President’s Message

A committee is a group of people delegated to perform a function.
Going to your first meeting with a room full of people can sometimes be hard. Some faces you recognize, others you don’t. You might smile and acknowledge one familiar face, but now, where do you sit? Is that seat taken next to the familiar person? Does someone you don’t recognize always sit in the same seat? This predicament should not stop you from checking out the 28 committees that cover Temple Beth Sholom. Committee chairs are always looking for new ideas and certainly an extra pair of hands. (more…)

I would like to begin my presidency with a special thank you to Eta Kaplan. I was thrilled when you said it would be an honor to be the installing officer this year. I always admired your dedication as a member of this temple and I will be looking to you for advice this coming year.  (more…)

For the past four years, I have been the only person at Temple Beth Sholom – other than Rabbi Scolnic – with a reserved seat in the sanctuary.  To put my tenure, first as Ritual Vice President and then as President, into perspective, my three year old son, Benjamin, does not realize that his father is permitted to sit with him during services.  Zachary, who is eight, has only a fleeting recollection of the time when I sat with the rest of the family.

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I had lunch the other day with an old friend I had never met before.  How can that be, you might ask?  The woman I had lunch with serves on the board of directors of Camp Ramah in New England and although we had never personally met, our common experiences and strong feelings about Jewish camping and Ramah, in particular, made it seem like we had. (more…)

You have all heard the joke.  It goes something like this:

“Most Jewish holidays can be described the same way:  They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat.”  

This punch line also serves as the refrain in “Passover Song,” a song touted by the New Jersey Jewish Standard as “a hilariously inaccurate account of the Passover story.” Having reviewed the lyrics myself, I’m not sure that I would call the song “hilarious,” though it certainly is inaccurate. (more…)

It turns out that Ga-Ga may not be a 40 year-old man’s sport.  Make no mistake:  I took on all challengers and emerged victorious at the TBS First Annual Winter Shabbaton Ga-Ga Tournament.  But as I write this, I must admit that my muscles are a bit sore.  I suspect that the dozen or so other contestants, ranging in age from 5 to 15, probably feel fine.  Sore or not, though, we all had a great time. (more…)

Going Ga-Ga on Shabbat…       I know a lot of Jewish people. Some call themselves Reform, some Reconstructionist, some Conservative, some Orthodox and some None of the Above. We Jewish people live in interesting times. The issues confronting our community differ markedly from the issues dealt with by our grandparents and great-grandparents. (more…)

On Kol Nidre, I spoke about the extensive Social Action efforts made by members of Temple Beth Sholom, and of the importance of living generously, repairing the world, and setting examples for our children to follow.  I am pleased to say that the members of Temple Beth Sholom apparently are not content to rest on their laurels when it comes to Social Action. (more…)

For many of us, childhood memories involve holiday celebrations.  I would venture a guess that Hanukkah, in particular, is a holiday that evokes many memories — gathering with family, cooking latkes, eating donuts, lighting candles, wrapping (and unwrapping) gifts.  Hanukkah is only one of several holidays that evokes memories for me; I retain vivid recollections of childhood High Holidays, Passover seders and Purim costumes, as well.
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At a recent meeting of the Temple Beth Sholom Board of Directors, a motion was made (and passed) to approve a program entitled “Planting Seeds,” which aims — through modest financial incentives — to attract more non-member families to enroll in our Hebrew School program, and ultimately to join our synagogue.  This program represents a proactive measure to deal with the fact that our school enrollment seems to be shrinking, despite fairly steady membership numbers.
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