"She's just so, so cute!"
- Jeff Surowitz
Statewide Outreach Coordinator
Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit
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Pre-register for Jewish Summer Camp Subsidies
The First-Time Jewish Experience Subsidy Fund provided more than 40
subsides to Michigan Jewish youth this past summer. Pre-registration is now open to Jewish children for Summer '09! Click here for info. |
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Phone (from) Home
Droves of Jews - everywhere in Michigan - are gaining a personal connection to
Jewish life and wisdom...on the phone! Explore
Judaism with a personal touch from the comfort of your own home. Jeff Surowitz, Statewide Outreach Coordinator,
leads the phone discussions and allows participants to probe Jewish topics of
their choice. We learn, we argue, we laugh.
If only Hebrew School
had been like this!
Classes meet over the phone and there is no charge and no commitment. Check out below for the disscussion topics and how you can join a class today.
Intro to Jewish Prayer
Mondays 9:30 - 10:30 am
Prayer is not waving a magic wand and hoping for the best. Prayer is an
exercise in introspection and self-transformation, where a new,
better "self" emerges. We'll journey through the prayer book and find
some age-old practical wisdom.
The Secret to Happiness
Tuesdays 9:30 - 10:30 am
The key to happiness is to appreciate what you have. Sounds simple. So why are so many people unhappy? Join us as we work through the book Gateways to Happiness and learn some practical ways to be more happy.
High Holiday Primer
Wednesdays 8:30 - 9:30 pm
The
most important time of the Jewish year is often the most misunderstood.
Here's all the basics you need to know to have the upcoming High
Holidays become more meaningful.
Jewish Philosophy/Kabballah
Thursday 9:45 - 10:45 pm
A study in a classic book in Jewish philosophy called "The
Way of G-d." The book lays out clearly,
layer by layer, the very fundamental principles of the universe, and the very
things expected of us all as a consequence of them. Sounds heavy? It is. But if you like a good philosophical schmooze, this is for you!
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To join one of these exciting classes, call Jeff Surowitz at 248-914-1138 or send Jeff an email.
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Statewide Community Calendar
For program information, please email Jeff Surowitz.
10/5
Grand Rapids
Community
Apple Picking event
10/15
Grand Rapids
A
Mind Power Show featuring world famous psychic Sidney Friedman
10/16
Grand Rapids
One G-d, Three Scriptures: Judaism, Christianity & Islam. Conference by Dr. David Nirenberg, University of Chicago
10/17
- 10/19 Tri-Cities *
3 day Jewish Music Festival featuring Gemini.
10/28
Flint
19th
Annual Donald Riegle Community Service Award Event
10/28
Grand Rapids
2008
Community Campaign Event Guest Speaker Dr. Yossi Olmert
10/26
Grand Rapids
Family Fun Day at Craig's Cruisers
11/9
Kalamazoo *
Jewish
Book Fair featuring Keren McGinity, Univsity of Michigan and Ellen Kushner of NPR
Nov date tba Sault Ste. Marie *
Dead Sea Scrolls Presentation by Prof. Alex Gropper University of Toronto.
Nov date tba Benton Harbor *
"Am I my Botherer's Keeper?" First in four part lecture series by Rabbi Tzvi Muller, Partners in Torah, Detroit
Nov Date TBA Mt Pleasant *
Lecture by Rabbi Avi Choen, Partners in Torah, Detroit
In future newsletters, we hope to better connect everyone by including even more events in the Statewide Community Calendar. Please email me about events you will be running so we can get the word out. Thanks!
* indicates wholly or partially funded by the Ravitz Initiative
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Greetings!
Happy New Year! Shana Tova! Hello Michigan and hello 5769! We're excited to let you know about the wonderful Jewish activities going on around the state. It's been a busy month that capped off a busy summer. There's been klezmer music in Mt. Pleasant, a beautiful baby girl born to the Surowitz family, Israel's-60th-celebration-bound-busses from West Michigan, an adorable new baby in the happy Surowitz home, scores of kids returning from wonderful Jewish experiences at summer camps, a precious treasure named Esther Tova who moved in with the Surowitz family and a flurry of funding requests for a variety of Jewish programming in your Michigan communities. We'll look back, look forward and give you some great Jewish resources (including some awesome videos for the days of awe). |
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Quick Jewish Joke of the Month
(just in time for the election)
Three older Jewish men sitting on a park bench. Sighs the first, "Oy." A couple minutes later the second mutters, "Oy vey." The third stands up exclaiming: "Nu, if we're going to start talking politics, I'm leaving."
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Exciting Teen Programming Coming to Your Community
 B'nai B'rith Youth Organization and the Ravitz Initiative are teaming up to bring exciting Jewish teen programs to your town! Plans are underway to staff and fund programs starting this fall in Benton Harbor, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Petoskey, the Tri-Cities and Traverse City. A wonderful staff is being assembled to bring dynamic social programs to give teens in your communities a chance to tap into their Judaism and hang out with other Jewish kids. Look for more details in next month's newsletter.
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Israel Mission Options
- Detroit Jewish Federation's
Family Mission to Israel.
Dec. 25, 2008 - January 4, 2009 Take your family on the journey of a lifetime and celebrate
Hanukkah like never before as you visit Israel's top attractions during this special 10-day trip. A flight has been chartered to fly non-stop from Detroit
and there are Air-Only Options and Adult-Only Bus Options available. Click here for info. - B'nai
B'rith Great Lakes Baby Boomers Israel Mission
Oct. 28
- Nov. 9 A fully escorted, deluxe all-inclusive 13-day tour of the
Jewish State including visits to all the top attractions. Interested? Email here.
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Spotlight on Esther Tova Surowitz
(Editor's note: although normally the spotlight focuses on a wonderful Michigan Jewish community, the editorial board unanimously decided to deviate from the norm and instead comment on this once in a century joyous occasion.)
Esther Tova Surowitz was born Sept. 7th at 1:28 am and weighed 7 lb; 15 oz. Brothers Eitan (5) and Aviel (3) are ecstatic to have a beautiful baby sister with dark hair and blue eyes. A first granddaughter, she is believed to be singularly responsible for keeping the economy afloat in this economic crisis. Proud grandparents and great-grandparents have nearly matched Warren Buffet's $5 bil. investment in the economy through the acquisition of every article of pink baby clothing in North America. Thank G-d, mommy and baby are well; daddy is slowly recovering. Return to Top
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Jewish Thought of the Month Why do we wish each other a good and sweet new year? Isn't it enough that it should be good? Better yet, why not say "good and nice" or "good and happy?" Why "sweet?" Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb recently commented that the word sweet is not subjective. So long as you have functioning tastebuds, everyone agrees what sweet is. What I think is good, or nice or happy, you may not (i.e., my 3 year old told me this morning that his jamming a pacifier into his sleeping sister's mouth was nice; I disagreed). But we can all agree on what's sweet. The old adage 2 Jews 3 opinions actually doesn't work with "sweet," and what a great way to start off the year!
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I hope you found this newsletter helpful! If you forwarded the email to friends last month, thanks. If not, please forward it to others in your community and encourage them to join the list by clicking the button to the left.
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L'shana tova u'metuka,
To a sweet and good new year,
Jeffrey Surowitz
Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit
Outreach Program Coordinator
surowitz@jfmd.org
248-914-1138 (cell)
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