Volume 46, No. 11 — June-July 2012 — Sivan/ Tammuz/Av 5772

Shabbat at Heritage Park…see page 6 Sisterhood Rummage Sale...see page 7

You are invited to meet, listen to, and

talk with…….

Brigitte Gabriel Leading expert on

Global Islamic

Terrorism

Brigitte Gabriel is one of the leading terrorism

experts in the world providing information and

analysis on the rise of global Islamic terrorism.

She lectures nationally and internationally about

terrorism and current affairs.

Ms. Gabriel is Founder, President and CEO of

ACT! for America, the largest grassroots citizen

action network dedicated to preserving national

security and combating Islamic supremacy. She’s

the author of two New York Times bestsellers:

Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror

Warns America, and They Must Be Stopped: Why

We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can

Do It.

7 p.m., Monday, June 11

Congregation B’nai Moshe

6800 Drake Road

West Bloomfield, MI 48322

248.788.0600 Email: cbminfo@bnaimoshe.org

On the Web: www.bnaimoshe.org

Open to the community. No charge.

Following the talk Ms. Gabriel

will sign her books.

Singer Katie Geddes

Headlines Free Concert Katie Geddes, a concert and recording artist specializing in American and British folk music, will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 10 at Congregation B’nai Moshe. The concert is sponsored by the Nettie A. & Norman Freilich Senior Fund. Katie sings traditional and contemporary folk, country-folk, and folk-pop tunes. A deft interpreter of beloved songs, her captivating voice and velvety-smooth delivery bring new life to the compositions of writers such as John Prine, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Michael Nesmith and Lennon and McCartney. Katie's 2010 CD release, We Are Each Other's Angels, features an inspired roster of guest artists including Michael Johnson, Mary McCaslin, Don Henry and Small Potatoes, and is receiving extensive airplay around the country and around the world. When not doing her own gigs, Katie has been known to "moonlight" singing harmony for folk-rock legend Melanie and local favorite Matt Watroba. Katie will be accompanied by Dan Reynolds on guitar, Deb Wood and David Vaughn on harmony vocals. You can purchase We Are Each Other's Angels at B’nai Moshe.

Norman & Nettie A. Freilich. This concert is funded

by the Nettie A. & Norman Freilich Senior Fund.

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HOW YOU CAN REACH US

Telephone: (248) 788-0600

Fax: (248) 788-0604

School office: (248) 788-3600

email: cbminfo@bnaimoshe.org

on the web: www.bnaimoshe.org

Clergy

Rabbi Elliot Pachter ... rabepach@bnaimoshe.org

Cantor Earl G. Berris .... cantorb@bnaimoshe.org

Executive Director

Charles Berris ............. cbminfo@bnaimoshe.org

Director of Education

Gail Gales .................... cbmedu@bnaimoshe.org

Office ....................... cbmoffice@bnaimoshe.org

bnaimoshe@bnaimoshe.org

President ......................................... Dan Sperling

dansperlingcbm@gmail.com

Vice Presidents ................................... Steve Fine

Steve Mondrow

Jon Isenberg

Treasurer ........................................... Joel Shayne

Secretary…………………..…..Cathleen Zepelin

(USPS 981-880) Published Monthly except July

POSTMASTER:

Send Address Changes to:

B’nai Moshe Bulletin

6800 Drake Road

West Bloomfield, MI 48322

Periodical Postage

Paid at Pontiac, MI 48343

August Bulletin Deadline August Bulletin articles are due in the office on

Thursday, July 5, 2012. Stories may be delivered

to the office, faxed to (248)788-0604, or e-

mailed to cbminfo@bnaimoshe.org. Photographs

are encouraged to accompany stories when

appropriate. Late stories are subject to inclusion

on a case-by-case basis.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE!

