Shalom Newsletter - May / June 2023

SHALOM NEWSLETTER SHALOM NEWSLETTER

Messages From Our Leaders

FROM THE RABBI’S DESK

Dear Friends,

On the evening of May 25 at Temple Shaarai Shalom in Boynton Beach, I will have the honor of co-presenting the topic of book banning according to Jewish tradition with my good friend, Rabbi Anthony Fratello.

Shavuot (literally “weeks”) occurs seven weeks after the end of Passover. It celebrates the giving of the Torah by God to Moses and our people at Mt. Sinai. Jews traditionally celebrate the holiday by studying Torah and learning the intricacies of how to live an ethical Jewish life.

This year’s discussion will involve censorship and banning books, a topic that is relevant to Floridians. In a controversial effort to restrict school lesson plans regarding race, gender and sexual identity, school librarians have struggled with understanding what does or does not qualify as an appropriate book to leave on library shelves.

Banning books on any level is not only unAmerican, it is un-Jewish.

It’s un-American because history has consistently shown that book censorship never ends well for a nation’s citizenry. Who can forget the lesson we learned from Fahrenheit 451, the dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury? “We need not to be let alone.

We need to be really bothered once in a while,” Bradbury writes. And bothered we should be.

It’s also un-Jewish. Jews have suffered tremendously throughout the centuries by governments that have found the teachings of the Talmud and other Jewish books to be immoral or offensive to their own religious beliefs. Even Jews throughout the ages unfortunately have tried to ban writings that some have considered to be heretical to Jewish beliefs.

Banning books, and censorship of any kind, is nothing more than the proverbial power grab. Having control over what one teaches and learns, whether you agree with it or not, is a form of indoctrination by government of its people.

And it never ends well for the people.

L’shalom, Rabbi Rosenkranz

A FEW NOTES FROM OUR CANTOR

Traditions teach us how to make meaning out of life from past experiences. They can be rooted in millenia-old instructions or created anew with two key ingredients: intention and time. We must possess the desire to codify new traditions and the time to allow them to become ingrained into our households, communities, and societies.

For the last year, Temple Beth Torah has been home to an integrated inclusion program combining Shorashim Religious School with Yad Hebrew School for Students with Differing Abilities. The development of new traditions has been abundant, with several of them taking place in the first 20 minutes of every Sunday.

As I listened to students taking a moment first thing in the morning to thank the Holy One for the gift of another day of life with Modeh Ani, I felt thankful.

As I listened to students expressing their past Shabbat glimmers which they wished to bring with them into the new week, I felt prayerful.

As I listened to the ruach building throughout the student body as their friends would volunteer for the ritual of Havdalah, I felt spiritual.

As I witnessed teachers and madrichim helping these kids care about themselves and each other enough to feel they are worthy of a fun and extended Jewish family, I felt hopeful.

All of these experiences have given renewed meaning to the words of Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, which we sing as a tradition during the Sunday school closing ritual —

Od lo avda tikvateinu.

Our hope is not yet lost.

May we not lose hope, and let us stand together with all those who are insisting on hope.

When we make time to spend with people we care about at the temple or elsewhere, the memories we create help us make meaning out of life. We have received a menagerie of texts and teachings from our ancestors and without our active participation they are just words on a page. They are recipes with no chef to prepare them. You can’t eat a cookbook! Gaining fluency in our inherited traditions can lay the groundwork for the cultivation of new ones. Once you’ve got the basics down, then comes the time to whip up something fresh.

L’Shalom, Cantor Rachel

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

We are a strong congregation and pull together through the thick and thin of it all. We are so grateful to have Rabbi Rosenkranz back, healthy as our spiritual leader, and involved in all aspects of our synagogue. He was truly missed and thought of daily by all. You as a congregation reached out and supported him and his family through this crisis and I truly appreciate all of you.

We just completed a beautiful gala honoring Eric and Robin Forti for their social action involvement. The income that comes in from the gala only scratches the surface of what is needed to continue providing support, services, events, and overall wellness of our synagogue and its building. Please continue to reach deep into your pockets so that we can continue to be the thriving synagogue that we are in our community.

We want to offer a huge thank you to our office professionals, Meredith, Vicki, Sherri, Beth, and of course Sandy. A special thank you to Cantor Rachel. You all reached out, supported each other and stepped up to the plate through these last several months. To our lay leadership who pitched in to help keep things organized and continue our wonderful programming. It takes a village and we have an amazing village.

As I said it takes a village. So everyone in the congregation can make a difference in our community. Every little bit of your involvement helps. Continue to support our congregation by helping out on committees and events. If you have a child in Shorashim consider helping out. Your children benefit as well as every other child in the program. Get involved in social action and help our community at large. Many of our special events can use your support both in the organization and committing to attending. Reaching out and promoting our synagogue to unaffiliated community members helps our membership grow. A growing membership helps in every area of our synagogue life. Let’s continue to make our village strong.

