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NEWS & EVENTS
April 9, 2024
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"WE ARE OUR BEHAVIOR"
EVEN (ESPECIALLY) WHEN WE DISAGREE
Scroll down or CLICK HERE to read.
Find past commentaries at THIS LINK.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE WEEKLY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS | |
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This week we are collecting CASH!!!!
Whether you're coming for the Day of Service or Shabbat or some other event, please look for the "pushke" (tzedaka / charity box) to make any donation - large or small!
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DAY OF SERVICE & CELEBRATION! | |
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THIS SUNDAY,
APRIL 14, NOON - 3PM
FEATURING: Sandwich-making for the N.O.A.H. Homeless Project**
AND: Guests & Info from Local Service Organizations...
👉 Alternatives for Girls
👉 C.A.R.E.S. of Farmington Hills
👉 Freedom House of Detroit
👉 N.O.A.H.
👉 Oakland Co. Foster Closet
👉 Cmte. to Increase Voter Participation
👉 Hearing Loss Assoc. of America (Walk4Hearing)
AND: 👶🏾👧🏻🧒🏽👦 A special children's learning program...
AND: 🥗🥪🥙 A light luncheon for all who arrive AT NOON...
AND: 🧑🏽🌾🪴🧶🧤Gardening & Knitting activities!
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** If you plant to participate in the lunch-making assembly line, please send an RSVP to Audrey Pleasant:
Email: audreypleasant@gmail.com / Text: 313.478.6414.
Needed Donations for the Event: Medium-sized to large cardboard boxes to pack lunch materials for project!
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✦ April 12, 7PM
▶︎ AN INTERVIEW WITH RABBI SIVAN MAAS, HEAD OF THE ISRAELI MOVEMENT FOR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM
THE HAMAS-ISRAEL WAR: A VIEW FROM HUMANISTIC JUDAISM IN ISRAEL
Rabbi Falick will screen a pre-recorded interview with Rabbi Maas who will update us on what has been going on in Israel from her perspective as a citizen, parent, and leader of the movement for Humanistic Judaism in Israel.
Due to the time difference the interview will be pre-recorded a day or two before Shabbat.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR RABBI MAAS, PLEASE EMAIL THEM TO RABBI FALICK NO LATER THAN WED., APRIL 10, 8AM: rabbi@chj-detroit.org.
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IN PERSON OR ON YOUTUBE:
Click HERE or on the graphic for YouTube (live & recorded).
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✦ May 3, 7PM
▶︎ A SERVICE OF CELEBRATION!
THE ORDINATION OF SECULAR HUMANISTIC RABBIS AND GRADUATION OF NEW LEADERS AND LIFE CYCLE OFFICIANTS
We welcome faculty, staff, and alumni of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism - the educational arm of our movement - to share with our congregation a special Shabbat of celebration and learning.
The events begin with a FRIDAY NIGHT SHABBAT SERVICE OF CELEBRATION on Friday evening at 7pm...
... and will continue on Shabbat morning, Saturday, May 4.
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FRIDAY SERVICE
IN PERSON OR ON YOUTUBE:
Click HERE or on the graphic for YouTube (live & recorded).
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Saturday morning learning activies will be Zoomed live at links made available through the institute.
CLICK DIRECTLY ON the graphic below or CLICK THIS LINK for a complete schedule and Zoom links to the Saturday, May 4 sessions (available in person or online) and further details.
NO CHARGE FOR ANY OF THESE GREAT EVENTS!
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YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THESE WONDERFUL DAYS OF CELEBRATION AND LEARNING WITH HUMANISTIC JEWS FROM AROUND N. AMERICA! | |
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TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO!
SATURDAY, MAY 18, 6:30PM
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Book AND
Film Group
Selections &
Upcoming Events!
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You are invited to bring a brown bag lunch to each of these great events! | |
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TOMORROW
Wed., April 10, Noon
FILM SELECTION:
The Zone of Interest
Academy Award-Winning movie about the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, who strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
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Wed., May 15, Noon
BOOK SELECTION:
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store
by James McBride
Beginning with the 1972 discovery of a decades-old murder, this novel tells the story of Black and Jewish residents of the Chicken Hill neighborhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in the 1920s and '30s.
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NEXT LUNCH BUNCH
WED., APRIL 24, 12:30PM
Guest Speaker: Libby Carpenter
Preparing for Life’s Transitions
Please bring your own lunch.
Coffee and tea service - and Matzah! - will be available.
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Thursdays, 1-3PM
Lessons for novices and games for seasoned players!
