Congregation T’Chiyah
Editor: Shel Kohn, (shelkohn at sbcglobal.net)	March - April, 2008

From the President:

      Passover is fast approaching. Increasing amounts of sunshine and warmer days help us to focus on some of the essential messages of the holiday: renewal and freedom. It is also a holiday that brings with it so many memories of the gatherings we have shared over the years with family, friends and congregation members. In each of those seders we have attended over the years, an important part of our service has been to remember the homeless and the needy because we too were "wandering Arameans".

      While at a political gathering this week, I heard a benediction from a Lutheran Pastor that I thought captured many of the ideas of social justice that are part of our tradition particularly at this time of the year.

          We pray for our continued presence with the hungry

          and the homeless, the ill and the injured,

          the unemployed and underemployed and uninsured,

          with those who live under the hindrance of prejudice and inequity,

          that these may be temporary and not permanent conditions for people.

          We pray for hearts that hunger for justice, spirits that pursue peace,

          ears to hear the cries of people,

          and hands that reach out to others in friendship and mutual respect.

Each of us has our own particular issues of social justice. I hope that over this past year our religious services and our study together have helped each of you to focus on what is important to you.

Harold Gurewitz, President

Gifts to the Congregation:

The Congregation gratefully acknowledges the following gifts:

         Rhoda Stamell has made a contribution in honor of the birth of her grandaughter Delilah Rose Lane, born Dec 11, 2007.

         We received contributions from Roz Schindler and Raina Ernstoff and Sandy Hansell in honor of the birth of Oscar Miller, his mother Karen and grandparents Jane and Rick Miller.

         The following members have contributed funds to support the Congregation’s sponsorship of the presentation at the Jewish Film Festival (announcement below): Richard Thomas, Mary Ellen and Harold Gurewitz, Maureen Lyn Bernard, Rick and Jane Miller, Barbara Goldman, Rhoda Stamell, Sid Simon, Raina Ernstoff and Sandy Hansell, Sheila and Shel Kohn.

JRF News:

         When Art Rotman and his wife, Anita, visited Camp JRF in 2006, they were deeply touched by the beautiful setting and the spirit of the kids. It was fitting then, that when Art passed away, his family decided to establish a scholarship fund in his honor, to benefit the camp. The Rotman family would welcome donations to supplement the fund in Art's memory, to help Jewish children experience the same energy and excitement the Rotmans saw the day they first visited Camp JRF.

         When Carol Feder, co-president of Adat Shalom in Bethesda, MD, and her husband Jack picked up their children at Camp JRF this past summer, teen participants of the No'ar Hadash Israel Experience had just returned from Israel, sharing the energy and joy of what this first Reconstructionist youth movement teen trip to Israel was like for them. Carol's dad, Leonard Friend, passed away shortly thereafter, and Carol established a fund in her father's memory to support the important program. Sadly, her mother, Phyllis, has also recently passed away, and Carol is now encouraging donations to the Leonard and Phyllis Friend Memorial Scholarship Fund for the No'ar Hadash Israel Experience.

         Donations can be made online to either of these funds at www.jrf.org by clicking on the "Donate Now" button, and noting on the Comment field that the funds are designated for the Art Rotman Memorial Scholarship Fund for Camp JRF or Leonard and Phyllis Friend Memorial Scholarship Fund for the No'ar Hadash Israel Experience. They can also be mailed directly to JRF at Beit Devora, 101 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 430, Jenkintown, PA 19146. For further information contact Barry Nove, Director of Development at bnove@jrf.org or call 215-885-5601, ext. 19.

Other Reconstructionist Activities:

         Rabbi Michael Zimmerman, at Kehillat Israel in Lansing, will present a comparison of Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism on Thur, May 15, at 7pm, at KI. KI continues to present a full menu of educational opportunities for its membership, including adult ed classes.

         The Ann Arbor havurah has redesigned its web site; check it out at aarecon.org .

News:

         Jane and Rick Miller's daughter, Karen Miller, gave birth to Oscar Albert Miller at 5 AM on March 26. Oscar came into the world weighing 8 pounds and 1 ounce, and mom and son are doing very well!

         Congregation T'chiyah will sponsor the film, Steal a Pencil for Me, during the Jewish Film Festival (JFF) in honor of our 30th anniversary. The date and time are Sunday, May 4, at 12:30 PM (Commerce Theater, on 14 Mile between M5 and Haggerty Road). This compelling documentary feature by Oscar-nominee Michèle Ohayon is about the power of love and the ability of humankind to rise above unimaginable suffering. With Holland under Nazi occupation, Jack meets Ina, a 20-year-old beauty from a wealthy diamond manufacturing family who instantly steals his heart. But Jack is poor and already married to Manja, a flirtatious and mercurial spouse. Then Jack, his wife and lover are deported to the same concentration camp. When Jack's wife objects to the relationship in spite of their unhappy marriage, Jack and Ina resort to writing secret love letters that sustain them throughout the horrible circumstances of the war. Steal a Pencil for Me is the story of a six-decade-long love affair, a fairy tale born of amazing deprivation.

