presented with the prestigious annual Leonard N. Simons History Award, which those who have made outstanding contributions to the enrichment, preservation and dissemination of Michigan Jewish history.

RSVP by phone (248-432-5517) or at www.michjewishhistory.org. $30. Join us at 4:30 for a special museum tour for an additional $10.

Adat Shalom Synagogue, Farmington Hills [MAP]

Join us for a day of food and fun, featuring dynamic chef Michelle Bommarito. Bommarito, whose name is synonymous with Wedding Cake Challenges on the Food Network, was recently invited to be one of 21 chefs in the country to work with the National Food Service Management Institute’s “Connect: Chefs to Schools.” The event begins at 10:00 a.m. with an array of unique shopping boutiques, coffee and breakfast treats; luncheon and program are at noon.

Sponsorship donations begin at $45/person for the day. Call (248) 851-5100 for more information.

Opening the Doors hosts the Jewish Special Education International Consortium. The consortium is a network of special education directors throughout U.S. and Canada who deliver special needs services to children and adults with diverse learning, behavioral or social needs. Participants share and learn the latest best practices and research to take back to their communities. It’s an opportunity to showcase Detroit and what our community offers.

» For more information, eMail Ellen Maiseloff.

Temple Shir Shalom, West Bloomfield [MAP]

Come walk and/or run for Israel! This year’s event features a 5k run at 8:00 a.m., a kosher lunch at 12:00 p.m., and the walk at 1:00 p.m.

» For more information, eMail Alicia Felhandler or call (248) 642-5617.

Temple Beth El, Bloomfield Hills [MAP]

In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Ordination of Rabbi Daniel B. Syme, Temple Beth El will host a Celebration Shabbat Service featuring the choirs of Temple Beth El, Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic Church and Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church. Rev. Kenneth Flowers, pastor of Greater New Mount Moriah will deliver the sermon. A dessert reception will follow. We welcome the community to attend.

-by Melissa Jacobs

-This story is reprinted in JTA, the Global News Service of the Jewish People with the permission of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, where it originally appeared 04/16/2013

(April 16, 2013, Jewish Exponent) –“It was a beautiful day. I was so excited to run and having such a good run. The crowd was unbelievable. The whole experience was amazing. It was almost magical.”
That’s how the Boston Marathon began for Rabbi Benjamin David, head rabbi at Adath Emanu-El in Mount Laurel, N.J. It’s not how it ended.

Rabbi Benjamin David, having finished the Boston Marathon earlier, was at his hotel room two blocks from the site of the two bombs when they exploded. (Courtesy Rabbi Benjamin David.)

David, 36, had completed the marathon and was back at his hotel when the twin explosions went off Monday afternoon near the finish line. The apparent terrorist attack killed at least three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and wounded more than 140, some critically.

David was running with Rabbi Scott Weiner, senior rabbi of Temple Israel of New Rochelle in suburban New York’s Westchester County. The two rabbinical school friends are co-founders of the national organization The Running Rabbis, which encourages clergy — Jewish and not — and their congregants to run. They always run for a charity and their race in the Boston Marathon raised money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

David had an additional motivation for running. Although he had run 20 half-marathons and 13 marathons, David had never run the Boston Marathon and he wanted to beat his personal best time of 3 hours, 23 minutes. After 10 months of training, he did just that, running the 26.2 miles in 3 hours, 21 minutes. Weiner was one minute ahead of him.

From his hotel room two blocks from the blast site, David explained Monday night what happened next.

“I knew something was wrong.”

“Usually at these big races, it takes a while to exit the area because you pick up the medal and your tote bag and shuffle along because you are so tired,” David said. “Getting out of the finish area took us at least a half hour. We went to the hotel, and I was about to put my hand on the door to go into the lobby when I heard a massive explosion. It was an extraordinary sound. You knew instantly that something was wrong.”

David knew what kind of wrong that was. He was in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001, blocks away from the World Trade Center at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

“In my mind, I instantly compared it to when I was in New York on 9/11,” he said. “I mean, it was a different sound. But when the first plane hit the tower, it was a sound like a sound you don’t normally hear. That’s what this was today. A sound that you don’t normally hear and your brain says, ‘Is something wrong?’ Then today when we heard the second bomb, like when there was the second plane on 9/11. Then we knew for sure that something was very wrong.

“People were running toward the scene and away from the scene,” David said. “Police were scrambling. The hardest part is that no one knew what happened, so you don’t know what to do. We thought maybe the grandstand had collapsed, or a building. I grabbed someone, and he said that two bombs went off.
“I went up to my room and put on the news,” he said. “Isn’t that strange? Here I am, two blocks from the thing, and my instinct is still to turn on the TV to see what happened. But then, from the window in my room, I could see basically everything. So the local news was on and there was confusion and speculation, and I’m looking out the window and looking right at what is being called a terrorist attack.”

Other than using the word “surreal,” David didn’t get into details about what he saw.

“You know one weird thing? They stopped the race in progress,” he said. “I heard on the news that there were supposedly 4,500 people still on the course. I wonder what happened to them. What were they told? What was it like for them, not knowing what was happening?”

Luckily, David’s family did know what was happening with him. Like most other marathoners, he had a chip on his clothes that enabled the tracking of his progress via a secure website.

“I knew that he was finished with the race, and I texted him to see how it went and he texted back, ‘Turn on the news,’ ” said his father, Rabbi Jerome David of Temple Emanuel in Cherry Hill, N.J. “I was shaken, even though I knew he was safe. It brought back memories of 9/11 because Ben and his brother John were both very close to the Trade Center that morning and we couldn’t reach either of them. This time, at least I heard from him. But even so, it’s the same feeling. It’s worrying about your child — and I know very well that he is a grown man — but he is my child. And he was again in the middle of danger. And there was nothing I could do about it right then.”

A friend called David’s mother, Peggy, on her cell phone.

“I was on a break from work and had just turned my phone on when a friend called and said, ‘There was a bombing near the finish line,’ ” Peggy David recounted. “I was sure he was done and I know that he usually goes back to the hotel pretty quickly. But I didn’t know exactly where he was when the bomb went off. Then his wife sent out a group text saying that he was OK.”
David’s wife, Lisa, the mother of their three young children, was tracking her husband’s progress and received an immediate text from him about his safety. That was a good thing because within hours she was aboard a plane headed for Israel on a business trip. She is associate director of camping for the Union for Reform Judaism’s Camp and Israel Programs.
Dr. Steve Gitler, president of Adath Emanu-El, found out about the bombing via a text from his daughter.

“She texted, ‘Is Rabbi alright?’ and I answered, ‘What do you mean?’ and she wrote back, ‘There were explosions in Boston.’ I went to CNN.com and read what happened. Then I got the text that Rabbi was OK, and I posted a message on our synagogue’s Facebook page, then sent an email to the board and sent an email to the congregation so that everyone knew he was OK.”
Rabbi Richard Levine, the rabbi emeritus of Adath Emanu-El who led the congregation for more than 46 years, heard the news on KYW-1060 radio.

“I knew that Ben was trying to run the marathon in less than 3 hours and 20 or so minutes, so I thought that he was done and probably safe, but that didn’t mean he was,” Levine said. “We texted back and forth so I knew that he was OK. But I was still very worried for a period of time. You don’t want someone you care about to be in harm’s way.”
In fact, Levine thinks the timing of the bombings was deliberately set to harm as many people as possible. A former distance runner himself, Levine knows how marathons are staged.

“Sometimes in these races, they stagger the start times and have the all-star runners go first, then there is a break, then another class of runners goes and another follows,” he said. “Anyone who did some homework would know that the vast majority of runners — the average runners who are not professionals — finish the Boston Marathon right at about the time that the bombs exploded. At that time, people are crossing the finish line en masse. And these are people who run purely because they love to run and want to be part of the Boston Marathon.

“So were the bombs intentionally set to explode then? Yes, I believe so.”

If there was any blessing in this, Levine said, it was that medical personnel were at the finish line waiting for runners and they immediately helped the injured.

David’s father, who was also a runner, sees other silver linings in the day’s events.

“In a moment, life can change.”

“In a moment, your whole life can change,” he said. “You start off in one direction and then it goes in another. It also reminds you of what is important and that is family, health and friendship. I am a rabbi and lead my congregation, but I am also a father and grandfather and tonight, I needed the support of my congregants. I went to a men’s study group and an executive board meeting and was surrounded by friends and supporters. Rabbis need that, too, you know.”
His son also got the support he needed.

“On my end, people were just remarkably kind and forthcoming,” the younger David said. “My phone has not stopped ringing for seven hours. It’s been calls, texts, Facebook. Everyone knew that I was doing this race. The congregation and my family and friends have been amazingly supportive today.”

But he still had to deal with the logistics of being two blocks from a terrorist attack. And he had just run 26.2 miles. He was hungry after the race, but when he tried to get something to eat in the hotel lobby, the police came in and “kicked us out of the hotel because they didn’t want large crowds gathering. They wouldn’t let me back in, even though I said that I was a guest.”
So he went to the house of his wife’s college roommate three or four blocks from the hotel and took refuge there for an hour, he said, before returning to the hotel.

“And then again I realized that I forgot to eat,” David said. He went in search of food, encountering a “horrible” scene outside, with barricades and police everywhere. He found an open restaurant,  a Cheesecake Factory, where there was an hour wait for seating. So he took something to go and returned to his hotel room.
David described his state just hours after the attack as” feeling dazed.”

“My body is, like, exhausted. Annihilated. The marathon is so emotional and you spend so much time preparing,” he said. “God willing it goes well and it’s an accomplishment. And I do feel that accomplishment. But then, there are people who died today and they died right outside my window.”

But he also had a different view he was trying to maintain.

“Today, we saw what looks like hate and violence. But what I also saw was a day of togetherness and community and caring and support — much like the Marathon itself,” he said. “Every marathon is about celebrating the human spirit and supporting one another. It’s about people from around the country and around the world, from different backgrounds and different religions running together. That is what I will remember from today, from before the bombing and right after it.
“Tragedy reduces things to the most primal and most important factors,” he said. “Family, friends, community and what strangers need help.”

In the attacks both on 9/11 and on Monday, he said, “we will see the best in humanity come out.”
“And one more thing: I will run the Boston Marathon next year,” David said. “Nothing will keep me from it.”

For more stories like this,  read today’s news and features at JTA, the Global News Service of the Jewish People.

They are our strength, our inspiration, our moms.  In tribute to Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 12), we look back (and forward) in celebration of Federation Women.

The year was 1946. Federation’s Women’s Division was born.

World War II was over. Jewish refugees were seeking new lives in America and in Israel.  The Jewish nation was yet to be born. And  in Detroit, our Jewish agencies confronted extraordinary needs.  Forty-one women decided to strengthen their participation in Federation and by forming the Women’s Division.

Door-to-door Federation solicitor, Mrs. Joseph Bale at the home of Mrs. Morton Lewis. Photo 1950

From strength to strength

From door to door, to dor v’dor (generation to generation), Federation’s Women have supported and served with the determination to help build and provide for a greater Jewish Detroit and to ensure the safety and well being of Jews in Israel and across the world.

From generation to generation

Diane Klein with daughter Barbara Zaltz

Susan Kaufman and daughter, Robin Trepeck

This Mother’s Day, honor the women in your life and bring the spirit of celebration to the deserving mothers that Jewish Family Service helps.  Make your tribute donation celebrating a mother, daughter, sister, aunt or friend in your life and The Joy Project will send them a beautiful recognition card.  To share the joy, we will also send a Mother’s Day gift to a woman in need in our community.  To make a tribute, call (248) 592-2339 or visit www.jfsjoyproject.org.