For more information, please contact Debbie Lopas at 248.331.3480 / debbielopas@gmail.com or Cathy Radner at 248.229.8954 / radner210@gmail.com.
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ALL SESSIONS AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT THIS LINK | |
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"WE ARE OUR BEHAVIOR"
EVEN (ESPECIALLY) WHEN WE DISAGREE
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In our continuing look at the new posters in our lobby, today we turn to the one that says "We Are Our Behavior."
Though I could not find this in a direct quote from Rabbi Wine, there is little doubt that it was among his central teachings. As my colleague Rabbi Miriam Jerris put it in a January guest commentary, this wisdom teaches "a whole new way of evaluating people and their true intentions. Don’t just listen to what people tell you, watch what they do."
What is true of individuals must also be true of their institutions. If we want to understand what they really stand for, we must watch what they do. Over the past several months this has become a central concern for our congregation.
As the Israel-Hamas war now approaches its sixth month, there are some in our community who have advocated that our congregation take a stand by writing a statement. As many of you know, I have opposed issuing any kind of statement either in support of or in opposition to Israel's actions. Though I have an opinion—and by now it is no secret that I have expressed sympathy for Israel's general conduct of the war—my opposition to issuing a statement has very little to do with that.
In fact, if I held the opposite view, I would oppose issuing such a statement just as energetically.
This is because the reason I oppose issuing statements of this kind derives from my judgment that Humanistic Judaism must make space for those who oppose the war, those who support it, and those who—possibly a majority—are conflicted. The idea that Humanistic Jews are of one mind concerning this war is belied by reality.
This may bring discomfort to some humanists, but when it comes to issues of war and peace, there has never been a unified humanistic approach. Some humanists believe violence should always be avoided. Other humanists hold that sometimes war is the only way to prevent greater harm. There are strong and legitimate arguments to be made on both sides.
In the past few months I have heard from those who take issue with support for the war that it is "impossible" or "unacceptable" for a Humanistic Jew to support it. I have been told that a position in support of Israel's conduct of this war is "barbarism which is the opposite of humanism." I have been urged to support statements along these lines or, at the very least, to refrain from opposing them.
Now it is true that I disagree with these statements. They don't reflect my thoughts and they don't reflect those of others in our community. However, I would oppose such a statement even if my position concurred with them. For that matter, I would oppose (and have) issuing any statement that agrees with my position.
This is for the obvious reason that humanists have never reached consensus on the efficacy of war in general. And because—in like manner—Humanistic Jews have not reached any consensus on this war in particular. There are, on the other hand, some beliefs on which we powerfully agree.
One of these is our commitment to what we call freethought.
In the 19th century, the towering humanist Robert G. Ingersoll wrote rapturously of his adoption of secular humanism which, back in his days, was generally called freethought:
When I became convinced that the universe is natural, that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell. The dungeon was flooded with light and all the bolts and bars and manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf, or a slave. There was for me no master in all the wide world, not even in infinite space.
I was free; free to think, to express my thoughts ... free to use all my faculties, all my senses ... free to investigate ... free to judge and determine for myself . . . I was free!
Our freedom to come to our conclusions, informed by experience, by reason, by evidence, and by civil debate is truly among the most sacred (if I may use that word) of our humanistic beliefs.
If we desire to live in a community where we are free to judge and determine for ourselves what our positions should be on issues in reasonable dispute, then we must refrain from making divisive "consensus" statements. We must instead show people what we really believe. Even under the greatest duress, even accompanied by the strongest personal convictions that our own conclusions are correct, we must remain loyal to this central tenet of humanism.
What, then, of peace? Can we do anything to collectively advance it?
Yes, we can. To differ in our points of view about this or any particular war does not prevent us from working for peace.
Despite our differences, humanists are united in a commitment to promoting peace, first and foremost, by working for it in our lives, within our communities, and among the nations. Where should we put our collective efforts? Well, for one thing, we are joined by the belief that nations committed to secularism and real liberal democracy are best suited to promoting the kind of dialogue that reduces tension and increases mutual understanding. Our congregation and movement have worked tirelessly to realize that vision in our own country.
The poster says, "We Are Our Behavior." Words are important but people will always come to know us best through what we do.
Among our most dearly held beliefs is the freedom that each of us claims to reach our own conclusions about matters open to reasoned discourse. When we show each other and those outside our community that this is what we do, they will understand why we have not imposed an artifice of uniform consensus on our community. The answer will be obvious.
We believe in each other.
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HUMANISTIC JEWISH MUSSAR...