B’shalom

Marcy Samuels

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR

Shabbat are all being planned to thank and to honor some incredibly special people.

the

One of the earliest phrases we teach to our children is “Thank you”. Our preschoolers say thank you whenever they receive a gift or a kindness from another person. In the preschool and at home, we teach gratitude for a wide range of gifts from nature, from good food to good friends. Opportunities to practice hakarot hatov, the lessons of gratitude, are interwoven into everyday activities in every classroom. We say blessings before we eat at snack time; and, before eating lunch. We are thankful for the tomatoes, the eggplant and pineapple in the preschool gardens, and for the tiniest caterpillars doubling their size overnight. The emergence of monarch butterflies in our enclosure is awesome to behold for both the children and the adults! In the preschool, we have many reasons to be thankful. The children put smiles on our faces every day. We are grateful for the opportunity to be such an important part of their young lives.

These final weeks of school will be filled with many events and celebrations designed to say thank you and give recognition to the many individuals responsible for the success of the preschool.

Mother’s Day Classroom Celebrations, Teacher Appreciation Week, and Teacher Appreciation Tot

We are still enrolling children for the 2023-2024 school year. Do you know someone interested in any of our programs or know someone who would like a tour of our school? If so, please call our direct line at 793-2649, email psadmin@templebethtorah. net or stop by the preschool office. We always welcome visitors to our school and our school events to see firsthand what our wonderful school has to offer. (Todah rabah to all our alumni families who continually refer new families to our preschool. We are adding three more classes next year due to our growing enrollment for this fall.)

As our 33rd year of educating our children concludes, it is most appropriate to use this opportunity to give thanks for the many gifts and kindnesses bestowed on our preschool. On behalf of the entire staff, I want to thank Rabbi Rosenkranz, Cantor Rachel, the Board of Trustees and the entire congregation for your unwavering support as we celebrate another banner year.

Shalom, Sandy Wilensky, Director

Before I close my eyes at night and drift into my dreams, I give thanks for the blessings in my life, for the people who care for me.

From

Rich Recht song, “Kobi’s Lullaby”

CAMP REGISTRATION

Registration for our Enrichment Camp is ongoing. Parents can customize a camp experience by choosing a 2, 3 or 5 day a week program for either full or half days. We look forward to enjoying this summer with children from ages 2 to 6 years old, who participate in many fun filled activities. We will also welcome back our teens, twelve years old and up, who earn community service hours for their participation in our CIT program. Please contact the preschool office, 793-2649 or email, psoffice@templebethtorah.net for more information. There are limited openings.

Misheberach

Merciful God, we pray to You for the recovery of those who are ill in the congregation and others who are in our hearts. Grant them renewed strength and confidence. Give wisdom and skill to those who help in healing. Help all of us who share the anxiety of their illness to be brave and hopeful. Inspire us with courage and faith, and grant Your blessing to all who call upon You.

Mi Shebeirach avoteinu, Avraham, Yitzchak v’Ya-akov – v’eemotaynu, Sara, Rivkah, Rachayl v’Leah O God, who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, send your blessing to:

Florence Bernfeld, Bernard Albert, Rena Bonk, Carole Sternlieb, Shellie De La Rosa, Marcia Grobman, Lea Sherman, Fran Schwartz, Judy & David Fox, Renee Bromberg, Eliab Erulkar, Bennett Pollitzer, Phyllis Rosenstock, Seemah Feldberg, Michael ben Sarah, Caryl Bauman, Diane Levin, Franklin Weiss, Leon Nagler

Have mercy upon them and graciously restore their health and their strength. Grant each of them a Refuah Shleimah – a complete recovery – along with all others who are suffering.

Baruch attah Adonai, Rofeh ha-cholim – We praise You, O God, Healer of the sick.

