The Soul of Tikkun
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Washtenaw Jewish News Presort Standard In this issue… c/o Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor U.S. Postage PAID 2939 Birch Hollow Drive Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Crisis Secular Danish Permit No. 85 in Haiti Judaisim Jewry Page 10 Page 15 Page 22 February 2010 Shevat/Adar 5770 Volume XXXIV: Number 5 FREE The Soul of Tikkun: Spiritual Practice & Social Action Op-Ed: Steve Merritt, special to the WJN “The few and the just” by Laurel Federbush abbi Amy Eilberg will visit Ann Arbor hospice care February 19. Her topic will be “Shema Yisrael: This is a medita- for the third annual community-wide program. The Mitzvah of Sacred Listening.” There will be tion about my program on Jewish spirituality. Her She also co- a dinner at 6 p.m. and a service at 7:30 p.m. For R former involve- visit will culminate in a workshop on Sunday, founded a more information or to reserve a dinner, go to ment with the February 21, entitled, “The Soul of Tikkun: center for Jew- www.templebethemeth.org or call 665-4744. group Jew ish Spiritual Practice & Social Action.” The event ish Spiritual Rabbi Eilberg will appear at Beth Israel Con- Witnesses for will start at 9:30 a.m. at the Jewish Community Direction. gregation on Saturday, February 20, and will Peace and Friends Center of Greater Ann Arbor. Her cur- speak on “Listening for the Sacred in Our Lives.” ( J W P F ) — j u s t “We will explore the interconnectedness of rent focus is The program will begin with havdallah at 8 p.m. some of my spiritual practice and our work in the world,” more outer- and be followed by refreshments. For more infor- thoughts about says Rabbi Eilberg. “Both spiritual practitioners directed, lead- mation, call 665-9897. that whole expe- and social justice activists can expect to find the ing interfaith Rabbi Eilberg’s visit is being co-sponsored rience, and some usual boundaries between ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ dialogue pro- by the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Havurah, Laurel Federbush of my recollec- questioned.” grams in St. Beth Israel Congregation, Hillel at the University Rabbi Amy Eilberg tions. The title of this is “The Few and the The workshop format will include lecture, Paul, Minne- of Michigan, the Jewish Community Center of Just,” because that’s what we thought we experiential practice, discussion, and a chance sota. She teaches compassionate listening and Greater Ann Arbor, the Jewish Cultural Society, were—the few people in Ann Arbor who to reflect on the ideas presented with a panel is involved in peace and reconciliation efforts the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, were compelled, in the name of justice, to do and small breakout sessions. around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rabbi Pardes Hannah, and Temple Beth Emeth. what we did. Rabbi Eilberg was the first woman ordained Eilberg also works with issues of conflict within The cost for the Sunday workshop, including Here’s what we did, and what, as you may as a Conservative rabbi by the Jewish Theo- the Jewish community. vegetarian meals, is $30. Students with an ID may know, the group still continues to do: Ev- logical Seminary of America. She has extensive She will use the Sunday workshop to show how attend for $5. Limited scholarships are available. ery Saturday morning, Jewish Witnesses for experience in both the realms of spiritual and inner spiritual work and outer work in the world For more information or to register, go to Peace and Friends would stand outside Beth community work. can be used to inform and nourish each other. www.jewishannarbor.org and click on the Soul of Israel Congregation, holding protest signs She is nationally known as a leader of the Rabbi Eilberg will also make two other ap- Tikkun Workshop link. For scholarships or other against the Israeli “occupation” of Palestine. Jewish healing movement. Rabbi Eilberg co- pearances which are open to the community. questions, email [email protected] We called our demonstration a “vigil.” founded a Jewish healing center and directed its She will visit at Temple Beth Emeth on Friday, or call Dorrie at 665-4186. n Others in the Ann Arbor community use the term “picket” to describe it. While the term “vigil” is probably too gentle to describe what we were doing, I’m going to use that Detroit School of Arts Vision-Male Choral Ensemble at Beth Israel term because that’s how I thought of it for Elliot Sorkin, special to the WJN years and it’s the one that comes naturally to n Saturday evening, February 6, me. Feel free, in your own mind, to substitute from 8–9 p.m., Beth Israel Congre- the term “picket” if you like. O gation will host