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Celebrating our Member Milestones: Howard and Sandra Goldberg

02/28/2022 10:34:04 AM

Feb28

Member Milestones is an initiative at Temple Beth El to spotlight our longtime members, who have provided a strong foundation for our community.

Check out other Member Milestones stories here.

Meet Longtime Member Howard Goldberg

Interviewed by Susan Ottmann
Written by Aleeza Hoffert

Howard Goldberg was born in 1937, two years before Temple was founded by his parents and others on November 20, 1939.

Howard has remained a TBE member his whole life, even when he has moved elsewhere for school or, as in recent years, when he has split his time between Madison and Sarasota, Florida.

He treasures the friendships he made within the Jewish community through grade school, high school, the AZA youth group, and a bowling league that was popular at the time. The Madison Jewish community was small, which he views as a plus: “In addition to all the good things I had going for me in Madison, I had the Jewish community, the people and events.” He does not remember experiencing antisemitism in Madison and never felt that being Jewish was viewed negatively here.

Howard’s mother, Beatrice (Babs), was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, Mark Goldberg, immigrated to the U.S. from Russia and found his way to Madison to join relatives here. Mark attended the University of Wisconsin and met Babs through his roommate, who was engaged to Babs’s sister. They ended up having a double wedding.

As a young child, Howard went to Sunday School all over Madison, wherever space was available, because the new congregation didn’t have its own building. In those days, Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky taught all the classes. Howard’s mind was often elsewhere, and he recalls being a poor student. He never learned to speak or read Hebrew, though it was not Rabbi Swarsensky’s fault. He had special tutoring sessions at Rabbi Swarsensky’s apartment, where he would see the rabbi’s mother, who lived with the rabbi. She was the shortest lady he’d ever seen, and he doesn’t remember her name; she was always called “Mother Swarsensky.” He recalls that she was a wonderful lady.

Sam Stein, who owned the Quality Service Laundry company on Regent Street, led the charge to construct a Temple building and was instrumental in overseeing the arrangements. After schlepping all over the city to attend Temple events and programs, Howard really enjoyed the experience of gathering at the new building, starting in the fall of 1950. Howard remembers the dedication of the building fondly, as he was involved in recording it on a Magnecord reel-to-reel tape recorder. “It was quite an experience, which I’ll never forget.” Howard notes there have been a lot of physical changes to Temple since the building was constructed. The area at the back of the sanctuary used to include a stage, and that was the bimah. The building has grown significantly over time.

Howard’s confirmation class photo hanging in the Temple hallway includes these friends: Toby Heilprin and her cousin Larry Heilprin, Gail Chechik, Nancy Wagner, Penny Haines, and David Boner. David Boner moved to San Diego in the early 1950s, and they’ve always stayed in touch, including a phone call one week before this interview. Through AZA youth group activities, Howard got to know the Beth Israel Center kids as well.

After graduating high school, he went to Pomona College in California. He was in ROTC in college, and after graduating with a BA in economics he went into the army, commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant. He served as a platoon leader in the Transportation Corps at Fort Eustis, Virginia. After his active duty, he went to the University of Wisconsin to study marketing, but then he began selling life insurance and never completed that degree. Instead, he decided to learn more about the tax laws around life insurance. He received a law degree from UW and eventually joined the Madison law firm of Murphy Desmond S.C., which he is still with after all these years.

One of the best things that happened to Howard was when he started dating a girl at UW after returning from his active duty in the army. They attended High Holy Day services at TBE early in their relationship. In one of his sermons, Rabbi Swarsensky mentioned a gentleman in Eau Claire, who turned out to be his date’s uncle. In 1961, Sandra (Sandy) and Howard were married in Wausau, where Sandy had moved in high school after growing up mainly in Appleton. They’ve been married for over 60 years.

Photo: Howard Goldberg, Phyllis Lefcowitz, and Jerry and Vicki Stewart at TBE's 75th anniversary gala

Howard served on the TBE Board of Trustees when Rabbi Swarsensky retired and Rabbi Kenneth Roseman was hired, as well as on the board of the Madison Jewish Community Council (now the Jewish Federation of Madison). Howard and Sandy were involved in creating and setting up Gan HaYeled preschool. Judy Ladinsky and Francie Saposnik were also part of this effort. During its first few years the school was held in Neighborhood House. It then moved to Beth Israel Center, to Temple Beth El, and finally to its current home at the Jewish Federation building. Sandy and Howard’s three children all attended.

Howard enjoyed traveling to Spain with Rabbi Jan Brahms on an Ayelet Tours trip right after the 9/11 attacks. Many who had signed up to go decided to cancel. The remaining travelers joined a group from Rochester, New York. They learned a lot about Jewish history in Spain, much of which was not pleasant. “The Jewish cemeteries were destroyed and the headstones were used to pave the roads,” Howard notes. “The government, at the time that we were there, was trying to encourage Jewish tourism.” They went to Barcelona and visited other Jewish communities in that area, as well as Madrid, Toledo, Seville, and Granada.

Music is a big part of Howard’s life, and he appreciates that music is an area that has changed a lot at Temple. He is impressed with the musical development at TBE. “It’s become excellent!” he says.

Howard makes it a point to be at Temple Beth El every summer for his mother’s yahrzeit as well as to attend High Holy Day services at TBE.

Howard and Sandy’s three kids—Julie White, Mark Goldberg, and Deborah Leonard—all grew up at Temple, and his two daughters and their families still reside in Madison, while his son lives in Florida with his wife. His grandsons attended Sunday School at Temple Beth El. He was overjoyed to welcome his great-granddaughter, Sloan Ashe Montgomery, into the family in October 2021.

Photo: Howard Goldberg and family. Front row: Gretchen Montgomery, Deborah Leonard, Sandy Goldberg, Julie White. Back row: Devon Montgomery, Joe Leonard, Howard Goldberg, Josh Eastmead.

Being active in the Jewish community continues to be important to Howard, and he encourages others to be involved as well, noting that it’s “a great way to meet people when you move into a new community.”

Howard and Sandy have made many new friendships through the congregation they are involved with in Sarasota, Florida. Howard is currently serving as the Volunteer Committee coordinator there, and is also on their Bulletin Committee and Membership Committee. He was the chair of their Endowment Fund for seven years as well. As the Volunteer Committee coordinator, his primary task is to get new members involved in a committee or group as quickly as possible to begin building friendships and having a stake in the congregation. “If you participate in a committee, you’re going to participate in your Temple and you will meet friends.”

Howard has enjoyed many social gatherings at people’s homes over the years, and he encourages everyone to make connections and get involved.

This email series highlights members of 54 or more years who have been vital to building, growing, and sustaining the congregation. We thank the team of volunteers who have helped recognize these members by conducting interviews, writing their stories, proofreading, and more.

A video of our Membership Shabbat Reception, held on Friday, February 25, 2022, can be found here. You can find a link to the Milestone Members book featuring these stories on our Members Only page. (You must be logged in to view.)

May we continue to go from strength to strength!

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

DONATE

Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Marjorie Tobias and Amy Fields

02/24/2022 10:01:01 AM

Feb24

Meet Longtime Members Marjorie Tobias and Amy Fields

Interviewed by Sue Center
Written by Harvey Wendel and Aleeza Hoffert

Photo: Amy Fields and Marj Tobias at the 2018 Sisterhood kallah

Marjorie Tobias has made the most of her almost 93 years of life, most of which has been spent in Madison and involved with Temple Beth El.

Marj was born in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated high school in 1946. She was confirmed at Temple Isaiah Israel in Chicago, where her confirmation picture is still on the wall. She joined Temple Beth El when she married Harry Tobias at age 20 in 1949. Harry’s parents, Vivian and Joseph Tobias, were founding members of TBE. Marj graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1950, living up to her end of a deal she made with her father: that she would finish college if she could marry at age 20.

Harry and Marj’s four daughters—Lynn, Cathy, and Judy Tobias and Amy Fields—were all confirmed at Temple Beth El. Harry was president when Lynn was confirmed; Marj was president when Amy was confirmed. Harry was part of the first confirmation class (whose names, not photos, appear in a frame in the hallway). Amy was part of Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky’s final confirmation class. Harry’s sister Ilene, who predeceased him, was also confirmed at Temple. Harry passed away in 2017.

The family has a long history of Temple presidencies. Joe Tobias was president from 1951 to 1952, followed by Harry (1966–1968), Marj (1974–1976), and Amy (2010–2012). Marj was the first female president of Temple Beth El, and is proud to have paved the way for so many more.

Sisterhood presidency also runs in the family. Vivian, Marj, and Amy all were Sisterhood presidents. Amy served twice, the second time as co-president with Lottie Frank. Marj was also TBE’s first district president for Sisterhood and served on the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods board (now the Women of Reform Judaism North American Board of Directors).

Amy and Marty Fields were married by Rabbi Kenneth Roseman in 1983. Amy and Marj both have fond memories of Rabbis Swarsensky, Roseman, and Brahms, and have developed a close bond with Rabbi Jonathan Biatch. Amy remembers Rabbi Roseman, with his tall stature (especially compared to the much shorter Amy and Marty), leaning toward Marty and talking with him about taking good care of Amy, while they were signing their ketubah (marriage contract).

Photo: Marjorie and Harry Tobias with daughter Amy Fields at TBE's 75th anniversary gala

Marj and Harry’s close friends were all Temple families who had kids around the age of their daughters. This was both by choice and by necessity. During the years when their family was growing, Jews were still excluded from various clubs and organizations.

As active as Marj was with Temple (including chairing a rabbi search committee), she was just as active, or more, outside of Temple. A partial list of her activities includes PTA, Brownie and Girl Scout leader, volunteer driver for Shorewood Hills Ambulance, United Way cabinet, YWCA women of distinction, and the boards of Shorewood Bank and Valley Bank. She received the Madison Rotary Senior Award. And she got her pilot’s license! Today she is very involved with Capitol Lakes, where she resides.

Amy’s involvement in the Madison community is similar to her mom’s. She has been active with Gan HaYeled, Camp Shalom, PTO, Westmorland hockey, and Madison area lacrosse. Amy is currently on the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra board. In the ’90s, Amy and Marty bought Interstate Periodical Distributors from the family and transformed the business into Interstate Books4School.

Photo: Amy Fields, third from right, at the TBE 75th anniversary gala with (from left to right) Milestone Member Judy Schreiber, comedian Cory Kahaney (who provided the evening's entertainment), Heidi Lauhon (then executive director), Julie Swedarsky, and Lottie Frank

Marj remembers when the Temple community was small enough so that she knew everyone. Amy is proud to see how Temple has grown to increase its focus on inclusion and youth.

Amy and Marj agree that Temple should continue to make education a priority. Amy appreciates how TBE has modernized its education program, continuing to innovate and keep youth interested and connected by providing positive experiences with Temple. They both recognize that Jews in Madison feel less of a need to affiliate today, and that long-term connections are less common. Amy worries that, in 54 years, there might not be long-term members to interview for a project like this one. She sees this as a major change from the TBE where she grew up, and she sees the need to ensure that the community is vibrant decades into the future.

They both value the wide variety of meaningful programs at Temple and the options to participate in person or virtually. Their advice: don’t wait for someone to approach you; go introduce yourself. And don’t wait to be asked to volunteer; go volunteer.

Amy and Marj are forever grateful to the Temple Beth El community for the abundance of memories provided by worship experiences, life-cycle events, programs, and connections.

This weekly email series highlights members of 54 or more years who have been vital to building, growing, and sustaining the congregation. We thank the team of volunteers who have helped recognize these members by conducting interviews, writing their stories, proofreading, and more.

Please join us to celebrate all our members—new, longtime, and in between—at our Membership Shabbat Reception on Friday, February 25, where we will debut a special publication featuring these stories and more. You can find a link to the Milestone Members book on our Members Only page. (You must be logged in to view.)

May we continue to go from strength to strength!

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

DONATE

Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Vicki and Jerry Stewart

02/21/2022 10:01:14 AM

Feb21

Meet Longtime Members Vicki and Jerry Stewart

Interviewed by Sue Center
Written by Aleeza Hoffert

Jerry and Vicki Stewart have a wealth of fond memories of their many years at Temple Beth El.

Jerry joined as a kid with his family in 1940, before there was a Temple building, when Temple members met at the First Congregational Church on the corner of Gorham Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Confirmation was held in the Woman’s Club Building on Gilman Street. He was in the Temple’s second confirmation class, the first one to have a class picture, which now hangs on the wall near the sanctuary. The TBE building was constructed while Jerry was in the army.

Vicki, who grew up in Milwaukee, became a member of TBE when she married Jerry in 1957. Their wedding took place at Temple Emanu-El in Milwaukee, which required that one of their own rabbis participate in the ceremony, so Rabbi Joseph Baron of Temple Emanu-El and Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky of TBE co-officiated their wedding. The two rabbis were friends and were both of German descent. Vicki likes to say they were “twice married” because two rabbis officiated.

Jerry and Vicki’s two daughters, Lisa and Tracy, grew up at Temple Beth El.

Photo: Lisa and Tracy Stewart

One of Jerry’s favorite memories from his early years at Temple is when Rabbi Swarsensky was gifted a car by the congregation. In Germany, before the Nazi reign, Jews of high esteem didn’t drive their own cars; they had someone drive them. So, when Rabbi Swarsensky was given the car, he didn’t know how to drive it. Temple members participated in teaching him to drive. Jerry, as a teenager with a license, was part of this group, and his tasks included driving with the rabbi to the veterans’ hospital in Tomah. They drove along old Highway 12 toward Baraboo. When they reached the long, narrow bridge that crosses the Wisconsin River, Rabbi Swarsensky didn’t want to drive across it. With some encouragement, Jerry finally convinced the rabbi to drive over the bridge. When they got to the other side, poor Rabbi Swarsensky was soaking wet from the effort and quite upset. So he relinquished the wheel, and Jerry drove from then on.

