THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF
TEMPLE ETZ CHAIM
NOVEMBER 2026
ISSUE 11
Inside This Issue
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Adopt a Family for the Holidays
Letters from Our Leaders
Meet Our B’nai Mitzvah
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Adopt a Family forthe Holidays
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Letters From Our Leaders
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TEC Education
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TEC Community
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B’nai Mitzvah and Simchas
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Community Photos
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November Calendar
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Birthdays and Anniversaries
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TEC Tributes
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Upcoming Events
23 Journey to Israel 24 Kids’ Corner 26 Memorial Reception Assistance 27
Small Business Highlights
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Memorial Plaques & Digital Memorial Library
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Hearing Assistance Network
WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS? Space is available in our Etzetera. If you are interested in placing an ad, please send an email to: communications@templeetzchaim.org
Join TEC on Social Media! Stay up-to-date with community events, news and happenings. Follow us on your favorite social platform. Search for @templeetzchaim across all platforms. On Facebook search for Temple Etz Chaim as well as Temple Etz Chaim Preschool.
Rabbi Ari Averbach Hazzan Noam Fields-Meyer Gould Chaplain Benny Sommerfeld Rabbi Emeritus Richard Spiegel
Executive Director Cindy Goldberg Early Childhood Education Director Keri Loventhal Religious School Director Joyce Bronstein Early Childhood Education Asst. Director Ina Weismann Office Manager Shane Silverstein ECE Administrative Assistant Jessica Jacoby RS Administrative Assistant Sarah Karamas Clergy Assistant Jill Rosenberg Musical Director Mariano Dugatkin
President Dan Lubetkin Vice President Adya Riss Immediate Past President Felicia Toporoff Treasurer Arnie Blitstein Secretary Brianna Abrams Trustee, Bingo Michael Roberts Trustee, Building and Grounds Steve Plotkin Trustee, Early Childhood Education Josh Atlas Trustee, Endowment Jeff Landau Trustee, Financial Consideration Neal Arons Trustee, Membership, Sarica Klein Trustee, Personnel & Legal Affairs Mike Wellen Trustees, Programming Eric Feigenbaum* & Shari Mark* Trustee, Religion and Worship Cheryl Math Trustee, Religious School Education Leah Neiderman Trustee, Security Paul Dryman Trustee, Social Action Lindsay Halper Trustee, Special Projects Paula Lefko Trustee, Volunteer Coordination Evan Robichaud Trustee, Ways & Means Donald Zimring Trustee, At-Large Heidi Birnbaum President, Men’s Club Mark Goldstein President, Women of TEC Phyllis Dankberg
Past President, Board Member Sherri Finn-Werber Past President, Board Member Gary Katz Past President, Board Member Myles Simpson Past President, Board Member Marshall Scherr Past President, Board Member Wendy Margolis *Also, Past Presidents
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Rabbi Ari Averbach
rabbiaverbach@templeetzchaim.org
Noam Fields-Meyer Gould, Hazzan Noam@templeetzchaim.org
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Dan Lubetkin, President dan@templeetzchaim.org
Benny Sommerfeld, Chaplain benny@templeetzchaim.org
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Joyce Bronstein, Religious School Director joyce@templeetzchaim.org
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A Month of Gratitude, Community and Giving 6
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Keri Loventhal, Early Education Director Keri@templeetzchaim.org
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Growing, Creating, and Giving Thanks
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Mark Goldstein, President, Men’s Club « ¨ ¨ © ° ± « ¨
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Phyllis Dankberg, President, Women of TEC «
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Lindsay Halper, Trustee, Social Action ¡ ¢¥ יהוה ¡ י¢ ³ ¡ ה¢ ³ ´¡ ו¢ ³ ה ¡ ¢ ¡ יהוהי אחד¢ ¤ ³ ³ ¡ ´ יהוה¢ £ ¡ א ¡ אחד¢ ¡ ח¢ ¡ ד±¢ ¦ £ ¢ ² « ¨ ¡ £ ¢ ¨ ²
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Jonah Ghozland
November 7
Hi, my name is Jonah Ghozland. I joined Etz Chaim in third grade and have been part of this amazing Jewish community for 5 years. I am excited to become a Bar Mitzvah and can’t wait for the journey ahead of me. As part of my Jewish journey, my parents are donating a Torah to the Temple that I get to finish by writing the last letter and be the first to read from at my Bar Mitzvah. This mitzvah is truly an honor I will always cherish. I am so happy to be part of a tradition that will live on at Etz Chaim for generations to come. When I’m not studying or practicing my religion, you can find me doing things like playing soccer, snowboarding, and hanging out with friends. I would like to thank Rabbi Ari, all my Hebrew School teachers, Joyce, and my Bar Mitzvah tutor Betty. I would also like to thank both my parents and sisters for always being there and supporting me.
