August 28, 2014
2 Elul 5774
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CONDOLENCES
To Debbie and Michael Balkin on the recent death of Debbie's mother, Marilyn L. Hope.
MINYAN TIMES
Sunday, August 31st
and Labor Day, Monday September 1st
8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. both days.
Your presence is always welcome!
Shabbat Shoftim
Rabbi Bradley Artson

Justice, expressed in Parashat Shoftim, is one of the eternal religious obligations of Judaism.

By Rabbi Bradley Artson 

Pursuing Justice for All 

Across the globe, religious traditions rightly exult in the majesty and depth of their sacred writings: the Bagavad-Gita, the Rig-Veda, the Dammapada, the Tao Te Ching, the Iliad, these are the spiritual heritage of humanity, a crowning glory of literary art and religious passion.

Reading these books constitutes an exposure to greatness. Yet there is something lacking in them all that the Hebrew Bible possesses in unique measure: a passion for justice for the poor, the weak, and the despised. Unlike the Buddhist ideal of a 'bodisatva' (an enlightened being) who is so pure that he can step over a beggar without remorse, Moses and Jeremiah consider justice and compassion to be the sine qua non of any true religiosity. One cannot claim to love God and not be passionate about justice. That is the primary Jewish contribution to the human spirit.

Yet there is a subtle Jewish assimilation afoot: because other religious traditions define "religion" primarily in terms of faith, prayer and ritual alone, there are now a significant number of Jews who do so as well with Judaism. By focusing on the mitzvoth

click here to continue reading


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for additional insights on this week's parsha and others, visit The JTS Torah Commentary archive: 


May Their Memories Be For a Blessing 

AUGUST YAHRTZEITS

8/28/2014 (2 Elul)

Robert Keila

8/29/2014 (3 Elul)

Louis Rose

Sam Toby

8/30/2014 (4 Elul)

Jack Harold Kaufman

8/31/2014 (5 Elul)

Lillian Katzman

SEPTEMBER YAHRTZEITS

9/1/2014 (6 Elul)

Franka Charlupski

9/3/2014 (8 Elul)

John Eby

9/4/2014 (9 Elul)

Reinald Freedman

9/6/2014 (11 Elul)          

Ernest Gans

Arthur Markowitz

9/7/2014 (12 Elul)          

Alex Kuhn

9/8/2014 (13 Elul)          

Pearl Leah Naimark

9/10/2014 (15 Elul)        

Rabbi Carl L. Manello

9/12/2014 (17 Elul)        

Yosef Garber

 9/13/2014 (18 Elul)        

Leo Orel

9/14/2014 (19 Elul)        

Abraham Hurvich

9/16/2014 (21 Elul)        

Douglas Cohen

9/19/2014 (24 Elul)        

Lawrence Sklar

9/20/2014 (25 Elul)        

Mary Friedman

Lawrence Sklar

9/21/2014 (26 Elul)        

Ida Goode

Sophie Blau Konek

9/22/2014 (27 Elul)        

Robert Nusholtz

9/24/2014 (29 Elul)        

Malkah Muchkies

9/25/2014 (1 Tishrei)      

Nathan (Bob) Crone

Tillie Kershenbaum

9/26/2014 (2 Tishrei)      

Abraham Lewis

 9/28/2014 (4 Tishrei)      

Louis Glazier

9/29/2014 (5 Tishrei)      

Moishe Haar

9/30/2014 (6 Tishrei)      

Ruth Elbling

Paul Feiner

To make a donation to commemorate a yahrtzeit, please click here.  If you are a member of the synagogue and a yahrtzeit for your loved one is not on the list, please contact the synagogue office so we can update our records.

   Please click here if you wish to permanently memorialize a loved one by purchasing a yahrtzeit plaque.  

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To make a donation to the synagogue,  click here  
phone:  248-432-2729
SHABBAT SHALOM!
Shabbat ShoftimShabbat Table
Friday, August 29th
 6 p.m. Chapel
Saturday, August 30th
 9 a.m. Services,
Sanctuary 
10 a.m.  Supervised Youth Room, lower level 
Mazel tov to Sydney Gordon, who will become a bat mitzvah during Shabbat morning services.  Mazel Tov as well to her parents,  Karen and Vernon Gordon and her brother Adam.  She is the granddaughter of Donna and Lawrence (z"l) Sklar, and Maxine (z"l) and Maurice (z"l) Gordon.
Mazel Tov to Jordan Rosen and Anna Jackson, who will be celebrating their upcoming wedding with an aufruf during Shabbat morning service.  Mazel Tov to Jordan's parents, Michael and Marybeth Rosen, and to Anna's parents, Karen and Chris Young and Stephen Jackson. 
 
Kiddush Lunch* is sponsored by Donna Sklar in honor of her granddaughter, Sydney becoming a bat mitzvah.
*Kiddush Lunch is available through donations to the Kiddush Lunch Fund, the generosity of weekly sponsors, and volunteer efforts of our congregants and regular attendees. Please e-mail or call the synagogue office if you would like to sponsor a kiddush lunch. To sponsor as part of a "group," please e-mail Joanna Abramson or Mindy Shuback. You may also make a donation to the Kiddush Lunch Fund by clicking here. 
 