Photo: Vicki and Jerry Stewart dance at their wedding.

While Jerry and others successfully taught Rabbi Swarsensky to drive, they didn’t teach him how to change a tire. When Rabbi Swarsensky was driving to Milwaukee years later to marry Vicki and Jerry and got a flat tire, he had to wait for a kind soul to help him change it. Everyone was ready and waiting for him when he finally arrived at the wedding.

More recently, while the Stewarts were talking with Rabbi Swarsensky’s son Gerald, he mentioned, “You know, I drive funny. I drive with my left foot instead of my right foot, and my father taught me how to drive.” Jerry responded, “That’s because I taught him how to drive with his left foot instead of his right.”

One of Vicki’s fond memories of TBE is of the dinner dances or “dinner and a show” evenings that were special Temple events. Alma Baron would direct and create a script, and Harlen Smith was the musical director. Vicki had such fun with these events, and she lights up just thinking about them.

Vicki was involved with the Council of Jewish Women that met at Temple. She was an active member of Sisterhood and was on the board of directors. While she was on track to be president at one point, that didn’t happen. During the year she would have been named president, she became a founding member of the Madison Repertory Theatre and didn’t have the time to do both. She had a long career both as a volunteer and in a professional capacity with the Rep, only retiring when Jerry retired from the life Insurance business that his father had started and Jerry had continued to run. In retirement, Jerry and Vicki spent winters in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Photo: Vicki Stewart, Rona Malofsky, and Judy Schreiber (also a Milestone Member) at Food-A-Rama in 2011

Food-A-Rama holds a special place in Vicki’s heart, as it was a catalyst for her, and many others, to get involved in Temple life.

She enjoyed the cooking sessions and packaging the homemade baked goods with Lucy Williams, who ran the bakery. She started at cooking sessions with Sue Blotner and Sandy Dutch. In later years Vicki volunteered on the buffet line or as a cashier. She also enjoyed working with Judy Schreiber, who decorated and prepped the room. Even this past year, while living at Capitol Lakes, Vicki participated in Food-A-Rama. She coordinated a food order for 13 residents that Amy Fields delivered to Capitol Lakes, where many met in a common room to have their own Food-A-Rama luncheon. Vicki fondly remembers another Sisterhood activity: meeting in Ida Swarsensky’s library to record textbooks for visually impaired UW students.

The Stewarts cherish memories of many family milestones at Temple Beth El, including their two daughters’ life-cycle moments, from their confirmations to their weddings. For the wedding of their younger daughter, Tracy, Vicki had arranged for some UW graduate students to play the processional music. The bridal party entered and arrived at the bimah, and the students kept on playing. It seemed the students weren’t sure when to stop playing. Finally, Tracy’s older sister, Lisa, the matron of honor, motioned with a swipe of her hand, and the music stopped. Without missing a beat and with a serious face, Rabbi Jan Brahms said, “And now for their next selection.” “That was just his fabulous sense of humor,” Vicki reflects.

Rabbi Jonathan Biatch would often come to Scottsdale for a conference of midwestern rabbis, and he would always reach out to the Stewarts along with other congregants, including the Spitz, Roth, and Malofsky families, and they would get together for a meal, which everyone enjoyed.

Photo: Vicki and Jerry Stewart (second and fourth from left) with Karen Roth (also a Milestone Member) and Rona Malofsky at TBE's 75th anniversary gala

Many of their close friends were from Temple. Vicki was part of a TBE wives’ mah jongg group, and Jerry played poker with a bunch of TBE guys. They were also involved in the Madison Jewish Community Council (MJCC, now the Jewish Federation of Madison), whose women’s division organized fundraisers and functions that Vicki and her dear friends all had turns leading. Jerry served as president of the board. Many other MJCC leaders became their lifelong good friends as well.

Vicki was involved with the Downtown Rotary Club, which gives an annual award in Rabbi Swarsensky’s honor. Vicki is proud to have chaired the committee that gives out the award, and she was so pleased that Sharon Swarsensky and her husband would come to the luncheons to hear all the good things people shared about her father, Rabbi Swarsensky.

They have loved seeing the Jewish community evolve, commenting that “it’s a wonderful thing.” They have enjoyed being members of the Madison Jewish community and are proud TBE members. This involvement made it easy and important for them to share their Jewishness with their secular neighbors and friends.

Vicki and Jerry know that everyone must get started somewhere when joining Temple, and they encourage everyone to become involved. They recommend that you participate in a way that’s true to yourself: Rather than only tagging along to something your partner or children are doing, engage as yourself, too.

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

DONATE

Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Jane and Evan Pizer

02/17/2022 10:01:46 AM

Feb17

Meet Longtime Members Jane and Evan Pizer

Interviewed by Linda Reivitz
Written by Samantha Gorelik

Evan and Jane Pizer weren’t strangers to Madison when they returned to the city in the early 1960s.

Evan had attended medical school at UW–Madison, and Jane received a master’s degree in counseling from UW–Madison. They married, while students, in 1957. After Evan completed his medical internship elsewhere, along with two years of army service, the couple found themselves back in Madison with two young children in tow.

Over the next few years, they became increasingly more involved in the Jewish community because of their children, joining Temple Beth El in 1966. Jane notes that membership was the logical step because of her desire to raise a Jewish family and for the kids to have a Jewish education. When she reflects on her early years as a member, Jane recalls the constant pickups and drop-offs for their four young children who regularly attended Temple events, Religious School, and training for Jewish life-cycle occasions.

One theme in particular comes to mind when Jane thinks about what Temple Beth El stands for: compassion. “A thread that continues and is extremely important to me, my family, and so many is the emphasis on humanity. It’s about reaching out to people.” She has always been drawn to the compassion and empathy Temple Beth El teaches, and while the building and the people inside it have changed, this theme remains a core part of Temple’s philosophy. People show up for each other.

Jane believes that Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky truly set the tone for the rabbis that would follow, by focusing on humanism and interdenominational values. Growing up, Jane had little Jewish background. At age 9, Jane asked to stop having Christmas trees in her home and began a decades-long journey of exploring her Jewish faith. Jane’s mother died when she was 14. After her father married a Baptist woman, Jane was asked to attend church services regularly. So, in some ways, Jane was more knowledgeable about Christianity than Judaism. But because of her interfaith background, she has always valued interdenominational principles and appreciated Rabbi Swarsensky’s commitment to interfaith relationships and dialogues.

She describes a challenging incident that illustrates Rabbi Swarsensky’s values and guidance. When Jane and Evan’s children were young, the Madison Jewish Community Council (MJCC, which later became the Jewish Federation of Madison) wanted schools to understand that some children practiced religions other than Christianity. During the holiday season, MJCC sent a note to all the principals in the district to encourage conversation about Hanukkah and other holidays. At Shorewood Hills Elementary, where Jane was PTA president, the principal posted it in the teachers’ lounge. Some parents and teachers misinterpreted the message as an attack on them and on Christmas. They began to blame Jane, as an assumed spokesperson for the Jewish community, thinking she was responsible for the letter. As the situation escalated, a local pastor phoned Rabbi Swarsensky, who was his friend, saying that this didn’t sound like the Jewish values he’d learned from the rabbi. Rabbi Swarsensky agreed, of course. He counseled Jane on how to approach the situation and encouraged her to talk directly with the principal. Ultimately, with the rabbi’s guidance, she attended a school meeting, where she explained to parents and teachers that the letter was not meant as an attack on Christmas but as a reminder that not all students are Christian.

Jane remembers that the situation even led a kindergarten classmate of her youngest son to threaten him as a result of the rumors. She simply couldn’t believe a child so young could experience such hatred. Jane’s close Temple friend Rona Malofsky (of blessed memory) shared a message that Jane has carried with her all these years: “You might forget you’re Jewish, but the world never will.”

Jane fondly looks back at Rabbi Swarsensky’s words and wisdom that guided her through this difficult time, recalling the many ways he championed and taught inclusivity. Over the years she appreciated his insightful sermons, which covered a variety of meaningful and inspiring topics. In fact, she purchased a book of them, titled Intimates and Ultimates (available in the TBE library), and she attended interfaith classes and programs that Rabbi Swarsensky led at Edgewood College.

Photo: Jonathan Pizer's bar mitzvah at Temple Beth El in 1977. From left: Jane, Steven, Alan, Evan, Jonathan, Laura.

One of her most memorable experiences at Temple was the wedding of her eldest son, Steven. Rabbi Jan Brahms had been hired but had not yet moved to Madison. Due to a variety of circumstances, they had a month or less to plan the wedding. She called Rabbi Brahms shortly before he moved to Madison to see if he could help with the last-minute nuptials. “Hi, I’m Jane Pizer. I’m going to ask you something, and I’m expecting you to say no, and I’ll understand. Would you be willing to do this interfaith wedding (your second week on the job)?” Rabbi Brahms was eager to help and even met with the couple a few times before their big day.

Jane never thought she and her family would be lifelong Madison residents. But she and Evan have spent 61 of the 65 years they’ve been married here. She’s watched the Jewish community grow and evolve and is proud to see how much easier it’s become for members to connect with Judaism and stay active. “In terms of accessibility to Judaism, I think it’s wonderful. It’s at your fingertips, what you want to know.” That said, she acknowledges that antisemitism is still an issue, and, depending on where you live within this country or even this state, you may experience it to different degrees.

Photo: Pizer family in August 2021 following grandchild Zoe’s bat mitzvah, which was at TBE.

Without a doubt, Jane is certain that the Jewish upbringing and education her children experienced at TBE has stayed with them well into adulthood.

Two of her children had their b’nai mitzvah as youth, but one son had his bar mitzvah in his 20s, and her daughter had her bat mitzvah in her early 40s. “I believe that the basis of education that they received helped them have some idea of what it means to be Jewish. It formed a basis for them to later make their own decisions about life-cycle events, which in their case was more meaningful because they chose it.”

In the end, it all comes back to that thread of humanity, a word Jane repeats often when discussing the decades she’s spent as a member of Temple Beth El. Connecting with each other and reminding ourselves that we are all humans, no matter where we come from, is what it’s all about.

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

DONATE

Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Greg Dutch

02/10/2022 10:02:46 AM

Feb10

Meet Longtime Member Greg Dutch

Interviewed by Linda Berman
Written by Linda Berman

Greg Dutch has had, in his words, “good memories, good thoughts and good family all wrapped around TBE and the Madison Jewish community.”

Born and raised in Madison, Greg grew up in a family and community committed to strong Jewish values.

Along with his sister, Shelly, and his brother, David, Greg and his parents (Sherman and Sandra Dutch) have been part of a long legacy of TBE supporters and members including the Sweet, Dutch, Shapiro, Frank, Rotter, and Schvid families.

Photo: Siblings David, Shelly, and Greg Dutch (clockwise from top left)

Greg’s grandmother, Rachel Sweet Dutch, was one of eleven children. Her brother, A.J. Sweet, and his children, Sheldon Sweet and Muriel Sweet Rotter, as well as her cousin Henry Sweet, who married Sylvia Dutch, were all TBE members along with their families.

One of Rachel Sweet Dutch’s nieces, Sara Shapiro, was the mother of Marshall “Marsh” Shapiro and grandmother of Ragen Shapiro, who is a current TBE member along with her family. Marsh was a well-known local TV personality and longtime owner of the Nitty Gritty restaurant. Greg recalled, “We all appeared on his afternoon show, ‘Marshall the Marshal,’ where he did silly things and showed cartoons.”

The Frank and Schvid families were also related to Greg’s grandmother. For more about the family tree and early TBE families, Greg recommended From Generation to Generation: The Story of the Madison Jewish Community, 1851–1955 by Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky.

TBE has been at the center of Greg’s life, where he celebrated religious and educational milestones such as his bar mitzvah (1970) and confirmation (1973). Equally important, Greg was a very active Temple youth group member, even serving on the search committee that chose Rabbi Kenneth Roseman as Rabbi Swarsensky’s successor. Since he graduated early from West High School, Greg chose to participate in Ma’ayan, a Hebrew immersion program held at OSRUI (Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute). The program was directed by Gary Zola, who is now a well-known rabbi, professor, and archivist at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. Some of Greg’s instructors at Ma’ayan included Jewish singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman and Hannah Rosenthal, who was the 2019 Swarsensky scholar at TBE and was the former special envoy and head of the Office to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism in the Obama administration and past president and CEO of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.

Photo: Ma'ayan participants at OSRUI, a Reform movement camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Greg Dutch is in the middle row, second from the left, and Hannah Rosenthal is in the top row, second from the left.

Greg said that he was always linked to TBE Sisterhood, which his mother had been president of, because Sisterhood paid a grant for him to attend the Ma’ayan program.

TBE provided many connections for Greg and his family. Many of Greg’s long-lasting friendships began at TBE. He grew up in a close community where the parents stayed friends and so did their children. Then the spouses of the second generation became friends, and so did the children of the next generation. Greg has also shared with his wife, Sandra Estep, and many family members and longtime friends many joyous occasions at TBE for their daughter, Rachel, including her baby naming, bat mitzvah, and confirmation.

Although he does not have clear memories of his first meeting with Rabbi Swarsensky at 10 days of age, Greg remembered a notable time when he was a freshman in college and teaching Hebrew at TBE. His teacher Hannah Rosenthal enlisted Greg and another student to help pick up, from the Truax Field airport, a Torah scroll that Hannah’s father had arranged to come to Madison. This precious scroll, from a concentration camp, had been shipped in an enormous coffin-like crate. They delivered it to TBE, where Rabbi Swarsensky, dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt, tie, and belted dress pants, surveyed the situation, then left the office and returned with a crowbar that was half his size and weight. The scene of the mild-mannered, formally dressed rabbi swinging the heavy crowbar to break the lock on the crate has remained vivid for Greg after all these years. (The precious cargo was safely delivered and has since been housed at UW Hillel.)

