Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on January 27, 2020

About eight years ago, when Rabbi Jen Lader began leading a class for teenagers at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, she asked the students if they had ever experienced anti-Semitism. Only a handful raised their hands.

Recently, she asked the same question. About 45 of 60 students answered affirmatively.

Lader said hearing the kinds of remarks her students have endured in school and elsewhere was really horrifying.

Lader was a panelist at a Jewish Community Forum on Anti-Semitism, held Thursday night, Jan. 23, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.

The forum was organized in the face of an increase in anti-Semitic incidents nationwide, including two last month -- a deadly shooting at a kosher market in Jersey City, N.J., and a knife attack at a rabbis home in a suburb of New York City that left five injured.

The Jewish community is still reeling from the October 2018 mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh; 11 people died and six were injured. It was the worst attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history.

About 1,000 people attended the forum: Jews concerned about their community, clergy, elected officials, leaders of Jewish organizations, police representing about a half dozen Oakland County cities and ten agents of the FBIs Detroit office.

David Kurzmann, of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, left, moderates a forum at Adat Shalom Synagogue on anti-Semitism with Rabbi Azaryah Cohen, Rabbi Jen Lader and Rabbi Yisrael Pinson.

The event was presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League of Michigan and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

It occurred as leaders around the world prepare to observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday, Jan. 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the largest of the Nazi concentration camps. More than 1.1 million people died in the camp in Poland; a large share were Jewish.

Report, Report, Report

The panelists discussed causes of anti-Semitism and responses to it, including a plea from panelist Carolyn Normandin of the Michigan Anti-Defamation league to report, report, report, incidents, first to police and then to her agency, by going to adl.org.

Panelist Joe Lupinacci, FBI Detroit special agent, said he brought nine agents with him to the forum to demonstrate the importance the FBI places on investigating hate crimes, drawing enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

Fight Hate With Love

Several panelists spoke of the need to fight the new wave of hate with love.

Professor Howard Lupovitch, of the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at Wayne State University, spoke of anti-Semitisms, stressing they are plural, as they take different forms.

They all merit vigilance on the part of the Jewish community. But they do not merit the same response (given back to perpetrators), Lupovitch said.

He said Jews do not all share the same political views, nor do they agree on every doctrinal issue in their faith, evidenced by Judaism being split into Orthodox, Conservative and Reform divisions.

But, Lupovitch said, Jews can support each other in condemning all anti-Semitism, whether it comes in the form of violence; discrimination in education, housing or employment; or simply an attitude of intolerance.

Panelists said Jews have to stand up for all groups being targeted -- including Muslims and those of other faiths, people of color and the LGBTQ community.

No Jew is safe until everyone is safe, Normandin said.

Another panelist, Rabbi Azaryah Cohen, of the Frankel Jewish Academy in West Bloomfield Township, said many Jews are dismayed that they now have to operate synagogues and other institutions under tight security.

I grew up in Oak Park. You have to punch a code to get into every synagogue in Oak Park (now), he said. But lets make sure that once you are in, its a warm and welcoming place.

Panelists said it was important for Jews to reach out to friends and neighbors of different faiths and ethnic groups to teach them about Judaism, to learn about their traditions and to encourage them to speak up against anti-Semitism.

Lader said she is encouraged by the support Jews have received from people of other faiths.

She said the first expression of sympathy she received after an attack on a Jewish institution was from an imam. A United Methodist church near her synagogue sent flowers after the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh.

That message resonated with West Bloomfield resident Shosana Rubenstein, a forum attendee who lives in an area with a strong Jewish presence. Rubenstein said all people can benefit from getting to know those who are different.

Have dinner with them. Visit their institution. I think thats the route we should all go. Be there for one another, she said. I dont think theres anything more powerful than being kind.

A trial date is scheduled for the man charged with stabbing to death a Waterford woman, and then setting a fire in her house.

A group of local children were recently honored by the state for their community service efforts throughout the Pontiac area.

LANSING (AP) A third woman in two weeks has publicly come forward with sexual harassment allegations against a Michigan state legislator, according to a published report Sunday.

An 18-year-old Pontiac man has been arrested after attempting to flee from a deputy around 3 p.m. Sunday, January 26, 2020.

The Troy Police department is investigating a crash on southbound I-75 near 14 mile in Troy Sunday, January 26, 2020, shortly after 4 a.m.

A 68-year-old West Bloomfield man is dead after his car crashed into a series of trees at about 3:53 p.m. on Friday, January 24, according to

This dream home features a wide-open floor plan starting in the grand great room with its 12-foot ceiling, pillars, big windows and a full fir

A milestone two million ebooks and audiobooks were checked out through theMidwestCollaborativefor Library Services OverDrive group in 2019.

A former Beaumont employee allegedly gained unauthorized access to patient information from February 1, 2017 to October 22, 2019, according to

A Washington Township mans trial for three bank robberies in Macomb and Oakland counties concluded with a hung jury, but thedefendant absconded during the trial and is now detained while awaiting a second trial.

Visit link:

Recent events stoke concerns of rising anti-Semitism - The Oakland Press

Category: Synagogue
Tags: