Committees

Adult Education and Lifelong Learning – Julian Ross – Jewish learning is for everyone. We sponsor programs on subjects ranging from history to contemporary affairs. parenting to aging, music to mah jong. In addition to formal lectures by outside speakers, we offer opportunities for us all to teach and learn from one another through hands-on projects.

Building & Grounds – {open} – We’re responsible for the safety and comfort of our building, parking lot, and grounds.

Finance – Robin Kaufman – TK

Membership – Jennifer Sedlak, Karen McAleer, and Beryl Palnik – This committee is eager to welcome you into our temple family, to answer questions from new and prospective members, to invite you to social events, to introduce you around, and to help you get involved in the life of our congregation.  We love to plan special events that bring people together: to celebrate, to enjoy music or a play, to visit a museum; and, of course, to eat!   We also provide aid and comfort to members of our temple family in times of trouble. If you know of someone who is ill or facing a crisis, please let us know how we can help.

Religious School – Debbie Chessin – The heart of any synagogue, our religious school strives to give every student a strong Jewish identity, with the ability to read Hebrew; take part knowledgeably in worship services, home rituals, and the life of both a Jewish community and the world at large.

Ritual – Luis Fernandez – We encourage all our members, whether students or adults, to actively participate in our worship services. Depending on your level of interest, we may invite you to light candles, say the Torah blessings, read a passage in English, give a D’var Torah (a short talk about the meaning of the weekly portion), or even lead a service. We always welcome contributions of food to onegs and kiddushim, without which no service is complete

Tikkun Olam (Social Action) – Barbara Feldmar – Beth Israel was the first congregation in America to recognize the plight of Soviet Jews in the 1960s, mounting a campaign that became a national movement on their behalf. Today we participate in Greater Cleveland Congregations, an interfaith coalition that works to improve education, health care, and other important concerns in our community. Other ongoing temple projects include support of SCAN Hunger Center Pantry and Rose Centers for Aging Well. Join us as we continue to work toward tikkun olam (repair of the world) here in Greater Cleveland;  bring us your ideas for new ways to get involved.