Greg also related that Rabbi Swarsensky’s sermons were very lengthy. Even with help from Greg’s cousin Shirley Sweet, who “edited out pages or hours of sermons,” the rabbi still spoke for an hour and a half. Greg sometimes used the sermons as opportunities to wander over to Millin’s Market, the grocery store on the corner of Knickerbocker and Monroe. He recalled trying to get Gerald Swarsensky, the rabbi’s son, to go with him. Greg even remembered a doughnut run during a Rosh Hashanah sermon. In his teens, during one of the infamously long sermons, Greg led some friends under TBE into the tunnels that ran under Monroe Street and into Rennebohm’s, which was across Monroe Street and a block away. As alarms went off in the old pharmacy, the police arrived. Greg was returned to TBE to face his parents and the rabbi.

After college at UW (1980) and UW Law School (1986) and living in California for a decade, Greg moved back to Madison with his family as soon as he could. As an adult, Greg served together on the board of TBE with his mother and eventually followed her footsteps as president of the TBE Board of Trustees. Greg has also been very active in the Jewish Federation of Madison, thanks to the encouragement of one of his law partners, Jim Youngerman. For about 15 years, Greg chaired or participated on committees for Midrasha and Camp Shalom and was on the board of Hillel.

Photo: Sandy Dutch (center) serving as a greeter at TBE's 25th anniversary celebration, with Dave Fantle (left) and Jim Porter

Greg notes how, as time has gone by, TBE has gone from a “traditional” Reform congregation under Rabbi Swarsensky, with mostly English liturgy and Morris Schwartz volunteering as a cantorial soloist, to Rabbi Roseman, Rabbi Jan Brahms, and Rabbi Jonathan Biatch. Now, there’s more Hebrew and an ordained cantor. Greg really likes the music component, which has been elevated since his youth. He’s happy that now all ages of congregants are “singing Debbie Friedman’s songs,” as he put it.

Greg sees TBE still thriving with new staff and is hopeful that TBE will continue to be strong. He notes that there are lots of programs for younger people and the Kesher Israel Committee provides movies that the more mature members can enjoy. For someone new to TBE, Greg suggests that they go to a Shabbat service and chat with members at the Oneg Shabbat. “We are a friendly and welcoming group.”

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Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Harriet Hyman

02/03/2022 10:01:01 AM

Feb3

Meet Longtime Member Harriet Hyman

Interviewed by Lillian Abrams
Written by
Steve LaBelle and Linda Reivitz

Harriet’s father, Aaron Scher, and her mother, Sarah Rubin, both came to the U.S. from Russia after World War I.

Aaron Scher could not enter the U.S. when he first tried to do so, so he went to Amsterdam and then to Argentina for a year.

He was a furniture worker there, and his boss was Juan Perón. When he was able, he settled in New York. Sarah settled in Madison. They met and married in Madison, where Harriet was born in 1929. Harriet, raised in New York until she was ten, did not have a very religious upbringing but spoke Yiddish at home.

When the family settled back into life in Madison, they joined the Conservative Jewish community, attending Agudas Achim, the synagogue that would eventually become Beth Israel Center.

They lived in the Vilas neighborhood surrounded by cousins, aunts, uncles, and other Jews. Everything revolved around the synagogue. Harriet remembers all the dinners and auctions related to religious life, as well as the Jewish bakers, butchers, and other businesses in the neighborhood. At Agudas Achim the women sat upstairs, the men sat downstairs, and prayers were read from a bimah in the center of the shul. Harriet especially loved Kol Nidrei services and began teaching Sunday School at age 14, calling upon her parents’ and grandmother’s life stories as a foundation.

Harriet met her husband, Alan Hyman, at a UW Hillel campus fund drive after he returned home from World War II. Alan came from a solidly Reform family, and Harriet’s father often joked that she had married “out of her faith.”

Alan’s parents, Jesse and Edna Hyman, came to Madison in 1941. Jesse operated the Emporium department store, which Alan and his brother, Jesse Jr., inherited and ran until it was sold in 1985.

Photo: J. Jesse Hyman (Alan's father) and Rabbi Swarsensky

Jesse was instrumental in the founding of Temple Beth El. He was involved in planning the construction of the building and served as TBE’s president for four years, the first to serve in the building. Harriet became very close with the Hyman family.

Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky officiated at Harriet and Alan’s wedding in 1950. The newlywed couple planned to drive to New Orleans for their honeymoon, with a stop in Chicago first. Rabbi Swarsensky needed to get to Detroit to officiate at an interfaith wedding, as he was the only rabbi in the Midwest willing to do so. He hitched a ride with the just-married couple to Chicago and caught a flight from there to Detroit.

Harriet and Alan had two children, Richard (Dick) and Cindy. When Dick was born, Alan felt that a doctor should perform the bris, according to his Reform customs. But Harriet’s father, Aaron, believed it was important that a mohel be used, in the Conservative tradition. Rabbi Swarsensky stepped in to officiate at the bris so a doctor could perform the circumcision. That was enough to placate Harriet’s father.

Alan Hyman would always provide the robes for the confirmation classes at no cost. But in 1969, Cindy’s confirmation class rebelled against wearing robes. The parents voiced their opinion in favor of robes, and the students adamantly refused. It was a big hullabaloo at the time, Harriet says. The rabbi wasn’t happy about it but went along with the kids’ demand. Theirs is one of only a few confirmation photos on the wall where the students are not wearing robes.

Photo: Jim Porter and Harriet and Alan Hyman at TBE's 25th anniversary show

Harriet found Rabbi Swarsensky to be incredibly smart and forward thinking. She especially appreciated how he tried to calm the violence during the 1960s antiwar riots in Madison. He was so respected in the community that he was asked by the family of the Sterling Hall bombing victim to officiate at the victim’s funeral.

Harriet was active in Sisterhood, and she remembers when the women would cook dinner once a month for the Men’s Club. When Irv Stein was president of Men’s Club (before he became TBE president), Frank Lloyd Wright was the speaker. He came with his cape, black hat, and flowing white hair. He told Irv, while sitting next to him at dinner, “I’m leaving,” which scared Irv. Then Irv realized he just meant he was going to the bathroom. He returned and spoke on his frustration with Madison for not acting to build his convention center design yet.

With Sisterhood, Harriet also was part of the initial Food-A-Rama in 1966. She was also a member of Hadassah and the Council of Jewish Women. She fondly recalls the fashion shows and Israeli clothing sales that would help raise money.

Photo: Milestone Members Lenora Goldstein, Harriet Hyman, and Marjorie Tobias at Shabbat Honoring Our Seniors in 2019

Dick was the first person to become bar mitzvah at TBE (Reform practices focused on confirmation at that time). This achievement made his grandfather Aaron very proud, as he had never been able to have a bar mitzvah when he was a boy in Russia. Harriet remembers that fancy bar mitzvah parties were not the norm back then; instead, a caterer might be hired to serve punch and sandwiches.

Over the years the family has experienced many life-cycle events at Temple Beth El. Rabbi Swarsensky officiated at both Jesse’s and Edna’s funerals.

Photo: Harriet and Alan Hyman enjoying one of Temple's 75th anniversary celebrations

Rabbi Jan Brahms consecrated Harriet’s granddaughter Shaina (Cindy’s daughter), and Rabbi Jonathan Biatch officiated at Shaina’s marriage last summer.

Alan died in 2019, after 69 wonderful years of marriage, and Harriet is so grateful that she got to be part of a loving and extended Jewish clan on both sides of her family. Although she may not be as observant as she once was, she still maintains ties to Judaism that are important to her, such as lighting candles and observing yahrzeit dates.

Harriet is 92 and has seen it all at Temple Beth El, literally from its start. She and her family have been involved in both the Conservative and Reform Jewish communities in Madison.

As Harriet looks back on her life’s journey, she believes it is not important how observant you are or how often you attend services, but that you cherish and appreciate Judaism and pass it on to your family and to others.

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

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Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Harvey and Bonnie Wendel

01/27/2022 10:01:02 AM

Jan27

Meet Longtime Members Harvey and Bonnie Wendel

Interviewed by Staci Rieder
Written by Staci Rieder and Harvey Wendel

Harvey and Bonnie Wendel have been valued members of Temple Beth El for 58 years. They joined Temple in 1963, shortly after Harvey's graduation from law school.

Harvey remembers that Rabbi Joseph Baron at Temple Emanu-El in Milwaukee encouraged him and Bonnie to meet Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky in Madison. After doing so, the Wendels joined Temple Beth El.

Harvey was born and raised in Milwaukee, and he came to UW–Madison to complete an undergraduate degree in business. He remained in Madison for law school, earning his JD in June 1963. Bonnie was born in Minneapolis, grew up in Wausau (where her father owned a pharmacy), and came to UW–Madison for college.

She met Harvey soon thereafter, marrying in June 1962. They have three daughters—Lisa, Amy, and Jennie—and seven grandchildren.

Photo: Harvey and Bonnie with six of their seven grandchildren

Harvey became involved in Temple soon after joining. His colleague Dave Novick was a former Temple president, and Harvey joined the board right away. He served on the Board of Trustees from 1964 to 1970, serving as secretary and vice president under presidents Al Goldstein and Laurence Weinstein.

Harvey is currently of counsel at the law firm Murphy Desmond S.C. He has served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court advisory committee, is a past president of the Senior Lawyers Division of the Wisconsin Bar Association, and currently serves on the Appointment Selection Committee of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. During his five-year tenure as president of Friends of Madison School and Community Recreation (MSCR), he co-chaired golf outings to raise money for MSCR programs, including the MSCR pontoon boat program, where he has volunteered as a captain for over 20 years. Harvey served on the advisory board of the Madison Jewish Community Council (now the Jewish Federation of Madison) as well.

Photo: Harvey and Bonnie with their oldest twin granddaughter at her graduation in summer 2021

Harvey and Bonnie remember Rabbi Swarsensky as a leader who helped shape their values. Bonnie took the rabbi's classes at Edgewood, and because she found the classes so enlightening and stimulating, she recruited non-Jewish friends to attend with her.

Other important memories for the Wendels include two trips with Rabbi Jan Brahms: one to Israel, and another to Eastern Europe as a Holocaust remembrance. Rabbi Brahms also presided at Lisa's and Jennie’s weddings. Today, Harvey and Bonnie appreciate the relationship they have with Rabbi Jonathan Biatch and the way he represents the Jewish community in Madison. The Wendels have seen the Madison Jewish community grow during the time they have been involved in it, increasing both in numbers and in depth. They note the number of rabbis now serving our community and the Levy lecture series as examples of this growth.

Harvey and Bonnie have two simple suggestions for new members, or any members, who want to live Temple life to the fullest: Get involved! Give back!

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Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Russ and Ruth Frank

01/20/2022 10:00:46 AM

Jan20

Meet Longtime Members Russ and Ruth Frank

Interviewed by Sue Center
Written by Staci Rieder

Russ and Ruth Frank have been Temple members since 1947 and 1951, respectively, when each of them was born into the Temple Beth El family.

Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky was the rabbi at that time, and Russ’s parents, Lloyd and Esther Frank, and Ruth’s parents, Martin and Eva Deutschkron, were already active in Temple life.

The Deutschkrons had known Rabbi Swarsensky in Berlin. Martin and Eva survived the Holocaust by hiding in and around Berlin. They came to the U.S. in 1947, arriving in Madison in 1948. Lloyd’s father, Sol, and Sol’s brother, Ezra, were the patriarchs of the family, and they were also members. Russ’s siblings are Marc Frank, Andy Frank, and Amy Keleny.

Russ and Ruth were married by Rabbi Swarsensky in 1970, and they raised two children in the Temple community. Their son, Aaron Frank, is married to Dawn, and they have two children, Caitlin and Megan. Their daughter, Melissa Osborne, is married to Dan, and their children are Zoe and Aleks.

Photo: Russ and Ruth Frank at their wedding in the TBE sanctuary, with the stained glass behind them.

Russ recalls fondly what it was like to come to Temple Beth El as a child. He remembers an easier way of life, before we had security guards and police by the door. One of his earliest memories is hiding under the stage in the old social hall with a bagel that he had lifted from the Breakfast Club. Rabbi Swarsensky found him there with his contraband, and thought it was perfectly acceptable.

He also remembers his bar mitzvah, thinking he was probably the only person who would be familiar with the reading. But then he “accidentally” skipped a part of the reading, and behind him he heard “oyyyyyy” from Rabbi Swarsensky. That “oy” was preserved on the recording of the bar mitzvah (there were no videos at that time), and therefore it remains in Russ’s memory forever!

Russ went on to be confirmed at Temple Beth El. What he remembers most about being a teen in the Temple community is how open the Temple was, and how easy it was to talk to clergy and staff. He used to walk home from West High School to the Nakoma neighborhood, and he would often stop to warm up in the social hall. When Rabbi Swarsensky saw him, he would motion him into his office. The rabbi always had time to chat. He would assign Russ honors in the service on a regular basis. One day, when Russ asked why he was chosen so frequently, Rabbi Swarsensky replied, “Because I always know where you are!”

Both Russ and Ruth always appreciated the depth of the Torah discussions during services at TBE. And they were touched to have Aaron’s bris performed by Rabbi Swarsensky at the hospital. The bris was the first time Aaron’s grandparents held him.

Rabbi Kenneth Roseman was very supportive when Russ’s father passed away. Russ had come to see his dad at Meriter Hospital, not knowing that he had already died. Rabbi Roseman was at the hospital within 10 minutes to talk to the nursing staff and support Russ, making sure that he was given some private time with his father. Rabbi Roseman stayed with Russ and accompanied him out of the hospital, offering comforting and uplifting words, which stuck with him. Ruth and Russ also remember Rabbi Jan Brahms’s first service, which was on Ruth’s father’s first yahrzeit.