www.bnaimoshe.org

We Have Archived Bulletins

by Dan Sperling

Inaugural President’s Brunch Celebrates B’nai Moshe

For my column this month, I wanted to share with you some words I shared at the Inaugural President’s Brunch held this past April: “One of my favorite places in this building is the

wall of past presidents. From my first days as a member, I would stand there and admire the (at the time) almost 90 years of leadership that was represented there. I’d think about what leading this Hungarian congregation must have been like back in the 20s, 30s, and 40s… through the wars, the anti-Semitism, the financial hardships (OK… some things don’t change.) Truthfully, at the time, I never expected that I would someday be part of that “exclusive club.” Of course, those people didn’t serve as President of B’nai Moshe to get their pictures on the wall, although it is nice to be remembered there. I presume they did it for the same reason that I agreed to do it right now…because they believed in this synagogue, they believed in its members, and they believed that it was their turn to step up and lead this congregation into its future. When I think of Presidencies and Past Presidents, the word “legacy” often comes to mind. Some presidents are remembered for things like new buildings, school wings and chapels. Some are remembered for hiring new clergy, for balancing budgets, or for merging congregations. And I’m sure, some are remembered simply for stepping up when no one else would. I realize that’s it’s too early for me to be thinking about my legacy here, but I do. I know that I want to be remembered for more than the president that had a stroke at such a young age. I’d like to be the President that revitalized B’nai Moshe, that grew the membership, that made fundraising easy! I’d like to be the president that secures our future so that we’re around for at least another 100 years and so that we can fill up the entire wall with pictures of Past Presidents. With all of your help, I think we can do that!” As it turns out, the Inaugural President’s Brunch was a resounding success! We had roughly 53 attendees and raised almost $42,000, netting more than $38,000 for the synagogue. Thank you again to all that attended and donated toward the event. If you were unable to join us this time, hopefully we will see you at next year’s event. See you in Shul!

Thoughts From Our President

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by Rabbi Elliot Pachter

Special Years and Special Days

Being a rabbi involves a wide range of tasks, but among the most gratifying is the opportunity to help people celebrate their life cycle events in the synagogue. The most common among these is Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Many of you have also chosen to hold your family’s wedding, brit milah or baby naming at B’nai Moshe. Then there are those wonderful Shabbat mornings when we have the honor of

sharing in the simcha of a special birthday or anniversary. While I can’t speak for everyone who chooses B’nai Moshe as

the location for a simcha, I suspect that in doing so, they recognize that the synagogue is more than a building — it is their home. Furthermore, the congregation is their family, and the Torah contained within our walls is a necessary part of their lives.

Normally, I assist others in their celebrations. On occasion, as will happen this month, I have the honor of being the one bringing the special event to the synagogue.

On Shabbat morning, June 9, Naomi and I are co-sponsoring the Kiddush in honor of our son Jonathan’s graduation from the Frankel Jewish Academy, and in honor of the 60th Wedding Anniversary of my parents, Sylvia and Sid Pachter.

Though these are the specific reasons for our celebration on that Shabbat, this year, and especially this time of the year, marks a number of significant milestones in my life, which I want to share with you, just as you have shared your celebrations with me.

In May, I completed 25 years as a rabbi, and in July I will finish my 20th year at B’nai Moshe.

This month marks my 40th Bar Mitzvah anniversary. In addition to my parents’ 60th anniversary, this year they both

turn 80 years old, and Naomi’s parents will also reach their 60th anniversary.

Jonathan’s graduation, and his joining Gabriel at U of M in September, means that Naomi and I are about to become “empty nesters.”

A few reflections: On my Bar Mitzvah anniversary, I can’t help but think about the significance of the number 40. Forty are the years our ancestors wandered in the wilderness on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land. The journeys of our lives, like those of our ancestors, are marked by challenges and accomplishments. In thinking about this milestone in my Rabbinate, I am now blessed with the opportunity to look back, and to especially recall children I have watched grow from birth to Bar/Bat Mitzvah to college, career, and sometimes even a wedding. I am also filled with pride when one of your tells me that something I once said, in a class, a sermon, or a conversation, stuck with you and impacted your life. Naomi and I face the forthcoming quiet house with bitter sweetness. We are so proud of our children and look forward to the new frontiers they will explore, but we will always long to have them home. Some days and some years bring us birthdays or anniversaries that end in a “5” or “0.” But every day we have the opportunity to quote Psalms 118:24 and declare: zeh hayom asah Adonay nagilah v’nism’chah vo—”This is the day God has made; let us be glad and rejoice on it.

