WEEKLY NEWS - May 4, 2021
Office Hours
(Suspended For Now):

*Monday/Friday 
9:30am-2pm
*Tuesday-Thursday
10am-3pm

248.477.1410
Published on Tuesdays.
Deadline for submissions: Mondays at noon.
Scroll down for Rabbi Falick's commentary:
UNDERSTANDING THE VICTIMS OF THE TRAGEDY AT MT. MERON
THIS FRIDAY AT 6PM
(or anytime after that)
BEGINS MONDAY, MAY 10
AT NOON


A deeper look at Jewish customs, traditions, and historical events ... from ancient times to today!

In one or two sessions, Rabbi Falick will take on a Jewish idea, topic, or custom and review it in depth from its origins right up to today!

This is a great way to learn more about Jewish history and life through a Humanistic lens. For each topic, he'll drill down to the origins, examine the history, and take a look at modern understandings ... including ongoing controversies and disagreements.

First Topic:
The Ancient Temple in Jerusalem:
History, Traditions, Controversies, and ... World War III?
IS GOING TO THE ...
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:

1) Click here to purchase tickets to these two films available now through May 22 (all three weeks of the Festival):

  • "A Crime on the Bayou" - A Black teenager, with the help of a Jewish attorney, bravely challenges the most powerful white supremacist in 1960s Louisiana. Systemic racism and pervasive anti-Semitism meets its match in decisive courtroom battles, including the U.S. Supreme Court. (89 mins | Documentary, Family | Nancy Buirski | USA | English | 2020)

  • "Hollywood's Second World War" - During WWII, the US government launched a huge propaganda campaign using cinema as their most powerful weapon. This is the story of four European-born Hollywood directors, three who were Jewish, who returned to the "Old World" to make propaganda documentaries for the US Army. They risked their lives for their new homeland and returned to the USA with unique documentaries. Long-forgotten, their films dealt with the front line in Italy, bombardment of Germany and the liberation of Dachau. (90 mins | Documentary | Jascha Hannover | Germany | English | 2019)
2) Attend our Film Discussion Group (via Zoom, link TBA) on Thursday, May 27, 7:30pm!

  • Our Film Discussion Group leader Dr. Fran Shor will lead a lively conversation about these two films!

Next SJC meeting:

THIS Saturday, May 8, 11:15am
All are welcome: Come to contribute ideas or just to hear from others! AT THIS LINK:

YOUR SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE PRESENTS A ...

💐 SPRING CELEBRATION SIGN-MAKING EVENT 💐

DATE CHANGE!!
Saturday, May 22
1:30-3:30pm
No Cost
(rain date: Sunday, May 23)

SOCIALLY DISTANCED IN THE TEMPLE BACKYARD!
AT INDIVIDUAL SEPARATED TABLES / MASKS *REQUIRED*

Who is invited: BT members, and friends of all ages -- family friendly, children may join in the art.

What are we doing?: Making signs in support of issues important to you. No art experience or ability required. The Social Justice Committee will provide the art supplies. Participants may bring extra to use or share ideas and guidance. WE WILL ALSO BE MAKING LAWN SIGNS FOR THE TEMPLE WITH THE NAMES OF BLACK VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE.

Goal: Self-expression about causes we care for!

Optional Yoga session: 1-1:30pm with Connie Grossman, BT member & amazing yoga teacher, who will lead a gentle practice of standing postures
No yoga experience necessary to participate -- a great chance to try out this relaxing exercise

We'll also provide: Water and snacks, friendly DISTANCED conversation; our nearby play structure for children; information about current social justice issues and events!

RSVP by Tuesday, May 19
By email to Audrey Pleasant (audreypleasant@gmail.com) or text 313.478.641.

Contact Audrey with questions or suggestions!
BT'S "FREE LITTLE FOOD PANTRY"
BT has installed a "Free Little Food Pantry" for those in need. We will need donations of non-perishables to keep it filled.

WE NEED FOOD DONATIONS!

NO PASTA FOR NOW!

WE ESPECIALLY NEED:

  • PERSONAL CARE / HYGIENE
  • HAND SOAP
  • CLEANING PRODUCTS
  • CEREAL
  • SPICES
  • PAPER PRODUCTS
  • ***NEW! WE NEED CHILDREN'S CLOTHING (good quality / no rips or stains!)

ALSO: canned tuna & chicken * proteins / grains * canned fruits & vegetables * soups / sauces / condiments * breakfast items * snacks

You're likely to find the pantry full, but please be aware that Items ARE being taken and then replenished from supplies kept inside the Temple building.

Contact Audrey (audreypleasant@gmail.com) for more details.
HELP FREEDOM HOUSE CHILDREN!