As a young adult, Ruth worked at Martin’s, which was her father’s clothing store and tailor shop at 427 State Street. After that, she started her own business, Yarn It All, which she ran for 12 years. She stepped away from working for two years to help care for her first granddaughter, bringing her to Sisterhood meetings and cooking sessions for Food-A-Rama. Then she came to work with Russ at Madison Top, where they both worked until retirement.

Russ started his career in his family business as well, at Hamilton Beverage and Frank Beer Distributors. He worked for a while as a stockbroker until Ruth’s brother asked him to take over Madison Top, which Russ owned and ran for many years and now has passed on to Aaron. Madison Top has been supportive of Temple and of the Madison Jewish community over the years, thanks to the Frank family.

Photo: Melissa (Frank) Osborne's bat mitzvah rehearsal

The Franks reminisce about early relationships with other families, and how such close and lifelong friendships grew out of family outings after Sunday School, the Young Marrieds group, Sisterhood, and programming such as an art auction and visiting comedians.

They remember joining families after Sunday School at the park for picnics and recreation. Sometimes a pickup baseball game would erupt, or people would fish in the lake. Russ met his good friend Larry Shapiro during these gatherings, and they became AZA (youth group) advisers. Ruth bonded with her Temple Sisterhood friends over cooking sessions for Food-A-Rama, and she still uses some of the recipes today.

Russ and Ruth enjoyed participating in TBE’s Mitzvah Day, when they cooked for the Ronald McDonald House and painted inside community centers, among other projects. They would love to see more opportunities like this, along with, perhaps, a genealogy group or family gatherings similar to what they experienced after Sunday School.

They found a meaningful way to give back to Temple Beth El by making a donation in 2021 designated to help bring a Torah scroll to TBE from the Czech Republic through the Memorial Scrolls Trust. Ruth reminds us that “these rescued scrolls will be another way for all of us at TBE to remember the 6 million Jews, which included my grandparents, aunts, and uncles.”

Photo: Ruth and Russ Frank donated a rescued scroll to memorialize the millions lost in the Shoah.

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Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Laurel B. Hefty

01/13/2022 11:00:47 AM

Jan13

Meet Longtime Members Laurel B. Hefty

Interviewed by Lillian Abrams
Written by Steve LaBelle

Laurel Hefty has led an intriguing life’s journey from her early childhood in Racine to her current status as a Temple Beth El congregant living in Albany in Green County.

Along the way, she has witnessed some incredible changes both in her life and in the Temple community in general.

Laurel’s father, Bernard Howards, was from Milwaukee, and her mother, Annette, grew up near the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. They both enlisted in the Marines and met while stationed in San Diego. They married in New York City and moved to Milwaukee, where Bernard sold cars, insurance, and shoes, while Annette stayed home, raising Laurel and her brothers.

Laurel’s maternal grandmother was from Romania but left her religious upbringing behind once in the U.S. and didn’t speak much about her past (although rumor has it she had some connection to gangster Bugsy Siegel!). Annette had to learn a lot about having a Jewish home; she did not know Hebrew, and when she first married, the home included a Christmas tree.

Laurel’s family moved to Madison in 1966, when Laurel was four, and things started to change. Annette became very active in TBE’s Sisterhood, and this interaction with other women became the focus of her social life. She was involved in Sunday School, baked cookies, and made matzah balls. Shabbat candles and wine were set out on Friday nights.

Laurel’s early TBE memories include pinching her fingers in a toy kitchen refrigerator, playing on the stage with the velvet curtains and in the storage area in the social hall, going to Sunday School in a room with sliding walls, and watching her father make shadow figures during Shabbat services as she fell asleep. She also would fall asleep whenever Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky read from the Torah, prompting her parents to apologize for her snoring. Rabbi Swarsensky said that it was okay, and it was probably the best sleep she had all week!

There were some tougher issues during this part of Laurel’s Jewish journey. When the family first arrived in Madison, her father put the mezuzah on the inside door of their house so as not to stand out. There were only five other Jewish students in Laurel’s elementary school, and she recalls being singled out by her second grade teacher, doing “different” crafts or skits during Christmas, and not going on a trip because her perfect attendance as a crossing guard was marred by missing school for Yom Kippur. So Laurel got involved with Temple youth groups and “grew up” at Camp Shalom, feeling empowered by the Jewish environment there. That motivated Laurel to go beyond being confirmed, like some of her peers, and to become a bat mitzvah, with Rabbi Swarsensky officiating. She is still friendly with members of that b’nai mitzvah class.

Laurel admired Rabbi Swarsensky as a leader who was always reaching out to the non-Jewish Madison community, especially through his ties to Edgewood. He was willing to perform interfaith weddings, including for both of her brothers.

Laurel’s interest in the field of education led her to pursue teaching as a career. At 21, Laurel married Bert, in a short outdoor ceremony on a hot day in July. Rabbi Kenneth Roseman officiated, and as he was balancing a wine cup, a microphone, and a prayer book, he sped up his Hebrew as he and everyone began to sweat.

Laurel had two children, Zachary and Melanie, and eventually moved to Albany in Green County, where she is one of three Jews there (that she’s aware of).

It was a priority to come to Madison for her children to attend Hebrew and Religious School, and she met many other congregants through Zachary and Melanie. She also began teaching at TBE as well; Laurel taught 6th grade Religious School for 18 years, emphasizing history, especially its division into “fact, fiction, and faith.” She took pride in being very creative with her students. This included building and destroying a graham cracker ancient temple and reading Chaucer to her students, pointing out some of the antisemitism of his time. She made connections with the Wisconsin Historical Society and other nonprofits.

Her goal was to be a positive influence on her students’ Jewish education and spark their imagination throughout their Midrasha years.

Photo: Laurel’s grandchildren at the April 26, 2019, Shabbat service with Governor Tony Evers, who was the speaker

She made lasting connections with her students and her assistants. And sometimes her mother would pop into her classroom on her way to the Temple kitchen.

Through teaching and membership, Laurel got to know both Rabbi Jan Brahms and Rabbi Jonathan Biatch well. Laurel was nervous about carrying the Torah in public, but Rabbi Brahms would always ask her to, and a week before he left, she finally accomplished it. She appreciates Rabbi Biatch’s wonderful communication skills: he can even make fish talk. (It’s an inside joke. He can tell you about it!) She has been grateful to see TBE evolve into a place that is more open, vocal, and socially engaged, and to know that the Madison Jewish community is involved with many social issues and is a prominent voice in civil and human rights.

Photo: Laurel's granddaughter helping Rabbi Biatch dress the Torah

Laurel cherishes her connection to Madison’s Jewish community. Melanie and Zachary still have cultural connections here, and Laurel has brought her grandchildren to TBE.

She admires the increasing inclusiveness of TBE and the outreach to interfaith and LGBTQ families. She hopes we will continue to draw people in.

Laurel’s Jewish philosophy? “Try different things. Try different shuls to find how to connect and meet your needs. And be respectful of others, but never let anyone tell you they’re right and you’re not.”

Certainly Laurel’s journey is one we can all celebrate, respect, and appreciate.

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

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Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

MLK Shabbat: Dr. Ruben Anthony to Speak on Exciting Developments in South Madison

01/11/2022 12:07:27 PM

Jan11

On January 14, join us for our special Shabbat worship incorporating readings and prayers that reflect the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We are honored to welcome Dr. Ruben Anthony, chief executive officer of the Urban League of Greater Madison. Dr. Anthony will be presenting about an exciting new project of the Urban League, the Black Business Hub and Black Business Accelerator, cornerstones of an exciting renaissance happening in South Madison.

South Madison has long been home to our communities of color—African American, Latino, and Hmong—and is a cherished place of community and support, but, sadly, as a city, we have also long underinvested in this area. That story is now changing, thanks to the leadership of people like Dr. Ruben Anthony, Kaleem Caire (One City Schools), Dr. Alex Gee (Nehemiah, Fountain of Life Church, and the new Cultural Center), and Dr. Jack Daniels (Madison College), among others. See here for a great story about the South Madison Renaissance.

Dr. Anthony has been the president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison since March 2015. During that time, the Urban League has increased its job placements by 39%, and the organization has made over 1,400 placements to date. Previously Dr. Anthony served as a senior manager in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including service as the deputy secretary and chief operations officer of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation from 2003 to 2010. He has particular expertise in developing job placement strategies and minority business development.
You can join us in person or online—the link to the livestream is here.

Volunteer opportunities

01/10/2022 05:02:06 PM

Jan10

Donations Needed for Refugees from Afghanistan and Elsewhere

Open Doors for Refugees partners with Jewish Social Services of Madison to help resettle incoming refugee families and to prepare apartments for them. Here is their December report on the current need for donations:

With the steady inflow of families, our stocks of many furniture and housewares have been depleted, we’re expecting several new families to arrive early in the new year. We have a lot of storage space available right now and hope to fill it. Specifically, we need:

Furniture: sofas less than 80-84″, dining sets, especially tables 42″ wide or less, stuffed living room chairs (no rockers), dressers, end/coffee/TV/bedside tables, and good, complete, sturdy bunkbeds. We don’t take mattresses or other bed frames.
Housewares: towel sets, twin size blankets, new kitchen waste baskets, new bed pillows, dish drainers, and first-aid kits.
Other: lamps (especially floor lamps), moderate-size flat screen TVs (with remotes and antennas if possible), vacuums, and area rugs.

To donate any of these items, please email OpenDoorsDonations@gmail.com, and please include a picture of any furniture items if you can. For a complete and impressive list of what we put into an apartment, and what we do and don’t accept, please see our webpage on Giving Furniture and Household Items. And thank you for keeping the flame alive.

Serving Meals at the Catholic Multicultural Center

One of TBE’s many initiatives to feed those in need is done in partnership with Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC). The CMC provides free meals every day to approximately 80 south side community members and people experiencing homelessness. Since 2019 TBE members have been assisting in this effort by providing volunteer services before the COVID pandemic, and by cooking thousands of meals during the pandemic. Since June 2020, approximately 40 Temple cooks have stepped forward and cooked nearly 4,000 meals for hungry neighbors. We are so grateful for all that they have done!

Until the CMC is able to return to in-person service, TBE will continue to cook meals every other Wednesday for CMC to hand out. Cooks prepare a hot dish for 20, using a provided recipe, and a TBE member collects the dishes and delivers them to CMC. If you would like to participate in this effort, please join us by using the sign-up form! Please contact Sue Levy at slevy51@gmail.com for the recipes or if you have questions.

Winter Wish Lists from Our Community Partners
As the temperatures plummet, our community partner organizations are requesting donation of toiletries and other supplies:

Healing House Wish List (housing for people recovering from illness and surgery): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050b4aafab28a4fa7-healing5
JustDane Member Care Kits (people returning from incarceration): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050b4aafab28a4fa7-member
Porchlight (emergency shelter and affordable housing): https://porchlightinc.org/donate-items/

Thanks for Thanksgiving!

01/10/2022 04:45:40 PM

Jan10

In November, a dozen TBE volunteers delivered turkeys, plus all the other ingredients of a Thanksgiving dinner, to 60 families with children at Thoreau School. TBE volunteer coordinator Vic Levy received this note back from the school social worker:

“This is amazing!!! Thank you so so much! I got lots of happy texts on Friday :) You have no idea what this means to our families. We are still in a pandemic and the financial impact is hurting our families. This meal means the world to them as it shows the community has their back and it’s one less thing to worry about. Now they can gather with their family and enjoy the day together. Thank you so much!!”

Thank you to all those who donated to our annual Goodman Thanksgiving Food Collection and to our Mitzvah Core students for counting the items and loading them up for delivery. Upon delivery, Goodman Community Center staff noted that they had been running short on stuffing and cranberries and were very excited to how much of each we had for them in addition to the other items. Our contribution helped them reach their goal of providing a holiday dinner for 4,000 families—that’s 25,000 Dane County residents (including 10,000 children!). Mazel tov to the 4th graders for bringing 101 cans of vegetables. Our 5th graders came in second with 69 containers of broth. We look forward to continuing this partnership between the Social Action Committee, our Religious School, and the Goodman Community Center next year, to continue to bring families together around the table.

Swarsensky Weekend: Social Justice Implications of a Dual-Gendered Name of God

01/10/2022 04:25:00 PM

Jan10

by Erica Serlin

At the Shabbat service during our Swarsensky Memorial Weekend in November, Cantor Jacob Niemi introduced us to the feminine God language available to us when we pray, helping us to experience our relationship to a God that is neither exclusively male nor gender-neutral but who integrates male and female aspects equally.

Resident scholar Rabbi Mark Sameth followed with a fascinating d’var, speaking about the implications of such a God. Drawing on his extensive research, Rabbi Sameth outlined the archeological and written evidence supporting the thesis of his book The Name about the unpronounceable name of God (the four-letter Hebrew word יהוה that is transliterated as YHWH). His thesis is that this tetragrammaton was originally understood by the ancient Israelite priests to be a cryptogram that, read backward (and translated as “He/She”), reflected a dual-gendered name of God. According to Rabbi Sameth’s research, this understanding of the Divine was repeatedly acknowledged and lost again throughout history.

This theme was further explored in Saturday’s Torah study and panel presentation. Saturday’s panelists began to consider how the concept of a dual-gendered God might be useful when applied to our own lives and the pursuit of tikkun olam. Cantor Niemi described his own personal and theological journey and exploration of gender-expansive language and experiences as a gay Jew and member of the clergy. Recognizing that every word we use to try to understand the Divine can only be a metaphor that is inherently limiting, Cantor Niemi offered a solution in using a variety of metaphors to expand our understanding of God as a deity who actually transcends gender.

