Dear Friends and Family,

4th Year
This week marks the 4th anniversary of these Shabbat messages.  My original intent was to just wish friends and family a weekly Shabbat Shalom and these days they have morphed into… well, what you see.  Evolution is in the future, as I plan to keep these messages innovative, current and interesting.  I truly enjoy writing them and plan to continue sending them each Friday morning till my fingers can no longer type or my brain can no longer compose.

1st Year of Wedded Bliss
Wishing our wonderful niece, Ilana Mark, wedded bliss (this weekend and many years to come) to the Love of her Life, Jason Fisher as they stomp on the Glass to join their love in marriage.  We look forward to the Michigan celebration since we couldn’t attend the destination wedding as we are anticipating our first Grand-baby any day.

7th Year Stretch
Mazel Tov to the Red Sox, the Green Monster, Quincy Market, Beacon Hill, Coolidge Corner, Newbury Street, No Name Resturant, Harvard Square, JP Licks and all of my old favorite Boston stomping grounds on winning their 7th World Series.

30th Year of Vacant Seats
30 years ago this week 1, 800 US marines were in Beirut, Lebanon on a Peacekeeping Mission, when a truck bomb exploded outside their barracks, killing 241 souls.  The terrorist organization, Hezbollah committed this hideous crime with “moral” and financial support from Iran and Syria.  Not much has changed in 30 years. Though Syria has destroyed their chemical plants this week, Iran continues to enrich uranium to the full 20% just short of weapon’s grade.  Hezbollah is still supported by Iran and Syria and continues to reek havoc in the region as 241 families endure 30 years of vacant seats at their dinner tables where loved ones used to sit.

Mid Year Elections
This Tuesday Nov. 5th is election day (for us Americans).  There are many local candidates up for election and several proposal in each of our cities.

Here is a website for the Oakland County options:
http://www.oakgov.com/clerkrod/elections/Documents/2013_november_combined_list.pdf

Starting on page 8, you’ll find all of the proposals for Oakland County Cities.  For example, our City of Farmington Hills has 2 school bond proposal for Safety/Infrastructure and Art/Athletics.  But the BIG Michigan question is who will be the next Detroit Mayor.

Most likely, Mike Duggan will succeed as he is endorsed by… well, almost everyone.  No matter who wins, we’ll still have our emergency manager, our bankruptcy and some major financial huddles to overcome before our city returns to it’s glory… which it WILL.

The Year of Samsung
I have abandoned my iPhone after frustrating weeks with the new operating system and joined the Samsung family but now I need to let iPhone users know that in order for me (and others) to receive their texts they need to:  Go to Settings, choose Messages, and enable option 3 which is Send as SMS, otherwise some iPhone text messages will not reach their intended receiver.

Lou Reed

468 Victims Each Year
Oct. 30th was National Domestic Violence Action Day and this day is unfortunately needed as 9 women each week are shot and killed by their partner.  At times it seems like our country is moving in a more enlightened direction with Marriage Equality and Marijuana acceptance, YET when it come to Women’s Rights & Protections and Gun Control, it seems we are stuck in the mud or even moving in reverse.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom,

Lisa

Banksy NYC images