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Collected Knowledge, 2012, DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Robert Schefman metro » cover story Brett Mountain Brett Brett Mountain Brett Rabbi Mendel Shemtov; Rabbi Bentzion Stein; Schneur Zalman Krinsky, Vilnius, Lithuania; Moshe Spalter, Costa Rica; Lavi Shemtov, West Bloomfield; Yudi Namdar, Gothenburg, Sweden; Shmuli Friedman, Bahia Blanca, Argentina; Moti Schusterman, Atlanta; Mendel Korf, Los Not Your Angeles; Mendel Marinovsky, Houston; Tzvi Alperovitch, Belmont, England; Rabbi Mendel Stein erhaps you’ve seen them. Mother’s Teenage boys in white P shirts, black pants and hats walking on Northwestern Highway Mikvah to visit business owners before Growing Shabbat, or manning a sukkah on Putting a modern twist wheels in an Orchard Lake parking Outreach lot or driving in a parade of cars on an ancient tradition. topped with hand-built Chanukah menorahs. Rabbi Marla Hornsten at the Temple Israel mikvah They are the middle school Lubavitch Yeshiva Eduational Center’s and high school students of the Ronelle Grier | Contributing Writer expanded new home almost ready. Lubavitch Yeshiva Educational Center in Oak Park. he age-old custom of mikvah is taking some new Beyond their studies, which turns as modern Jewish women expand the tradi- Shelli Liebman Dorfman | Contributing Writer are immersed in the teachings of T tion and dispel some of the negative beliefs that Chabad-Lubavitch, an Orthodox have long been associated with the ritual. Use of the mikvah has become more widespread in recent years, with a proliferation of ritual bath facilities through- CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 out the United States and Europe. Many of these are quite spacious and luxurious, even with custom tile work, like Mikvah Israel in Oak Park. While the mikvah once was used Years primarily by prospective brides and observant wives in accordance with the Jewish laws of family purity, now the 61942 9- 2011 Covering and mikvah is used for a variety of other life-changing situa- Connecting Jewish Detroit tions, including recovery from illness, becoming a grandpar- Every Week ent or surviving a death or divorce. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 metro » on the cover Lubavitch Yeshiva Eduational Center’s Growing expanded new home almost ready. Outreach Shelli Liebman Dorfman | Contributing Writer CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Jewish movement with roots in Chasidism, the business owners and they, in turn, get their precious few after-school hours are hands-on experience, which is so vital to spent doing Jewish outreach. Currently, them, by spending every week for years and more than 100 male students in elementary, years having conversations with people not middle school, high school and rabbini- in their ‘shtetl.’ Sometimes they meet with cal school rotate the use of five classrooms the same people three or four years in a inside the Congregation Mishkan Israel row. They develop a relationship and many synagogue building in Oak Park, where the keep in touch after they finish school.” school has been based since its founding in 1965 with three students. Friday Boys Late this summer, the building will be left Jerry Beale met his first pair of students to the elementary students, with the upper when they came into his office 12 years divisions beginning the school year in a new ago. “They asked directly if there were educational facility built on the Harry and any Jewish employees in the office,” Beale Wanda Zekelman Campus, with most also said. A dozen years later, several pairs of living in dorm rooms on the 4-acre site. students have visited both Beale and other In 1990, there were about 25 students; Donors Alan and Lori Zekelman at the July 10 groundbreaking ceremony for Jewish men who work at the Beale Group in now with 100, the school has more than out- the new campus Southfield. grown its current facility. “I absolutely look forward to the visits of “The students are in the building nearly elementary through the rabbinate, said, have only three or four hours of free time the young men; it is one of the highlights of 24/7, some of them for six years straight, so “The education here is unique because we each week from after school on Friday until my week,” he said. “We discuss the weekly they really need the additional space,” said are primarily focused on not just imbuing Shabbat,” Shemtov said. “But instead of portion of the Torah and get into questions Rabbi Mendel Shemtov, one of the school’s a scholastic education, but in attracting buying doughnuts or playing games, they relative to Judaism that have relevance to directors. “The students and staff are very students committed to devoting their lives choose to do work with the Jewish com- my beliefs.” Many students help the busi- much looking forward to being in a more to work hard to embrace the philosophy of munity.” nessmen put on tefillin during their visits, comfortable atmosphere more conducive to the Rebbe in doing this outreach work. They The teens run the school’s Chabad but Beale does that on his own earlier in learning.” learn that every Jew is highly important and Student Outreach program. the day. should be a priority, no matter what his or On Chanukah, they distribute small “I have kept in touch with a few of the Continuing Legacy her religious observance level. menorahs throughout the community — young men after they have graduated,” he A significant component of Chabad is com- “Our students devote their lives to the in malls, shopping plazas and universities said. “We have gone boating and gotten mitment to Jewish outreach, with many in service of the Jewish people; it’s Jewish edu- — and build huge ones to attach to vehicles together for various other occasions. Since the movement becoming shluchim, or emis- cation with a mission to instill compassion and drive through town in a parade. On some have moved out of the country, our saries of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi for every human being and a love for com- Passover, they distribute handmade shmu- involvement is basically a call and discus- Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whose munity service.” rah matzah; on Sukkot, they build and park sion of life as we have become friends over mission included sending young couples That was the impetus for Yudi Namdar, mobile sukkot, inviting Jewish passersby the years.” throughout the world to bring Jews closer to 15, who came to the school last year from to come in and make the blessing over the In addition to the Friday meetings, the Judaism. Gothenburg, Sweden. “We chose Detroit lulav and etrog. The Megillah Hotline is set students read the megillah on Purim for a “The goal of the school is to secure the because my parents based their decision on up on Purim for homebound callers who group that includes Beale’s wife, Gail, and future of Judaism, and we can do that by my education by the quality of the school want to have a student come read Megillat other community members. preparing these young men for this work,” and the learning, not on the convenience of Esther to them. “What I have liked over the years is said Shemtov, whose parents Rabbi Berel a closer location,” said Namdar, whose three Many also go to senior apartments to that these young men have been non- and Batsheva Shemtov came from Brooklyn older brothers also attended the school. “The visit with residents. judgmental and have been very supportive in 1958 as Detroit’s head shluchim, sent here plan to become a shaliach is the reason why And, on a weekly basis during the school of me and my family,” Beale said. “We have directly by the Rebbe. most kids are here.” year, the middle and high school students achieved a strong bond and friendship. “In addition to receiving a Jewish educa- Many of his classmates are the sons of visit Jewish businessmen and women on These young men have been a source of tion and going on to have Jewish homes shluchim, as is he. “The shluchim found a Friday afternoons before Shabbat. light when our family endured a tragedy as with Jewish families, they are also fully great school for their kids, and the kids of “They walk one, two, three miles to well as on happy occasions.” committed to going to the far corners of shluchim make up a great school,” Namdar meet with them in their offices or stores,” the world doing whatever it takes to further said. Shemtov said. “This is not mandatory; it’s Near And Very Far the mission of the continuity of the Jewish completely on their own, and both the busi- Remarkably, the students of the Lubavitch people.” Student Outreach ness owners and the students benefit. The Yeshiva Educational Center come to the Shemtov, who attended the school from “The students work so hard in school and students share what they’ve learned with Detroit area to study and do outreach work 8 May 10 • 2012 metro Neumann Smith Architecture Brett Mountain Brett from 17 states and 10 countries.