Many years ago at a Melton staff meeting, we were divided into two groups and asked to study a piece of text together (a method called chevruta, group study).  The idea was for us to interpret the piece and then explain it to the other group.  I do not remember what text my group was given. What I do remember was that during our chevruta time, the other group shushed us!

And, yes, it is true, we were very loud.

Study aloud

During the ensuing discussion, however, I brought up the fact that Torah study takes place in a Beit Midrash—a house of study, not in a library. Libraries are quiet places. They are for contemplation and individual focus. One goes to the library to read in undisturbed peace.  If a Beit Midrash is quiet, it is because it is empty! In a Beit Midrash the goal is to read a text together aloud, discuss, argue, read it again, perhaps see a new perspective, argue some more. . . . and at the end of the process come away with a deeper and better understanding—a way of seeing and thinking about the issue at hand that you would not have acquired without your study buddy’s help.

No man is an island, and no man or woman can really study Torah alone.

This lesson is taught in the Talmud (Tractate Kiddushin 30), where the rabbis explain Psalm 127:5, “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.” According to one interpretation, this verse means that, “Even father and son, master and disciple, who study Torah at the same gate [i.e., the same subject] become enemies of each other; yet they do not stir from there until they come to love each other.”

Father and son? Yes! When we engage in Torah we are obligated to argue, disagree and contradict our study partner, even if he or she is our parent, because we are searching for truth and meaning.

Although my classes do not get quite as loud as that long-ago chevruta (well, okay, maybe sometimes they do!), for me, the best part of teaching adults is always the discussion.  No matter what the subject—ethics, history, Talmud—we always study together and teach one another.

Bringing life experience to class

It would be easy for me, as the “expert” standing in the front of the room, to pontificate and “teach it as it is meant to be taught!”  But that is not the Jewish way.  Adult students bring life experience, formal education and professional expertise into the room and provide a perspective that no one else has.  We enrich one another, and I truly believe that I learn from my students as much as I teach them.  My favorite moment in each year in the Year One Melton class is when the students– who have come in shy, unsure, maybe nervous about being back in the classroom, definitely afraid of saying something stupid– begin to question and respond to one another’s comments , debating and discussing as if I were not there!  At that moment, the 20-some strangers in the class  have formed a large chevruta, teaching and learning from one another.  Quite often the students enjoy studying together so much that we try to schedule other classes that they can continue to attend together.

This past year, I decided to take the chevruta concept one step further. For a few years now I have had my own study buddy with whom I study Jewish texts every week. Rabbi Michele Faudem and I would get together with our Talmuds, Bibles, dictionaries and other sources and study for about 90 minutes.  We would read together, discuss, disagree, argue, laugh, read again, and maybe I would convince Michele of the correctness of my position.  Just as often she would convince me—and many times we’d have to “agree to disagree”—called teiku [stalemate] in the Talmud.

Study buddies

Well, one day Michele and I looked at each other and thought that we should take our act “on the road.” After all, studying in chevruta style is an acquired skill. You need to learn how to read for detail, ask questions, follow the logic of the rabbinic discussion, and really get inside the rabbis’ heads. It is much like a law student learning how to read a case and “think like a lawyer.”  We thought that perhaps we could offer a lunchtime class where the goal would be to teach not only content, but skills.

With the support of Judy Loebl, we began meeting with a small, but brave, group of women on Mondays from 11:45-1:00.  These students, guided by us, would pair or triple up, read a piece of Talmud, and dissect it—at first with lots of help from us through question sheets. As time went on, though, the students did not need our question sheets; they could tease out meaning and questions on their own. They were mastering the ancient skill of studying in chevruta.  And of course, it got loud!  Michele and I have created a Beit Midrash, and it has been amazing!

We learn in Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers (1:6), that a person should acquire a friend with whom to study.  We also are taught to “turn it and turn it: you will find everything in it.  Scrutinize it, grow old and gray in it, do not depart from it: there is no better portion in life than this” (5:24).  I have acquired many friends and students with whom to study– in Melton classes, FedEd courses and in the chevruta class.  We turn and turn Torah, always learning something new. We do so together. And loudly!

Get busy.  Find a project, volunteer, be an intern. You’ve taken all the advice you’ve been given to build your resume,  but when it comes down to getting that first foot in the door, your resume can often be the very thing that stands in the way.

How do you make your resume a standout?

“Look at your resume critically from the viewpoint of a prospective employer,” says Amy Brody. “Imagine that you have exactly 20 seconds to tell your story. Measure your words carefully, and make them clear.” Amy runs the College Student Internship (CSI) program, a community initiative that seeks to match Jewish college students with internships in Southeast Michigan.  As director of the program since its establishment in 2010, Amy has read hundreds of resumes to help students improve their presentation and land summer jobs.  “We all know it’s a tough market, especially for students and newbies to the workplace, but on paper resumes from candidates in college can all look the same.”  Here are some of the common pitfalls I see and a few tips that I share with students most frequently:

Keep your resume to one page.

This is not a hard and fast rule. What holds true is that the length should be appropriate for your experience. The rule of thumb is that less than five years of experience warrants only one page. Keep in mind that a second page can often be left on a printer or completely disregarded, which means relevant information could be ignored by a potential employer.

Be consistent.

Your formatting should enhance your resume and not complicate it. Whether you choose to use bulleted lists or short paragraphs, choose one and don’t switch back and forth. If you bold headings, bold them all; if you italicize job titles, make sure to do it throughout your resume.  Your resume should be easy to scan, and easy to read in a glance.

Be selective.

A resume is not a list of everything you’ve ever done since your bar mitzvah. Select the most relevant experiences that relate to the job for which you are applying. Think of your list as talking points in prep for your interview, and emphasize experience that are relevant to your objective or experiences that demonstrate specific and transferable skills needed for the job. If you have limited experience, it’s okay to highlight just one or two important ones that you can focus on in an interview. Be sure to consider your reason for including each experience on your resume.

Be specific.

Your resume is a snapshot of your achievements. Outline your contributions, not the responsibilities expected of the job. Add a level of detail that draws attention to your ability, initiative or individual skills.

Do your homework.

As resumes go, one size doesn’t fit all.Your resume works best when it focuses on the skills and experiences you bring to the responsibilities and deliverables of the job for which you are applying. Go online and learn as much as you can about your potential company. Study the words employers use to describe and prioritize the skills needed for the job that you are seeking. Custom-tailor your resume to clearly identify the skills which you can bring to the job.

Proof read.  No really, proofread your resume.  And proofread again.

Then, ask your friend to proofread it. Then, ask your mother to proofread it. You get the idea. Typos and grammatical errors on a resume are inexcusable. Many employers will immediately discard a resume if they see an error.

Email your resume as a PDF

If you are sending your resume to a potential employer electronically, make sure it is in PDF to avoid unwanted formatting changes. Be sure to have an internet-ready, text-only version as well for employers who take applications only via an online system that will not support any type of formatting in your document.

Search for sample resumes online.

There are thousands of resources available to help you craft the ideal resume, including most university career center websites. Just be sure to keep your resume appropriate for your level of experience. A college sophomore’s resume should look much different than the resume of someone who has been in the workforce for ten years.

About the College Student Internship Program

The College Student Internship Program (CSI) is volunteer-driven and designed to keep young Jewish talent in Michigan through internship opportunities. The program matches college students with a wide variety of internships in Southeastern Michigan.  If you are a college student seeking an internship this summer or an employer with an opportunity for bright, energetic college students in the community, please visit csinternships.org.

If a team of cheerleaders, a dietician and a coach followed you around the grocery store, would you pick the spinach or the ice cream?

For the folks involved in Jewish Family Service’s Wellness Empowers Program, having an entourage in their corner is making a difference – in their choices and in their pant sizes.

The year-long program kicked off in January and is already showing results. Many of the program’s 100 participants are losing weight, lowering their blood sugar and, most importantly, making choices that may help them live longer and happier lives, said JFS Wellness Empowers coordinator, Amy Singer.

Making an impact

“We are definitely making a difference in the community,” Singer said. The pilot program, funded by Novo Nordisk to empower people with Type 2 Diabetes, targets low-income people in the tri-county area, and provides free coaching, guidance and education on diet and exercise. “Everyone is assigned a health coach and peer group,” Singer said. “Some work with personal trainers.”

“Most low-income individuals wouldn’t have the opportunity to work with this caliber of experts at this level if it weren’t for the generous grant,” Singer said.

Groups in the Wellness Empowers program include participants representing all ages, cultures and faiths. They meet at the Gary Bernstein Clinic in Pontiac, Ferncare Clinic in Ferndale, Covenant Community Care in Royal Oak, Jewish Senior Life facilities and other community venues. Activities include food journaling, consulting cookbooks, using pedometers, food label instruction, cooking demos and more.

Gregg Smaltz, a 56-year-old participant from Southfield, found information on portion size, reading food labels and the importance of daily exercise particularly helpful. “I have lost 25 pounds,” says Smaltz, who has had diabetes for 25 years. “I am feeling better and have more energy.”

“Lifestyle choices are an enormous part of the health equation, but physicians are often hard-pressed to address those issues in the limited time and interaction they have with patients,” observes cardiologist Joel Kahn, a clinical professor of medicine at Wayne State University’s medical school.

Kahn talked to Wellness Empowers participants about food choices and lifestyle. “It’s estimated that more than half of all cases of diabetes, heart disease and cancer are caused by poor lifestyle and can even be reversed,” Kahn says. “If you can take the time for a few hours of lectures and demos on lifestyle, that can be more influential than the most powerful medicines we have.”

Currently, numbers of people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are rising, with trends disturbingly showing that more, and younger, people have the disease or are at risk for it.

According to the National Diabetes Fact Sheet 2011 published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 25.8 million children and adults in the United States—8.3% of the population—have diabetes. Another 79 million people are on the verge with “pre-diabetes.” Diabetes contributes to heart and kidney disease, stroke, neural disorders, blindness and amputations. The disease cost Americans $245 million in 2012, and average medical expenditures among people with diabetes were 2.3 times higher than those without.

Getting to the meat of the problem

Programs like Wellness Empowers get to “the meat of the problem,” Kahn says. Helping people change their lifestyle in manageable – and affordable – ways is the key to turning around their health and prolonging lives. “Most people want to be healthy,” Singer says.  “They just don’t know where to begin. Getting healthy doesn’t require a giant leap, but rather a series of tiny steps that start with education.”

“A lot of people didn’t know what a ‘carbohydrate’ was before they started with us,” Singer says. “Or they never realized that drinking several cans of pop a day isn’t good for you. There’s a lot we do in our daily lives that seems normal to us until someone shows you otherwise.”

Conversely, there is a lot of misinformation out there about what it means to be “healthy.”  Since she was diagnosed with diabetes in 1998, Nancy Gerendasy knew she could be eating better – but for some reason, she just wasn’t. When she started the Wellness Empowers program, she admits her sugar levels were crazily high – 245! What made the difference for the 65-year-old participant is the education – learning to read labels to make more discerning food choices.

“I was floundering in learning how to be diabetic, even though I’ve been diabetic since 1998,” says Gerendasy.  “[In Wellness Empowers program], I met people in the same boat that I am.  It has helped. When I started, my blood sugar numbers were high, way over 200, now they are much better. My medication was changed and last Monday my number was 125. I am going to make sure that my numbers are good.”

What made the difference? “Knowing that I have to tell somebody once or twice a month what my numbers are,” she says. Also, “reading the labels of everything [has helped] and knowing what total carbs are. Sugar is part of the carbohydrates. I look at total carbs and see what the numbers are and if I can eat it or not. I look at calories and fat grams. If it’s too high, I walk right by.”