In my remarks, I highlighted the idea that a dual-gendered God could have significant social justice implications for society’s treatment of LGBTQIA individuals and especially for the healthy psychological development of nonbinary and transgender youth and adults. I pointed out that, as a retired psychologist, I have been pleased to see significant progress in societal acceptance of homosexuality and gender fluidity, but recognize that LGBTQIA individuals still face additional mental health challenges due to societal discrimination and oppression, family rejection, bullying from peers, and all kinds of abuse.

The Saturday program ended with thoughts from Gwen Costa Jacobsohn and her 10th-grade child, Theo, who identifies as nonbinary and pansexual and uses “they/them” pronouns. They talked about the process of education that has occurred as Theo worked tirelessly with their family to make school and Temple more inclusive and safe places for gender-nonconforming youth. It was wonderful to hear how they made significant changes in the language surrounding their b’nai mitzvah and their successful advocacy for gender-inclusive bathrooms and camp cabins to be more congruent with self-defined identities. It was also gratifying to hear Theo express genuine pleasure at Temple’s progress and permission for other youth to become more of their authentic selves.

Sunday morning’s keynote address by Rabbi Sameth delved more deeply into the implications for social justice and tikkun olam of embracing the metaphor of a dual-gendered God. Three particular areas of relevance were highlighted: helping to enfranchise and empower girls and women, supporting the current gender revolution, and, most surprisingly, bettering prospects for world peace. Rabbi Sameth acknowledged that endorsing this metaphor of the Divine in itself will not accomplish these expansive goals but can certainly support a process of positive change.

Rabbi Sameth pointed out that a dual-gendered notion of God already resonates with many religious Americans today: 42% of those surveyed rejected the idea that God is exclusively male. As Rabbi Sameth posited, rather than continuing to perpetuate a myth that’s no longer supported even by the majority of religious believers, “we could embrace alternative God language which reflects our collective, evolved, and reasonable understanding and puts girls and women on par with boys and men.” Throughout history, many societies have recognized more than two genders, and, in fact, the rabbis of the Talmud knew of six! A dual-gendered interpretation of God could certainly be helpful to LGBTQIA individuals who “might see themselves reflected and affirmed in this old-new understanding of the Divine.”

Rabbi Sameth argued that suggesting that gender equality is a quality of divinity is a powerful message for bettering the prospects for world peace. Policy analysts have demonstrated a direct correlation between gender equality and a nation’s security: the enfranchisement and empowerment of girls and women increases the likelihood that a state will be at peace and vice versa. In other words, there is compelling evidence that the likelihood a state will be at war is significantly reduced in countries where girls and women enjoy physical security and legal equity and where women participate in high-level decision-making.

Rabbi Sameth ended by connecting the dual-gendered notion of God and the unfolding of the age of “New Modernity,” which “takes into account both individual, discrete bounded realities and the larger, fluid unbounded reality within which those individual realities exist.” He explained how this worldview might serve as an important counter to both dangerous individualism and rampant tribalism, by encouraging respect for individual differences within an inclusive whole. This idea certainly melds nicely with Reform Judaism’s increasing pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

These points and more are expanded in Rabbi Sameth’s excellent book The Name. I highly recommend it if you haven’t yet had the privilege of reading it.

The Ongoing Fight to End Gerrymandering and Voter Suppression

01/10/2022 03:59:57 PM

Jan10

On December 11, TBE Sisterhood and Men’s Club welcomed speaker Matt Rothschild to a packed Zoom room to speak about the fight to ban gerrymandering and limit dark money in political campaigns. He is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and author of the recent book Twelve Ways to Save Democracy in Wisconsin.

Mr. Rothschild said that gerrymandering has long been practiced by both political parties, and it’s wrong no matter who does it. In today’s partisan environment, it is making government less representative than ever. Chief Justice John Roberts noted that although hyperpartisan gerrymandering is “incompatible with democracy,” it is nonetheless “non-justiciable,” or outside the review offered by federal courts. Given the unwillingness of the US Supreme Court to address the issue, it falls to Congress and the state legislatures to address the problem. In Wisconsin, there is unlikely to be any relief from either the Wisconsin Supreme Court or the state legislature.

Mr. Rothschild noted the many other attacks currently brewing against the nonpartisan administration of elections, including efforts to remove members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission and dilute their powers, threats of prosecution against city clerks, and baseless investigations of the last election. Yet he remains “at least a little hopeful” because of the grassroots activism taking place in the youth, Black Lives Matter, and climate movements. He urged each member of the audience to talk with two or three people who don’t agree with us and try to find some common ground around the facts. The talk concluded with excellent questions from moderator Marc Herstand.

If you’re interested in pushing back on these antidemocratic practices, the Civic Engagement Action Team has some suggestions for action on partisan elections administration, gerrymandering, voting rights, and supporting local elections:

Ask your legislators to oppose the anti–Wisconsin Elections Commission resolution: State Assembly Representative Joe Sanfelippo is proposing a resolution demanding the resignation of five members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), plus the WEC administrator and assistant administrator. The resolution also threatens legal action and possible criminal charges against them. Please contact your legislators and urge them not to support the resolution. You can look up your legislators using “Find my Legislator” on the legislature’s home page.
Ask the Senate and president to pass the Freedom to Vote and Voting Rights Advancement Acts: Join the Union for Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center (RAC) in calling on senators and the White House to urge them to work together to reform the filibuster and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Together, these bills would restore protections against racially discriminatory laws and move us toward a democracy for all Americans. Join the RAC and make calls today! See here for signup information. This action will be part of a national voting rights mobilization around Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Become a poll worker: Wisconsin is still in need of people like you to serve as paid poll workers for the 2022 elections! Being a poll worker means you help people practice their freedom to vote and ensure as many people as possible can cast their ballot. Poll workers check in voters, help people register to vote, check photo IDs, and process absentee ballots. Your local clerk will provide you with training prior to Election Day for the job you will be doing.
Help people register to vote: Voter registration efforts will take place throughout 2022. We will work with the League of Women Voters, BadgersVote, Voter ID Coalition, and others to help staff voter registration drives at locations across Dane County. September 22 will be National Voter Registration Day.

UW Opens a New Center for DREAMers

01/10/2022 03:38:46 PM

Jan10

On Tuesday, January 25, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, we will welcome Erin Barbato, director of UW Law School's Immigrant Justice Clinic, and Erika Rosales, director of the Center for DREAMers. They will join us to discuss the new Center for DREAMers in Madison, which will coordinate services for the nearly 7,000 DACA recipients in Wisconsin. They will also give us a brief update on recent immigration policy changes and challenges. Following the presentation, the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Action Team will brainstorm ideas for future educational and action steps. Anyone can join in—we value your ideas and input!

This event is co-sponsored by the Dane Sanctuary Coalition. Please register here for what promises to be a stimulating event!

Separating Parents from Children: Book Group Discusses US Cruelty at the Border

01/10/2022 03:33:40 PM

Jan10

by Lynn Silverman

Can you imagine being separated from your children and not knowing where they are or when you’ll be able to see them again? This was the cruelty of the US family separation policy in 2018, exposed by award-winning journalist Jacob Soboroff in his book Separated: Inside an American Tragedy. In early December, Temple members joined Dane Sanctuary Coalition’s “Big Read” to discuss this book and the larger issue of US immigration policies.

In our discussions, we explored the long-term effects of this trauma on the families, the lies and ineptitude of the administration, and the racism underlying this policy. We discussed the reasons people leave their homes and communities to make the dangerous and uncertain journey to the US. We also recognized the importance and courage of the media in bringing this and other situations to light.

Most importantly we looked at the implication for faith communities. What is our responsibility to our immigrant neighbors? How can we make sure that US immigration policies and practices are humane? Toward this end, we noted the importance of advocacy in several different areas:

Pressuring Congress to pass the Build Back Better legislation, which would provide for work permits for undocumented immigrants;
Continuing to push for a pathway to citizenship;
Working to change the “remain in Mexico” policy from the Trump era, which unfortunately has been reinstated by court order; and
Pushing for the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow Afghans to apply for lawful permanent residence status, rather than the two-year temporary status they have right now.

If these issues speak to you, we have more learning and advocacy opportunities coming up.

Rabbi Bonnie Margulis: Staying Strong in Dark Times

01/10/2022 02:53:41 PM

Jan10

Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice (WFVJ) is a nonprofit organization supporting congregations of many faiths across Wisconsin as we work together toward social justice. Temple Beth El is a member congregation, and our Social Action Committee benefits deeply from the knowledge and leadership provided by WFVJ.

We recently asked Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, WFVJ executive director, how she manages to keep working for social justice without being discouraged by the many challenges we face. Here’s her reply:

We are indeed living in times that try all our souls. Democracy is under attack as never before. Inequality is greater now than almost any time in our history. And a global pandemic has sent us all into isolation at a time when we need each other’s help and support more than ever.

Sometimes the many pressing issues facing us can be overwhelming. People often ask me, as WFVJ executive director, where do I find hope in these dark times? I remind them of the importance of taking the long view. I think of Wisconsin State Senator Fred Risser, who represented the Madison area and is recognized as the longest-serving state legislator in American history. He ended every discussion with the reminder that the pendulum is always swinging, and you have to be patient, because sooner or later it will swing back to where we want to be.

So how do we get the pendulum to move? It doesn’t happen by magic, or through miracles, or usually through cataclysmic events. It happens through the collective efforts of dedicated people. As Margaret Mead famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

And so I take heart, and I take hope and strength, from the many volunteers and activists that lift up our work, like the members of Temple Beth El. This is some of the work we have been able to do this year because of all of you:

During the pandemic, WFVJ has stepped forward to help get people vaccinated, to educate low-wage and undocumented workers on their rights to a safe workplace, and to spread accurate information on COVID safety and the vaccine. We are organizing faith leaders across the state to address the intersection between systemic racism and health care disparities and inequities.
Through the Dane Sanctuary Coalition, we have raised the faith voice in the fight for immigrant rights and the pathway to citizenship. We have provided over 70 rides so far to undocumented immigrants to their ICE check-ins in Milwaukee or to immigration court in Chicago. We have arranged housing for asylum-seekers leaving detention with no place to go. We do this work through the dedication and hard work of many volunteers, including Temple Beth El’s own Dan Zimmerman, who co-leads the volunteer driver program. A small group of committed people, indeed!
We have partnered with Wisconsin Council of Churches to create the nonpartisan Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign. Through this statewide effort, we have fought against voter suppression and partisan gerrymandering, and promoted trust in our elections and our election officials. Our 400+ volunteers have phone banked, sent postcards, given people rides to the polls, and testified at hearings on the need for fair and nonpartisan maps.
We also work with organizations to support the work of racial justice. Over 350 people so far have taken our pledge for racial equity and are organizing across the state to advocate for school curricula and policies that promote racial justice. Committed and thoughtful people, all!

I know all of you at Temple Beth El will be with us in 2022. I am excited to see what all of you thoughtful and committed people can do as we work together to change the world!

Climate Action Will Be the Focus of Social Action Shabbat

01/10/2022 02:36:02 PM

Jan10

Save the date! At our Social Action Shabbat on April 8, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi will talk about how climate change is impacting Dane County and what Dane County is doing to increase climate resilience and reduce countywide emissions. He will summarize efforts within county government operations as well as communitywide initiatives that create opportunities for businesses, nonprofits, local governments, and households to take action. You can read more about Mr. Parisi here.

We are also organizing an “eco-fair” to showcase actions, ideas, and products that can help all of us reduce our adverse impacts on the earth. We hope you will join us! We will also have an online version with some of the material from the fair, sponsored by our Environment and Climate Change Action Team (ECCAT). Please contact Marta Karlov or Aleeza Hoffert if you are interested in the eco-fair or ECCAT and would like to help.

Sisterhood Shabbat: Becca Schwartz on JSS Refugee Resettlement Efforts

01/10/2022 02:29:54 PM

Jan10

by Linda Reivitz

Becca Schwartz, resettlement director at Jewish Social Services of Madison (JSS), will be the guest speaker at TBE’s Sisterhood Shabbat on Friday, February 11, 2022. She will talk about her work with JSS, what we should expect for refugee resettlement in 2022, and how we can help with resettlement activities.

Becca joined JSS in early 2017 to head up the new refugee resettlement program, helping newcomers establish themselves and become a part of the community in Madison. She is a Middleton native who spent over a decade working in various parts of East and West Africa. She earned a BS in industrial engineering from the University of Iowa and an MBA from Drexel University before joining the Peace Corps, where she started working in small business development. Since then she has worked in leadership positions in both social enterprise and nonprofit organizations. Becca has lived in Senegal, Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria and now lives with her family in Madison.

JSS has a long history of refugee resettlement, tracing its roots back to the Madison Welfare Fund created in 1940 to help resettle refugees in Madison fleeing the Holocaust. It is currently the only agency in Madison providing resettlement of Afghan refugees. Through the efforts of JSS and its community partners, almost 40 evacuees from Afghanistan once housed at Ft. McCoy have already been settled in Madison, and another 30 are expected by February. Wisconsin may eventually get hundreds of Afghan refugees.

We look forward to hearing from Becca at the Sisterhood Shabbat on February 11 and hope you will join us. You can find more information about the Sisterhood Shabbat here.

To learn more about JSS refugee resettlement work as we head into 2022, see this update from Becca Schwartz.

Tu Bishvat Happenings and Other Environmental News

01/10/2022 02:19:14 PM

Jan10

The days are beginning to enjoy more light, even though the weather remains cold. Tu Bishvat, the new year of the trees, is a holiday that signals the coming of spring and the renewal of the cycles of growth and warmth. We begin to shift our mindset to renewal, growth, and hope as we begin a new year with new possibilities. Join us at 10:00 am on Sunday, January 16 for a Tu Bishvat seder including your choice of breakout session. Register here to attend on Zoom and to sign up for a seder gift bag.

