A founding principal of our country's legal system is that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Yet every day Michiganders who have not been convicted of a crime are sitting in jail awaiting their day in court. This does not make our communities safer, disproportionately impacts the poor and communities of color, wastes tax dollars, and is a key driver of mass incarceration. Learn about bi-partisan efforts to overhaul our pretrial system.

CLICK HERE or on the graphic to watch a live stream on YouTube.

*Full vaccination is required.

*Check-in at our Welcome Table is required for members who have not already provided vaccination status at a previous gathering.

Our Memorial Garden was created to provide a place for contemplation and remembrance of our loved ones.

An inscription on the Memorial Garden Wall is a beautiful and permanent way to preserve the memory of those who remain dear to us.

If you would like to include your loved one’s name this holiday season, please contact Michele at 248.477.1410 or by email at office@chj-detroit.org.

Attendees at Friday night Shabbat programs and all other in-person gatherings MUST BE FULLY VACCINATED (defined as two weeks past the final shot for their vaccine). Verbal confirmation is sufficient.

Those who are unable to be vaccinated - due solely to medical reasons - may contact the temple to make advance arrangements for socially distanced participation on Fridays or at other public gatherings; a mask and distanced seating area will be required: email office@chj-detroit.org or call 248.477.1410.

When visiting the office for business reasons, we always recommend calling in advance: 248.477.1410. Please note that all unvaccinated individuals who visit the temple during office hours should make every effort to call in advance. They will be required to wear a mask and observe social distancing.(email: office@cje-detroit.org or call 248.477.1410)

Reminder! With our new membership pledge model, members are invited to renew each summer!

A four-session discussion of Einstein's Politics, organized around specific readings from the text, Einstein on Politics, edited by David E. Rowe and Robert Schulman (Princeton University Press Paperback). Feel free to attend one or more!

Introduction to Einstein's Politics

World War I and Political Engagement - Chapters 1, 4, and 5

Jewish Identity and Zionism - Chapters 5, 6, and 7

World War II, Civil Liberties, and World Citizenship - Chapters 8, 9, and 10

TO ATTEND, RSVP TO FRAN SHOR (drfran45@gmail.com)

Depending upon sufficient interest, Fran will arrange discounted purchasing from a local independent bookseller. The book is also widely available online and at bookstores everywhere.

Please come to learn and share ideas. Lots to talk about! No obligation. Contact Audrey (audreypleasant@gmail.com) for the agenda and/or to suggest an item.  

Enjoy a night of al fresco pot-luck Sukkot-adjacent dining and discussion about sustainability and the environmental lessons of Sukkot!

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

Contact Audrey (audreypleasant@gmail.com) for more details.

Below is the wish list of items urgently needed as well as a link to the Amazon site where items may be purchased on-line. To be part of this project, bring any of the items listed below to the Temple between now and the end of August and put them in or near the collection box in the lobby. If you want to donate but are unable to shop, let Audrey know audreypleasant@gmail.com; we can shop for you. 

Sign up for the Social Justice Committee email list for information about what's happening at CHJ 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.

Please contact Sarah Markowitz, 1luciannn1@comcast.net or Cathy Radner, radner210@gmail.com, with any questions.

The Talmud famously teaches that "to save one life is to save the world entire.” This is the story of how we saved five lives.

Most of you will recall that four years ago, under the leadership of our Social Justice Committee, our congregation adopted a family of Syrian refugees. Iman Qaddo, her husband, and their four children had arrived in Detroit as refugees from Aleppo, a major battleground in the Syrian civil war. With fully recognized refugee status, granted as a result of vetting that – even then – permitted only a handful of Syrians to achieve that status, the family seemed on a path to full integration. But soon a hammer dropped on them when Mr. Qaddo was deported to Turkey and held in detention, refusing to return to Syria for fear of government reprisal.  

Mrs. Qaddo – Iman – was only 27 years old at the time and now solely responsible for her family’s welfare. As she sought to find a way to remain in the U.S. legally, a new administration took office, removed the family’s refugee status, and effectively closed doors to aid and to employment. Nevertheless, the family kept open their petition for asylum, though they found mostly disappointment along the way.

In 2017 our congregation was approached by Doug Ross, a well-known community activist and adviser to federal and state governments, to “adopt” the family. The goal was to help them down the road to self-sufficiency. With their change in circumstances that objective quickly transformed into one of providing basic life support. At one point Mrs. Qaddo was even denied her work permit (it was later restored). That’s how dire their circumstances had become.

Happily, due to an enormous number of financial contributions and uncountable volunteer hours, our congregation was able to keep them afloat. Even more happily, the family is now reunited with their dad! But it didn’t happen here. Their American dream was never to be. Instead, they were recently granted a new beginning in the Netherlands. We’re looking to later in the fall to schedule a virtual reunion with the family. When we do I’ll share a video of their moving reunion.

I want to personally thank every single member of our community – and many from across our movement – who contributed in ways large and small to the Qaddos. It was an outstanding example of humanistic care and concern for others. And even though they didn’t ultimately settle here, that was not our failure, but that of our broken immigration system. What we did helped to make their family reunification possible. That’s no small mitzvah.

Doug Ross recently asked me to share this letter with our “Team Qaddo” volunteers. Since so many of you were part of the effort, I’m sharing it here.

The password was sent under separate cover. Please contact rabbi@chj-detroit.org if you need it.

Visit LibrarySHJ.com and our YouTube page for videos of past services, classes, lectures, and more!

Best Wishes for a Speedy Recovery to:

*THIS WEEK'S CARTOON