“People think that in order to be healthy, you have to be wealthy,” Singer notes. Singer took her group to Meijer’s on a field trip and many people were surprised at what they could afford on a limited budget. Grocery store personnel incorporated lessons on using WIC coupons and Bridge cards to buy healthy foods,” she said.

The hope is that, after a year, the good habits learned will last a lifetime.

“It’s very rewarding to watch clients make healthy choices and lead healthier lives,” Singer said.

Posted by Lynne Meredith Golodner, Public Relations consultant for Jewish Family Service and the launch of of Wellness Empowers.

Last year, the Jewish communal agencies that serve older adults – Jewish Senior Life (JSL), Jewish Family Service (JFS), JVS and the Jewish Community Center, with support from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit – launched a collaborative effort to serve older adults efficiently and easily.

Meeting the Boom

While each agency functions independently to serve the needs of older adults in specific ways, the organizations agreed that it was imperative to come together in response to the unprecedented needs of the community’s growing population of vibrant seniors.

“Older adults today are independent, dynamic and working, playing and thriving well into their later years,” says Carol Rosenberg, Director, Jewish Senior Life Foundation. “We are serving the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers, redefining what aging looks and feels like. The services we and our sister agencies must provide are changing and adapting to meet their needs.”

Harold Israel

The collaborative effort is known as One Number, a single phone number (248-661-1836) where community members can find answers, direction and services to whatever the older adult in their life requires. The last four digits – 1836 – are symbolic of chai and double-chai. (That’s twice the life, according to Hebrew numerology, where the number 18 stands for the Hebrew word chai, which means life).

The collaboration is important. According to Amy Singer, from Jewish Family Service, the One Number has been effective in  directing several referrals to her agency for the new Wellness Empowers program designed to help people with Type 2 Diabetes lead healthier lives.

May is Older Americans Month

The month of May is nationally known as Older Americans Month, which was created by the U.S. Administration on Aging in 1963 to recognize older Americans as productive, active and influential members of our society. At that time, only 17 million Americans had reached the age of 65. Then, one-third of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their unique needs. It was under President John F. Kennedy’s direction that the National Council of Senior Citizens designated May as “Senior Citizens Month,” the precursor to what we celebrate today.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter changed it to Older Americans Month – which has become a time to acknowledge the contributions of older adults in our country. Across the country, Older Americans are celebrated in May with ceremonies, events, fairs and other programs.

This year’s theme is “Unleashing the Power of Age,” an apt theme for what happens locally to celebrate older Americans. To honor older adults in our community, two local events will be held.

Jewish Senior Life, in partnership with the JCC, Jewish Family Service, JVS and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, will host the Bessie Spector z”l Oldest Jewish Americans Brunch, May 3, to recognize adults 95 years of age and older.  Sponsored by Jewish Senior Life, Eight Over Eighty takes place May 19 and celebrates eight remarkable octogenarians and their lifelong involvement in the local community. Both events are open to the public.

“It’s important for people to realize how valuable these individuals are,” says Barbra Giles, JSL Associate Director. “These older adults are the building blocks of our community.”

Nettie Stein, Jack Adelman, Delores Wulff, Rose Breitberg

Jewish Detroit celebrates and nurtures older adults in many ways. Here’s a snapshot of what we have to offer our oldest community members:

Jewish Senior Life: Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older adults through programs and services that support aging with dignity and choice, and maximize independence. With offices in Oak Park and West Bloomfield, JSL connects people with services through ONE NUMBER for all things: 248-661-1836. All of JSL’s programs and services can be found at www.jslmi.org.

The Active Life, JCC: The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, at both the Oak Park and West Bloomfield campuses, offers a full range of programs, events and activities for the Active Life to help adults “age in place.”  Activities include mind-stimulating clubs, lectures, body-focused dances, meals and health programs; heart-engaging music and memory-inspiring programs; and spiritual offerings like holiday observances and classes. There are also opportunities for socialization through discussion groups and trips. Find The Active Life at www.jccdet.org.

Jewish Family Service: Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit serves a wide array of individuals and families, among them older adults. Its services for older adults include geriatric case management, home care, Holocaust survivor assistance, emergency financial assistance, transportation, mental health counseling, meals on wheels, housing and legal assistance, immigration and citizenship services, translation services, caregiver support, ElderCare Solutions of Michigan. Find JFS at www.jfsdetroit.org.

JVS: JVS helps people meet life changes affecting self-sufficiency through counseling, training and support services in accordance with Jewish values. Older adult services include Senior Service Corps, Memory Club, the Dorothy & Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Care Program in Southfield and more. Learn more at www.jvsdet.org.

The Dorothy & Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Care Program Two Sites – One Program: Led by Peter Ostrow, the Brown Center, a service of Jewish Senior Life, is located on the Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus in West Bloomfield. It serves older adults with memory disorders. Its programs – enhanced by a donor gift which funds more programs like art therapy with Lorraine Feber and yoga therapy with Marla Horwitz and Lynn Medow – are designed to enhance self-esteem, well-being and dignity. Its programs enable family members to keep loved ones living at home, enhance quality of life and reduce the need for paid caregivers for older adults. Activities include arts and crafts, entertainment, baking, exercise, music, dancing, field trips, pets, gardening, drama and holiday celebrations. For more information, go to www.jslmi.org/services/brown-day-care-program/.

Older Americans Month Local Events

May 3

The Bessie Spector z”l  Oldest Jewish Americans Brunch

The Greatest Generation: We Honor Our Stars

11 a.m.

Congregation Shaarey Zedek  (27375 Bell Road, Southfield)

For Information: Beth Tryon, 248-592-5026, btryon@jslmi.org

May 19

Eight Over Eighty

11:30 a.m.

Adat Shalom Synagogue  (29901 Middlebelt Rd., Farmington Hills)

Tickets: $80 for adults, $40 for children under 18

For Information: Michelle Buda, 248-592-1101

Eight Over Eighty honorees include Barbara Cantor, Martin Hollander, Joan Jampel, Dr. Ruben Kurnetz, Sara Manson, Samuel Pruchno, Estelle Seltzer and Dr. Ronald Trunsky.

-Posted by Lynne Meredith Golodner,  public relations consultant to Jewish Senior Life..

His positive energy is boundless, an inspiration to everyone he meets. The image of health and fitness, at total ease with his body, Jordan Levin seems a natural for his current vocation: running “kick-butt” fitness classes in his own gym. To watch him at work, you’d never imagine the trauma at the start of his life. Born three months premature, weighing in at 31 ounces, Jordan has been a fighter since the moment he drew his first breath.

Against the odds, Jordan survived a series of operations in his first year of life. It was not until he turned two that he was diagnosed to be profoundly deaf. Experts said he’d never talk and never read beyond the level of fourth grade. Yet even as a toddler, Jordan had an innate and uncanny ability to read lips.  With the encouragement and determination of his parents, Jordan learned to speak, attended school with hearing peers, competed and excelled in sports, and worked to help others achieve in a world he, himself, could not hear.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in business from Michigan State, Jordan pursued a number of entrepreneurial ventures before finding his calling as a motivational speaker and fitness trainer. Jordan is owner of CrossFit Bloomfield, an independent franchise business that he launched in his parents’ garage in 2009.  Jordan’s wife, Hillary, joined the business in 2010 and together the couple devote seven days week to helping people become more physically fit. They also run the Jordan Levin Childhood Obesity Foundation, a charitable organization working to motivate young people to overcome challenges and to live healthier lives.

Jordan is the subject of the book We Were Relentless, written by his father, Martin Levin, and of the current documentary Speak for Yourself: The Jordan Levin Story.

Jordan Levin, life coach and owner, CrossFit Bloomfield

On his start in life

myJewishDetroit: Jordan, your start in life was an “adventure” to say the least. Your story is well documented in your father’s memoir, We Were Relentless: A Family’s Journey to Overcome Disability. Relentless is the word that seems to describe your own philosophy of life.  What does relentless means to you?

Jordan: For me, being relentless is never taking no for an answer. No matter what obstacle is thrown at you, you push back and you learn to adapt to the situation and move forward.   Relentless means reaching one goal, finding the next, then the next.

Success for me isn’t about money. It’s personal. It’s the satisfaction I find doing what I do for people right here in my gym: teaching members how much they can do when then take just one positive step at a time. When they say they can’t do this or that, I say, “Sure you can! Try it this way first, how does that feel? Then next time try a little bit more weight and resistance. Take the previous experience and train from there.”

myJewishDetroit:  Knowing when to push seems like a good skill for a fitness trainer.  Do you think that’s something you learned from your parents? What role did sports play in your childhood?

My dad was a good athlete; he played hockey and skied. I just picked up his enthusiasm, I guess. Growing up with sports helped me be independent and stay focused and involved with school.

Both my parents were adamant about giving me every opportunity to reach my potential.  Their goal in life in was to help me be as normal as possible

But it took a lot of work. And believe me, when my parents would say “jump,” I was encouraged to jump.  But the difference was that they were always there, they were the ones who jumped ahead, to push me and catch me.

“When my parents would say ‘jump,’ I was encouraged to jump.”

On life lessons

myJewishDetroit: Jordan, as anyone who meets you can see, you’ve well exceeded your parents’ goals for you. How have your challenges inspired you and how do you define “normal?”

What is normal? Well, deaf is my normal. My hearing impairment was never a disability because by the time I realized I was truly different, I had conquered most of the major obstacles. As I became aware of my deafness, I knew that I couldn’t change the fact, and if I were going to be successful, feeling sorry for myself wasn’t going to help.

Most kids don’t get the kind of support that I did from my parents. I would say that my childhood was happy, because my father and mother did all the worrying for me. They would go to my teachers and insist that they treat me just like everyone else in the class. Then they’d come home and ask me, “Hey, Jordan what did you do in class today?”  And I would take out the lesson plans and we’d go through everything covered in class for the day — all over again. Over and over, they asked how much did I actually get.

My parents taught me to read, not just in school, but to read for pleasure – to learn more vocabulary. It wasn’t until high school when I used the word ‘flabbergasted’ that they relaxed and realized I was actually learning stuff on my own. And, they got a real kick out of that.

myJewish Detroit: You have a gift for reading lips. How did you learn and perfect that skill? What do you see that most people cannot?

Lip reading is something that came naturally to me.  Over the years, I’ve learned how to ask people to make accommodations. At MSU, I once had a professor who had a thick beard and a thick accent and it was very hard for me because I couldn’t read his vocal chords or his facial expressions – so I tried to get out of that class. I found a different professor– and took a seat in the front of the class so I could see what was going on.

It’s all about being able to adapt to situations. Here in the gym, I’m with different people with different backgrounds every day. Sometimes it can be hard to understand them.  Actually, we all have that problem, don’t we?

 On Fitness training

myJewishDetroit: You graduated from Michigan State with a B.A. in Business, and recently received “The Outstanding Alumnus Award.” Back in college, did you imagine you would run your own fitness facility.  How did you start?

No, I never envisioned this in college. I had been a personal trainer for eight years and was doing a lot of one-on-one training when I came across CrossFit. My brother in Miami called me and said that he had just gotten the workout of his life in this gym called CrossFit. I checked it out, inquired about training, then got my certification in Toronto. Two weeks later, I set up a gym in dad’s two-car garage.  That was in 2009, the same year Hillary and I were married. In 2010, Hillary became a certified trainer, and here we are:  five trainers running fitness classes for all levels of ability, seven days a week, in a 6000-square-foot gym in Bloomfield . . .  200 members strong and growing.

myJewishDetroit: How is CrossFit training different from other workouts?

