Jan/Feb 2021
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ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE THE הקול ENDOWED IN MEMORY OF HARRY AND SHIRLEY NACHMAN Vol. 78 No. 1 January - February 2021 Tevet - Shevat - Adar 5781 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Mornings: Sunday - Friday. 8:00 AM Shabbat . 9:00 AM Evenings (Minchah-Maariv): Sunday - Friday (thru Feb 12) . 5:00 PM Sunday - Friday (starting Feb 14) 6:00 PM Saturdays: January 2, 9. 5:00 PM January 16. 5:15 PM January 23, 30 . 5:30 PM February 6, 13. 5:45 PM February 20. 6:00 PM February 27 . 6:15 PM Please read your weekly Shabbat@Adat email or visit adatshalom.org/calendar for video and phone login instructions and any schedule changes. SHABBAT January 1 - 2 February 5 - 6 VEYECHI YITRO 4:53 PM 5:35 PM Shabbat ends 5:53 PM Shabbat ends 6:35 PM January 8 - 9 February 12 - 13 SHEMOT MISHPATIM 5:00 PM SHABBAT SHEKALIM Shabbat ends 6:00 PM 5:44 pm Shabbat ends 6:44 PM January 15 - 16 VA’ERA February 19 - 20 5:08 PM TERUMAH Shabbat ends 6:08 PM 5:53 pm Shabbat ends 6:53 PM January 22 - 23 BO February 26 - 27 5:17 PM TETZAVEH Shabbat ends 6:17 PM 6:02 pm Shabbat ends 7:02 PM January 29 - 30 BESHALLACH 5:26 PM Shabbat ends 6:26 PM SERVICES & SPIRITUALITY MAZAL TOV TO OUR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY B’NAI MITZVAH! Saturday, January 16 Logan Eli Rotenberg, son of Marci & Steve Rotenberg, grandson of Rena & Larry Singer, Zona & Richard Ribiat, Emily & the late Norman Rotenberg Saturday, January 23 Chava Sephirah Norber, daughter of Kelly Norber and Joshua Norber, granddaughter of Cindy Brittain and Frank Brittain, Denise & Joseph Norber. Saturday, February 6 Spencer Dane Columbus, son of Stacey & Ryan Columbus, grandson of Patty & Bernie Levine, Debbie & Gary Columbus, Sandy Conway Beautifully painted rocks were left outside our syngagogue’s Canner entrance. Evening Minyan Changes to 6 PM The artist remains anonymous, but we are feeling the love. Weekday Minchah services will move to 6 PM on Sunday, February THE VOICE 14 and remain at 6 PM until Friday, November 5, 2021. (USPS622-460) published monthly except February and July by Morning services will continue at 8:00 AM Sundays through Fridays, ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE and 9 AM on Shabbat. 29901 Middlebelt Road Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334 Phone: 248-851-5100 l Fax: 248-851-3190 Saturday evening service times vary throughout the year. Please Periodicals Postage entered at the Farmington, Michigan Post Office Postmaster: Send address changes to: The VOICE, 29901 Middlebelt consult our online calendar, our Shabbat@Adat emails or the Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334-2319 Voice. 2 MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT, FROM RABBI AARON BERGMAN JOAN CHERNOFF EPSTEIN I am always amazed and impressed by Welcome to a new year, full of all the how many of our people risk themselves, either promise of new beginnings; but also full of new financially or physically, in order to help other challenges and transitions-- and the changes they people, including those who might hate them all may bring. We are often unprepared for change for being Jewish. Antisemitism never goes away, when it takes place. I remember as a child when but neither does our people's commitment to my father told our family we’d be moving. I feared making things better in the world. what changes our move would bring to my small world: a new home, Israel continues to send help all over the world, including nations that a new neighborhood, a new school, and new friendships. do not recognize its right to exist. American Jews help all Americans, The Torah is full of stories of the changes our people endured, and even though antisemitism is increasing on the right and the left. So how they coped with loss of their possessions, homes, family and many Jews help other Jews who do not recognize the kind of Judaism lands. As I reflect on this time of year, I can’t believe how time has they practice. flown by. It has been 16 years since my youngest son, Brandon, was There might be some benefit to us in doing so; maybe people will having his Bar Mitzvah. Brandon’s Torah portion was Bo. Moses and think more kindly about us. Aaron warned Pharoah of the coming plagues if he did not free the That is not the reason that Jews are willing to take a chance to help. Israelites, yet Pharoah continued to deny their freedom. When he It is just the right thing to do. I think that is one of our most powerful finally told them to go, can you imagine the changes they