From January 21 through March 11, 2020, Temple Beth-El and our Reform Movement campaigned in the World Zionist Congress Election. This was the one democratic opportunity we had to have our Reform voices heard in Israel and throughout the world, and to work to implement the values we hold dear — pluralism, equality, freedom, and Continue Reading »
Seder means “order” in Hebrew, and on Passover it refers to the order of the service we conduct to relive the journey from bondage to freedom. This year as we prepare for Passover we are out of order, or, as we say in Hebrew, we are lo b’seder, we are not okay. Just a few Continue Reading »
This is a time for prayer, not instead of other forms of response and action, but in addition to them. Over the past week we have seen an alarming increase in the spread of the pandemic, and we, reasonably, are fearful and anxious. We fear for our own health and the health and safety of Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, Tonight, as the sun sets it will usher in a Shabbat that is different in many ways. The day that is dedicated to connections – with each other, with our souls, with God – is arriving during a time that we are rightly being warned to keep our distance from one another. In a sense, though, Continue Reading »
Our tradition teaches: “When Adar arrives, joy increases.” But this year, it is all too obvious that joy has become increasingly elusive with each passing day of Adar leading up to tonight’s celebration of Purim. Instead of joy, anxiety has increased as we have watched the spread of the coronavirus (thankfully, not significantly in New Continue Reading »
Our family had the opportunity to spend the holidays in London this year. I often travel there for business, but other than a lovely view of the Tower Bridge outside my conference room window, I rarely have a chance to enjoy the sights and venues of the city. This was our first trip there as Continue Reading »
Summer to Fall 2019 Our mini-golf outing was a big success thanks to the tireless efforts of three delightful women: Dana Shapiro, Jodi Smith, and Andrea Dean. Leading up to the event, a small army of volunteers canvassed area businesses for donations to create a wonderful array of gift baskets. The event drew individuals and Continue Reading »
Sisterhood Woman of Valor 2019-20: Jodi Siegal Sisterhood held its annual Woman of Valor dinner on Dec. 19, 2019, honoring Jodi Siegal. Approximately 50 Sisterhood members attended the dinner to honor Jodi, whose commitment to community is evidenced by her many activities at TBE since becoming a member in 2000. Jodi is a TBE board Continue Reading »
Pain, medicine, and depression were consuming me. The doctors told me I was winning my battle with leukemia, but I felt I was losing emotionally. The depression that had overtaken me seemed worse than physical disease. As a rabbi I thought I had been trained to deal with depression. I was used to members of Continue Reading »
For years, Barbara and Russ Johnston have been a fixture at TBE. They’ve been the friendly faces at the Bagel Cafe, Sisterhood and the temple choir. But what you may not know about the Johnstons is their special love story – not just for each other, but for Temple Beth-El, the community that first brought Continue Reading »