We teach people how to move better, how to exercise more efficiently, more effectively. We teach them  body awareness  instead of mindless reps.  We stress functional movements from the standpoint of picking things up and putting them back down, taking these movements and bringing them all together.  And most importantly, we teach that fitness and strength training can be fun.

Jordan and Hillary Levin

On making your mark in Detroit

myJewishDetroit: An advocate for children with special needs and a  frequent speaker for Federation’s Opening the Doors Program, you have a special interest in helping kids meet their potential. What inspired you to start the Jordan Levin Childhood Obesity Foundation?

The idea behind the Foundation is to help economically challenged families make healthier choices – to fight obesity one child at a time. What we do is network with a number of local hospitals that already have obesity prevention programs. The Foundation provides the funding to send overweight children to into various clinical weight management programs to achieve their weight loss goals.  There’s a program going on right now where we’ve sponsored a few children participating in the “Active U Just for Kids Obesity Project at the McLaren Oakland Children’s Clinic. We do what we can do, but we need more resources for putting it all together.

myJewishDetroit: What inspires you, what’s next for you?

Jordan:  The sky is the limit. I am living proof of the advice my mentor, Ciwa Griffiths, gave my parents, “If someone tells you that your hearing impaired child can’t do something, don’t you believe it.”

I think of the line in the prologue of the book, We Were Relentless. There’s the quote from Satchel Page, “Don’t look back. Something may be gaining on you.”  For me, it’s about giving all you got. Waking up every day with a smile, to tackle the day and go for it. Each day is not going to go as planned. You are going to have to run with it. I tell my wife that all the time.

The sky is the limit. I am living proof of the advice my mentor, Ciwa Griffiths, gave my parents, “If someone tells you that your hearing impaired child can’t do something, don’t you believe it.”

Hillary joins the conversation: Everyone who walks through our doors has their own goals and journey to push through. We are on that journey with them every day. As young people are coming back to the city of Detroit, we feel we’re part of the resurgence, building a community right here in our gym, which has actually become an extension of our family. It’s such a wonderful, supportive community. People are so encouraging of each other, people who might not have known each other, people from all walks of life,  come together to workout here. And watching that on a day-to-day basis is so rewarding.

Jordan: At the end of the day — I always tell Hillary — it comes down to who can we help. If we can help one person – someone who didn’t know how to eat right, or who never worked out – if we can help that person achieve a goal or improve by some small measure every day, I’d say we’re doing our job. It’s not about the money aspect, it’s about being able to go to sleep at night and knowing you kicked somebody’s ass, but you helped them.

 Favorites:

Restaurant: The Root, White Lake Michigan; Ellen’s Bakery, Sylvan Lake

Building in the Detroit skyline; The Fisher Building

Workouts: 3 to 5 hours weekly

Best Healthy Meal Recommendations: We always try to eat real foods.  Generally, we think in terms of Protein, Carb and good Fats. Examples: A protein shake for breakfast; a salad for lunch; chicken, sweet potato and avocado for dinner.  However, we have to have our dark chocolate everyday.

Jewish food: Chocolate covered matzoh

Reading now:

Alex Cross Run, by James Patterson

Opening the Doors Celebrates its 18^th Anniversary Year

An evening of celebration in recognition of  the families, educators, friends and supporters helping to Make a Difference for nearly 1000 children with special needs in the Jewish community.  Recipients of the Opening the Doors Make a Difference Award are Mary Must, Madelon and Lou Seligman.  Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Southfield. There will be a light buffet, program and Dessert Reception. Donation: $18

» Click here to register.

What does it mean to be “Chosen?”  Why us? What is kosher? What is the significance of a Bar Mitzvah? What do we mean when we pray? What are the significant moments that have shaped Jewish history?  And what do ancient scholars have to say that still holds true today? These are some of the many questions Melton students discuss.

For Leslie Black,  it’s a never ending quest for Jewish knowledge. “For me, Jewish learning is a lifelong commitment. Melton was simply what got me started.”

For Susan Yesenko, Melton has been a great adventure, culminating in the first-ever Detroit Melton Scholar’s Journey to Israel. “It was a thrill to walk in the path of ancient scholars and to stand together at the Southern Wall Excavations.”

According to Carol Gers, it was everything she didn’t know but was afraid to ask about Judaism. “This class is the best thing I have ever done for myself. Otherwise, I would have had to go to countless sources and classes. The answers are all here.”

Marking 10 Years of Excellence

On Thursday, June 13, 2013 the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning of Metro Detroit will mark its first decade with a gala celebration of its 2013 graduating class. This year, 42 students will join the ranks of the Detroit Melton School’s 1,000 graduates. Another highlight of the event will be the presentation of the prestigious “Florence Melton Award” in recognition of the “highest standards of education, leadership and support within the community.”

The award originally was presented last January at the Annual International Directors Conference held in Israel. Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education, director of adult education and Melton Director, Judy Silberg Loebl, and Melton Assistant Director, Gail Greenberg, represented Federation at the conference.

A model school, internationally recognized

All smiles in anticipation of this year’s Melton celebration, Loebl explains, “The Melton School is the cornerstone of Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education’s adult education (FedEd) programs. With more than 75 Melton School programs in English speaking countries around the world, the Detroit Melton School is the fourth to be recognized since the award was established in 2009. This award recognizes one outstanding Melton school in the world that meets the high standards established by Florence Melton. It was a thrilling and proud moment for us to represent our city and the Detroit Federation on the world stage in Israel!”

Loebl first learned that the Detroit Melton School was to receive the award in October while on a mission to Israel with a group of Melton students. Melton Director of Education, Rabbi Morey Schwartz,  shared the closely guarded secret while the Detroiters were visiting Schwartz’s home in Jerusalem.

In presenting the award, Judy Mars Kupchan, Chief Executive Officer of the international school stated, “The Melton School of the Detroit Federation, Alliance for Jewish Education, is the model that has raised the bar for Melton organization as a whole.”

At the ceremony, Loebl accepted the award on behalf of the entire Detroit Jewish community with praise for the leadership of the Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Center, thanked the rabbis in Detroit for their ongoing support, and applauded the outstanding faculty and staff.  She concluded by dedicating the award to Detroit’s community of learners.

“We want the Detroit Jewish Community to celebrate this achievement so we are planning a very special awards presentation at the 10th annual Melton Graduation,” remarked Jeffrey Lasday, Director of Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Federation.  “I’ve been involved with the Melton School program in three other communities and Detroit’s program is second to none.”

Kupchan and Gordon Zacks, son of Florence Melton and International Chairman of the board of the Melton School, will be on hand to present the award. Plans are to call to the stage everyone who has made Melton in Detroit a success through the years, including Federation and JCC representatives, past Melton directors, current and former faculty members, and Melton staff.  “We hope to have a stage full of people, just like when they give the acceptance speech for “Best Picture” at the Academy Awards.” exclaimed Linda Lee, Chair of the Detroit Melton Advisory Committee.

The graduation also will be marking ten years of graduations “and beyond.”  The beyond refers to, and acknowledges, the two years that the Melton program was offered in the early 1990s.

Two honorary degrees also will be presented recognizing Mark Lit, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Center of Metro Detroit on behalf of the Center in recognition of its commitment to adult Jewish education and to Beverly Baker, adult learner and President of The Morris and Beverly Baker Foundation.

The graduation is free and open to the public. A gala dinner and speaker is planned prior to the graduation. For information, or to learn more about the award winning Melton School of Detroit,  call 248-205-2557 or jewishdetroit.org/melton.

The Beverly Hills Club, Beverly Hills, MI [MAP]

Our afternoon of fun, friendship and food is for all generations! Swimming, bingo, gym activities and games from 3:00 to 5:00 pm; then enjoy our Around-the-World Buffet dinner followed by gym activities, games, inflatables and a XRKADE full of Wii, PlayStation and X-Box activities from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

$25 per adult, $15 per child ages 6-12, children 5 and under are free. Advanced registration to (248) 851-6880 is required by April 22.

Temple Kol Ami, West Bloomfield [MAP]

Bagels & Basics are a series of informal, stand-alone, adult education workshops. Kol Ami is fortunate to have Dr. Joel M. Hoffman as our teacher this month. His topic is “A Short History of the Hebrew Language” based on his book, In the Beginning. Please RSVP to julie@tkolami.org if you plan to attend.

Congregation Shir Tikvah, Troy [MAP]

Dinner at 6:00 pm, Service at 7:15 pm

Join us and enjoy an evening of singing, laughing and praying together for our spring Prospective Member and Music Shabbat Service! We also invite you to celebrate the annual “Prospective Member” Music Shabbat with a Cinco de Mayo Taco Bar dinner prior to the service (dinner served at 6:00 pm). Taco filling choices will include meat, bean or cheese options with MUCHO toppings of love! Side dishes of Spanish rice and corn will round out the menu. All of this for the low price of $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children over the age of six.

RSVP to lorelei@shirtikvah.org by Wednesday, April 24th. “Si” you there!

Laurel Park Place Mall, Livonia [MAP]

Volunteer hours are needed throughout the day to assist with this community-wide fundraising book sale. Volunteer hours through Federation’s Tikkun Olam Volunteers (TOV) benefit the Jewish Community Relations Council’s literacy programs.

This is a great opportunity to volunteer for students, family and friends too!

» Click here to sign up for a shift.

Berman Center for the Performing Arts, West Bloomfield [MAP]

Please join the JCC’s SAJE (Seminars for Adult Jewish Enrichment) for Journeys in Judaism, a three-part series about extraordinary ideas, discoveries and concepts that are shaping the Jewish community and the world. Speakers include an Orthodox rabbi, a Conservative rabbi and a Reform rabbi.

The first program will be 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 22, and will feature Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson, president of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, speaking on “Jewish Pluralism: Are There Limits?”

Future events in the series include Rabbi Simon Jacobson on May 6 and Rabbi Shai Held on May 20.

Tickets are $22 for the entire series for JCC members/$28 for non-members, or $9 a lecture per person for JCC members/$11 for non-members.

To purchase tickets, visit theberman.org or call (248) 661-1900.

Temple Beth El, Bloomfield Hills [MAP]

An event in celebration of the 100th Centennial of Women of Reform Judaism and in honor of Lois Freeman for her commitment to Sisterhood and the Jewish community. The day features boutique shopping, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., with lunch and program at Noon in the Temple’s Handleman Hall. Luncheon is $25; $36 for Angels. For reservations, make checks payable and mail to the Sisterhood at Temple Beth El. For more information, call Janelle McCammon at (248) 642-1435.

Congregation Beth Shalom, Oak Park [MAP]

Celebrate Israel’s 65th birthday with falafel and all the fixin’s and Israeli dancing. Free, but reservations are requested. Call (248) 547-7970 or email cbs@congbethshalom.org.

Detroit Farm and Garden, Detroit [MAP]

CommunityNEXT, in partnership with Repair the World, is excited to announce the second round of the Do It For Detroit Fund (Di4D) micro-grant awards. This specific micro-grant competition will focus on environmental initiatives in Detroit that create meaningful volunteer opportunities for young adults.

Special Collections Room, David Adamany Undergraduate Library, Wayne State University [MAP]

This vast collection of ritual objects, household items, children’s toys and souvenirs highlighting the rich religious and cultural life of American Jews over the past century is presented by The Cohn-Haddow Center. The opening features Ms. Harris with special guest speaker Professor Ori Z Soltes.

No charge to attend. Bus transportation is available from JHSM. $16 per person. RSVP to (248) 432-5517.

Throughout the day across the community, women like you will make a difference. Sign up for one or more classes and treat yourself to an hour of exercise, health and wellness, and/or nutritional education. All ages and beginners are welcome in every class.

A minimum pledge of $18 to Federation’s 2013 Annual Campaign is required to participate. If you have already made your pledge, no additional pledge or payment is required.