A Word From Our Rabbi

by Cantor Earl G. Berris

MI SHEBEIRACH – THE PRAYER FOR THE ILL

Why do we pray? Doesn't God already know what's good for us? Doesn't He already know what we need? Are we somehow trying to "convince" God of the justness of our cause? What changes through prayer is not the "mind" of the Almighty. What changes through prayer is us. By recognizing the source of all of our blessings - our sustenance, our

health, our success, our very existence - we bring ourselves to a higher spiritual level. We elevate ourselves by drawing closer to the Almighty. And through this act of elevation, we become more "fitting" to receive those things we've prayed so hard for. In having grown through prayer, we can use our gifts more properly to perfect ourselves and the world around us. God desires our prayers because He wants to bestow blessings upon us. He only wants our good - which is to make the most out of our lives. Prayer is one way in which we maximize our potential by drawing closer to God. One of the central Jewish prayers is for those who are ill or recovering from illness or accidents, the Mi Sheberach, whose name is taken from its first two Hebrew words. With a holistic view of humankind, it prays for physical cure as well as spiritual healing, asking for blessing, compassion, restoration, and strength. Traditionally, the Mi Sheberach is said in synagogue when the Torah is read. If the patient cannot be at services, a close relative or friend might be called up to the Torah for an honor, and the Rabbi, Cantor or a Gabbai will offer this prayer, filling in the name of the one who is ill and his or her mother’s name. At B’nai Moshe, we keep a list of members and relatives and friends who need this prayer said on their behalf, which we do during Shabbat services and during Monday and Thursday morning prayers. We have begun a policy to refresh this list every 30 days in order to keep the list of names up to date. One main reason for this is that we do not want to recite a bracha in vain by asking G-d to intercede on behalf of one who has already recovered or, G-d forbid, one who has passed away without us being informed of either. Obviously, if one needs continuous prayers said for them, all that is required is to let us know to keep them on the list once a month. Though the synagogue does not require anything to offer up to G-d the prayer of healing for anyone, prayer is most effective when combined with personal involvement. Jews live in a world of "doing." Traditionally, the doing is in the form of acts of loving kindness, or if time doesn’t permit to give of ourselves, through the act of Tzedakah, money to be used for holy purposes. Our sages say, “Prayer helps us to focus on what we need to do in order to succeed. Only for a very holy individual, prayer alone might be sufficient.” Increasingly, the Mi Sheberach prayer has moved into other settings and other junctures. Rabbis, Cantors, and Chaplains, are now joining patients and those close to them in saying the Mi Sheberakh at various junctures —during hospitalization, before and after surgery, during treatments, upon admission or discharge from the hospital or during home or facility convalescence. Below is a translation as a resource for you as you confront the challenges of illness among your friends and family: May the One who blessed our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah) bless and heal the one who is ill: __son/daughter of __. May the Holy Blessed One overflow with compassion upon him / her, to restore him/her, to heal him/her, to strengthen him/her, to enliven him/her. May the Almighty send him/her, speedily, a complete healing - healing of the soul and healing of the body along with all the ill, among the people of Israel and all humankind, soon, speedily, without delay, and let us all say: Amen!

A Word From Our Cantor

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L.I.F.E. / Youth News

Bar Mitzvah ~~~~~~~~~~

Andrew Gross

Andrew Hershel Gross will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, June 16. Sharing in this special occasion will be his parents, Marina and Isaak Gross and his brothers, Johnathan and Phillip. Proud grandparents are Mary Maslovich and Aron Gross. Andrew is also the grandson of the late Lena Gross and Samuil Maslovich. Andrew attends Walnut Creek Middle School. He loves to play drums, snowboard, skateboard, and spend time with his friends. His mitzvah project was volunteering at Providence Cancer Center. He especially enjoyed working with the therapy dog.

Graduation Shabbat Celebrates Success Congregation B’nai Moshe will honor

academic success at all levels during Graduation Shabbat on June 9. Please call the synagogue office with the name of your graduate from middle school, high school, college or The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School.

