Guide to Jewish Life 2016-2017
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Jewish Federation Presort Standard of Greater Ann Arbor U.S. Postage 2935 Birch Hollow Dr. PAID Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Ann Arbor, MI Permit No. 85 2016-2017 IN WASHTENAW COUNTY WASHTENAW IN L J IFE EWISH Meet Rabbi Josh Whinston! TEMPLE BETH EMETH HAS A NEW RABBI AND HE WANTS TO MEET YOU Temple Beth Emeth has provided a cartoon in need of a caption! You, the reader, submit your caption to [email protected]. We choose three finalists, and a 1st place winner. Please submit before September 30. Caption Finalists/Winner for this cartoon will appear on Temple Beth Emeth’s website. Illustration by: Jordan Awan. Temple Beth Emeth | 2309 Packard St. | Ann Arbor, MI | 48103 | 734-665-4744 www.templebethemeth.org Contents The Jewish Holidays 3 Yiddish Literature Circle 37 Hebrew Day School 47 Wastenaw Jewish News aims JCC Active Adults and Active Older Jewish Cultural School 25 and principles 5 Adults Program 34 Jewish Learning Institute 47 Keeping Kosher 54 Raoul Wallenberg Committee 38 Jewish Educators Council Guide 2016 advertisers 55 Yidish Tish 38 of Ann Arbor 50 Organization contacts 56 MEN’S ORGANIZATIONS Keshet Ann Arbor 47 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Men’s Club, Beth Israel T.E.A.C.H. 49 Jewish Community Center Congregation 38 Temple Beth Emeth of Greater Ann Arbor 11 Temple Beth Emeth Brotherhood 38 Religious School 31 Jewish Community Foundation WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS Torah Enrichment Program (T.E.P.) 49 of Greater Ann Arbor 9 Hadassah 39 ZinnHouse 50 Jewish Family Services Jewish Women’s Circle 39 YOUTH ACTIVITIES of Washtenaw County 9 Mikvah Israel 39 Camp Gan Israel 51 Jewish Federation ORT America 40 Gan Yeladim Enrichment 51 of Greater Ann Arbor 7 Women’s League, Beth Israel Habonim Dror 51 CONGREGATIONS AND Congregation 39 JCC Early Childhood Center 13 RELIGIOUS LIFE Women of TBE 39 JCC Camp Raanana 13 Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan 17 CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS JCC Youth Programs 13 Ann Arbor Reconstructionist EMU Center Jewish Studies 41 Young Judaea 52 Congregation 17 Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan DETROIT AGENCIES Beth Israel Congregation 18 (Hillel at EMU) 42 Federation Alliance for Congregation Beth Chabad 21 Hillel, U-M 43 Jewish Education 53 Jewish Cultural Society 23 U-M Jean and Samuel Frankel Center Hebrew Free Loan Detroit 53 Pardes Hannah 27 for Judaic Studies 45 Holocaust Memorial Center 53 Temple Beth Emeth 27 U-M Jewish Communal Leadership Israel Bonds 53 Temple Echad 33 Program 46 Jewish Community Centers ADULT ACTIVITIES EDUCATION of Metropolitan Detroit 53 Chaverim B’Shirim 35 Adult Hebrew Classes by Beth Israel Jewish Community Relations Council Health and Wellness @ the J 35 Congregation and Temple of Metropolitan Detroit 53 Interfaith Hospitality Network 36 Beth Emeth 46 Jewish Family Services 53 Israeli Dancing of Ann Arbor 36 Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Jewish Federation J Street Ann Arbor 37 Congregation Religious School 17 of Metropolitan Detroit 53 Jewish Alliance for Food, Land and Beth Israel Education Department 19 Jewish Vocational Service 53 Justice 36 Hebrew School at Chabad 47 Jewish Life in Washtenaw County is published annually by the Washtenaw Jewish News, 2939 Birch Hollow Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48108. The WJN is a free and independent monthly newspaper. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of its editors or staff. The Washtenaw Jewish News is supported by the donations of the businesses appearing within these pages. ©2016 by the Washtenaw Jewish News. All rights reserved. No portion of the Washtenaw Jewish News may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. Editor and Publisher: Susan Kravitz Ayer Design and Layout: Dennis Platte Advertising Manager: Gordon White 1 2 The Jewish Holidays Shabbat (Sabbath) Celebrated Fridays at sundown to commemorate God’s day of rest after six days of creation. Traditions include light- ing candles, drinking wine and eating challah (a braided bread). Havdalah, the farewell ceremony to Shabbat, takes place after three stars shine in the Saturday night sky and is celebrated by lighting a braided candle, drinking wine and smelling sweet spices. Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Festive celebration during which individuals contemplate their past, present and future actions. Traditional foods include round challah and apples with honey, symbolizing anticipated whole- ness and sweetness for the new year. Commences the Ten Days of Awe, which culminate on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Holiest day of the Jewish year. Through fasting and prayer, Jews reflect upon their relationships with God and other people and atone for their wrongdoings. Ends with a shofar’s blast at sundown. Sukkot (Festival of Booths) lighting candles in a chanukiyah (a nine-branched candela- Commemorates the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring the brum), eating latkes (potato pancakes), playing with dreidels Israelites to the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering. (spinning tops) and giving gelt (money or gifts). Many build a sukkah (plural: sukkot), a temporary structure with a roof made of branches, modeled after the huts constructed in the desert. Also celebrated with the shaking of the lulav Tu B’Shevat (New Year of Trees) (assemblage of palm, willow and myrtle branches) and etrog (a Biblical in origin, a holiday with environmentalist and Zionistic lemon-like fruit). themes that celebrates springtime renewal and growth. Tradi- tions include eating fruit and planting trees. Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly) Celebrated the day after Sukkot and thus sometimes consid- Purim (Feast of Lots) ered an extension of the holiday. Marks the first time tefillat Commemorates the rescue of the Jews by Queen Esther and geshem (prayer for rain) is recited during services, a practice her righteous Uncle Mordecai from the evil Haman. When that continues until Pesach. Haman is mentioned in the Megillah (scroll) of Esther, people shout and turn graggers (noisemakers) to drown out his name. Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in Torah) Traditions include parties, mishloach manot (gift-giving) and eating hamentashen (three-cornered fruit-filled pastries). Some Celebrates the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle. also fast on the day before Purim to remember the three-day After finishing the last sentence of the book Devarim (Deuter- fast by the Jews of Persia at Esther’s request. onomy), adults and children joyously parade the Torah around the synagogue seven times. The new cycle begins immediately with a reading from Bereshit (Genesis). Pesach (Passover) Celebrates the liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt. At the Chanukah seder (traditional service and meal), the Haggadah (collec- tion of texts and commentaries on the Exodus) is read and (Festival of Lights) symbolic foods are eaten. Jews refrain from eating leavened Eight-day holiday commemorating Jewish victory over the products and eat matzah (unleavened bread) for eight days to Syrians and the miracle of the rededication of the Temple, when remember how the hurried Israelites could not let their bread oil meant to last for one day burned for eight. Celebrated by rise before fleeing. continues on page 5 3 4 The Jewish Holidays Sefirat HaOmer Lag B’Omer (Counting of the Omer) (Thirty-Third Day of the Seven-week period that begins the Counting of the Omer) second night of Pesach and ends at One-day suspension of the traditional Shavuot. Thirty-two mourning days mourning period during Sefirat HaOmer. that commemorate the deaths of Rabbi On this day, a plague afflicting Rabbi Akiva’s students (see also Lag B’Omer). Akiva’s students ceased. Also commemo- Traditionally, weddings, festivities and rates Bar Kochba’s recapture of Jerusalem haircuts are prohibited during this time. from the Romans. Celebrated with picnics and nature outings. Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) Shavuot Day chosen by the Israeli Knesset, in (Festival of Weeks) 1951, to mourn the millions killed in the Celebrated the day after Sefirat HaOmer Washtenaw Holocaust. Often commemorated with ends to commemorate the giving of the Jewish News the reading of names and speeches by Torah at Sinai and the spring harvest. survivors. In Israel, a siren’s morning blast Traditionally, Jews read the Ten Com- aims and allows collective remembrance in a mandments and the Book of Ruth and eat moment of silence. dairy products. Religious school confir- principles mation often takes place at this time. Yom HaZikaron ° To provide the Jewish commu- nity of Wash tenaw County with a (Martyr and Heroes’ Fast of Tammuz quality newspaper that will pres- Memorial Day) (The Seventeenth of Tammuz) ent news of Jewish interest with a Day of remembrance for all who sacri- Fast from dawn until nightfall commemo- priority on local news. ficed themselves for the state of Israel. rating the day Moses broke the first Tablets To offer commentary, interpreta- Public observances include lighting of of the Covenant because the Israelites ° yarzheit (memorial) candles, visiting made the Golden Calf. Also marks the be- tion and authentic background on graves and reciting psalms. In Israel, sirens ginning of the siege on Jerusalem before events of the day, as a means of blast once in the morning and again in its destruction. Begins the “Three Weeks,” a stimulating the concern and the evening to begin Yom HaAtzmaut, mourning period ending at Tisha B’Av. response vital to the fulfillment of Israel Independence Day. our responsibilities as members of Tisha B’Av the Jewish community. Yom HaAtzmaut (The Ninth of Av) ° To enrich the life of both individ- (Israel Independence Day) Day of fasting and mourning commemorat- uals and the community through On May 14, 1948 (Hebrew date: 5 Iyar), ing the destruction of the First and Second the presentation of features, Israel was declared an independent state. Temples, both of which took place on the 9th articles, reviews and other material Many Jews celebrate with parades, fes- of Av.