5101 US-42 • LOUISVILLE, KY 40241 • (502) 423-1818

Tag Archive for: Mazal Tov

Ben Norton named as member of the Sing Unto God Teen Songleading Fellowship

/in , ,

We’re thrilled that Ben Norton is a member of the 2022-23 cohort of the Sing Unto God Teen Songleading Fellowship. Led by Cantor Rosalie Will, 21 teens from across North America will be meeting regularly over the next several months to sharpen their songleading, leadership, and community building skills. The Temple will be integrating Ben into the life of our community as we look to engage emerging leaders in our worship and work.

The Temple wants to give Ben a big Mazel Tov!

The SUG Teen Songleader Fellowship Program Overview

Open to 8th – 12th grade teens from across North America, this prestigious, application-only, 8-month fellowship includes both instructional and experiential learning:

  • A three-day retreat November 11-13, 2022, in synagogues in Baltimore. You’ll lead Friday night and Saturday morning worship for the congregation; master class with each other how to teach music; build religious school music rotations and lead them in real time on Sunday morning; and receive useful feedback from peers and congregation professionals.

  • Support from a local, on-the-ground staff mentor (clergy or educator) who will help you complete monthly “action assignments” such as teaching and leading music in your community, and will offer you professional development and support.

  • 8 monthly Zoom meetings from October through May with subject experts on teaching repertoire, pedagogy of working with early childhood students in music, religious school music rep and strategy, prayer and teen leadership, working with staff/professionals, how to memorize songs, how to choose repertoire, how to pivot and have “back-pocket” song plans, and more.

  • The opportunity to learn from a group of like-minded peers who share a love of singing Jewish music, building networks and friendships to last beyond the Fellowship.

  • Ongoing consideration for participation in future songleading gatherings and community programs and events as you move through your leadership journey.

Bar Mitzvah in Israel

/in ,

Mazel tov, to David Kaplan, as he was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah in Israel at the Egalitarian Wall.

What is Bar/Bat Mitzvah?

Bar or Bat Mitzvah is a title a Jew earns at the age of 13. The title indicates a new status in the Jewish community with accompanying privileges and responsibilities.

Bar means “son” and Bat means “daughter.” A mitzvah is a ‘commandment.’ Thus, to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is to become a son or daughter of the commandment, that is, one who is obligated to learn about and to observe commandments and Jewish practices as an adult.

Mitzvot teach us to sanctify life. They foster both selflessness and self-esteem, so crucial to the life of a young Jew. They can bring Jewish families closer to the Jewish people, to all people, and to God. Getting ready for Bat and Bar Mitzvah provides a perfect opportunity to bring mitzvot into our Jewish lives. The terms Bar and Bat Mitzvah can therefore be understood as “old enough to do mitzvot.”

The Bat/Bar Mitzvah child at The Temple leads part of the Saturday Shabbat service and reads or chants the Torah and Haftarah portion and blessings for that particular Shabbat. Reading the Torah and Haftarah is an honor and a privilege, but it is also a challenge. It requires knowledge of the Hebrew language and an understanding of sections of our sacred texts. It also affords the students an opportunity to take an adult role in the synagogue and the Jewish community.

Celebrating Becky’s 10 years at The Temple

/in

Celebrating Becky’s 10 years at The Temple

We had a surprise party as the staff took pleasure in celebrating Becky’s 10 years as Rabbi David’s Assistant.  Mazal tov, Becky, as you continue to do amazing work for our members.

Our staff is always happy to answer questions and help however we can. We encourage you to get to know our Rabbis, educators, administrator, and other staff.  Additionally, you can attend Shabbat services and any of our programs and activities. Finally, you may also request a private meeting with any of our staff.

We are proud to be a part of a vibrant Jewish community here in Louisville.  The Temple has a variety of fun programming, educational opportunities, community service activities, and worship services. So, we invite you to join us for some of our upcoming events, learn more about our Religious School and top-rated Pre-school, meet our rabbis, and worship with us.

The Temple in Louisville is Kentucky’s oldest and largest Jewish congregation. Established in 1843 as K.K. Adas Israel, The Temple was a founding member of Reform Judaism’s Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now Union for Reform Judaism) and an early proponent of Reform in American Jewish life. When Reform Judaism began in 1873, The Temple in Louisville was the second largest congregation in the movement.

JCL Awards Temple Members at their Annual Meeting

/in , ,

Mazel tov to all of the winner of the JCL Awards! On Wednesday, June 5, several Temple members were honored at the Jewish Community of Louisville’s Annual meeting.

