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Following overwhelming High Holiday attendance, The Shul invites all to Simchat Torah Bash
West Bloomfield, September 18, 2002—the staff and leadership of The Shul of West Bloomfield knew it was getting itself into something big when it went ahead with an all-out advertising blitz, publicizing its Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services via news paper ads and sophisticated, catchy mass-mailing pieces in the weeks before the Jewish New Year. The brand-new synagogue, which opened on schedule a microscopic half-hour before sundown New Year's eve, is built to handle a capacity crowd.
But the turnout was like nothing Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov and his small army of volunteers expected.
Over 600 Jewish residents and locals, including many and with no prior formal involvement with Jewish practice, converged on The Shul between the evening of September 6th and the following two days—he two-day holiday of Rosh Hashanah—as well as taking every seat in the house on Yom Kippur (September 15th eve and the following day, September 16th). The overflow turnout left standing room only and organizers scrambling for backup prayer books, prayer shawls and head coverings.
A rousing success, to put it mildly.
"We had a lot of people who just popped by to check us out, with no intention of staying or participating, but who were hooked and couldn't get themselves to leave," says Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, The Shul's director and spiritual leader. "Also, a lot of parents told us that their kids had such a good time the first day [of Rosh Hashanah], they were forced to come back for the second," explains the rabbi, referring to the youth services held concurrently with the standard proceedings.
The record-breaking crowd was treated to specially trained ushers and greeters; a constant running commentary throughout services; informative classes; and an elegant, three-course holiday luncheon on both Rosh Hashanah days sponsored by Jack and Charlene Wolfe, supporters of The Shul. And at Yom Kippur's conclusion, an original "break-fast" was served.
The Shul now invites all its new fans and friends, the committed and the merely curious to its upcoming Sukkot and Simchat Torah services. The two festivals contrast the solemnity of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with their trademark boisterousness. Towards this end, The Shul will be hosting a Friday night communal dinner in its large sukkah [traditional outdoor hut] on Sukkot's first night, September 20th, and a "Saturday Night Live at the Shul" Simchat Torah event on the evening of September 28th, featuring "dance till you drop", "radical kiddush," "rockin' hakafot", "hot l'chaim's" and "Holy Torahs". "Now we want people to come for 'days of joy'," says Rabbi Shemtov. "After the Days of Awe, we'd like to give them a chance to have fun with the family, enjoy themselves and see the joyous side Judaism has to offer."
Kindly RSVP at 248-788-4000 or [email protected].
More information is available at The Shul's website www.theshul.net