Freedom House residents need the following: 

Gender-neutral baby clothes for expected newborn ● Pants in large or extra large for pregnant mom ● Shoes for mom: women's size 9 ● Shoes for dad: men's size 10 ● Size 5/6 clothes for boy ● Socks for boy and mom ● Comb for Afro-textured hair ● (Please note: No wipes or diapers needed!)

Audrey (audreypleasant@gmail.com) if you are able to donate any of these or would like her to shop for you.
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
END DENIALS OF CARE:
Stop Right-Wing Attempts to Deny People Care

Special Guests: Jessica Pinckney, ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE & Christel Allen, NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 8PM (EDT)

OTHER CAUSES WE SUPPORT
We continue to suggest contacting Senators Stabenow and Peters urging support for ... 

  • For The For the People Act (H.R. 1)

  • Equality Act (H.R. 5)

  • George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

  • Do No Harm Act (clarifies the Religious Freedom Actto prohibit discrimination by religion ) 

  • Legislation to protest Uyghur mistreatment

  • Bills to expand healthcare access

Thank your House members if they voted for these and/or otherwise extended support, express disappointment if they opposed. Contact your Michigan legislators to express opposition to voter suppression bills ... currently 37 are in MI Senate (273 -311).

Supporters of the John Lewis Voting Rights bill can participate in a "votercade" THIS Saturday, May 8, at 2pm. There are three locations in our area that are part of a 135-event votercade across the nation:

  • East Big Beaver Road & Rochester Road, Troy 48083
  • 11499 Conner, Bldg 2, Detroit 48213
  • 200 Depot St, Ann Arbor 48104

For more details, contact Audrey

For more details on any of these or if you have causes you want the SJC to support, contact Audrey Pleasant (audreypleasant@gmail.com).
JOIN THE SOCIAL JUSTICE MAILING LIST!
Sign up for the Social Justice Committee email list for information about what's happening at BT and beyond. Meeting agenda and copy of the monthly report to the board is emailed to all list members. Send your request to audreypleasant@gmail.com.
IT'S SPRING CLEAN-UP TIME AND WE NEED...
...YOU!
SATURDAY @ 10:30AM
All hands needed and appreciated!

Please bring any tools, especially hedge trimmers, saws, rakes, yard bags, plus gloves. We have lots of fun!

Please contact Sarah Markowitz, 1luciannn1@comcast.net or Cathy Radner, radner210@gmail.com, with any questions.
UNDERSTANDING THE VICTIMS OF THE TRAGEDY AT MT. MERON
By now most of you have heard about the horrible tragedy that took place last Thursday night in northern Israel at Mt. Meron where 45 people were trampled to death at a Lag Ba’Omer event for Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jews) at an ancient mystical rabbi’s grave. This horrible accident occurred due to overcrowded exit stairways covered with litter that caused a group of people to slip. The ensuing back-up and pile-up caused the appalling loss of life, the largest of its kind in a country that has had its share of these kinds of civil disasters, including the Macabbiah bridge collapse, the Versailles wedding hall cave-in, the Arad music festival stampede, the Carmel fire and the Wadi Tzafit flood.

In Israel there has been a great deal of both “CYA” political maneuvering and general anti-Haredi finger-pointing. The latter contains just a little too much schadenfreude for my taste. However, some of the questions are very legitimate, especially those that find fault with Haredi exemptions to health and safety codes. As an American Jew, I’ll leave those questions to our Israeli cousins.

Whenever there is world news about Jews I’m always curious to check out how the non-Jewish press and social media are reacting. Yesterday’s Washington Post story, “Ultra-Orthodox Israelis lack government oversight,” was an excellent example.

The article itself largely got the Haredim right with its discussion about Haredi communities’ autonomy in many areas of life, their political influence, their obedience to religious courts over secular authorities, and so forth. To my surprise, the article also correctly reported on the anti-Zionism (i.e., opposition to the Israeli state) of most Haredi Jews.

Unsurprisingly, in the comments section – the Washington Post’s own unregulated social media – many opinions immediately demonstrated that the commenters had not read the piece at all.

One writer who identified as Jewish wrote this: “A great number of religious nuts are terrorists. Just ask Yitzhak Rabin. Nevermind. He was killed by Yigal Amir, a right wing extremist Israeli who claimed he was acting in accordance with his religious beliefs.”  

What on earth did this have to do with the Mt. Meron? The Haredim had absolutely nothing to do with Rabin’s assassination. Why would someone point the finger at this particular group as if they were receiving their just deserts? This is not an isolated example. I see this kind of thing all the time, especially from secular or anti-religious people.

In yet another section of the comments, a discussion broke out comparing the Haredim to the Amish. While I am admittedly a huge fan of the movie “The Frisco Kid” with its hilarious Amish-meets-traditional-rabbi (Gene Wilder) embrace of “Lantsmen!” the fact is that there are really no comparisons.