endured? qualities, and one that we constantly need to nurture. Having to pack up their most precious possessions and some rations, then leave everything familiar to go live in a foreign land? Those were This idea is the core of the story of Purim, and why the book of the Tanach that tells that story is called the Book of Esther. some serious hardships they overcame. Time passes, things change, life throws us curve balls. Yet we adapt Mordechai learned that the Jewish people in Persia were in danger and persevere. This past year brought us so many changes we never of being destroyed by Haman. He asked his niece Esther to risk anticipated, and we adapted and persevered. Our Synagogue has everything by hiding her Jewish identity and marry King Achashverosh. seen many changes: going to services on Zoom; holding remote She was to persuade him to save her people, even though she cannot meetings, programs, social events, and classes; adding new members; tell him that she herself is Jewish. and losing congregants to death, moves, divorce or affiliation changes. She gave up a lot just by marrying him. She saw what happened to Yet one thing that is constant is your unwavering support. I am so the last wife, Vashti. He had a lot of other women in the harem, any appreciative of the commitment and generosity of our congregation. I of whom could have replaced her. He was no prize himself. He drank want to personally thank you for responding to the Yom Kippur appeal a lot and tried to impress his friends, who were all eunuchs, with his so openheartedly. This helped us meet the continuing challenges of romantic successes. He had a bad temper. She could have been serving you during a pandemic. I also offer a special thank you to Joyce killed at any moment. Weingarten, Jackie Issner, and Alan Yost, who joined me in our special She did not have to risk her life. She could have stayed where she outreach to many congregants. was, or once she was queen, she did not have to tell Achashverosh Continued on page 16 anything, and just stay rich and safe in the palace. She did not do that. She had no reason to think that what she did FROM HAZZAN DANIEL GROSS would work. Haman was a smart and powerful enemy. She risked it THE MOST TRAGIC PROBEM IS SILENCE all because it was the right thing. She saved the Jewish people. She Rabbi Joachim Prinz may not be a saved her whole country, because Haman would not have stopped household name, but he played an important with Jews. Hatred and paranoia doesn't limit itself to just one group. part in a historic American event. Prinz, a young Mordechai may have come up with the plan, but it was only Esther's rabbi in Nazi Germany, immigrated to the United courage that made it possible. That is why the book is named after States in 1937 and had firsthand knowledge of her, and not Mordechai. the ugly effects of prejudice and discrimination. This is what we have always done as a people, and need to do so in In the mid- to late 20th century, Prinz was the rabbi of Temple B’nai the future. We are not here just save ourselves, nor should we think Abraham in Newark, New Jersey and served as President of the that we should, but look to save the world, one person, one place at American Jewish Congress. He represented the Jewish community as a time, no matter how impossible it seems. one of the organizers of the August 1963 March on Washington, We are living in a world where it seems like everyone is trying just to whose focus on bigotry and oppression remains relevant in our own save themselves or just their family and friends, and do not seem to time. Rabbi Prinz had the honored but formidable task of speaking to care about others. This is not the Jewish way. We are in a scary and the crowd of a quarter million people immediately after the great folk uncertain time in so many ways, but the way we have gotten through singer Odetta and before the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An these difficulties is not by being selfish, but by helping all of God's excerpt of Rabbi Prinz’s stirring speech follows: creation, including those we like and those we do not. In the long run, When I was the rabbi of the Jewish community in Berlin under the it has helped us survive when other people who only cared about Hitler regime, . the most important thing that I learned under themselves have vanished. those tragic circumstances was that bigotry and hatred are not Giving in to fear, hate and despair seems inevitable, especially when the most urgent problems. The most urgent, the most disgraceful, we are so tired of trying to deal with an endless number of challenges.