SPIRIT
TORAH PORTION
pregnant dog and helping deliver five puppies. She took care of the dogs in her home for three months before helping find their “furever” homes. Brooke Faith Wittenberg, daughter of Staci and the Honorable Jamie Wittenberg, will be called to the Torah on the occasion of her bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, April 23, 2022. She will be joined in celebration by her sisters, Arielle, Talia and Maya. Brooke is the loving grandchild of Joni and Stephen Redisch, Mollie Wittenberg and Howard Wittenberg. Brooke is a student at Anderson Middle School in Berkley. Her most meaningful mitzvah project was collecting
donations for Cincinnati Children’s Fetal Care Center. Maya Shaye Wittenberg, daughter of Staci and the Honorable Jamie Wittenberg, will be called to the Torah on the occasion of her bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, April 23, 2022. She will be joined in celebration by her sisters, Arielle, Talia and Brooke. Maya is the loving grandchild of Joni and Stephen Redisch, Mollie Wittenberg and Howard Wittenberg. Maya attends Anderson Middle School in Berkley. As part of many mitzvah projects, her most meaningful was gathering contributions for Cincinnati Children’s Fetal Care Center.
Marcus-Friedman
L
inda and Harold Friedman are excited to announce the engagement of their daughter Michelle Alyse to Matthew Gregory, son of Nancy and Stephen Marcus of Weston, Fla. Michelle and Matt instantly bonded over their love of outdoor adventures, chocolate chip cookies and family. Their favorite outdoor adventure yet was becoming engaged in Badlands National Park in 2020. The happy couple, who reside in San Francisco, will be wed this year.
It Starts with Me
I
n Jewish tradition, those suitcase with food and return of elevated spiritual stature to Minsk once more. will sometimes merit to be Upon returning to the visited by Elijah the prophet. home of the poor family, he The story is told of approached the door. But a man who visited the before he had a chance Baal Shem Tov (1698to knock, he heard chil1760), founder of the dren crying. “Mommy, Chassidic movement, we’re hungry, and we do and asked what he not have any food.” He Rabbi Benny could do to see Elijah. listened and he heard Greenwald “Every year, at the the voice of their mother seder, I open the door responding to her crying Parshat Pesach 8: to greet Elijah. I want children, “My dear chilDeuteronomy dren, have faith. Just as to see him,” he said. 14:22-16:17, God sent Elijah to proThe Baal Shem Tov Numbers instructed him to load vide us food for Passover, 28:19-25; up with food and supsurely He will send Elijah Isaiah plies for the holiday again.” 16:22-17:6. and travel to the home The man understood of a poor family that what it was the Baal lived outside of Minsk. “There Shem Tov wanted him to see. you will see Elijah,” he said. To see Elijah, we must be him. The man did as he was told. We must be the angel of salvaOn the outskirts of the city, tion for someone else. he found a small ramshackle While the first days of hut. He knocked and asked Passover celebrate the exodus if he could stay for Passover. from Egypt, the final day “It would be our pleasure!” focuses on the future redempexclaimed the kind man who tion which will be heralded by opened the door. “However, the prophet Elijah. We read I must warn you. We do not (Isaiah 10:32-12:6) of the day have any food to offer you.” when “No one will do evil or “That’s okay,” replied the destroy … for the world will traveler. “I have plenty of food, be filled with the knowledge of and I’m happy to share it with God …” your family.” It is up to us to bring about Over the next few days, the that redemption, by working poor family ate as they hadn’t to make the world a kinder, for years, enjoying all the more Godly place. Elijah will matzah, wine and fine delicathen bring us the news of a cies the man brought. world where there will be no The traveler waited and hunger or pain, no jealousy or waited but did not see Elijah. war. Dismayed, he returned to Rabbi Benny Greenwald is the the Bal Shem Tov to share his director of the Daniel B Sobel disappointment. The Bal Shem Friendship House. Tov instructed that he refill his
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