Bat Mitzvah ~~~~~~~~~~

Deanna Koscik

Deanna Janice Koscik will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah

on Saturday, June 2. She is the daughter of proud parents, Paula Schane and Richard Koscik and sister of Shane, Frankie and Lily. Proud grandparent is David Schane. Deanna is also the granddaughter of the late Deanna Schane and the late Richard T. and Birute Koscik. Deanna attends Walnut Creek Middle School. She loves to dance, sing and act. She loves babysitting her nephew and has spent time visiting the elderly.

L.I.F.E. Students Enjoy

Yom Ha’atzmaut

L.I.F.E. students celebrated Israeli Independence Day on April 24 with music, crafts and, of course, lots of delicious Israeli food. Shlome Hamer also entertained students singing Hebrew tunes with his guitar.

Gold Leaf

SEYMOUR UNGAR

Happy 80th Birthday May 13, 2012

With love, from Your Children and Grandchildren

Photos by Stu Raben

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Synagogue/Library News

B’nai Moshe Members,

A heartfelt “Yashir Koach” to Dan and Lisa, Steven and

Elyse Fine for proposing and carrying forward the first

President’s Brunch.

Their concern and planning turned the birth of this event

into a continuing, productive and positive future.

The smiles on the faces of the attendees attest to the

success of this initial venture.

Savor These Summer Reading Treats From Our Library For this double issue of the Bulletin (June/July), I present for your reading pleasure a collection of new Jewish fiction suitable for summertime reading. But don’t forget that the library has a great collection of non-fiction titles available too. So come into the library and browse the entire collection.

HHhH by Laurent Binet. A historical novel that charts Heydrich’s rise through the Nazi ranks, the training in Britain of

the Czech and Slovak assassins who parachuted into Germany in December 1941 to kill him, and what happened after the assassination. Berlin Cantata by Jeffrey Lewis. At the center of Berlin Cantata is a house owned successively by Jews, Nazis, and Communists. Lewis deploys 13 voices to tell the intertwining story of those who lived there. I Am Forbidden by Anouk Markovits. Sweeping from the Central European countryside just before World War II, to Paris, to contemporary Williamsburg, this novel brings to life four generations of one Satmar family. Trapeze by Simon Mawer. Trapeze is a smart, well-paced spy thriller based on the true, extraordinary story of the SOE (Special Operations Executive) recruiting French-speaking British women during World War II to go undercover as British spies in occupied France. The Spinoza Problem by Irving D. Yalom. A novel about the Nazi ideologue Alfred Rosenberg and his obsession with the Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza. One More River by Mary Glickman. This National Jewish Book Award Finalist is the sweeping story of a father and son, and of the loves that transform them amid the turbulence of the American South. Stranger on the Planet by Adam Schwartz. A touching and funny account of Seth Shapiro's dysfunctional but lovable Jewish family and how he comes to terms with them. The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich. Set in 16th Century Venice, Rich’s fascinating historical details, and her warm

empathy for her protagonists will capture historical fiction fans and readers who enjoyed Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent. The Free World by David Bezmozgis. Summer 1978, among the thousands who have landed in Italy to secure visas for new lives in the West are the members of the Krasnansky family — three generations of Russian Jews. This novel follows their struggles to adjust to life in the “free world.”

The Little Russian by Susan Sherman. Set in the upheaval of early 20th-century wartime Russia, this novel follows the journey of a Jewish woman who looses everything and struggles to save her family. It provides an astonishing look at life for many Russian Jews throughout this time in history.

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Synagogue News

B’nai Moshe Members,

A heartfelt “Yashir Koach” to Dan and

Lisa Sperling and Steven and Elyse

Fine for proposing and carrying

forward the first President’s Brunch.

Their concern and planning turned the

birth of this event into a continuing,

productive and positive future. The

smiles on the faces of the attendees

attest to the success of this initial

Venture.

Welcome Shabbat At Heritage Park in Farmington Hills With Congregation B’nai Moshe!

June 22, 6 to 8 p.m.

6 p.m. Sing-a-long, led by Cantor Berris, to Welcome Shabbat, Storytelling, Fun with the Weekly Parasha with Rabbi Pachter (A traditional service will be held at 6 p.m. at CBM) 6:30 p.m. Dinner (BYO-Dairy/Pareve only) 7 p.m. Complimentary Treats (Ice cream & Popsicles) Meet at the North shelter next to the Splash Pad. Bring bathing suits, towels & Summer Ruach! The entire CBM Congregation is welcome. No charge for this event, but please RSVP so we can have a plentiful supply of treats.

248.788.0600 cbmedu@bnaimoshe.org

President’s Brunch Celebration The elegant Inaugural President’s

Brunch, held on April 22, featured

entertainment by Detroit Symphony

Orchestra Principal Harpist,

Patricia Masri-Fletcher and

a cappella group, Kol Hakavod and

raised thousands for B’nai Moshe.

Photos by Jorge & Amy Lemus

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Synagogue

Please Donate Your Gently worn clothes for the entire family (no stained or torn items please)

Housewares, baby goods, toys, electronics (in good condition) & miscellany Small furniture (e.g. coffee tables, chairs) & dorm sized refrigerators

(Sorry, no computers will be accepted)

Men, Women & Teens are invited to help. Proceeds from the Rummage Sale provide many wonderful things for our shul. We need everyone’s help. Set-up hours have been extended to accommodate working schedules. We will gladly give verification of community service hours for teen volunteers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Drop off dates & times Sunday, July 22 ~ 9 a.m. - Noon

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, July 23, 24, 25 & 26

9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Set-up Dates The weeks of July 22 & 29 - Daytime and evening slots will be available

Sale Dates and Times Sunday, August 5 ~ 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Monday, August 6 ~ 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 7 ~ 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Please contact Ruth Shayne at 248-489-0783 or ruthshayne@gmail.com and let her know when you are available to help.

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Synagogue/Sisterhood/ Men’s Club News

Welcome To Our Open Kitchen Plan your next Simcha in our beautiful Bodzin Social Hall

or Cantor Klein Chapel.

You may select your own Kosher caterer from among those found on Qualitykosher.com & the Vaad Detroit website: cordetroit.com/kashrus/retail-establishments.

Our synagogue is available during the day or evenings for your events.

Detroit Tigers vs

Cleveland Indians Sunday, August 5 @1:05 p.m.

Section 331 Upper Box Infield

Ticket price: $30 Spouses, Children, Grandchildren, & friends welcome (limited number of seats – first come, first served)

Attendees will be expected to observe B’nai Moshe’s Kashrut laws.

RESERVATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED and

PAID BY JUNE 25

No credit cards please

For info, call: Jonathan Tobes, (248) 254-2500 Make check payable to B’nai Moshe Men’s Club and

send to: B’nai Moshe Men’s Club, Congregation B’nai Moshe,

6800 Drake Road, West Bloomfield MI 48322

2012 Tiger Ball Game Name: _________________________________

Phone: ____________ ____ tickets @ $ 30= $ _________

Indicate here if you wish to carpool to Comerica Park: _____________

L.I.F.E Students Make A

Difference With Donation

What a heart warming sight to behold, one Shabbat in early May, while Sisterhood was preparing kiddush to have Mrs. Marilyn Yarbrough's 1st and 2nd grade class come traipsing through the dairy kitchen. Behaving like little ladies and gentlemen, they recited the different b'rachot on the apple juice they were drinking and the special cookies selected for them in recognition of their donation to the Sisterhood through their weekly classroom tzedakah. G'milut chasadim or "acts of loving kindness" were performed by these caring youngsters and most appreciated. The children—Rachel Berris, Jaclyn Cohen, Hannah Isser, Susanna Khanuk, Hannah Meltser, Kenan Mealoy, Noa Ostroff, Robbie Whelan—donated $18 to the Sisterhood Kiddush Fund from their weekly classroom contributions. If that wasn’t enough, they also wrote

letters and made drawings of their favorite Kiddush foods. This totally overwhelmed the Kiddush Chair! These children made commitment from their hearts, realizing what it takes to put on Kiddushim every week. The grateful committee consists of Lynne Avadenka, Jennifer Bass, Susan Brohman, Ethel Feldman, Lillian Greenhut, Renee Gunsberg, Julia Khanuk, Judy Lipson, Sheryl Rosenfeld, Paula Schane and Ruth Shayne.