As part of the seder, there will be two breakout sessions hosted by the Kesher Israel Committee and the Environment and Climate Change Action Team:

Israeli Environmental Achievements and Future Directions: Israel has been on the forefront of environmental development for many years, with its sustainability programs in the Arava, the desert region south of and between the Dead Sea and the city of Eilat. Active in this realm are the nongovernmental organizations of Hazon, Kibbutz Lotan (Reform movement), and the Arava Institute. Specific environmental projects and joint working groups involving Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians have propelled these organizations to the world spotlight. This session will both introduce you to this expanding field of work and underscore the call from Genesis 2:15 that our supreme human task is to serve and preserve the earth.
Recycling Crash Course: For decades we’ve been told to recycle to help the environment, and recycling technology has improved. Have we updated our recycling habits too? In the City of Madison about 12.8% of what goes into recycling bins is actually trash, and about 13% of material in the Dane County landfill could be recycled. This interactive session will share current recycling best practices along with other ways to minimize our waste to help the environment.

Temple is also hosting a Tu Bishvat Seder for young families. We’ll use a youth-friendly Haggadah and do a planting project. This will also take place on Zoom on Sunday, January 16, with a later start time of 10:45 am. Young families can register online to get the Zoom link and sign up for a materials bag.

Other events in January 2022:
Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest
January 10–14

WI Salt Awareness Week
January 24–28, 2022

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Janice Wexler

01/06/2022 10:00:46 AM

Jan6

Meet Longtime Member Janice Wexler

Interview by Staci Rieder
Written by Staci Rieder

Janice Wexler has been a member of Temple Beth El since the 1950s. Her parents, Jay and Lorelei Wexler, were Temple members before she was born.

Because her family was close with the Tobias, Dutch, Stein, and Rotter families, she had close friends in the TBE community while growing up.

She has brought her twin sons, Josh and Ari Davidson, and her husband, Ron Walker, into the Temple community as well. Josh lives in Madison, and he is a social worker with the Family Support and Resource Center of Dane County. Ari lives in Boise, Idaho, with his partner, Jen. He teaches elementary school.

Josh and Ari’s father, Joel Davidson, and his wife and daughter, Shannon and Chloe Davidson, are also members of Temple Beth El, as are Mark Wexler and Kathy Heady, Janice’s brother and sister-in-law. Their daughter, Sarah Wexler, is an engineer in Minneapolis.

Janice’s earliest memories of Temple involvement are of Cradle Roll, which was an induction into Religious School for young children. Having always lived in Madison, Janice has experienced everything Temple has had to offer at different life stages. She remembers sitting with her parents at services, listening to Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky’s hour-long sermons. She went through Religious School with her peers.

Isadore Fine was the principal, and although she and her classmates were afraid of him, they learned a lot in their three-hour sessions under his watch. They sat at old wooden school desks, learning Hebrew and history and memorizing prayers. They were confirmed together at the end of their Religious School journey.

Janice attended law school at UW–Madison, and she has her own law practice, specializing in family law. She began her career in private practice, and she has worked for the State Bar of Wisconsin, creating continuing legal education seminars. She became the director of her department before returning to private practice, which is her favorite setting. She hasn’t thought much about retirement, because there is so much left to do!

Janice has been involved in Temple and in the wider Jewish community. She has served on the Temple Board of Trustees, and she was a member of the Young Married People Group. She recalls that her mother and her mother’s friend Harriet Hyman were always the two cashiers at Food-A-Rama. Lucy Williams was in charge of the bakery. Janice became involved as well, waiting tables and baking each year. Outside of Temple Beth El, she was a founding member of the Jewish Business and Professional Women’s Group. Working closely with Jill Maidenberg and Diane Seder Rosen, she brought young professional women together.

The clergy and staff at Temple Beth El have always played an important role in Janice’s life. She recalls Rabbi Swarsensky and Rabbi Kenneth Roseman officiating together at her first wedding. Rabbi Swarsensky retired soon after that. Rabbi Roseman offered support and comfort when her father died. She was 26, and she was asked to come to her parents’ house. Rabbi Roseman was already there to help break the news to her.

Rabbi Jan Brahms came to the hospital after her twins were born to perform their brises. She had been hospitalized at Meriter for her third trimester, and it was a relief that she didn’t have to plan the ceremony. Rabbi Brahms officiated the boys’ b’nai mitzvah 13 years later, and he played an instrumental role in making sure they were confirmed. Ari told Rabbi Brahms that the confirmation ceremony conflicted with his ultimate Frisbee tournament, and he preferred to go to the tournament. The tournament was once in a lifetime, he said, while he would be Jewish all of his life. Rabbi Brahms responded that the confirmation ceremony was extremely important, since he would indeed be Jewish all of his life. Ultimately, both boys attended the ceremony.

Larry Kohn, TBE’s longtime education director until his retirement in 2014, played an important role in making it possible for Ari and Josh to attend Camp Interlaken. Janice believes that it wouldn’t have happened without his help, and she is grateful that her sons experienced camp, strengthening their Jewish identities.

Rabbi Biatch presided over Janice’s mother’s memorial service recently, and she is grateful that Temple Beth El was there for her when she needed support. She feels strongly that regardless of the level of personal involvement in services and programming, each family should support Temple in whatever way it can so that the same support she was offered will be available to anyone who needs it.

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

DONATE

Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Four Ways to Promote Racial Justice on Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend

01/04/2022 12:04:40 PM

Jan4

During Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) weekend and all this month, we seek to turn our desire for racial justice into action. Here are four ways you can make the weekend more meaningful.

DONATE

TBE is continuing its partnership with the Allied Wellness Center's Essentials Pantry for residents of the Allied neighborhood. In 2021, generous TBE members contributed over $5,000, which purchased thousands of critically needed health and hygiene products, such as toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, deodorant, razors, diapers, sanitizing wipes, tampons, shampoo, etc., as well as bus tickets, gas cards, and grocery cards. Allied Wellness Center is incredibly grateful to our community for this support, which especially during these difficult economic times and COVID pandemic, has proven to be absolutely essential to the Allied neighbors and most appreciated!
This year Congregation Shaarei Shamayim is joining us in supporting the Allied Wellness Center and Allied neighbors. Can you or your family help us fulfill this mitzvah now, during this month of the Martin Luther King Jr. commemorations? The most efficient way to stock the shelves is to donate money so we can buy in bulk. You can make your tax-deductible donation right on the Temple website (select Allied Wellness Center as the donation type). You can also mail a check to Temple Beth El (2702 Arbor Drive, Madison, WI 53711) with “Allied Wellness Center” in the memo.
Alternatively, you can drop off any of the following items in the Temple Beth El coatroom, and we’ll make sure they get to the Allied Wellness Center.

Bars of soap
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Body wash
Shampoo
Deodorant
Razors
Paper towels
Toilet paper
Hand sanitizer
Diapers (all sizes)
Diaper wipes
Tampons
Sanitary pads
Laundry detergent
Laundry pods
Surface cleaners
Sponges
Dish detergent

The Allied Wellness Center also has an ongoing need for regular volunteers. Would you like to help purchase items with the donated funds and deliver it to the Wellness Center, and/or stock the pantry shelves? If interested, contact Betsy Abramson, co-chair of TBE's Racial Justice Action Team, at betsyabramson@gmail.com or 608-332-7867.
We hope to raise funds to support many of these critical needs as part of our mitzvah in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and again mid-year, around Juneteenth.

PARTICIPATE

Be part of the 37th annual Madison-Dane County MLK Day Observance on Monday, January 17, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, virtually. This annual observance includes presentation of the MLK Humanitarian Award by City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. Noted musician Leotha Stanley will again lead the MLK Community Choir. The event will feature keynote speaker Ilyasah Shabazz, third daughter of Malcolm X and award-winning author, educator, and producer. Temple Beth El is proud to again be a bronze sponsor of this observance.
The greater Dane County community offers a number of interesting important events on this weekend as well. You can find several listed here. This site is updated every few days, so continue to check back for new additions.
We also encourage you to purchase a meal from a Black-owned eatery over MLK weekend as part of your commemoration and commitment to racial justice and spreading wealth around. Consider trying a few over the weekend, and then make a commitment to add them to your takeout options.

ADVOCATE

Join the URJ Religious Action Center in the push for voting rights. We must continue to call on our two Wisconsin senators, Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin, and the White House to urge them to reform the filibuster and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act immediately. It’s easy and quick to make these calls—you can find the instructions here. We must keep the pressure on until these bills become law.

EDUCATE

Join TBE for a Shabbat Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 14 at 7:30 pm. Our special Shabbat worship will reflect on the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Reuben Anthony, CEO of Urban League will share remarks via video.

Join our Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group materials provided. First meeting is Wednesday, January 19 at 8:00 pm on Zoom. Learn more and register here.

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Meet Harold (Hal) Blotner

12/23/2021 10:01:01 AM

Dec23

Member Milestones is an initiative at Temple Beth El to spotlight our longtime members, who have provided a strong foundation for our community.

Meet Longtime Member Harold (Hal) Blotner

Interviewed by Sue Center
Written by Sue Center

Hal and Sue Blotner were married in 1951 and became members of Temple Beth El in 1954.

They met at a youth group event when they both lived in Milwaukee, and they soon discovered that they both enjoyed ballroom dancing and big band music.

Hal grew up in Massachusetts, and after serving in the Army he applied to Northeastern University, but because there were so many returning veterans, he happily ended up at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and majored in mechanical engineering. Sue was an occupational therapist when they came to Madison. However, she spent more time with Dottie Goldberg at the Knitting Tree, which was on Monroe Street, across the street from Temple. Dottie and Sue provided very helpful service to their customers and never charged for assisting with knitting projects. Dr. Gordon Goldberg, Dottie’s husband, was Hal’s dentist.

Sue’s father owned a vending machine company in Milwaukee and then moved to Madison where he started a similar business. He invited Hal to come to Madison and join him. According to Hal, that invite was “It’s not that I want you—it’s that I
need you!”

Until he retired, Hal operated Dane County Vending, which has a huge walk-in freezer that was used for storing the prepared Food-A-Rama food, and every year Hal would send a truck filled with the food from the freezer to Temple prior to Food-A-Rama. Sue’s brother, Bob Berman, owned a wholesale candy and tobacco business in Madison. Hal became very involved with his state and national trade associations, ultimately becoming chairman of the national board.

Hal has three sons and six grandchildren. David lives in Washington, DC; Donald, in Arkansas; and Richard, in Las Vegas. All were involved in TBE youth groups. One of Hal’s grandsons is engaged and has bought a house in Seattle. (Hal takes pride in choosing to forgo a traditional wedding gift in favor of an air conditioner for the couple's new home.)

Sue’s family belonged to a Conservative congregation in Milwaukee, and women were not encouraged to become involved as they are at Temple Beth El. Sue loved Temple Beth El, and ultimately became president of our congregation (1980–1982). She was dedicated to every aspect of Temple life, and helped in many significant and impactful ways, often behind the scenes. She had keys to the Temple and was always on call if anything was amiss. Everyone always knew to call Sue at any time, and Hal recalls that Sue knew Temple inside and out. He learned that there was no point in telling her that “she didn’t have to do that”: Sue wanted to help with everything.

Sue loved the events and activities at Temple Beth El, but her favorite was Food-A-Rama. She would arrive at Temple at 6:00 am on the day of the event to help get everything started, and she would be on hand all day to greet prominent politicians who attended to “see and be seen.”

Hal and Sue enjoyed friendships with many Temple members, including Estelle and David Goldenberg. Hal was president of the TBE Men’s Club, which was a very welcoming group that tried to collaborate with the more active Sisterhood.

Sue volunteered as an assistant and secretary for Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky, and they got along very well. One treasured memory that Sue shared with the family was when Rabbi Swarsensky became upset about something, “he would revert to his native tongue to cuss” and express his displeasure.

Hal and Sue had mutual respect for the Temple office staff, and they enjoyed very good relationships with them. Shirley Sweet was a good friend and lived only a couple of blocks from Hal and Sue. She would often knock on their door for a visit. She was always a big promoter of Temple and even gave tours of the building. She knew everyone at Temple and understood how families in Temple were connected or related. Shirley had an encyclopedic knowledge of Temple Beth El and was our cantorial soloist. She and Sue really respected each other.

Hal observes that Temple Beth El has changed over the years. Keeping up with technology and embracing virtual activities has been an important evolution. Hal has participated in Zoom events and appreciates the innovations. He is grateful for how TBE has kept everyone engaged and connected, and he is eager to maintain his relationship with Temple in new ways.

Hal is happy living at the Capitol Lakes retirement community, and he enjoys seeing other TBE members who also live there.Guta Cvetkovic, the chaplain at Capitol Lakes, reaches out to new Jewish residents and is very welcoming to the various Jewish organizations and events there, including Hillel, Jewish Social Services, and Larry Kohn’s Torah Study sessions. Hal has attended Shabbat services and Jewish holiday events there. He no longer drives, but a shuttle provides transportation for him to go to Temple.

For many decades, Hal has maintained a sense of Jewish community and connection to our Temple Beth El community. If Sue were here, she would have had more to say!

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

DONATE

Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Year-End Review of Donations

12/20/2021 11:03:09 AM

Dec20

We are thankful for several types of donations that help to support Temple Beth El throughout the year. Many of these donations support Temple Beth El with funds that can be used where needed. Gifts designated for specific projects allow for growth and innovation.