THE VIRTUE OF EQUANIMITY
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Over the past few months, I have defined the importance of humility and gratitude to Humanistic Jewish Mussar. These virtues include being the right size in situations and intentionally counting the blessings of life that exist at even the most difficult moments (see Victor Frankel’s book Man’s Search for Meaning as a reference).
Today I will discuss equanimity. The Oxford Language Dictionary defines equanimity as mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation. Key elements in this definition are the inherent challenges of life, accepting events beyond our control, maintaining the skill of healthy self-soothing, pursuing self-awareness and deep understanding of our inner experience, and intentionally choosing to be wise. Thus, equanimity is accomplished by finding balance and psychological flexibility in the swirl of emotions and thoughts in us, moment to moment.
According to Steven Hayes, Ph.D., “psychological flexibility is defined as the open acceptance of unpleasant sensations, thoughts, and feelings, while focusing on the present moment, which allows an individual to act according to the context required in the pursuit of one's goals and values.” Therefore, equanimity leads to an efficient and effective use of intrapersonal experience. Living with equanimity is like calmly and safely driving through difficult traffic—one response at a time, paying attention, avoiding unhelpful emotional reactivity, and knowing where we are going.
Avis Viswanathan states: “Deal with life calmly and you will be able to make something meaningful out of your lived experiences. Get keyed up and you will end up in knots. And, of course, occasionally, be prepared for your life’s plans to be snatched away from you, knotted up and thrown back at you, to untangle...!” Hassles, things going different than we want, people being different than we want, struggle being an organic part of life, intrusive thoughts and emotions that are unwelcome, the world being more tragic and illogical than we want, the presence of anti-humanistic values and forces—these are inescapable parts of life.
Self-awareness is needed to strengthen equanimity. Rabbi Sherwin Wine in his book Celebration: A Ceremonial and Philosophic Guide for Humanists and Humanistic Jews stated: “Self-awareness needs strength. We need to be strong enough to feel what we do not want to feel. We need to be strong enough to experience what we do not want to experience. We need to be strong enough to remove the masks that shield us from the face of our own desire.” Thus, we see that equanimity requires clarity of insight into our traits and historical patterns so that our blind spots do not sneak up on us and throw us out of the canoe when we should be finding balance and paddling.
Finally, actualizing balance and effectiveness each day (by living aligned with Humanistic Mussar virtues) requires practice, practice, and more practice. It is easy to drift out of the equanimity lane if we are not paying attention to the primordial and life emotions that are in the background and struggling to become center stage. Therefore, to accomplish equanimity, we need to pay attention, practice, learn how to step out of the way of unhelpful noise in our mind, strengthen prosocial responses, and unlearn fear-based conditioned patterns. If we do this, it will help us be present, think wisely, count blessings each day, and help improve the world. While we can’t avoid suffering and struggle, we can limit what is unhelpful, and strive to work with what we have. Mark Twain was quoted as saying something like this: “As I near the end of my life, I realize that most of my misery never happened.”
Edited by Esther Ingber
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DAY OF SERVICE & CELEBRATION
THIS WEEKEND!
Sunday, April 14 at Noon
SEE TOP OF NEWSLETTER FOR DETAILS!
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COLLECTIONS UNDERWAY
Help us to clothe and supply those in need...
...with toiletries, new or gently used spring clothing, toys, children's items for other needs, household items, etc. Drop off in lobby.
If donating items from other categories or larger items, please first contact Audrey Pleasant (audreypleasant@gmail.com) for more information.
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KNIT / CROCHET / CRAFT FOR A CAUSE
Next Session:
April 27, 1-3PM
All welcome; no skill needed. Will include a beginners' lesson in crocheting!
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An array of recent warm hats knitted by our group! | |
JEWS FOR A SECULAR DEMOCRACY | |
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Join us on May 5 for a nosh in support of Michigan Jews for a Secular Democracy! JFASD is a pluralistic initiative (sponsored by the Society for Humanistic Judaism) to educate and advocate around the separation of religion and government through Jewish perspectives. We are working hard collaborating with congregations across denominations, other Jewish organizations, and interfaith and nonsectarian social justice activists to protect reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and educational freedom such as fighting book bans.
Enjoy a delicious vegetarian lunch (Krishna Indian Restaurant, Farmington Hills), great company, and support a cause essential to protecting our democracy and religious freedom for all. Tickets range from $50-$1000. You can purchase your ticket here.
We are also seeking more people to join the host committee. All hosts will be listed on our website and invitations.