SNL
SATURDAY NIGHT LEARNING, August 30, is at 7:45 p.m. at the home of

NEXT SHABBAT:  
Ruby Robinson will deliver the D'var Torah, "Strangers in the Land: Understanding the Humanitarian Situation of Children Fleeing Central America."  Ruby will lead further conversation on this topic before mincha in the chapel.  To hear more about Ruby's work, you can listen to his recent interview on WDET by clicking here.
Cookbook Recipes Needed!
We are collecting recipes for a future B'nai Israel Cookbook. Please send these to Linda Foster: lindaefoster@gmail.com.
We also want to publish our Shabbat in the Park recipes on our Facebook page.  Please e-mail your Shabbat in the Park Recipes to the synagogue office:  info@bnaiisraelwb.org

Detroit Tigers
Tiger Baseball Game
Jewish Heritage Day at Comerica Park
Sunday, September 14th
Bus leaves from the TKA/BI parking lot at 11:30 a.m. and returns to the synagogue following the game. Cost:  $30/person includes admission ticket, transportation and pizza.  Click here for reservation form.  Bus space limited to first 45 reservations.

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HIGH HOLIDAY PACKETS, WILL ARRIVE THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1ST TO MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING. TO PURCHASE HIGH HOLIDAY TICKETS,  Please order your additional tickets for family members prior to the 9/12 deadline to allow time for processing.

COMMUNITY-WIDE SELICHOT SERVICE
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20TH, 8:30 P.M. AT CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK.  Click here for flyer and complete information.
Learning Opportunities
Adult Education
"Making Sense of the Machzor"
A 3-Part Series as part of SNL, Saturday Night Learning
Shabbat, September 6, 13, 20 - 6:30 pm
Prepare for the Yamim Noraim over Seudah Shlishit, as we wrap up the season's Saturday Night Learning sessions.  
Location TBD

Adult Shabbat morning study with DrMitch Parker
resumes September 6th., 11-11:45 a.m.  
Future dates:  9/13, 10/18, 11/8, 11/22, 12/6, 12/20, 1/10, 1/24, 2/7, 2/21, 3/7, 3/21, 4/11, 4/25, 5/9, 5/23.
Upcoming Youth and Family Activities
hot cocoa2 D'var Torah Cocoa Cafe (8-12 graders) and Shabbat Children's Workshop (ages 7-12) have returned!
September 6th, 11 a.m., lower level.
Future dates: 10/18, 11/8, 12/76, 1/10, 2/7, 3/7, 4/11, 5/9


 

RAMAH CANADA LOGOFall Events for Camp Ramah
September 7th
Camp Heremelin, 12:30 p.m. at the home of Doreen Hermelin
September 14th
Welcome Back from Camp Ramah
5-7 p.m., Adat Shalom Synagogue.  click here to view the camp event flyers. 
 
To stay current on all youth and family activities, contact Ilana Glazier to join the B'nai Israel Families Facebook Group.
Mazel Tov 
Happy Birthday!

Birthday Cake AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

 29 Edward Chudnow

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS 

 1 Debi Kapen

 1 Sandy Lada

 1 Melissa Levy

  2 Jack Canvasser

  2 Pearl Manello

  3 Toby Gittleman

  3 Avery Robinson

  4 Brenda Soverinsky

  5 Stephanie Singer

  9 Donna Sklar

 10 Alan Taub

 11 Beverly Avadenka

 11 Julia Feber

 11 Bernice Jacobson

 11 Michael Rosen

 12 Adam Baruch

 12 Samantha Dines

 12 John Marcotte

 13 Maxwell Rosen

 13 Benjamin Rosenberg

 15 Adena Wolf

 17 Linda Jacobson

 17 Renee Kozlowski

 18 Daniel Chudnow

 19 Carol Wiseman

 19 Karyn Zeff

 20 Madeline Jacobson

 20 Edith Kozlowski

 20 Samuel Saperstein

 23 Allan Lovinger

 25 Frances Chudnow

 27 Erika Finn

 27 Warren Lada

      Jewish Wedding

AUGUST ANNIVERSARIES   

 30 Roy & Robin Rosen

 31  Michael Karesh and Gayla Bassham

SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 

 4  Jack & Bernice Friedman

  4  Matt & Lori Orel

  5  Howard & Trudy Jacobson

  5  Randy & Brenda Soverinsky

 14 Jay & Renee Kozlowski

 

To make a donation in honor of someone's birthday or anniversary, please click here.

If your birthday or anniversary information is not listed, please email the synagogue so we can update our records.

Caring Community Information

Refuah Sh'leimah/Wishing a Speedy Recovery.  

Please e-mail Michael Golob or call the synagogue: 248-432-2729 to add a name to our communal mishebeirach list.   

 

Shiva assistance: To assist in providing a shiva meal for BI member families and/or if you are able to lead a shiva minyan, please e-mail the synagogue.

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B'nai Israel Synagogue is affiliated with USCJ, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

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