JCL Awards Temple Members at their Annual MeetingBeth Salamon
Julie E. Linker Community Relations Young Leadership Award
The incoming chair of the Jewish Community Relation Council, Beth Salamon, this year’s Linker Award recipient, hopes the prize makes a statement about the what about Jewish Louisville she values most. “Having its own community service award shows how community service as an important Jewish value,” Salamon said. “it makes a statement…. Each award sets the tone for what we think is important, so I’m thrilled by the community service recognition.” The Jewish Community Relations Council is Jewish Louisville’s liaison to the greater Louisville community.
Salamon is an old hand at policy work. The mother of two serves as the state policy advocate for the National Council of Jewish Women in Kentucky, monitoring bills in the state legislature that pertain to reproductive rights and other matters critical to women. She also serves on the Collegiate Board of Trustees, and its Parents Association board. She has been on the JCRC for 10 years.
A native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Salamon went to college in Washington, D.C., and law school at Temple University in Philadelphia. There, she met her husband, Michael, who was in medical school at the time. After she spent a couple of years clerking for the family court of New Castle County, Delaware, the couple moved to Sacramento, California, where Michael started a five-year residency and Salamon worked for the Legislative Council of California, writing and modifying bills for lawmakers in the areas of public safety and food & agriculture and staffing those particular legislative committees. They spent a year in Iowa City, Iowa, where Michael held a fellowship at the University of Iowa, before moving to Louisville in 2005. Michael is an orthopedic surgeon with Ellis and Badenhausen Orthopedics. In addition to Alex, the couple has another son, Jack, 14, a freshman at Collegiate. As JCRC chair, Salamon hopes to help the members “find avenues for them for more hands-on volunteering.”

 

JCL Awards Temple Members at their Annual MeetingThe Stacy Marks Nisenbaum Awards are presented to incoming juniors or seniors who are leaders in their BBYO chapters and work to grow the program while staying active in their schools and communities: Drew Goldstein has served as BBYO’s regional s’gan (programming vice president), chapter godol (president), chapter s’gan twice and chapter mazkir (corresponding secretary). He was the 2018 winner of the Ellen Faye Garmon Award. A junior at Ballard High School, he is a member of Dance Maroon and the Spanish Club. He will be a counselor-in-training (CIT) at Camp Livingston this summer. Elana Berger has served as chapter mazkirah and gizborit, and regional s’ganit. A junior at Floyd Central High School, she is on the symphony orchestra, the National Honor Society and is a Multiple-Cultures Club ambassador. Elana has participated in the Global Citizenship Certificate Program through the Kentucky and Southern Indiana World Affairs Council. She will be a CIT at Beber Camp this summer.

 

JCL Awards Temple Members at their Annual MeetingThe Stuart Pressma Awards go to incoming juniors or seniors who are involved in their BBYO chapters and work to grow the program while showing strong devotion to community service: Emily Renco has served as chapter morah (membership vice president) and n’siah (president). An incoming senior at Louisville Collegiate School, she has been a student ambassador, a board member/founder of the Entrepreneurship Club, a board member of Students Against Destructive Decisions, a Spanish Club member, editor of Transcript, the school yearbook and a member of the Happiness Club. This summer, Emily will be among BBYO’s Ambassadors to Bulgaria and attend an international leadership seminar in Israel.

 

The Tony Levitan Award goes to an outstanding high school senior athlete while who demonstrated outstanding character and leadership through team sports and Jewish communal events: Gabrielle “Gabby” Aberson, a Louisville Collegiate School graduate, played lacrosse, field hockey. She also is a Pearl Project chair, plays viola in the orchestra, is president of the Happiness Club and the junior class and is a member of the Ambassadors Club, Discipline Court and KUNA/KYA. She also is a lifeguard at the J has volunteered with J-SERVE and New Roots and was a Sunshine Girl. She will attend Boston University this fall. Adam Rudy, a Walden School graduate, played basketball at the 2016 Maccabi Games and flag football at the 2017 Games. He was on the varsity basketball, soccer and tennis teams at Walden and was invited to participate in the East Kentucky All Star Basketball Games. He won the Outstanding Service Award for more than 100 service hours, was an outstanding student ambassador and was active in the Kentucky United Nations Assembly. He also was an Eagle Scout and won the Nir Tamid Award. Adam will attend Purdue University this fall for mechanical engineering technology, but first he will travel to Peru to see Machu Picchu.

 

The Joseph Fink BBYO Community Service Scholarship is a four-year scholarship presented to a senior who was an active member of their BBYO chapter during all four years of high school and also performed a significant amount of community service during high school: Jacob Ioffe, of duPont Manual High School, was a Bronfman Fellow. Active in BBYO, he was regional mazkir and gizbor, Aleph godol, international captain of the Israel Task Force and a past recipient of the Stacy Marks Nisenbaum and Ellen Faye Garmon awards. He also was a BBYO ambassador to Ukraine. At Manual, he was the varsity tennis team captain (#1 in the state), lead coordinator for the IdeaFest and research intern at Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic. This summer, he will be a counselor at Camp Sunapee, a Russian Jewish math camp in New Hampshire, before joining the Boston-Sderot Project, a three-week service trip in Israel where a cohort of counselors travel to Sderot, a constant target of rocket attacks from Gaza, and take children battling PTSD and other psychological disorders to a camp to experience safety and normalcy. He will attend Vanderbilt University this fall.