         The film lasts 90 minutes, and we will have a late lunch afterwards at Gest Omelettes (also on 14 Mile and Haggerty) .

         We are planning this event as a fundraiser with a donation of $18 per ticket. Please save the date, purchase tickets, and invite family and friends to join us.

Contact Roz Schindler for tickets: rozschind(at)aol.com or 248.541.7218. Thanks for your support!

From Maureen Lyn Bernard........

Got Something to Say?

Good - because I'd like to hear it!

I was thinking: If we want to figure out how to encourage new members, maybe we should start with the experts. I'm not referring to professional marketers or ad specialists -

         No, I'm referring to US, yep, US - the existing membership.

         After all, we did join Congregation T'chiyah for a reason. *And what is that reason? What caused you to join?

*What were your first impressions of T'Chiyah?

*What caused you to come the first time?

*And why did you come back a second time?

Please, tell me! Either email me, Maureen, at mlynbernard(at)att.net,

call me on my cell, 734-645-8809, or, if you're feeling particularly

flush, you can take me out for coffee and reminisce.

Rabbi Jason Miller

         Please save Tuesday, April 22, at 7:30 PM (in our sanctuary) for a discussion session with Rabbi Jason Miller: "Why So Different: An Exploration of the Passover Seder's Four Children through Art and Psychology"

         Rabbi Jason Miller is originally from West Bloomfield, Michigan, and attended Hillel Day School. Both he and his wife Elissa have family in our area. Rabbi Miller grew up at Adat Shalom Syngagogue and was active in the USY youth group there as well as on a national and international level. He attended James Madison College at MSU, graduating in May 1998 with a B.A. in International Relations and a Jewish Studies specialization. He went on to the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he was ordained as a Rabbi in May 2004, and where his M.A. degree in Jewish education was also conferred in May 2004. He also holds a Master's degree in Education from the William Davidson Graduate School of Education.

         Rabbi Miller has a diverse portfolio and is very familiar and feels comfortable with Reconstructionism. He says: "I have been described as an innovative and energetic young rabbi, as well as a 'pied piper' when it comes to attracting youth to Jewish educational programming. . . .."

         Rabbi Miller been active as a spritual leader, program director, fund raiser, teacher (of youth and adults), hospital chaplain, and more. He has also helped the congregations with which he has been affiliated to grow significantly. He has one part-time position currently located in Farmington Hills (he is directing the Alliance for Teens in Detroit-- ATID), and he will also be taking on responsibilities with the Tamarack camping programs.

Student Rabbi (soon to be Rabbi) Donna Kirshbaum:

         Donna Kirshbaum will be with Congregation T'chiyah once again the weekend of April 25!

         On Friday evening, April 25 (7:45 PM), there will be a Kabbalat Shabbat service, followed on Saturday morning, April 26 (10 AM) by a study session on "The Ethics of Speech." That afternoon, we are planning a T'chiyah trip to the Detroit Zoo, weather permitting. On Saturday evening, a Havdallah service with a Pesach potluck will begin at 6 PM. There will be a Yizkor service on Sunday morning, April 27 (10 AM), with continuing discussion of a social action project. All events will be held in our sanctuary, except maybe the zoo. Join us! Watch your email for updates.

Cohn-Haddow Program:

Co-sponsored by Congregation T’chiyah and Ameinu, the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at Wayne State University will present Micha Balf, Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael, with a program on The Kibbutz in the Twenty-First Century: Challenges, Dreams and Disappointments, 2:30 p.m. at Congregation T’chiyah, David and Miriam Mondry Building, Jewish Community Campus, Oak Park

It is very important that as many T'chiyah members as possible attend this talk.

Editorial:

         As you can tell, from this newsletter, the Congregation is presenting a very full calendar of events, and I hope that all of you are able to attend as many as possible. We should all appreciate the hard work that our members have provided for our entertainment and education.

         May you all have a sweet and joyous Passover, surrounded by friends and family. We are once again having a 2d Seder at the Congregation on Sunday night - contact Barbra Goldman (Gold6178(at)aol.com)

         It’s that time again: elections will be upon us in June - if you are called, it is important that you make yourself available to do one of the many jobs that are necessary to the success of Congregation T’Chiyah.

         Shabbaton in early April - did anyone attend? We would love to hear from you.

         Sheldon Kohn, Editor

Congregation T’Chiyah

a member of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

David and Miriam Mondry Building

15000 W. Ten Mile Road

Oak Park, MI 48237

Phone Number: 248-542-0900

Email: Tchiyah at Tchiyah.org

Website URL: www.tchiyah.org