Condolences

May Their Memory Be a Blessing

Jeffrey Goodman, father of Gillian, Nora & Mason

Donations

Saul & Ruthe Blecher Memorial Education Fund

Anne & Jay Singer, in memory of Ruthe Blecher

Yahrzeit Fund

Eileen & Barry Eckhaus, in memory of Kurt Menkel

Lynn Ferman, in memory of Karen Ferman

Lynn Ferman, In memory of Nathan Lerner

Brenna & Michael Barron, in memory of Harry Barron

Deanna & Bernard Albert, in memory of Rose Moinester

Sheila Tenenblatt, in memory of Asher J. Rabin

Cheryl & Neil Feinstein, in memory of Louis Astrachan

Max Whitney, in memory of Waldemar Ferreira Soares

Alisa Adler, in memory of Linda Politzer

Cheryl Altman, in memory of Alex Koslow

Michael Yasuna, in memory of loved ones

Joyce & Norman Primost, in memory of David Gray

Andrea Barron, in memory of Harry Barron

Cantor’s Discretionary Fund

Cheryl & Neil Feinstein

Andrea Harris, in honor of Cantor Rachel Slusky

Susan Skantar

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund

Cheryl & Neil Feinstein

Stanton Medoff

Marcia & Scott Weber, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Dulcie Burns, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Audrey & Charles Lipton, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Ellen & Steven Shapiro, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Arlyn & David Bialick, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Janice & Howard Kaplan, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Alaine & Arthur Green, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Ashley & Skip Ouellette, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Susan Skantar

Eileen & Bruce Conan, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Barbara & Richard Bernstein, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Cheryl & Michael Herrman, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Aviva & Ben Kenagen, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Eileen & Barry Eckhaus, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Melissa Sandel, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Ellen & Jerry Kahan, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Karen & Steven Metzger, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Francine & Robert Follick, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Carol & Paul Leiman, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Karin & Joseph Stein, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Sheila Tenenblatt, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Brenna & Michael Barron, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Marcia Grobman-Patane & Peter Patane, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Marcia Grobman-Patane & Peter Patane, in memory of Leonard Schwartz

Cynthia & Stuart Kleit, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Shelly Block, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Andrea Harris, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Janet & Steven Teebagy, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Irwina Frank, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Bobbi & Adam Norwitch, Misheberach Prayers for Rabbi Rosenkranz

Irene Warten, in memory of Edith Katz

General Fund

Alisa Adler

Marcia & Scott Weber, in memory of Chad Ward

Alaine & Arthur Green, in memory of Sidney Green

Eileen Conan, in memory of Harvey Shernoff

Janice & Howard Kaplan, in memory of Edna Barnett

Marcia & Scott Weber, in memory of Grace Moses

Susan Skantar, In honor of Jeffrey Sharkey

Jill & Josh Cohen, Happy Purim to the Weber Family

Shelly Block, in memory of Rose Westreich

Rabbi Stephen Pinsky Education Fund

Carol & Paul Leiman, in memory of Jay Leiman

Carol & Paul Leiman, In memory of mother of Marika Hubscher

Mazel Tov!

KATIE PRICE

We are so proud of Katie; she is the youngest daughter of Joseph Price and Susan Price, and the last of their three children to be called to the Torah at Temple Beth Torah on May 20, 2023. Katie is a 7th Grade student at Polo Park Middle School. She enjoys creating art in various mediums, listening to music, cooking, and making her videos. She will be joined by her siblings Jacob and Isabella, family and friends from all over to celebrate this wonderful accomplishment. Mazel Tov, Katie.

TEMPLE BETH TORAH HONORS MEMBERS ERIC & ROBIN FORTI

Temple Beth Torah held its annual gala on Saturday, April 15 at the Wellington National Golf Club. The theme was Black & White, and guests enjoyed festive entertainment, a variety of wines and specialty cocktails, and delicious cuisine. The food and wine were paired with great music, casino games and a silent auction. At the event, the temple honored members Eric and Robin Forti with the Temple Beth Torah 2023 Gala Service Award. Eric is the current vice president of the temple, while Robin is a teacher in both the preschool and religious school.

Sisterhood

Temple Beth Torah Sisterhood

As the fiscal year ends, this will be my last article as your Sisterhood President. I am so proud of our accomplishments this year. In the fall we began with a class on baking challah in the round for Rosh Hashanah. We helped at the Temple’s picnic at Loxahatchee Groves Park with set up and clean up. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this so successful for over 100 attendees. We had a Zoom program on Addiction in the Jewish Community gaining insight into a growing problem here in Palm Beach County. Together with Brotherhood we had another fabulous Latkes & Vodka dinner party with over 40 participants at the home of Linda & Arthur Howard. This was indeed a wonderful way to celebrate Hanukkah as a TBT Family.

Invites you to our Sisterhood Shabbat

We began 2023 with our annual welcome back dinner and of course the Sisterhood Shabbat Service celebrating the music of Debbie Friedman and listening to Tal Mola, who talked with us about the Ethiopian Jewish Holiday of Sigid. Staying true to our mission statement we want to learn and grow as Jewish Women benefitting not only ourselves but our temple community as well.

February 22, 2019 7 PM participate! Take part in our service, bake a special dessert, or evening.

Helping with the Purim Carnival and hosting a Chocolate Seder enabled us to celebrate holidays with our friends and family at the temple. This would not have been possible without Cantor Rachel sharing her musical talents and storytelling with all of us. To our volunteers who agreed to help set up for the annual TBT second night Seder thank you for making that room look fabulous and festive.