For a class schedule and to sign up, go to www.stretchtohelp.org

Questions? Contact Rachel Robinson in the Women’s Department at (248) 205-2544 or rrobinson@jfmd.org

Jewish Community Center of Oak Park [MAP]

Join Hillel of Metro Detroit as we celebrate a traditional Shabbat. Enjoy the company of other college students and young adults before the start of finals! Cost is $8 to be paid in advance. Dinner will be held at the Oak Park JCC and Shabbat housing is available upon request. Please RSVP by Wednesday, April 10. For more information, contact Neil at hilleled@wayne.edu or (313) 577-3459.

Local Kitchen & Bar, Ferndale [MAP]

Save the date to celebrate Israel’s 65th birthday like never before! Dance the night away with other Jewish young adults for our first ever Yom Ha’atzmaut bash! It’s a Blue & White party, so wear your colors! Don’t miss the hottest night of the year and celebrate Israel’s big day!

>> Click here to register.

Parents and students of grades 7 and 8 are invited to come and find out more about what goes on in High School at Akiva. Join us at our Get to Know Night at the home of Mikey and Ariella Skoczylas. Free giveaways, refreshments, and more!

For more information, call Ariella at (248) 386-1625, x 245 or eMail skoczylasa.akiva@gmail.com.

Jewish Community Center of Oak Park [MAP]

Please join the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit in Oak Park for a community-wide project, “The Colors of Kindness.” Presented by the JCC’s The Active Life department, this program will feature renowned artist Daniel Cascardo, who will create the outlines of a painting to be completed by everyone in attendance and then permanently exhibited at the JCC in Oak Park. Live entertainment by Rennie Kaufman. Light refreshments will be served. Suggested donation: $3 per person ($1 minimum).

For more information, call (248) 967-4030.

Max M. Fisher Federation Building, Bloomfield Hills [MAP]

Join instructor Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz for this study of the history of Jews in Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Libya. Mondays for eight weeks. Tuition: $140

To register call (248) 205-2557 or eMail feded@jfmd.org

Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, Detroit [MAP]

Do you want to be perfect? If you answered ‘yes,’ or if you answered ‘no,’ but you’re curious about how others achieve perfection, then please join us for this three-part series that breaks down the seven mystical steps one takes to achieve perfection. Learn about the balance between Kindness and Discipline, learn about the roots of Nobility, Endurance, Splendor and so much more. Join us for a lively discussion as we learn what it takes to achieve perfection, or at least move closer to it. Delicious pizza lunch provided by Partners in Torah. For more information visit www.downtownsynagogue.org

This week-long program features different events taking place across the community at various times throughout the week. If you are interested in family-friendly activities, Jewish education, touring the Detroit area, cooking and more—there will be something for everyone!

With a minimum donation to Federation’s 2013 Annual Campaign, you are eligible to attend one or more events.

» Visit jewishdetroit.org/federationdays for more information.

Holocaust Memorial Center, Farmington Hills [MAP]

Join Hillel of Metro Detroit as we commemorate the memory of the Holocaust victims at the Yom Ha’Shoah Community Ceremony and tour the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills. Share this moving and significant experience with other young adults. Event chaired by Sam Noveck. Cost is $5. Please RSVP by Wednesday, April 3. For more information, contact Brett at hillel@oakland.edu.

Berman Center for the Performing Arts, West Bloomfield [MAP]

Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit presents the 15th Annual Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival April 7-18.

The event features more than 30 films to be shown at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts. These will include Torn, the story of a priest who learns that he was born Jewish; Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story, about the hero at Entebbe; Blank Bullet, a thriller; The Other Son, the story of an Israeli and a Palestinian switched at birth; the original Tevye, with Maurice Schwartz; and AKA Doc Pomus, the story of one of the greatest songwriters and blues singers who ever lived.

Patron Night will feature filmmaker Ben Peter from Life in Stills. Peter is the manager of the PhotoHouse, a collection of more than 1 million negatives detailing the history of Israel. Life in Stills tells the story of the archives and of the relationship between Ben Peter and his grandmother, 96-year-old Miriam Weissenstein.

For a complete list of films, visit www.jccdet.org. To become a patron, contact Rachel Ruskin at (248) 432-5658 or rruskin@jccdet.org. To purchase tickets, go to theberman.org or call (248) 661-1900.

A news feature from the JTA, the Global News Service of the Jewish People

(JTA) – Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentinian cardinal who was elected pope and will take the name Francis, is said to have a good relationship with Argentinian Jews.

Newly elected Pope Francis I waving to the crowd on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, March 2013.

Bergoglio, 76, a Jesuit, was the choice of the College of Cardinals on Wednesday following two days of voting in Vatican City. He is the first pope to come from outside Europe in more than a millennium; reflecting the changing demographics of Catholics, he comes from Latin America.

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio attended Rosh Hashanah services at the Benei Tikva Slijot synagogue in September 2007.

Rabbi David Rosen, the director of interfaith affairs for the American Jewish Committee, told JTA that the new pope is a “warm and sweet and modest man” known in Buenos Aires for doing his own cooking and personally answering his phone.

After the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in 1994, he “showed solidarity with the Jewish community,” Rosen said.

In 2005, Bergoglio was the first public personality to sign a petition for justice in the AMIA bombing case. He also was one of the signatories on a document called “85 victims, 85 signatures” as part of the bombing’s 11th anniversary. In June 2010, he visited the rebuilt AMIA building to talk with Jewish leaders.

“Those who said Benedict was the last pope who would be a pope that lived through the Shoah, or that said there would not be another pope who had a personal connection to the Jewish people, they were wrong,” Rosen said.

Soon after the chimney of the Sistine Chapel sent up a puff of white smoke signifying that the cardinals had selected a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, Francis addressed thousands of faithful from the balcony of St. Peter’s Baslica.

“Buonasera,” he told them, saying “Good evening” in Italian, and thanked his fellow cardinals for going “almost to the ends of the earth” to find him.

Benedict was the first pontiff to step down since 1415.

Pope Francis I, right, was the archbishop of Buenos Aires when he met with Claudio Epelman, executive director of the Latin American Jewish Congress, in Buenos Aires in 2012. (Courtesy Latin American Jewish Conference)

Israel Singer, the former head of the World Jewish Congress, said he spent time working with Bergoglio when the two were distributing aid to the poor in Buenos Aires in the early 2000s, part of a joint Jewish-Catholic program called Tzedaka.

“We went out to the barrios where Jews and Catholics were suffering together,” Singer told JTA. “If everyone sat in chairs with handles, he would sit in the one without. He was always looking to be more modest. He’s going to find it hard to wear all these uniforms.”

Bergoglio also wrote the foreward of a book by Rabbi Sergio Bergman, a Buenos Aires legislator, and referred to him as “one of my teachers.”

Last November, Bergoglio hosted a Kristallnacht memorial event at the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral with Rabbi Alejandro Avruj from the NCI-Emanuel World Masorti congregation.

He also has worked with the Latin American Jewish Congress and held meetings with Jewish youth who participate in its New Generations program.

“The Latin American Jewish Congress has had a close relationship with Jorge Bergoglio for several years,” Claudio Epelman, executive director of the Latin American Jewish Congress, told JTA. “We know his values and strengths. We have no doubt he will do a great job leading the Catholic Church.”

In his visit to the Buenos Aires synagogue, according to the Catholic Zenit news agency, Bergoglio told the congregation that he was there to examine his heart “like a pilgrim, together with you, my elder brothers.”

“Today, here in this synagogue, we are made newly aware of the fact that we are a people on a journey and we place ourselves in God’s presence,” Zenit quoted the then-archbishop as saying. “We must look at him and let him look at us, to examine our heart in his presence and to ask ourselves if we are walking blamelessly.”

Renzo Gattegna, the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, offered Italian Jewry’s congratulations to the new pope with the “most fervent wishes” that his pontificate could bring “peace and brotherhood to all humanity.”

In particular, Gattegna voiced the hope that there would be a continuation “with reciprocal satisfaction” of “the intense course of dialogue that the Jews have always hoped for and that has been also realized through the work of the popes who have led the church in the recent past.”

If you like this story, read today’s news and features at JTA, the Global News Service of the Jewish People.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia with my 17-year-old daughter, Rachel, to learn about the lives of the Ethiopian Jews who made aliyah to Israel as part of Operation Moses in 1984 and Operation Solomon in 1991, and to see and experience the lives of Ethiopian Jews today as they await their turn to make aliyah in the next several months. The trip was sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI).  We were privileged to have Micha Feldmann,  the Jewish Agency representative and Israeli consul to Ethiopia, as our guide for the journey.  In his role as consul for more than a decade, Micha had coordinated the immigration to Israel of thousands of Ethiopian Jews.

Incredible journey: Tracing the footsteps of a modern day Exodus in Ethiopia, mother and daughter
Carolyn and Rachel Tisdale stand on the hillside in the village of Gondar.

We visited villages such as Ambober, once home to over 150 Jewish families.  Although there are no longer Jews living in the village, the synagogue with the Star of David on the roof still stands.  We saw fields plowed with oxen, children tending livestock and a school with lessons drawn on the walls because not everyone can afford textbooks.  It was easy to imagine our ancestors living much the same way, as shepherds and farmers, hundreds of years ago.

Asher’s story

While overlooking the mountainous terrain of northern Ethiopia, we heard the story of Asher.  Asher is the JAFI representative in Gondar.  He grew up in a small village near Gondar where he worked as a shepherd on the family’s farm. In 1984, Jewish Agency agents working in Ethiopia told the people that if they could get to Sudan, they would be brought to Israel.  In preparation for the journey, Asher, at the age of 12, got his first pair of shoes.  Because emigration was illegal, Asher’s family had to walk only at night and hide in caves during the day.  The children were warned not to utter a word on the march so that they would not be heard and arrested by the police.  The march took three weeks and they walked hundreds of miles.  Some died along the way.

Asher, representative for the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) in Gondar, tells the story of his flight to Israel during Operation Solomon in 1984.

At the Sudanese border, they were arrested and brought to a refugee camp.  After 10 months in the refugee camp, Asher and his family arrived in Israel and were placed in an absorption center.  At 13, Asher attended school for the first time.  He graduated from college and served as a soldier in the paratrooper brigade.  More than 25 years after leaving Ethiopia, Asher,with his wife and two children, returned to Gondar to run the JAFI operation there and to help others realize their dream of returning to Israel.

Morning prayers at the synagogue in the Jewish Community Center in Gondar

 Our prayers are the same

In Gondar, we joined the Jewish community for morning prayers at the synagogue in the Jewish Community Center run by JAFI.  It was an amazing sight to see hundreds of men covered in tallitot and wearing tefillin, and hundreds of women covered in white linen cloth.  Although the floor was dirt, the roof was sheet metal and the seats were long metal benches, the prayers were the same.  We spent time with the children, playing with coloring books, stickers and bubbles that we brought for them.  The children especially loved looking at their pictures on our digital cameras.

We visited the Jewish Day School of Gondar, run by JAFI, where children are learning Hebrew, Judaic studies and even have access to computers.  The walls of the classrooms are covered with pictures of Israel, Israeli flags and Hebrew words.  Many of the classes are taught by young volunteers from Israel, some of Ethiopian descent, who continue to give of themselves after completing their army service.

We then traveled to Addis Ababa.  At the Israeli Embassy, standing in the courtyard where thousands of Jews converged in May 1991, Micah Feldmann told us the story of Operation Solomon.  In 36 hours, Israeli air force C-130’s and El Al cargo planes, flying continuous round trips, evacuated over 14,000 Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa in a massive airlift.  This airlift took place as rebel forces seeking to overthrow the Communist government surrounded the city.