Adrian De Salay
November 21,
Hi, my name is Adrian De Salay, and I am in 7th grade at Medea Creek. I love architecture, Minecraft and building Lego with my family. I am a huge soccer fan and love to play with my dad. I would like to thank my mom and dad, my tutor Betty Zonshine, Joyce Bronstein, Hazzan Noam, Rabbi Ari Averbach and all my teachers at TEC. Also, big thank you to my brother Easton for always being there for me. I look forward to sharing my Bar Mitzvah with all my friends, family and community. I’m so blessed to be surrounded by so much love.
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Josephine Owen Born: September 11, 2026
Parents: Jeanna Gindi and Dylan Owen Brother: Aiden Owen Grandparents: Judy and Jack Gindi & Linda Wright and Don Owen
Simchat Torah
Thank you for joining us on October 3rd!
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Torah Writing with the Sofer
Thank you for taking part on October 25th! Be sure to join us for the dedication of our new Torah on December 6th.
November
Fall Blood Drive Samech Beach Walk
Samech Shabbat Dinner
Jonah Ghozland Bar Mitzvah Shabbat Yeladim
New Member Shabbat Dinner
Sunday Stick Around Understanding Childhood Anxiety
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Feed the Hungry Book Club via Zoom
Board Meeting
Adrian DeSalay Bar Mitzvah
Interfaith Service
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November 1 Erika Farber Michael Gollub Sarah Knight Roni Rosen 2 Layla Farber Eva Fitch Stacey Kane Kaia Rutschman Serena Tobias 3 Lisa Eidman Aubrey Elson Cindy Stelman Steven Stelman 4 Joyce-Ruth Bunkin Jasmine Joshua Susan Mellon Mason Moradian Noah Scop David Silverman Brian West 5 Fischer Garfinkle Natalie Hopstone Stuart Lazarus Katya Schwartz Jean Virtue Jonah Waters Ava Wohl Jacob Wohl 6 Liam Lefko Nora Paris Tracy Sanders Max Stokols Aryel Tenenbaum 7 Jay Calhoun Mia Haystead Andrew Loewith 8 Evan Aaronson Eric Kind Kayla Micale Esti Teitelbaum Layla Wellen
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9 Ethan Carmona Marla Grosslight Mila Gutman Ashley Hibbert Kamran Kohan Maxton Margolis Simone Moscovitch Ian Raskin Diane Rudman Lei Zhuang 10 Laura Graham Logan Gross Ellie Lelie London Menashe Valerie Moradian Sherri Finn-Werber 11 Alessandro Corona Tanya Faturechi Duncan Forsythe Kelly Murphy Samantha Paris Melissa Rubin Rebecca Simoni Joseph Sipos Georgie Werner 12 Jacob Carmona Leah Farber 13 Penelope Eisenberg Zachary Tuchman 14 Robert Charnaw Terry Mansky Julie Silverman Neil Sipos Micah Smith 15 Jessica Birnbaum Fran Curtis Jake Douglas Jared Graham Karen Roberts Caroline Solomon Daniel Wachs
16 Ilene Barney Jason Kaminsky Lisa Segal Jesse Weiner
23 Ronny Katz Harold Rosenfeld Evan Warner Adam Waters
17 Lauri Arons Esther Glass Dov Lutzker Cathy Sternstein
24 Melissa Berg Daniel Levine Paul Norick Emily Wachs
18 Erin Cooper Aubrey Friedman Darren Good Steven Kaminsky Jason Schwartz Mark Stokols Rachel Wells Shulie Yomtov
25 Ellis Grosslight Bryan Lichtman Elijah Segal Elliana Tenenbaum
19 Steven Borochoff Lauren Cohen Noa Kroytoro Romy Perry Eileen Sachs Michelle Waters 20 Zach Cohan Ian Hutchings Stephanie Leunis Katia Lysobey Leah Merjan Aubrey Pevsner 21 Mark Birnbaum Adrian De Salay Atticus Kaiser Durkee Lisa Firestone Richard Koppel Jennifer Levitt Daniel Raskin Ethan Wynner Shealen Wynner 22 Jacob Axelrad Eileen Edgar Brian Lovi
26 Jeffrey Cohen Lisa Kaiser Daniel Maccabee William Raskin Samantha Robinson 27 Toni Friedman Max Honigsberg Karen Mansky Timothy Mellon Marcy Micale Carol Schoenkerman 28 Ashleigh Abramovici Ethan Brogan Gabriele Bugaisky Emma Dankberg Jeffrey Math Lauren Saul Elan Tenenbaum Olivia Yevin 30 Gail Altabef Rachel Revai Daniel Rosenfeld Jessica Rutten