the Detroit School We weren’t popular. In fact, I didn’t know of Arts Male Choral Ensemble, who will per- anyone, outside of our group, who approved of form a medley of music strongly influenced what we did. But we got the occasional head- by African-American culture through the ages line in the local paper, some letters to the editor, in honor of Black History month. People of and we brought attention to our cause. all ages are welcome to this free concert, which I myself had always made a point of will be followed by an afterglow with refresh- avoiding news about Israel, the Palestinians, ments with the performers. or the Middle East in general. When I was The Detroit School of Arts was established a child, there had been plenty of footage of in 1992 by founder and principal, Dr. Denise wars going on in that part of the world, and it Davis-Cotton. Detroit School of Arts is one seemed so hopeless, so grim, an endless cycle of four magnet schools in Detroit, others be- of violence. ing Renaissance High School, Cass Technical But, along with my mom [Marcia Fed- High School and Communication & Media erbush], I joined the group JWPF, hoping Arts High School. The Detroit School of Arts Vision-Male Choral Ensemble to learn more. I had recently decided to ac- During the nine-hour school day, students one of several vocal groups whose mission is students perform at engagements throughout knowledge my Jewish heritage, and I thought follow a rigorous college preparatory cur- to strengthen the spiritual and cultural bonds Detroit and Michigan. The Ensemble is direct- this was a way to do it. I had had a secular riculum with an intensive study in the arts. between students. This group of talented and ed by Cheryl Whitney Valentine, vocal director upbringing. While many of my relatives were The DSA Vision Male Choral Ensemble is enthusiastic African-American high school of the Detroit School of Arts. n continued on page 8 I Letters/Community 2935 Birch Hollow Drive Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 Ann Arbor benefited from Jerry Lax as city attorney voice: 734/971-1800 Last month’s piece on Judie and Jerry Lax winning dented—wildly disruptive and potentially very fax: 734/971-1801 the Bernstein Leadership Award for outstanding dangerous—but thanks largely to Jerry’s perfor- e-mail: [email protected] community service was a welcome commenda- mance they turned out to be more interesting than www.washtenawjewishnews.org tion for a couple of Ann Arbor’s more valuable damaging. As city attorney he was at the center of citizens—but it completely ignored one of Jerry’s most of that period’s conflicts and it was largely his key contributions to our city. character, attitude and legal insights that kept Ann 1969-1973 was probably one of the most in- Arbor on an even keel. Editor and Publisher tense, tumultuous, critical period in the history It was our rare good fortune to have him in the Susan Kravitz Ayer of Ann Arbor and it was during those years that City Attorney’s office during those years and for Calendar Editor Jerry was our city attorney. The issues that arose that we should be grateful. Claire Sandler during his four-years on the job were unprece- Robert Faber Advertising Manager More on “False Witnesses” Gordon White Design and Layout What should have been the primary thrust of the American mainstream on the question Dennis Platte of the article “False Witnesses” [WJN, De- of Israel; their constant analogizing of Israel cember 2009], the picketers’ rabid, absurd to Nazi Germany; their imputation of rac- Staff Writers perspective, is only peripherally touched on. ism to an ideology, namely Zionism, that has Noa Gutterman, David Erik Nelson, Their flagrant anti-Semitism in which all nothing to do with race—none of these is dis- Sandor Slomovits Jews are stereotyped on the basis of ethnic- cussed. These individuals are so beyond the ity; their attribution of a political mission pale of rational thought that I am incredulous Contributing Writers AuraAhuvia, HalyeAisner, Jacob Berkman, Rabbi to an institution whose mission is religious; the author of this article couldn’t find more Lisa Delson, Milka Eliav, Eric Fingerhut, Sue their ignoring of the fact that the bulk of the convincing material to employ in his quest. Fishkoff, Julie Gales, Rabbi Ahron Goldstein, membership of Beth Israel is politically left Jessica Lieberman Rabbi Alter Goldstein, Tim Grimes, Ben Harris, Deborah Huerta, Ron Kampeas, Claire Kinberg, Kimberly Kunoff, Stacey Martin, Steve Merritt, Mike Newman, Stephen Pastner, Merrill Dr. Burton Visotzky to be scholar-in-residence Poliner, Karen Shill, Rachel Siegal, Elliot Sorkin, Elliot Sorkin, special to the WJN Byrnie Steifel, Leslie Susser, Yael Warshai, Beth Israel Congregation will host Burton p.m.