Bequests
Donations from bequests—gifts to Temple as a beneficiary in a will, IRA, or other financial asset upon a person’s passing—create a legacy gift that supports TBE in the future through our permanently endowed funds. We are grateful for the legacy these members have created in remembering TBE in their planned giving:

Ivy Dreizin Edelman for her donations to the Alex and Edythe Edelman Memorial Fund
Jeanne Silverberg
Marv Conney
Susan Sinaiko for the creation of the Jacob J. Sinaiko Memorial Endowment Fund

Memorial and Tribute Donations
Donations to memorialize loved ones and celebrate occasions big and small are acts of tzedakah that sustain Temple life. These gifts can be given for general use or directed for a specific use.
We are grateful for 2021 donations totaling just over $25,000 to the greatest need fund, which provides flexible funding that can be used as needed. We are also thankful for memorial and tribute donations that were designated for specific uses or funds, discussed below.

Donations for Special Projects or Funds
Donations in 2021 that were given for specific uses total over $300,000. These gifts were donated to Temple for special projects or programs outside of membership contributions.

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund, which allows the rabbi to help support Temple and community needs.
Establishment of the Cantor’s Discretionary Fund, which allows the cantor to expand Temple’s music program.
Funds for new computers for staff.
Funds to purchase items needed for safety in our Religious School during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Memorial and simcha plaques, the funds from which go to the building fund or the greatest need fund.
Our beautifully renovated sanctuary, made possible from donations of over $200,000, including substantial donations from Sisterhood, Men’s Club, and the Goodman Foundation.
Acquisition of two Torah scrolls that survived the Holocaust from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, made possible through the generosity of two TBE families.

Donations to Endowed Funds
Our permanently endowed funds, including the Yerusha Endowment Fund and the Larry Kohn Chair for Jewish Learning Fund, are the basis for Temple Beth El’s financial future. Contributions to these funds were made through tribute and memorial gifts, additional donations during membership renewal, and bequests. Donations in 2021 to all of our permanently endowed funds totaled over $62,000.

All donations, large or small, allow Temple Beth El to provide programs and services today while securing our financial health for the future. Thank you for all your giving in 2021.

Renew Your Membership

12/20/2021 10:56:25 AM

Dec20

We are grateful for all the membership renewals for 2022 that have been received so far and that continue to come in. As of December 20, 31% of households had already completed their membership renewal form, with 80% increasing or maintaining their contribution level. As one member noted: “This year we increased our contribution to help do our part to support the community that we want for our children as they learn and grow with their Jewish identity.”
Please return your renewal card or renew online by January 3, 2022. If you do not complete the renewal form, your membership will automatically renew on January 3, 2022, at your current contribution level.
Last year we introduced the Temple Community Contribution program. This program reflects our shared goals of pursuing meaningful Jewish experiences at TBE. We hope you are inspired to give from your heart and as you are able, while recognizing that membership contributions are crucial to sustaining Temple and ensuring its growth. Thank you for considering an increase to your contribution, which will continue to strengthen our congregation.

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Meet Lois Stoler

12/16/2021 10:01:46 AM

Dec16

Member Milestones is a new initiative at Temple Beth El to spotlight our longtime members, who have provided a strong foundation for our community.

Meet Longtime Member Lois Stoler

Interviewed by Linda Reivitz
Written by Larry Kohn
Photo courtesy of Eve Siegel

Lois Stoler and her late husband, Norton, joined Temple Beth El in 1959 after getting married.

They were drawn to its convenient location close to their house, and, perhaps most important, by the reputation of Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky as well as its being a Reform congregation.

Lois very much enjoyed Rabbi Swarsensky’s sermons, which she always found interesting and educational, making her feel like she was back at the University of Wisconsin. The sermon Rabbi Swarsensky gave after his return from visiting Berlin with other Holocaust survivors was, to Lois, the most memorable. But his intellectual gifts were supplemented by his interest in the members. Lois loved being part of a congregation that contributed to the community and was led by a rabbi who was an outstanding person. She also fondly remembers Rabbi Swarsensky officiating the bris of her first son, David, at their home in 1962.

Other memorable people in Lois’s TBE experience included the Swarsensky-era Temple cook, Rosetta Glaeden, and secretary Shirley Sweet, whose tenure at Temple spanned every TBE rabbi. Over time, Lois says, Temple Beth El changed, growing in membership, creating interesting groups to join, and offering more programs. Congregants were always friendly and eager to pitch in and be part of the group. Sisterhood in particular helped Lois feel part of the congregation. Food-A-Rama and the clothing sale brought people together.

Lois grew up in Milwaukee and met Norton at UW–Madison while he studied for his doctorate in psychology and she studied for her master’s in communicative disorders. He took a job at the VA hospital, and she worked part time with Dr. Forster, chair of the Department of Neurology at the UW hospital. A group of about 12 people that she knew from Temple would gather privately at her home on Sunday mornings and would discuss American history, usually focusing on a person who made an impact. This same group would pick out plays from the library and put on little performances just for their group. Lois loved being involved in these plays and this group. She raised two boys, David, who lives in Madison, and her younger son, Bob, who lives in Tampa.

Lois says that each TBE rabbi was different from the others, and all were different from her rabbi when she was growing up. Lois believes that her kids had a more thorough experience at TBE than she had in Milwaukee, especially when it came to learning about Israel. She thinks that the Jewish community as a whole has become more diverse, reflecting a greater variety of interests, and, at the same time, involving more creative people at Temple, especially in the area of music.

Seven years after becoming TBE members, the Stolers had a significant role in saving another synagogue in Madison. Gates of Heaven was Wisconsin’s oldest synagogue, built in 1863, formed by immigrants from Moravia and Bohemia. Having been out of Jewish community ownership for decades, Gates of Heaven was scheduled for demolition, but that plan was stopped by Lois and Norton’s successful campaign to move the synagogue from the Capitol area and instead have it maintained in James Madison Park as a historic site. (Learn more about Gates of Heaven and the campaign to save it on the Small Synagogues website.)

Lois believes that joining Temple is a big commitment, and is less meaningful if you don’t participate. Her advice for maximizing one’s experience as a member is to get involved, start participating, meet as many people as you can, and attend worship services.

After 62 years at TBE, she is still going strong.

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

DONATE

Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Celebrating our Member Milestones: Meet Charlotte Stein

12/09/2021 10:00:30 AM

Dec9

Member Milestones is a new initiative at Temple Beth El to spotlight our longtime members, who have provided the strong foundation from which our community has grown. This weekly email series highlights members of 54 or more years who have been vital to building, growing, and sustaining the congregation. We thank the team of volunteers who have helped recognize these members by conducting interviews, writing their stories, proofreading, and more.

Please join us to celebrate all our members—new, longtime, and in between—at our Membership Shabbat Reception on Friday, February 25, where we will debut a special publication featuring these stories and more.

May we continue to go from strength to strength!

Meet Longtime Member Charlotte Siker Stein

Interviewed by Linda Reivitz
Written by Larry Kohn

It is well known among Temple Beth El congregants that, if you walk past the Sisterhood Judaica shop on the way to the Frank Adult Lounge, you’ll encounter a long line of confirmation class photos.

A less well-known fact, perhaps: inside a frame closest to the lounge, the first TBE confirmation class is not represented by a photo but simply by a list of names. Among those listed in the Class of 1943 is Charlotte Siker (now Stein), who remains a TBE member to this day.

Born in Kenosha in 1927, Charlotte moved with her family to Madison when she was a young girl. Her parents, Ethel and David Siker, were among the founders of TBE. Because there wasn’t a Temple building until 1950, Sunday school met at the Baron’s Department Store tea room. The confirmation class met Saturday mornings at students’ houses. There was no Hebrew school at the time. Charlotte remembers Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky (TBE’s rabbi from 1940 to 1976) trying to maintain order, which was made more difficult by the students’ discovery of a candy drawer at Baron’s. She says as adults the class looked back on their behavior with regret and admired Rabbi Swarsensky. As a UW undergraduate, Charlotte roomed with fellow Temple Beth El congregant Sherry Goldstein, a major factor in their lifelong friendship.

After graduation, Charlotte worked in Chicago at a theatrical and musical booking agency for a year until her father developed lung cancer. Charlotte returned to Madison to work at his furniture store. Following her father’s death, Charlotte met Irvine Stein, whom she married a year after they met. Their wedding, performed by Rabbi Swarsensky, was the first Temple Beth El wedding inside the congregation’s own building on Arbor Drive.

Irv’s Orthodox background made the switch to the Reform customs at TBE a bit of a challenge, but Irv went on to become president of the Men’s Club and eventually Temple president. Charlotte became active in Sisterhood, participating in Food-A-Rama, and she became close friends with a number of members, including Ann Woldenberg, her fellow confirmand and high school classmate, and Muriel Rotter.

Charlotte’s children, Dana and Jon, attended Sunday school; Dana was confirmed and Jon had a bar mitzvah as well. He followed in the footsteps of Charlotte's mischievous class and also became an adult admirer of Rabbi Swarsensky.

Charlotte was determined to have a career and applied for a part-time job at UW’s Sea Grant program, a position that lasted 25 years with the oceanography/limnology graduate program. She enjoyed her connection to college students.

While Rabbi Swarsensky will always hold a special place in her TBE upbringing, Charlotte is glad to have gotten to know Rabbi Kenneth Roseman (1976–1985) and Rabbi Jan Brahms (1986–2004) as well. She appreciates many changes that she’s witnessed at Temple Beth El over the years, including the addition of bat mitzvah ceremonies and the requirement for b’nai mitzvah students to complete a mitzvah project.

One particular change Charlotte observed over the decades is the significant increase in intermarriage. She remembers Rabbi Swarsensky traveling around the state to conduct interfaith marriage ceremonies, a practice that was controversial both within Temple and in the Jewish community. Charlotte agrees with Rabbi Swarsensky’s response at the time: “If I don’t do it, they’ll go elsewhere.”

Charlotte believes the best way to get the most out of Temple Beth El is to keep this in mind: “If you want to, you will.” She said, “You can’t count on everyone being of your mindset. But if you want to join, you’ll find people of your mindset.”

Charlotte has very fond memories of many experiences at TBE. Among recent changes, she is pleased with the new chairs in the sanctuary, especially because it’s helpful to lean on the arms when standing up, but she finds the new prayer books too heavy. She appreciates Hilde Adler offering to teach her Hebrew (though it didn’t happen). And she is grateful to office coordinator Melissa Osborne, who has been a patient helper when it comes to computer issues.

From the Great Depression to the era of COVID-19, Charlotte Siker Stein remains a positive symbol of continuity through vast changes in the life of our 82-year-old congregation.

Click the Donate button below to make a donation in honor of our Milestone Members. Select Member Milestone Honors for the donation type.

DONATE

Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive
Madison, WI 53711

Food Drives, Turkey Deliveries, and Cooking: TBE Members Really Step Up in November

11/17/2021 08:53:08 AM

Nov17

TBE members generously donated almost $17,000 during the High Holy Day Food Drive. When asked to help address food insecurity, we answered the call to reach out to those in need. We are proud that our $13,000 contribution to Second Harvest qualifies us as a bronze-level sponsor in their Share Your Holiday Campaign with NBC15, whose food distribution throughout our region makes a real difference to so many individuals and families. The Share Your Holiday Campaign provides around four months of food assistance through Second Harvest and its programs and partners.

We also used your High Holy Day Food Drive donations to distribute to other food-related organizations and partners in our social justice work. This year we plan to donate $500 to each of these partner organizations: Mount Zion Baptist Church and Catholic Multicultural Center for their food pantries, Porchlight Emergency Food Shelter for food items not covered by the program, Centro Hispano and The Road Home for grocery cards, and Thea’s Table/Food for Thought for weekend food for families of school children without housing.

The Thanksgiving food drive, when we work with the Religious School families to encourage each grade to bring in food for the Goodman Community Center holiday meal, is currently underway. Sunday morning, November 21, is the last day to bring donations to any of our three collection sites or donate online. November is also our month to support the Thoreau Elementary School Food Program, delivering boxes of food directly to families at their homes. We have the privilege of delivering turkeys (and all the fixings) on November 19. This month we are also cooking a week of dinners for Healing House and two meals for the Catholic Multicultural Center.

Finally, November calls for a shout-out to Sisterhood for another successful Food-A-Rama. This event brings our community members together in service, reinforces connections to our heritage, and raises money for numerous good causes and Temple programs.

Thank you to our caring community, to all who cooked and all who gave.

Volunteer Opportunities

11/16/2021 10:28:15 AM

Nov16

Looking to volunteer? Need a b’nai mitzvah project? Here are ways to help people in our community.

Helping Refugees from Afghanistan

There are many volunteer opportunities coming up to help refugees. Open Doors for refugees lists a number of opportunities in its October newsletter, including furniture warehouse co-manager, donation pickup and move-in volunteer co-organizer, ESL co-leader, winter clothing drive organizer, and bike outfitters.

If you would like to help those currently staying at Ft. McCoy, Jewish Social Services of Madison recommends Team Rubicon, a veteran-run emergency-response nonprofit, which has Amazon wish lists set up for several of the processing centers, including Ft. McCoy. This helps them provide exactly what is needed for Afghan guests while they are there. For those arriving in Madison, your cash donations or gift cards to Woodman’s, TJ Maxx/Marshalls, or Burlington Coat Factory would help out a lot. Please donate cash or gift cards; JSS is not seeking donations of items. Donate online here or send/deliver gift cards to JSS at 6434 Enterprise Lane, Madison, Wisconsin 53719.

Porchlight Program Needs Travel-Sized Personal Supplies

The Porchlight Men’s Shelter program is in desperate need of travel-size bars of soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and lotion. These items are given out nightly to the men at the emergency shelter. Because no one traveled last year, the supply is almost out. Items can be mailed or delivered to 306 N. Brooks Street, Madison, WI 53715 or dropped off directly at the shelter at 200 First Street after 4:00 pm.

Serving Meals at the Catholic Multicultural Center

One of TBE’s many initiatives to feed those in need is done in partnership with the Catholic Multicultural Center. The CMC provides free meals every day to approximately 80 south side community members and people experiencing homelessness. Since 2019 TBE members have been assisting in this effort by providing volunteer services before the COVID-19 pandemic and by cooking thousands of meals during the pandemic. At least 32 Temple cooks have stepped forward and cooked more than 3,300 meals for hungry neighbors. We are so grateful for all that they have done!