A momentous walk: from the Israeli Embassy in the town of Addis Ababa, heading for the airport.

A life-changing journey

After listening to this inspiring story, we met the group of olim (immigrants) with whom we would be traveling to Israel that night.  While the older men and women looked slightly dazed, the children were excited and happy.  The most moving part of the day was walking with the new immigrants from the Joint Distribution Committee housing where they spent the night to the Israeli Embassy.  We held the hands of the children, sang Am Israel Chai, and tried to imagine what it was like for these people to leave everything they knew behind and embark on a life-changing adventure.   After the olim left for the airport, we had dinner at the Embassy with Blainish Zabaydeh, the Israeli ambassador to Ethiopia.  Blainish immigrated to Israel at the age of 17, and she is the first Ethiopian-born Israeli ambassador.  She is a hero and a role model for all of the Ethiopian olim in Israel, and also to the people of Ethiopia.

Awaiting their flight to Israel, Rachel Tisdale entertains children with coloring books and toys.

At the airport awaiting our flight, we played with the children, entertaining them with coloring books, stickers, bubbles, toy cars and even pictures from a polaroid camera. They were excited for their first plane ride and the new life that awaited them. Even though it was 4:00 a.m. when we arrived in Israel, there was not one child who cried or complained.  All of the immigrants had dazed, tired smiles on their faces.

We had completed our emotional journey.  We are now witnesses to a modern day Passover story.  We traced the path of the Ethiopian Jews from the villages, to the city of Gondar, to Addis Ababa, and finally on their flight to Israel.  The experience was both exhausting and energizing.

I will never forget the story of Asher, who returned to serve the people of his homeland more than 25 years after immigrating to Israel.  He exemplifies the Jewish value of treating people with dignity and compassion.  I will never forget the dedication and energy of the JAFI staff and young Israeli volunteers, who are instilling a love of Israel and Judaism in the children still living in Gondar before they even get to Israel.  I will never forget the faces of the children as we walked through the streets of Addis Ababa and played in the airport, venturing into an unknown world with smiles on their faces and hope in their eyes.

I am blessed to be a part of a worldwide Jewish community that reaches out to those in need and has brought over 90,000 Ethiopian Jews out of Africa and poverty to return home to Israel.  I am particularly blessed to have been able to share this experience with my daughter, to pass down my values of tikkun olam to her, and to know that she will pass down these values to her children.

Have you ever wanted to declare your own holiday? Check your calendar for the week of April 8th and make the pledge to take some time for yourself. Call it a touch of spring fever. Call it a good stretch of time: to help the community, to drop in on a class, to cook a new dish, to tour the Eastern Market. Call it a “busy week” planned for your leisure time. Call it a very special “thank you” from Federation’s Women’s Department. Just for you.

Events listed below are open to everyone with a minimum pledge of $18 to Federation’s 2013 Annual Campaign. If you have already pledged for 2013, no additional pledge is required. Please note that some of the events have a charge to help cover the cost of the program.

Monday, April 8

Jews and American Popular Culture – Superheroes and their Jewish Creators

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Max M. Fisher Federation Building, 6735 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

Cover charge: Free

Come and enjoy a lively discussion on Seinfeld, Mrs. Goldberg, Superman, The Hebrew Hammer, Marjorie Morningstar, Goodbye, Columbus, and more. What makes a character Jewish anyway? Looks? Profession? Stature? Discover who developed these images of Jews and Judaism in television, movies, theater, literature, comic books and graphic novels. What purpose does a Jewish character serve? What image of Judaism (or Jewish mothers, or Jewish princesses) is the public left with? We will debate if these images are positive or negative, helpful or hurtful, accurate or misleading, or all of the above! This is your opportunity to drop-in on a FedEd class in progress. Taught by instructor Ruth Bergman.

Tuesday, April 9

Spring into Spring Hands-On Cooking Class

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building, Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322

Cover charge: $20

Join us in the kitchen with Milk & Honey’s Executive Chef, Darren Wendel. We will be preparing and eating a lunch to get us excited about the fresh produce that accompanies spring time. The tentative menu is below:

Seared Asian Salmon
Asian Napa Cabbage Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Sesame Vinaigrette
Grilled Vegetables
Watermelon Gazpacho

Wednesday, April 10

Priests, Prophets & Kings: The Second Book of Samuel

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Max M. Fisher Federation Building, 6735 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

Cover charge: Free

Drop in and brush up on your Jewish studies. A continuation of the Tanakh series, our study focuses on the fascinating figure of David, as he consolidates his position as King of Israel. This is an ongoing class, open to anyone interested in exploring the Second Book of Samuel. This class is led by Rabbi Rod Glogower.

Torah on Tap – Women’s Edition

7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Dick O’ Dow’s, 160 W Maple Road, Birmingham, MI 48009

Cover charge: Free. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from Dick O’ Dow’s

Come find out what NEXTGen already knows!  Each month, Rabbi Leiby Burnham inspires over 100 young adults NEXTGen Torah on Tap events.  Join Women’s Department for a great evening of stimulating conversation and socializing.

Thursday, April 11

Retro & Revive: Women’s Department Detroit Bus Tour

9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m

Meet at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, MI 48034

Cover charge: $25

Hop on the bus and join us as we explore aspects of Downtown, Midtown and the Wayne State Campus. This guided tour is in partnership with the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan.  Lunch will be at Wayne State University’s new and popular kosher café – Gold ‘n’ Greens.

Friday, April 12

Come Hungry, Leave Happy: A Walking and Tasting Tour of Eastern Market

10:50 a.m. – 1 p.m.

2461 Russell Street, Detroit, MI 48207

Cover charge: $10

Join Linda Yellin of Feet on the Street Tours for a behind-the-scenes look at Eastern Market including visits to specialty food shops and an art gallery. On this strolling-tasting tour, participants will hear fun facts, stories and history while enjoying unique foods (all vegetarian) from around the world in our very own local market.

Sunday, April 14

Family fun at The Robot Garage

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

637 South Eton, Birmingham MI 48009

Cover charge: Free

Bring the kids, bring the camera. Come imagine, design and build using LEGO™, DUPLO™ bricks, LaQ™ and other building toys with your family. The Robot Garage is located in the heart of Birmingham’s thriving Rail District.

Stretch to Help

An all day, community-wide event

Cover charge: Free

Throughout the day, across the area, you can make a difference. Sign up for one or more classes and treat yourself to an hour of exercise, health and wellness, and/or nutrition education and join hundreds of other women positively impacting our community on this day. All ages and beginners welcome in every class

For the full schedule of classes go to www.stretchtohelp.org

Did you know that the Detroit Federation sends more people to Israel each year than any other Federation community in North America?

Our strength in numbers goes the distance in building community and lifelong friendships here in Metro Detroit and with  the Central Galilee, our home base  in Israel where we have partnered for almost 20 years to create personal and enduring connections.

The year was 1993

They called it a  “Miracle” Mission. In celebration of Israel’s 45^th Anniversary, Federation launched its first record-breaking, community-wide mission to Israel, 1300 members strong. Those who were there will never forget the sight of El Al’s chartered planes as they landed for the first time ever at Metro Detroit Airport. The rest is history.

“We are here.” First steps of an incredible journey: Federation’s first community-wide Michigan Miracle Mission, April 18-28, 1993

Joel Tauber at the podium in Modi’in with Michigan Miracle Mission, April 19, 1993.

Michigan Miracle Mission participants, assembled for a “mega” event: front row on the right: Diane Klein, Penny Blumenstein and David Hermelin (of blessed memory).

A walk to the Haas Promenade in Jerusalem: Michigan Miracle Mission, April 1993

Women at the Wall: on a Miracle Mission I, 1993

A “Bus Group” at the Wall: participants on Federation’s first Miracle Mission, 1993

Since that first mega mission, Federation has sponsored five other community-wide missions, including two unforgettable Family Missions to Israel, ranging from 400 to 1,200 participants. Organized and sponsored by the Federation on a regular basis are numerous smaller missions, geared to teens,  college students (Community Taglit “Birthright Israel”), young adults, women, adults in the Florence Melton School, and groups participating in Federation’s Annual Campaign and leadership development.

Over the years, thousands upon thousands of photos in Israel have been snapped and treasured.  In Archives we look back at a handful below.  See anyone you know?

The year was 1995: Miracle Mission II

Michigan Miracle Mission II, 1995; Photo op in the Old City of Jerusalem; Arnold Serlin took the winning shot in the Mission Photo Contest.

The year was 1999: Miracle Mission III

Shimon Peres meets and greets Michigan Miracle Mission III at a planting ceremony in Modi’in, April 1999

The year was 2004: Miracle Mission IV

Haas Promenade, Miracle Mission IV, April 2004

Sharing moments, lasting impressions

Salami  and rye send-off at DTW Airport, compliments of Doreen Hermelin, Miracle Mission IV, 2004.

B’nai Mitzvot: Robert and Jack Canvasser  share the experience on Federation’s Family Mission, 2005.

Federation’s Miracle Mission for Teens, 1996

Federation CEO- in-the-making. Scott Kaufman (left) on a mission in July 1998.

Walk for Israel, Sunday May 5^th

In celebration of all Michigan Miracle Missions and highlighting the 20^th anniversary of the first Miracle Mission in 1993.

Temple Shir Shalom, 3999 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48323

It has always been a page-turner. For voracious readers, young readers and beginners alike, Bookstock is back, bigger than ever. Now in its 11^th year, celebrating the need to read, Metro Detroit’s largest used book and media sale returns to Livonia’s Laurel Park Place, Sunday through Sunday, April 21-28, with proceeds benefiting literacy and education programs in Metro Detroit. Honorary co-chairs of the event this year are Detroit Free Press columnist Rochelle Riley and Detroit News columnist Neal Rubin.

Turning Bargain Books into Scholarship Funds

Over the past ten years, Bookstock has put more than a million used books back into the hands of readers, while generating more than $800,000 for literacy and education programs throughout the city of  Detroit  as well as Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw Counties. After the sale each year, 100% of the unsold books are donated to charities and other nonprofits.

“Literally, we collect tons of books each year. Bookstock is a colossal event, a collaboration of nearly 800 volunteers who work throughout the year to collect and organize the books and to staff the sale,” says Janet Berman, who co-chairs Bookstock with Karen Simmons, Susi Schoenberger and associate chair, Linda Gershel.  Bookstock founder Jodi Goodman and Roz Blanck continue to serve as advisory chairs.

In partnership with Wallside Windows and Gardner-White, Bookstock has established the Bookstock Scholar Awards, given to outstanding students at Wayne State University’s School of Library Science and Information Technology.

Focusing on the best of reading teachers, Bookstock will present the first BEST (Bookstock Extra Special Teacher) Awards to fourth-graders in Detroit Public Schools who best describe how “My Teacher Makes Reading Special for Me.” Awards will be presented by a WDIV personality to the winning student and four finalists at the Bookstock sale on Tuesday, April 23, between 5-6 p.m.

The winning entry will be awarded $1,000 for the school, $500 for the teacher and $100 and a  trophy for the student.  Four finalists will be given $500 for their schools, $200 for their teachers and a trophy and $50 each.  Tuesday, April 23, will also be Teacher Appreciation Day at Bookstock, where teachers who present a valid teacher ID will receive 50% off all purchases from 3 – 9 p.m.

Third-grader Trroy Garcia is the Earhart School’s top-flight reader.

The Bookstock Fund, new this year

Launched in 2012, the Bookstock Fund awarded its first grant to the Amelia Earhart Elementary and Middle School in Detroit, allocating $1,000 to the library and $500 to eight classroom teachers, for a total of $5,000.