One commenter, seeking to disparage the whole of Haredi Jewry, sought to negatively compare the Amish and Haredi. “Radical Amish Nationalism,” wrote TheDude71, “is NOT a thing.”

That may very well be true, but neither is Radical Haredi Nationalism. And while I have no way of knowing whether TheDude71 is Jewish, I have also heard this line of thinking from many American Jews, including a number of Humanistic Jews.

Just as anyone who actually read the Washington Post article could understand, these folks are actually anti-nationalist (i.e., anti-Zionist). They opposed the creation of a Jewish state on grounds that the mashiach (messiah) had not arrived. There certainly are many Orthodox Zionists, including a significant plurality who are ultra-right wing, but by and large they do not come from the ranks of the Haredim. In fact, they are usually modern Orthodox. This makes a certain kind of sense because Zionism itself was a modern idea, originating in 19th century Europe.

Comprehending who the Haredim are is an important part of being Jewishly literate, even for those of us who define ourselves as secular and humanistic. One of the fundamentals of our movement is a commitment to learning from the entirety of the Jewish experience. We don't have to embrace it all, but being a part of the Jewish people comes with a commitment to understanding it.

The Haredi world is experiencing an enormous loss right now. If some of their leaders bear responsibility, they should be held accountable. But pouncing on their entire belief system and way of life - which may deserve scrutiny for many reasons - demonstrates the ignorance of too many non-religious Jews. It's cruel and mindless and it reflects poorly on those of us who consider ourselves enlightened members of the extended Jewish family.

------------------------------------

(For those of you interested in digging more deeply into Jewish topics, my new course, “Unrolling Judaism,” debuts next Monday, May 10, at noon. Our first topic is “The Jerusalem Temple.” We’ll explore its history from ancient times right up to today’s movements to re-establish it and how doing so could actually lead to a world-wide conflict.)
ZOOM REQUIRES A PASSWORD!
The password was sent under separate cover. Please contact rabbi@birminghamtemple.com if you need it.
ONGOING CLASSES / PROGRAMS

RABBI FALICK'S SATURDAY CLASS ("REBBE'S TISCH")
Join him for a historical look at Jewish texts throughout the ages.
ONLINE @ 10AM, SATURDAYS
Dial-in Meeting ID: 759 671 597

NEW CLASS! UNROLLING JUDAISM
A deeper look at Jewish customs, traditions, and historical events ... from ancient times to today! See above for more information.
ONLINE @ NOON, MONDAYS
BEGINS MAY 10
Dial-in Meeting ID: 214 102 965

JEWISH HISTORY CLASS WITH NATAN FUCHS
"From Baghdad to Sepharad and Ashkenaz: The Jewish Diaspora in the Early Middle Ages"
ONLINE @ 10:30am, SUNDAYS
Dial-in Meeting ID: 840 703 07256

SOCRATES CAFE
On Zoom!
ONLINE @ 10:30AM, EVERY TUESDAY!
Dial-In Meeting ID: 182 488 428
*REFU'AH SHLEIMAH (SPEEDY RECOVERY)
Best Wishes for a Speedy Recovery to:

Joe Gadon, Julie Eliason, Karen Tremper Harris, Myron Tink, Peter Schweitzer

Please inform us if you know that someone is ill or in need.
*ONGOING CLASSES & PROGRAMS
ADULT CLASSES
See above for regular adult classes online.

YOGA
Suspended for now.

ONLINE VIDEOS OF PROGRAMS & CLASSES
Visit LibrarySHJ.com and our YouTube page for videos of services, classes, lectures, and more!
*THIS WEEK'S CARTOON
By Marilyn Rowens, ז״ל
*BT COMMUNITY NEWS
to Rudy Simons!
who will be honored for his peace and human rights activism at this week's Detroit Jews for Justice Annual Myra Wolfgang Awards

It's not too late to get your tickets!
Click on this flier:
*OF INTEREST
Washington D.C. Children of Holocaust Survivors invites anyone interested to...

Coffee & Conversation with Jennifer Steil, Award-Winning Author of Exile Music
Sunday, May 16, 10:30am
In her historical novel, "Exile Music," Jennifer Steil offers a glimpse of a little-known Jewish diaspora and portion of Holocaust history. While living in La Paz, Bolivia from 2012-2016, she learned there were between 10,000 and 20,000 Jew­ish refugees in Bolivia dur­ing the period of World War II, many of whom were musi­cians, artists, and performers. Lizzie Westin, a member of 3GDC and grandchild of refugees and survivors, grew up in Bolivia and some of the stories that Lizzie's father told Jennifer found their way into Exile Music, including Nazi encounters. Exile Music is a riveting and well researched novel exploring so many interesting themes that we are excited to discuss with both Jennifer and Lizzie. Learn more about "Exile Music" by visiting the following link - https://bit.ly/3tDlTHU.