Our Service Theme:

This year our group agreed to take on sponsorship of the gifts for our high school graduates and we asked the temple community to participate by making an individual donation to a specific graduate or to donate to the entire group of graduates with a donation of double Chai. This enabled us to provide each graduate with a 30 oz Stanley Tumbler and a gift card to Starbucks at their graduation service. We are fortunate that our Brotherhood provides college scholarships to these same students, now Sisterhood makes sure that they have a tangible gift from Temple Beth Torah to celebrate this milestone.

Change is always happening around us, soon a new board will be elected both for our group and for the temple at large. Leadership is what guides every organization, and our Sisterhood group is fortunate that two of our members Ashley Ouellette and Donna Rosman took it upon themselves to travel to Tampa to participate in the Annual Leadership Conference last month for Sisterhood. I am confident that this group will prosper and continue to grow and flourish with Ashley at the helm.

food items (for local food bank) and to Maz on being collected.

Samuels 561-386-5565 or marcysamuels575@gmail.com

In closing, Our group stands at 30 members strong with so many more eligible to join in on the fun! It is not too late to join Sisterhood today as you will be enrolled for the remainder of this year and next year as well. In addition, your membership also includes joining the larger parent group of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ). We pay an annual commitment of $18.00 per member as alone we cannot change the world but by joining forces, we can make an impact on advocating for issues concerning women, children, and religious freedom. Your financial support enables us to meet our temple commitment of $1,800 annually and everything else that we do to make our temple stronger.

Thank you all for the opportunity to have served as president of this wonderful group of dedicated women, I am grateful for your love and support. My final wish is that we continue to grow and prosper as a temple, as a sisterhood and as individuals each seeking our place in the Jewish Community.

Marcia Weber

TBT Brotherhood

Thinking of Brotherhood, did you sign up yet? The temple this year has many places to volunteer; at Brotherhood we continue to support our temple and families. At Brotherhood, you meet new people, cooperate with other committees and build a temple family and community. Did you take a moment and sign up yourself or your spouse today?

www.tbtbrotherhood.com

It is up to you if we are to be a successful organization, and it is up to you to be sure to attend and pay your Brotherhood dues ($54.00). Please go online now and make that payment for yourself or your spouse. www. tbtbrotherhood.com

We are thrilled to announce some of the new upcoming events from Brotherhood. Many people and families will be needed.

Win $5,000!! Help us raise money by purchasing a $50 raffle ticket at www.tbtbrotherhood.com/SB. This is an easy way to support the temple and Brotherhood.

Don’t wait, if you have not signed up for Brotherhood already, please make sure to register at www.tbtbrotherhood.com and go to the “Pay Dues” link on the site to get started.

As you can see, the Brotherhood has an extremely busy year and we want you to be part of it so get up and come out and join us!

Don’t hesitate to contact President Joel Zaidspiner (917)771-3936 or Vice President Jay Singer (216)2998807 for more information. We look forward to meeting you!

See you all at an event or at temple!

Brotherhood Executive Committee

Joel Zaidspiner, Jay Singer, Paul Gaba, Roger Grave de Peralta

The Rabbi, Cantor, O cers and Board of Trustees of Invite You To Our Confirmation Service

Friday, May 12, 2023 • 7:00 P.M.

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS

Aldyn Borrello

Ben Chalker

Marissa Eisenberg

Alex Finkel

Michael Kingwell

Isabella Wolf

Please Support Our Sponsors

Clergy & Staff

Temple Beth Torah

900 Big Blue Trace Wellington, FL 33414 Phone: 561.793.2700

Fax: 561.793.1072

Email: office@templebethtorah.net

Website: templebethtorah.shulcloud.com

Office Hours

Monday-Thursday: 9 am – 5 pm Friday: 9 am – 4 pm

Rabbi Andrew Rosenkranz rabbi@templebethtorah.net

Rabbi Emeritus Stephen H. Pinsky shpeep@comcast.net

Cantor Rachel Slusky Cantor & Director of Education cantor@templebethtorah.net

Marcy Samuels President president@templebethtorah.net

Sandy Wilensky Preschool Director psdirector@templebethtorah.net

Meredith Hirschberg Administrative Assistant office@templebethtorah.net

Sherri Kratenstein Administrative Assistant psadmin@templebethtorah.net

Sarah Vinci Bookkeeper accounting@templebethtorah.net

Vicki Ward Youth and Synagogue Engagement Coordinator engage@templebethtorah.net

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A SPONSOR OF THE SHALOM?

Email coordinator@templebethtorah.net to get started!

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