“In the Detroit Public Schools, the need to read is acute,” says Margo Lazar who serves as co-chair of the Bookstock Fund with Randie Levin. “According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 7 percent of the eighth graders in the public schools in Detroit are grade-level proficient or better in reading. We chose the new Earhart School in the heart of Mexicantown as our first grantee because of the significant needs of the students, but also because of the strength of the neighborhood.”

“The new Earhart Elementary / Middle School is a bright star in our system, where we recognize that Literacy is a major key to the success of our students,” says principal Gerlma Johnson, who is well regarded as a school turnaround specialist. Overlooking Clark Park in Southwest Detroit, Amelia Earhart Elementary is one of three brand new Detroit Public Schools (DPS) built from the ground up in one of the city’s largest construction projects to rebuild and renovate DPS facilities with a voter-approved $500 million. Earhart offers a full range of academic and enrichment programs, teachers specifically selected to enhance the culture of the school and the neighboring community, along with university, business and community partnerships to round out the school experience. The fully functioning library is run by volunteer retired teachers, and features the Acosta Center which offers English as a Second Language  (ESL) classes for parents and the community.

Earhart Librarian and devoted volunteer, Mary Grimes

In the Earhart library we meet Mary Grimes, a retired librarian who started with DPS in 1967. At the age of 96, she is now a full-time volunteer – keeping the Earhart Library open for the students. Mary is anything but retiring, as she manages the library with the help of volunteers Evelyn Meadows and Ronald Heit. As Mary explains, “A significant portion of the Bookstock funds to the library will go to the purchase of bilingual materials, a critical need for the school, where three-quarters of the students are Hispanic.”

“Bilingual books in our library are a much-needed boost,” explains Jasso Lourdes, who educates ESL students at Earhart, “But the most important thing is that we teach our students to read in English and that we foster a true love of books.”

The Reading Point Club

As though on cue, the school’s top readers, all members of the Reading Point Club, flock into the library followed by Principal Johnson. “Aviators,” as she calls them, are the students who earn points for the books they read. As Literacy Coach Susan Firestone explains, “There’s the 20-, 30- and 40-Point Club, and then there’s Trroy (yes, spelled with two r’s). Trroy Garcia, a third-grader, is our gold star reader and current record-holder, having read 97 books.”

We snap their pictures, the students return to class. “Come back and read with us sometime,” Mary suggests, “We can always use another volunteer.”

Ready to Read?  Here’s Bookstock’s Schedule of Events

Bookstock’s Pre-Sale will kickoff on Sunday, April 21, at 8:15 a.m, with a performance by the Larry Callahan and Selected of God Choir, made famous by the Chrysler Superbowl XLV commercial. There is a $20 admission charge for the Pre-Sale only, which runs through 11 a.m. and offers savvy shoppers and collectors first crack at Bookstock’s treasure trove of bargains. A true book lover’s paradise, Bookstock has over 100,000 donated used books, DVDs, CDs, books on tape, magazines and records for sale at bargain basement prices. The sale will continue through Sunday, April 28, running Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Books will be sold for half-price on Sunday, April 28, the last day of the sale.

This year, Bookstock will feature three days of special sales. Tuesday, April 23, will be Teacher Appreciation Day, where all teachers will receive 50% off their purchases from 3-9 p.m. Shoppers can buy three books and get the fourth for free during two days of Bookbuster special deals,  from 3 – 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, and Thursday, April 25.

Red Wings Jersey Raffle! This is your chance to win a Red Wings jersey, signed by the entire 2011-12 team. Those who spend $25 or more during Bookbuster Days (Wednesday and Thursday from 3 – 9 p.m.) are entered to win. The drawing is on Thursday.

Bookstock is sponsored by the Detroit Jewish News, Schostak Brothers and Company and the following organizations: Akiva Day School, CommunityNEXT, Frankel Jewish Academy, Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah, Hillel Day School PTO, Hillel of Metro Detroit, Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor, Jewish Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, National Council of Jewish Women – Greater Detroit Section, Oakland Literacy Council and ORT America,  For more information about Bookstook, call the Bookstock hotline (248) 645-7840, ext. 365 or visit www.bookstock.info.

Laurel Park Place is located on 6 Mile Road east of I-275 in Livonia.

Nearly 900 young adults gathered at the MGM Grand in Detroit to celebrate a vibrant Jewish Detroit and to support the fundraising efforts of the Jewish Federation.

Billed as the “event of the year” and sold out well in advance, the event was sponsored by Sue and Alan J. Kaufman and family.

This is Our Time

An event to see and be seen on a Saturday night in the city, EPIC drew its share of laughs from featured entertainer, B.J. Novak of the hit TV show, The Office.  But the showstopper was “Our Time,” the new NEXTGen campaign video, produced by the Federation with the Detroit-based production company,  Detroit Lives.

Take three minutes to watch, love, share.

Making their mark.

With event chairs, Jordan Glass and Leah Bold,  Rob Lippitt of  the Young Leadership Cabinet rallied the crowd to “step forward” with a meaningful pledge to Federation’s 2013 campaign, the response was epic indeed.

A total of $264,000 in pledges, representing over $100,000 more than last year’s EPIC event.

190 new donors to the Federation, with an average first-time gift of $184.

A 45% increase in gifts from previous donors.

“Even if you don’t live in Detroit, watch this  minute video. Amazing! And if you live in Detroit then you are blessed! Get involved with The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and NEXTGen Detroit. You can change our world.” -Amy Newman

“When we say, ‘What’s up Detroit?’  we really mean ‘What’s EPIC Detroit?’ How lucky are we to be here now?” -Rachel Wright

It started on a baseball field last summer. . .

It was a day of fun and games for a good cause, a grassroots fundraiser that hit a home run for Detroit.

The 3rd Annual Pitch for Detroit, a community softball tournament organized by CommunityNEXT,  a division of Federation’s NEXTGen Detroit, was conceived as a way to connect young people to the Jewish community and to promote positive social change in Detroit.

One pitch at a time,  last summer’s tournament raised $66,000 to launch the Do It For Detroit Fund (Di4D) – an initiative providing  micro-grants, ranging from $500 to $3,000, to volunteer-based social impact projects focusing on five issues: Education, Environment, Health, Hunger and the Arts.  In keeping with its community-minded ethos, the fund is a fully-participatory model for grant-making, administered by CommunityNEXT, working in close partnership with Repair the World, a national Jewish service organization.

Enterprising. Empowering. Following the Money.

Describing Do It For Detroit as an exciting new spin on philanthropy, Josh Kanter, who oversees the initiative for CommunityNEXT, explains,  “We’re really breaking the mold here! Di4D is engaging a new generation in a holistic and hands-on allocation process. The community will determine where the dollars go by voting at live events and then we create meaningful avenues by which our community members can serve as volunteers for the programs that they are funding. The whole process really encompasses full-circle community involvement.”

Ben Falik at the mic

“Do It For Detroit is not just a clever name,” says Ben Falik, manager of Detroit service initiatives for Repair the World. “It’s an investment in the individuals and initiatives responding rigorously to the real resource needs in the neighborhoods of Detroit.  The fund is an exciting way for us to allocate modest — yet important — amounts of money in a process that empowers a lot of people.”

Doing It For Detroit

Competing for the first round of grants in the category of Education were 37 applicants with projects ranging from robotics competitions to recycling programs. The applicants were narrowed down to three finalists, through selection by a group of community volunteers and stakeholders including Ryan Landau and Aaron Scheinfield, NEXTGen Detroit board members; Amy Brody, 2013 Pitch for Detroit chair; and Mike Wilson, Director of Detroit’s Woodbridge Community Youth Center.

In a style borrowed from DetroitSOUP, a monthly dinner funding micro-grants for social entrepreneurs with creative projects, the finalists pitched their initiatives to a live audience. The event – the first of a series of the five planned competitions –  drew a lively attendance at the Woodbridge Community Youth Center, where 150 people gathered on a Saturday night to network, nosh and cast a vote for their favorite program.

“The event was a genuine feel-good experience and an opportunity for networking within an all-inclusive environment reflecting a greater Detroit community,”  observed  Ryan Landau who co-chaired the event along with Aaron Scheinfield. “We’re so excited about our finalists and the turn-out of the audience.”

And the winners were:

Congrats to Joy Mohammed, founder of $cholarship Detroit. A Grand Valley State grad, Joy was able to procure $100,000 for college by aggressively going after scholarships. With her grant money from Do It For Detroit, she wants to help other Detroiters learn the skills of getting scholarship money for themselves. (Pictured from right to left with Federation’s Josh Kanter and Ben Falik of Repair the World. )

$cholarship Detroit is an organization helping students in Southwest Detroit navigate and compete in the college scholarship application process. Voted first place, for a grant of $3,000.  This is the first grant $cholarship Detroit, founded by Joy Mohammed, has ever received.

Di4D voters created a tie for second and third place, for a split of $750 each:

The Detroit Food and Entrepreneurship Academy, a program that teaches students about the ethics of health food production, from kitchen to marketplace. Established by Jen Rusciano.

MotorCity Urban Summer Enrichment (MUSE), a program that assists students with the transition from middle school to high school through creative curricula taught by undergraduate college students.  Founded by Iman Taylor, George Hardy and Kyla Taylor.

Environment on deck!

The Do It For Detroit Fund’s second round of competition, Environmental Micro-Grants,began  in early March with applications due March 20.

Proposed initiatives will be assessed for their strength in environmental impact, as well as their capacity to  engage volunteers in the meaningful work they are doing.

Join Us To Cast Your Vote

Sunday, April 14, 2013, 1 to 4 p.m. at Detroit Farm and Garden, 1759 20th Street, Detroit, MI 48216

Future events will include efforts dedicated to Health/Nutrition, Hunger and the Arts.

Questions? Interested in learning more? Contact Josh Kanter – joshk@communitynxt.com

For more information, visit www.doitfordetroit.com

CommunityNEXT is a division of the Jewish Federation’s NEXTGen Detroit, which provides avenues for young Jewish adults to achieve a dynamic lifestyle in metro Detroit.

Repair the World is a national Jewish service organization building a movement to make service a defining element in American Jewish life..

Breaking from his busy schedule, Hazzan Daniel Gross agrees to meet for a photo session downtown at the Max M. Fisher Music Center. With just a few weeks of rehearsals to go before the world premiere of his Holocaust Remembrance Day cantata, I Believe – A Shoah Requiem, he stands with us on an empty stage. As we snap his pictures, he leafs through the score of his music and begins to chant. His voice rises, its depth and range a haunting and joyous thing of beauty, filling the empty theater.

“My voice is not about singing the notes on the page,” he tells us later, “For me, it’s about bringing the words to life.”

Born in Boston, raised in St. Louis, educated at the University of Pennsylvania, Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School and The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Hazzan Gross made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2006. In the opera world, Hazzan Gross has performed with many of the country’s most reputable orchestras, opera companies and chamber music organizations, including the Los Angeles Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Pittsburgh Opera, Wolf Trap Opera and Glimmerglass Opera.

Demonstrating his inspirational range, Hazzan Daniel Gross chants a passage from his score, I Believe.

Following his true calling to the clergy, Hazzan Gross began his studies at The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in the H.L. Miller Cantorial School. As an H.L. Miller Fellow, he accelerated through the program and was honored with the Max & Sol Feld Prize in Composition prior to his investiture in May 2009. While attending JTS, Daniel served regularly as the cantor at Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel, in St. Louis, where he worked closely with Rabbi Mordecai Miller.