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1 Gary & Lynne Katz Irving & Jeanne Weiss Nicholas & Andrea West William & Cynthia Koepcke 2 Terry & Karen Mansky 3 Spencer & Lisa Silverstein Marshall & Cindy Scherr 5 Steven Blank & Elise Burnett 7 Matt & Emily Shaffer 10 Rob & Shane Silverstein 11 Eric & Robin Tuchman Avi Rutschman & Shirley Chen 13 Christopher & Michelle Welch 14 Brian & Sar Goss Craig & Danielle Brogan Kenny & Laura Ellis 15 Michael & Jennifer Ghozland Rami & Jennifer Yomtov 19 Neir & Jillian Kroytoro 21 Geoffrey & Laura Graham 23 Paul & Toni Friedman 25 Harvey & Cyndi Mahler Larry & Judy Mayer 27 Jonathan & Amanda Gabbai 29 Tom & Shawn Fields-Meyer 30 Lawrence & Karen Levine Stephen & Marla Grosslight
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Color & Complete the Word Puzzle
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Fall Fun Maze Game
Word Search Spot 5 Difference
Word Scramble
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The Mitzvah Committee is here to help... and remember your loved ones.
MEMORIAL RECEPTION Services offered by Women of TEC Mitzvah Committee
What to Expect We will be at your house a day or two before the funeral, or as time permits, for planning and any questions. We will arrive at your house half hour to one hour before you leave for the cemetery to receive any last-minute instructions. Our volunteers will be there to accept all deliveries and complete the set-up.
We will provide:
Family provides:
• Handwashing station to be set up outside, in front of the door, including water pitcher, paper towels, TV tray and trash bag • Hard-boiled eggs (12) • Challah, wine and mini wine cups • Large and small paper plates, napkins, and cutlery • Hot and cold cups • Ice cubes in a cooler • Large coffee maker, coffee, tea bags • Sugar, sweeteners, mocha mix • Large plastic trash bags
• Tablecloth, serving platters and utensils • Cold drinks, water bottles • Folding chairs
Have the deli/bakery deliver: • Platters of food, bread, salads, cakes, etc.
Special Instructions for the deli/bakery:
• Be sure to schedule these items to be delivered at the same time the funeral is scheduled to begin. • Remind them not to mix meat and dairy on the same platter.
To ask questions or make arrangements Contact the Temple Office at
805-497-6891 or inquire via email at Shiva@templeetzchaim.org After hours, please contact Roni Rosen at 818-585-9449
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November 2026 | Cheshvan - Kislev, 5787
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TEC Has a Hearing TEC Has a Hearing Assistance Network Assistance Network Improve your hearing when being in services, using your own smartphone and earbuds, headphones, or compatible hearing aids. To Access the network, do the following: 1. Download the ListenWIFI app from your app store or scan the QR code 2. When you arrive at TEC, go to your phone settings and go to Wi-Fi connections. Scroll down your list and select TEC Listen Everywhere 3. Password is: TEC24680! 4. Join the network (Note: you will be connected to an internal Wi-Fi system, not to the internet) 5. Open the ListenWIFI app 6. If permission is asked by app, please answer "Allow" 7. Click on the venue scan button 8. Click on the top button of the screen. You are now connected to the hearing assistance network. Please adjust the volume on your phone to control the sound in your ears.
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HEARING ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
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