As I reflect upon our recent High Holiday worship, I continue to return to thoughts on the impact that Temple Beth-El has had in my life, both as a long-time congregant and a relatively new president still getting my feet wet in this role. And much of what I wish to accomplish during these next Continue Reading »
On Yom Kippur, I urged us to remember that we Jews are family. We are bound to one another by history and destiny, so what happens to any one of us should matter to each and every one of us. At the same time, we are also extremely diverse. We are Reform and Ultra-Orthodox, religious Continue Reading »
In July, I had the opportunity to spend a week participating in the Beit T’Shuvah Immersion Program for Clergy and Educators in Los Angeles. Beit T’Shuvah is a Jewish residential addiction treatment center that focuses on recovery and spiritual wholeness through a comprehensive program of Jewish spirituality, psychotherapy, and the 12 steps in a caring, Continue Reading »
In our faculty handbook, we offer the following framework for the work of our Religious School: In everything we do at Temple Beth-El, we aim to guide our students in developing a greater awareness that their Judaism is an integral and valuable part of who they are. We strive to educate the whole child — Continue Reading »
Temple security is a longstanding priority at Temple Beth-El. It is an issue for which we continue to stay abreast of techniques and technologies to keep our congregants safe. To that end, we have implemented the Standard Response Protocol for emergency preparedness, upgraded parking lighting, put phones in the classrooms, and established door-locking protocols. In Continue Reading »
As many of you know, this month ushers in not only a return to school and to shul, but also the debut of our new cantor, Emily Simkin. Student Cantor Simkin is thrilled to be part of the Temple Beth-El community, and is looking forward to helping our congregation continue to grow musically and spiritually Continue Reading »
My journey toward becoming President at Temple Beth-El started with an unlikely trip to Cape May – the Victorian beach community at the southern tip of New Jersey. My family joined Temple Beth-El just after our children were born. We made good friends with Religious School families, started to attend family services and slowly but Continue Reading »
The High Holy Days span the period of forty days from Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur. According to our tradition, this corresponds to the forty days Moses spent atop Mount Sinai receiving the second set of Tablets. Little has been passed down to us about what was happening down below among the people while Continue Reading »
Shalom Chaverim, Memorial Day weekend has become a much-anticipated holiday that presents a wonderful opportunity to gather with family and friends. It has become the unofficial beginning of summer as the weather usually turns warm and people flock to the outdoors, from parks to beaches. But amidst the frivolity and celebration of this weekend it Continue Reading »
Thank you to everyone who made our 2019 Tree of Life Gala such a success. It was a touching event with much love and respect shown for our three honorees, Ellen Davidson, Steven Weitz, and Liz Cohen. We thank our sponsors and vendors. Click here for the Tribute Journal Slide Show. Click here to learn more Continue Reading »