 

JCL Awards Temple Members at their Annual MeetingThe Ellen Faye Garmon Awards go to incoming juniors or seniors who are involved in their BBYO chapters, working to grow the program, and their communities: Liz Hemmer, also a BBYO member since the eighth grade, served as sh’licha in her sophomore year, n’siah in her junior year, and currently serves as regional sh’licha Currently. She was named the 2018 KIO Sh’licha of the Year and is a past recipient of the Stacy Marks Nissenbaum Award. An incoming senior at Ballard High School, she is a member of the Beta Club. This summer, she will go to Israel with Camp Livingston.

Award winners represent a cross-section of Louisville life

The 2019 Teen Leadership Awards spotlight young people who excel

JCRC names Beth Salamon chairman-designate

/in , ,

When Bob Sachs was wrapping up his term as chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council, he asked Beth Salamon to take the job.
The mother of two said she was interested, but only after her oldest son, Alex, went off to college.
She’s keeping her promise. Alex, 17, is starting college this fall, so the JCRC just announced that Salamon will assume the chairmanship in July, succeeding Rabbi Stanley R. Miles.
“Bob actually came up to me when the announcement was made and said I kept my word,” she mused.
That’s how Sachs remembers it, too, recalling that Salamon asked for two years before moving up.
“Sure enough, her word was her bond. And yes, at the last JCRC meeting when she was introduced by Rabbi Miles as the next chair, I told her she had kept her promise. She’ll make a wonderful chair.”
The JCRC is Jewish Louisville’s liaison to the greater Louisville community. Its stated tasks include improving intergovernmental relations, protecting human rights and providing advocacy and discussion forums for legislative issues of importance to Jews.
Though new to the JCRC chairmanship, Salamon is an old hand at policy work. She serves as the state policy advocate for the National Council of Jewish Women in Kentucky, monitoring bills in the state legislature that pertain to reproductive rights and other matters critical to women.
She also serves on the Collegiate Board of Trustees, and its Parents Association board. She has been on the JCRC for 10 years.
A native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Salamon went to college in Washington, D.C., and law school at Temple University in Philadelphia. There, she met her husband, Michael, who was in medical school at the time.
After she spent a couple of years clerking for the family court of New Castle County, Delaware, the couple moved to Sacramento, California, where Michael started a five-year residency and Salamon worked for the Legislative Council of California, writing and modifying bills for lawmakers in the areas of public safety and food & agriculture and staffing those particular legislative committees.
They spent a year in Iowa City, Iowa, where Michael held a fellowship at the University of Iowa, before moving to Louisville in 2005. Michael is an orthopedic surgeon with Ellis and Badenhausen Orthopedics.
In addition to Alex, the couple has another son, Jack, 14, a freshman at Collegiate.
“Beth Salamon will be a wonderful chair,” Miles, the outgoing chair, told Community. “Through NCJW, she has served our people and community wisely and well. I look forward to working with her.”
JCRC Director Matt Goldberg said Salamon brings “unique experience, passion, and creativity and she is sure to make our community very proud.”
As JCRC chair, Salamon hopes to help the members “find avenues for them for more hands-on volunteering.”
But she stopped short of naming any pet policy issues she wants to take up.
“I’m really excited I’m going to the [National Conference of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs] in a couple of weeks, and I think I’ll learn a lot of things that will ignite interest in me.” said. “I kind of like to listen and find what the group wants to work on.”

BY LEE CHOTTINER, COMMUNITY EDITOR

JCRC names Beth Salamon chairman-designate; will succeed Miles in July

New Eagle Scout for Boy Scout Troop 30

/in , ,

Mazal tov to Troop 30’s newest Eagle Scout, Brian Schwartz, and congratulations to Mr. Sturtzel on his 100th Eagle Scout as Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 30.  The Temple wants to give Brian a big Mazal Tov!

Jordan Goldberg awarded Health & Hope Hero Award

Jordan Goldberg awarded Health & Hope Hero Award

/in , ,

Jordan Goldberg was awarded the first Health & Hope Hero Award at the Supplies Over Seas 2018 Health & Hope Breakfast.  Jordan has been working to send a container to the Friends Eye Center in Ghana. Dr. Seth Wanye, chief ophthalmologist at the Friends Eye Center, was able to personally award Jordan at the Breakfast.  For more information about Supplies Over Seas, please go to http://www.suppliesoverseas.org/.  The Temple wants to give Jordan a big Mazal Tov!