BECOME A SPONSOR! Sponsor: $200; Ozer/Helper: $500; Mensch: $750; Macher: $1,000; Democracy Hero: $2,000
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: NOMI JOYRICH, MICHIGAN DIRECTOR, JFASD, 248.497.1226
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TOMORROW:
Wed., April 10, 7PM
Free via Zoom
REGISTER HERE
How can we become better advocates and allies for Jewish diversity and LGBTQ+ equality? As we fight against religious fundamentalists trying to weaponize our government to remove rights from those we love, we must first explore and address our own unconscious biases. Please join us on April 10th to learn more.
Sage Cassell-Rosenberg (they/him) serves as the Jews of Color Program Manager at Keshet and leads with a unique perspective. Born and raised in Miami Beach, Sage is a non-binary and queer POC, from a Jewish Modern Orthodox background. This program is part of Jews for a Secular Democracy's "Religious Freedom and Jewish Women in Florida" project.
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BENEFIT CONCERT AT CHJ!
Les Écuries du Roy
A Baroque Ensemble
A Concert of French and English Music
Saturday, May 25, 7:30PM
to Benefit:
Alternatives for Girls and
Freedom House Detroit
Suggested Donation: $20
Advance tickets: office@chj-detroit.org
or 248.477.1410 / or purchase at the door
Linda Munch, Soprano
Rob Burns, Baroque Flute and Recorder
Christopher Brodersen, Baroque Oboe and Bassoon David Schreiner, Baroque Bassoon and Recorder Janet Cannon, Viola da Gamba
Diana Munch, Harpsichord
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MAZEL TOV
TO...
Melanie Goldberg
on her upcoming May 3 Graduation as Life Cycle Officiant conferred by the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism.
Melanie has now completed all of the requirements enabling her to serve as a substitute officiant for Rabbi Falick in the event that he is unavailable.
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WELL WISHES
BEST WISHES FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY TO:
Jim Walker
Please inform us if you know that someone is ill or in need.
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www.MaccabiDetroit.com
Get in the 2024 Detroit JCC Maccabi Games® as an athlete, volunteer, host family, or spectator!
🔸 BE AN ATHLETE: For the seventh time in history, one of the world’s largest Jewish sporting events is happening here. And Detroit-area Jewish teens are invited to join our delegation.
🔸 BE A VOLUNTEER: Looking for responsible volunteers ages 18+ to help plan and facilitate the Games. Whether you can spare an hour or month, we have a place for you!
🔸 BE A HOST FAMILY: The hospitality offered by local Jewish families makes visiting athletes feel at home. Host families, including family members of all ages, have the chance to experience the Games personally by enjoying a special relationship with these athletes that often lasts years beyond the event.
🔸 BE A SPECTATOR: Join the fun and cheer on athletes as they compete throughout the week of the Games. All spectators must register to attend competitions.
The JCC Maccabi Games® is the largest Jewish youth event in the world. From July 28 to August 2, 2024, our Detroit community will welcome 1,200 Jewish teens from across the globe. The Games involve thousands of members from our community, including 400 host families, 1,000 volunteers and 200 local athletes.
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ONLINE, IN-PERSON & BOTH!
Classes are for members only or by arrangement with Rabbi Falick or Ann-Marie Fisher, exec. director.
RABBI FALICK'S MONDAY CLASS:
THE HISTORY OF ANTISEMITISM
Exploring the history of the world's oldest hatred.
Mondays, 1PM, Entire recorded series posted to CHJ YouTube Channel. REMAINING LIVE SESSION ON ZOOM: 4/15
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89316945686
RABBI FALICK'S SATURDAY CLASS:
JOURNEY THROUGH THE TORAH
Join this exploration of the iconic narratives of the Torah through both critical and traditional perspectives.
Saturdays, 10AM, On Hiatus.
HISTORY CLASSES WITH NATAN FUCHS
Sundays, 10:30AM, In Person Only. On hiatus.
SOCRATES CAFE
Tuesdays, 11AM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/182488428
MAH-JONGG
Tuesdays, 1-2:30PM, In-Person
For more information, contact Denise Parker, 248.321.9428
YOGA
Fridays, 11:30AM In-Person
with Karen Lutz
Wednesdays, 9:30AM, In-Person
with Connie Grossman
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ZOOM REQUIRES A PASSWORD!
The password was sent under separate cover. Please contact rabbi@chj-detroit.org if you need it.
ONLINE VIDEOS OF PROGRAMS & CLASSES
Visit LibrarySHJ.com and our YouTube page for videos of past services, classes, lectures, and more!
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