Hazzan Gross met his wife, Lauren, while performing together at the Wolf Trap Opera Company in 2001. At home, he fulfills his greatest role – that of “Dad.” He and Lauren are the proud parents of three children, Maxim, Zev and Zosia, and two dogs, Zitro and Zeke. Spare time? Eating, in the gym, watching sports or playing baseball.

On Moving to Detroit

MyJewishDetroit: Hazzan Gross, you have lived, worked, traveled and performed in cities around the world. What brought you to Detroit?

Two words. Adat Shalom.

History in his hands, Hazzan Gross is seen here with the Adat Shalom Memorial Scroll,  irreparably damaged during the Holocaust, then rescued from Czechoslovakia by the Westminster Synagogue in London. Written and prepared in 1890 and originating from the town of Kyjov in Czechoslovakia, the scroll was designated Memorial Scroll #1017 and has been entrusted to Adat Shalom Synagogue by the congregation in London.

I was about to graduate cantorial school, started interviewing at congregations, and I didn’t even think to come out here. But there were certain people who I respected who advised me that there’s a great synagogue in Detroit to consider. And Lauren and I laughed, “Detroit? Okay, we’ll check it out, but we’re never moving there. . .”

I was fortunate to have several opportunities on the East Coast – all nice congregations, but Lauren and I knew that we needed to find the best fit for our family. There was something truly unique about Adat Shalom’s invitation. We were impressed by the strength of the Jewish community, but also it was the genuine warmth of the rabbis, the staff and the congregation that brought us here. It came down to the question: who are the people who will be my partners, my colleagues, my friends, my community? And hands down, the perfect match was Adat Shalom.

Ultimately, I think we owe that warm welcome to my predecessor, Cantor Larry Vieder, of blessed memory, who devoted so much of his life to Adat Shalom. Cantor Vieder showed the congregation what a cantor truly can be – so much more than a singer of Jewish prayer. A cantor and a rabbi both transcend beyond their bimah responsibilities to become an integral part of the community. I felt pulled to this lifestyle, to this vocation, and from the start I needed to go somewhere where I could live up to my truest potential.

On Finding a Voice

MyJewishDetroit: We understand you have fond memories of summers spent at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, where you discovered your musical voice (singing the part of Javert in Les Mis in Hebrew no less). Tell us how you got your start.

My parents loved music, but neither were musicians. We always had music playing in the house and in the car and they both knew the importance of musical exposure at a young age. So I started taking piano lessons at the age of five. I loved it and stayed with it until I went to college at 18. It was later when I started singing.

Hazzan Gross, the composer at work.

I discovered my voice sort of by fluke, at the age of 14. Every camper at Ramah was required to audition for the camp musical. So I rolled my eyes and sang Happy Birthday. They must have said to themselves, “Hey, the kid’s got a voice in there, let’s give him the lead!”

The year before this experience, at my bar mitzvah, the rabbi commented on what a natural I was, how I had a gift for chanting and a connection to the Hebrew texts. Perhaps you could say it is in my blood. There were rabbis and cantors on my father’s side of the family, none of whom I got to know because they all perished in the Holocaust. My middle name is in memory of my uncle who passed away very young. He was an opera lover, played the accordion, loved music and my parents gave me the name Daniel Baruch in his memory. The name Baruch means blessing.

On creative influences

MyJewishDetroit: Hazzan Gross, you and your wife, Lauren, have brought your considerable creative talents to the Detroit Jewish community. What still moves you today?

Hazzan Daniel Gross with his wife, Lauren

As a musician in Detroit, I’m moved by the history of Motown, as well as the jazz and classical scene in the city. We’ve met some incredible musicians. I’ve started to do cabaret concerts with Cliff Monear, a well-known jazz pianist. We’ve put together a unique fusion, blending my varied styles of singing with his incredible brain, jazz improvisation skills, and gifted chops at the keyboard.

As for the cantors in our community, I don’t think there’s any city that can match the quality of cantors here in Detroit. There’s a long history of strong congregations, most of which have had revered and talented cantors.

I’m also impressed by the camaraderie of the clergy in general. Working together with my cantorial and rabbinical colleagues on the Yom HaShoah program has proven to me how collaborative and welcoming everyone is. Everyone got on board for this event and wanted to help. It’s not about competing congregations here in Detroit; it’s about one giant diversified community.

And another thing – our amazing fortune – Lauren and I have found in this area the best voice teacher either of us have ever had in our lives. We’ve had the opportunity to study with some of the biggest names in vocal pedagogy in New York, and, lo and behold, here in Livonia, Michigan, is our vocal “guru,” Curt Peters.

And yes, we still take lessons, because vocal training is a lifelong endeavor. A voice is like a fine wine – it should get better with age.

On the World Premiere of “I Believe”

MyJewishDetroit: In commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) on Sunday, April 7, over 150 voices will ascend the stage of Detroit’s Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center to present the world premiere of your work, I Believe: A Shoah Requiem.  Please tell us a bit about the origin and inspiration for this piece.

I Believe – A Shoah Requiem – is dedicated to Masha Gross ז’’ל (née Einstein), Hazzan Gross’ grandmother, the only member of her immediate family to survive the Holocaust.

The inspiration came out of necessity. I needed a master’s thesis in order to graduate from cantorial school, and I didn’t want to write a 50-page paper that was going to collect dust on a bookshelf in the library.

Let me take a step back to where it all started: I had jumped from pre-med at Penn to Manhattan School of Music and Juilliard, because somehow I was fueled from above to sing. So I went into the world of opera, and it was great – my passion became my profession. As I was growing more successful as a performer, I was growing less happy as a human. The vagabond lifestyle of a performer was not jiving well with my psyche. It was around the year 2000 that I started serving as a cantorial soloist during the High Holy Days . . . and there I discovered the difference.

With opera and classical music you have a director, a conductor, you have an audience with a preconceived notion of how the music should sound. You have to fit yourself into that mold. With Jewish prayer, singing sacred music, the palette is enormous. The room for creativity and improvisation is endless.

Being a cantor has freed my voice in order to be able to exploit my voice in ways I had never done before. For people attending a service or a funeral, my job is to make them feel something, to set a mood to give them a sense of meaning even though they may not understand the words. If I can provide someone with comfort via my singing, then I have achieved something that is most humbling and gratifying.

Lauren steps into the conversation: The first time I heard Dan as a cantor was a revelation to me, like nothing I ever heard him do before. I loved him on the opera stage (his comic flair is genius), but this was different. There’s an expression about “opening heart doors” and that’s what it was for me with Dan singing on the bimah. His voice was so pure, so liberated, that when you listened to him it didn’t feel like there was a person there singing, it was just like this beautiful music, this prayer, an entirely different understanding of singing.

Dan: On with the story. I graduated from cantorial school in three years versus the usual five. As for my thesis, it was Lauren who had the ding-ding-ding moment. “Dan, why not write music, something you can use in the future?” So I began to think about what I should compose. From all of my studies in Jewish liturgy, I realized there really was not much out there for Yom HaShoah. I decided then to compose an entirely musical service that would be the transformative device to connect and move people during one of the most tragic and difficult days on the Jewish calendar.

For me, there was a personal and powerful connection. I Believe is dedicated to my savta, Masha Gross ז’’ל (née Einstein), who was the only member of her immediate family to survive the Holocaust. I loved every minute I worked on the music, because I already had the words, and all I needed to do was make them come to life.

MyJewishDetroit: Let’s talk about your work at Adat Shalom.  Please give us some insight into a “Day in Your Life.”

Discounting the first two and a half hours in the morning, waking up to a household with three children from one to seven years old, a typical day in my life starts with minyan morning prayer, then moving on to bikur cholim, going to the hospital or a shiva visit; then tutoring students (and sometimes adults) in B’nai Mitzvah preparations. On any day, I might be at ATID (the Alliance for Teens in Detroit)  teaching the confirmation class. I conduct two choirs, the adult choir and youth choir at Adat Shalom. I teach in the religious school. Then there are the life cycle events: funerals, weddings, births. Plus the study and preparation that goes into all my responsibilities. Sometimes singing feels like the least of what I have to do. When Friday rolls around, I have to remind myself that I have to go out there, lead a service and sing!

On Jewish Detroit

MyJewishDetroit: For the first time in decades, we are seeing a resurgence of the Jewish community. As a “NEXTGener,” married with young children, what do you think makes Jewish Detroit a great place to live, work and play? 

The first thing I’d say is that there are so many opportunities for families. The Jewish community here is a great place to raise children. The cost of living here is a huge advantage. We could never live in New York the way we live here. For example, the cost to do Little League here is what one week of Little League would cost in Manhattan! And the change of seasons: I love snow, so any time it snows it makes me smile. For us, it’s been a great move.

On Favorites

Favorite restaurant: Uptown Grille in Commerce Twp.
Favorite hangout for coffee: Biggby Coffee
Favorite place to take kids: The Detroit Zoo
Favorite place to take a walk: Around the neighborhood with the dogs
Favorite building in the Metro Detroit skyline: Our house: there’s no place like home
Favorite Jewish food: my Savta’s (Grandmother’s)  kruv (stuffed cabbage)
Favorite Jewish expression: Der mentsch tracht un Got lact. (Man plans and God laughs)

Reading now:

My email. . . and  Third Base for Life: A Memoir of Fathers, Sons and Baseball, by Joshua Berkowitz

I Believe – A Shoah Requiem is sold out.  However, the program will be webcast at dptv.org and broadcast live on Detroit Public Television WTVS 56.

Congregation Beth Shalom, Oak Park [MAP]

Attention ladies: After all the hard work of preparing for Passover, pamper yourselves at a Women’s Seder. Singing led by Tiffany Green, cantorial soloist at Temple Kol Ami. Only $20 for adults, $10 for girls 12 and under. Bring your mothers, daughter, sisters and aunts! Sponsorships available for $36. Reservations needed by March 20. For information or reservations, call (248) 547-7970.

Temple Beth El, Bloomfield Hills [MAP]

Also March 23 at 7:00 p.m. A weekend with popular performer and composer of modern Jewish music, Josh Nelson who will join the Temple Beth El clergy Friday evening for an intimate Shabbat service. He will then present a free concert Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m., open to all. For more information, call the Cantor’s Study, (248) 851-1100, ext. 3150.

Women’s Department’s Tikkun Olam Volunteers (TOV) invites you to celebrate National Reading Month by sharing a book with a kindergartener at Bagley Elementary School in Detroit. Please bring one new book to read and donate to a student. Please click here for a suggested book. Contact Megan Topper if you are interested in registering or have questions, (248) 203-1460 or email topper@jfmd.org.

Aish in the Woods, Oak Park [MAP]

Join Aish for an enjoyable night out that will teach you everything you want to know about the Seder and more. Enjoy fresh grilled steaks and scotch tasting while learning the skills to run your own great Passover Seder. Our goal is that your Seder will become a highlight for your children and guests. We’ll cover exercises, ideas, games and texts to engage everyone at your Seder, and make this evening truly memorable. Please register at www.aishinthewoods.com

Aish in the Woods, Oak Park [MAP]

Join Hillel of Metro Detroit for an untraditional Passover experience! Co-sponsored the Aish in the Woods, celebrate the holiday a little early and with lots of CHOCOLATE! The event is chaired by Alex Edelstein. Cost is $5. For more information or to RSVP, contact Neil Cantor at hilleled@wayne.edu or (313) 577-3459.

JCC, West Bloomfield [MAP]

Make and Bake a Matzah! Explore Shalom Street’s Passport to Israel Exhibit! Experience the Exodus from Egypt!

Participants will enjoy both the exodus experience and the ability to make matzah and a Passover project!

1-4 pm (Tours begin on the hour)

There is no charge for the Matzah Factory event, which has been graciously sponsored by Barbara and Douglas Bloom.