Until the CMC is able to return to in-person service, TBE will continue to cook meals every other Wednesday for the CMC to hand out. Cooks prepare a hot dish for 20, using a provided recipe, and a TBE member collects the dishes and delivers them to the CMC. If you would like to participate in this effort, please join us by using this sign-up link! Please contact Sue Levy at slevy51@gmail.com for the recipes or if you have questions.

Donating Sleeping Bags, Tents, and Clothes for Those without Housing

Nurse Frances Wiedenhoeft served many years in the U.S. military and now works to support unhoused people in Madison, especially veterans. Temple Beth El received the following letter: “If you can reach into your hearts and your closets, you may be able to retrieve gently used sleeping bags, tents, warm flannel or wool shirts, sweaters, fleeces, and heavy pants. Warm men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing are all needed, especially in the larger sizes.

“If it would be possible for you to collect these items, we will come and pick them up. We take everything we collect to drop off sites at both the Madison VA for homeless veterans, and to The Beacon, Madison’s homeless day center. I know at this time of year people are inundated with appeals for monetary donations and I hope that this will be a way for people to contribute which is within their reach. Thank you in advance for considering my request and for all that you do for your spiritual community. You can reach me by calling or texting at 608-576-7416, or by email at faw231@aol.com.”

Helping Afghan Refugees as They Begin to Arrive in Madison

11/15/2021 03:48:33 PM

Nov15

In mid-August, over the span of several days, thousands of refugees landed at Fort McCoy and hundreds of people reached out to help. With input from members of the local Afghan American community (former refugees themselves), Jewish Social Services of Madison (JSS) and Open Doors for Refugees will work to resettle and support them as they arrive in Madison. Open Doors is also planning a winter clothing drive to support the people being held at Fort McCoy, and working with the legal team at the Catholic Multicultural Center to help people file for “humanitarian parole” visas for family members to come here.

With the help of many TBE volunteers, JSS and Open Doors recently set up their 56th apartment, one of the largest to date, for an Afghan family of six (see pictures here).

Becca Schwartz, JSS resettlement director, notes that in addition to the 50 refugees that JSS had agreed to resettle in the coming year, they will be resettling 75 more Afghan evacuees. They currently have to turn away large Afghan families (7–9 members) for resettlement, so if you or someone you know has a large property at an affordable rate, please let her know.

There are many volunteer opportunities coming up for helping refugees. Open Doors lists a number of opportunities in its October newsletter, including furniture warehouse co-manager, donation pickup and move-in volunteer co-organizer, ESL co-leader, winter clothing drive organizer, and bike outfitters.

If you would like to help those currently staying at Ft. McCoy, Team Rubicon, a veteran-run emergency-response nonprofit, has Amazon wish lists set up for several of the processing centers, including Ft. McCoy. This helps them provide exactly what is needed for Afghan guests while they are there.

« BackPage 9 of 22Next »

October 31, 2025
9 Cheshvan 5786

Worship Schedule

All Events

Friday ,
OctOctober 31 , 2025

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Oct 31st 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
NovNovember 1 , 2025

Torah Study
Saturday, Nov 1st 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
NovNovember 7 , 2025

Swarsensky Memorial Weekend Shabbat Worship: Can the Interfaith Endeavor Survive Today’s Schisms?
Friday, Nov 7th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
Swarsensky Memorial Weekend Shabbat Worship including Rabbi Dena Feingold speaking on "Can the Interfaith Endeavor Survive Today’s Schisms?"
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Saturday ,
NovNovember 8 , 2025

Torah Study
Saturday, Nov 8th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
NovNovember 14 , 2025

Likrat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat)
Friday, Nov 14th 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
The first Friday of each month is an all-ages Shabbat service with participation by Religious School students. Join us in welcoming Shabbat as students from each grade participate by leading a portion of the worship.
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Saturday ,
NovNovember 15 , 2025

Torah Study
Saturday, Nov 15th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
NovNovember 21 , 2025

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, Nov 21st 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
NovNovember 22 , 2025

Torah Study
Saturday, Nov 22nd 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
NovNovember 22 , 2025

Samuel Riley Bar Mitzvah
Saturday, Nov 22nd 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
NovNovember 28 , 2025

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Nov 28th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
NovNovember 29 , 2025

Torah Study
Saturday, Nov 29th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
DecDecember 5 , 2025

Likrat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat)
Friday, Dec 5th 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
The first Friday of each month is an all-ages Shabbat service with participation by Religious School students. Join us in welcoming Shabbat as students from each grade participate by leading a portion of the worship.
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Saturday ,
DecDecember 6 , 2025

Torah Study
Saturday, Dec 6th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
DecDecember 6 , 2025

Elliot Margulius Bar Mitzvah
Saturday, Dec 6th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
DecDecember 12 , 2025

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Dec 12th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
DecDecember 13 , 2025

Torah Study
Saturday, Dec 13th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
DecDecember 13 , 2025

Orion Dvir Bar Mitzvah
Saturday, Dec 13th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
DecDecember 19 , 2025

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, Dec 19th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
DecDecember 20 , 2025

Torah Study
Saturday, Dec 20th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
DecDecember 26 , 2025

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Dec 26th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
DecDecember 27 , 2025

Torah Study
Saturday, Dec 27th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
JanJanuary 2 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Jan 2nd 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
JanJanuary 3 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jan 3rd 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
JanJanuary 9 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Jan 9th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
JanJanuary 10 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jan 10th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
JanJanuary 16 , 2026

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, Jan 16th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
JanJanuary 17 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jan 17th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
JanJanuary 17 , 2026

Caitlin Sullivan Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Jan 17th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
JanJanuary 23 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Jan 23rd 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
JanJanuary 24 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jan 24th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
JanJanuary 24 , 2026

Penelope Becker Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Jan 24th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
JanJanuary 30 , 2026

Shabbat Shirah
Friday, Jan 30th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
This week we celebrate Shabbat Shirah, the “Sabbath of Song,” when we read the story in the Torah about our ancestors singing at the shores of the Red Sea, having just escaped slavery and the armies of Pharaoh.
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Saturday ,
JanJanuary 31 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jan 31st 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
FebFebruary 6 , 2026

Likrat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat)
Friday, Feb 6th 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
The first Friday of each month is an all-ages Shabbat service with participation by Religious School students. Join us in welcoming Shabbat as students from each grade participate by leading a portion of the worship.
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Saturday ,
FebFebruary 7 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Feb 7th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
FebFebruary 13 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Feb 13th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
FebFebruary 14 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Feb 14th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
FebFebruary 20 , 2026

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, Feb 20th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
FebFebruary 21 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Feb 21st 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
FebFebruary 27 , 2026

Shabbat Worship with Sisterhood
Friday, Feb 27th 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Join us for Sisterhood Shabbat, one of the most beautiful and meaningful services of the year.
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Saturday ,
FebFebruary 28 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Feb 28th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
MarMarch 6 , 2026

Likrat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat)
Friday, Mar 6th 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
The first Friday of each month is an all-ages Shabbat service with participation by Religious School students. Join us in welcoming Shabbat as students from each grade participate by leading a portion of the worship.
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Saturday ,
MarMarch 7 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Mar 7th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
MarMarch 7 , 2026

Leila Lazar Bat Mizvah
Saturday, Mar 7th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Saturday ,
MarMarch 7 , 2026

Leila Lazar Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Mar 7th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
MarMarch 13 , 2026

Men's Club Shabbat
Friday, Mar 13th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
Join us for Shabbat worship with participation by the Men's Club of Temple Beth El.
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Saturday ,
MarMarch 14 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Mar 14th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
MarMarch 14 , 2026

Ezra Friedman Bar Mitzvah
Saturday, Mar 14th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
MarMarch 20 , 2026

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, Mar 20th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
MarMarch 21 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Mar 21st 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
MarMarch 27 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Mar 27th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
MarMarch 28 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Mar 28th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
AprApril 3 , 2026

Likrat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat)
Friday, Apr 3rd 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
The first Friday of each month is an all-ages Shabbat service with participation by Religious School students. Join us in welcoming Shabbat as students from each grade participate by leading a portion of the worship.
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Saturday ,
AprApril 4 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Apr 4th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
AprApril 10 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Apr 10th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
AprApril 11 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Apr 11th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
AprApril 11 , 2026

Lital Adelman Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Apr 11th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
AprApril 17 , 2026

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, Apr 17th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
AprApril 18 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Apr 18th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
AprApril 24 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Apr 24th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
AprApril 25 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Apr 25th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
AprApril 25 , 2026

Aviva Barak Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Apr 25th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
MayMay 1 , 2026

Likrat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat)
Friday, May 1st 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
The first Friday of each month is an all-ages Shabbat service with participation by Religious School students. Join us in welcoming Shabbat as students from each grade participate by leading a portion of the worship.
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Saturday ,
MayMay 2 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, May 2nd 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
MayMay 2 , 2026

Jada Deano Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, May 2nd 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
MayMay 8 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, May 8th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
MayMay 9 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, May 9th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
MayMay 15 , 2026

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, May 15th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
MayMay 16 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, May 16th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
MayMay 22 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, May 22nd 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
MayMay 23 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, May 23rd 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
MayMay 29 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, May 29th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
MayMay 30 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, May 30th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
MayMay 30 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, May 30th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
MayMay 30 , 2026

Bert LeBarron Bar Mitzvah
Saturday, May 30th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
JunJune 5 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Jun 5th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
JunJune 6 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jun 6th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
JunJune 6 , 2026

Sally Raether Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Jun 6th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
JunJune 12 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Jun 12th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
JunJune 13 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jun 13th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
JunJune 13 , 2026

Levi Trost Bar Mitzvah
Saturday, Jun 13th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Friday ,
JunJune 19 , 2026

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, Jun 19th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
JunJune 20 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jun 20th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
JunJune 26 , 2026

Shabbat Worship
Friday, Jun 26th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm

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Saturday ,
JunJune 27 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jun 27th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
JunJune 27 , 2026

Emerson Spector Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Jun 27th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Saturday ,
JulJuly 4 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jul 4th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
JulJuly 11 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jul 11th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
JulJuly 17 , 2026

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, Jul 17th 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
JulJuly 18 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jul 18th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
JulJuly 25 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Jul 25th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
JulJuly 25 , 2026

Sophia Wistrom Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Jul 25th 10:30 am to 1:00 pm

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Saturday ,
AugAugust 1 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Aug 1st 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
AugAugust 1 , 2026

Rosemary Wright Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Aug 1st 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Saturday ,
AugAugust 8 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Aug 8th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
AugAugust 8 , 2026

Ayla Mandel Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Aug 8th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Saturday ,
AugAugust 15 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Aug 15th 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Friday ,
AugAugust 21 , 2026

Shabbat Midor Lador
Friday, Aug 21st 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
A musical service for the whole Temple family, with Les Goldsmith and the Promised Band.
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Saturday ,
AugAugust 22 , 2026

Torah Study
Saturday, Aug 22nd 9:00 am to 10:00 am

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Saturday ,
AugAugust 22 , 2026

Max Yablon Bar Mitzvah
Saturday, Aug 22nd 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Engage with us!

All Events

Friday ,
OctOctober 17 , 2025

Goodman Thanksgiving Basket Donations
Friday, Oct 17th (All day)
We are collecting specific foods for the Goodman Community Center’s 37th annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive to provide 4,000 Dane County families with the groceries they need to make a traditional holiday meal.
MORE INFO
Friday ,
OctOctober 31 , 2025

Pre-Shabbat Nosh
Friday, Oct 31st 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Please join us for a light nosh before services.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 2 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Sunday, Nov 2nd 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 2 , 2025

Parent/Guardian Koffee Kibbitz
Sunday, Nov 2nd 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Gather at Café Panim with other parents/guardians from your student's grade and get to know each other while your students are in Religious School.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 2 , 2025

Youth Day
Sunday, Nov 2nd 11:45 am to 1:00 pm
Youth Day activities are for JEWniors (3rd–5th graders) and MuTTY (6th–8th graders). After a quick pizza lunch we will do an activity together. Our goal is to build relationships and create fun and relaxed Jewish spaces.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 2 , 2025

Food-A-Rama Volunteer Sessions
Sunday, Nov 2nd 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

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Sunday ,
NovNovember 2 , 2025

Food-A-Rama Volunteer Sessions
Sunday, Nov 2nd 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm

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Monday ,
NovNovember 3 , 2025

Food-A-Rama Volunteer Sessions
Monday, Nov 3rd 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

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Tuesday ,
NovNovember 4 , 2025

Food-A-Rama Volunteer Sessions
Tuesday, Nov 4th 7:30 am to 4:00 pm

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Tuesday ,
NovNovember 4 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Tuesday, Nov 4th 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
NovNovember 4 , 2025

59th Annual Food-A-Rama
Tuesday, Nov 4th 10:30 am to 2:00 pm
Enjoy delicious deli-style lunches for dine-in, pickup, or delivery. Quantities are limited, so order now!
Register Now

MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
NovNovember 5 , 2025

Midrasha
Wednesday, Nov 5th 6:15 pm to 9:00 pm
Midrasha Hebrew High School
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Thursday ,
NovNovember 6 , 2025

House Committee Meeting
Thursday, Nov 6th 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

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Thursday ,
NovNovember 6 , 2025

CANCELED: Social Action Committee Meeting
Thursday, Nov 6th 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Social Action Committee meetings are held at 7:00 pm on the first Thursday of most months at Temple Beth El.
MORE INFO
Friday ,
NovNovember 7 , 2025

Singles Creating Community Coffee Klatch
Friday, Nov 7th 9:00 am to 10:30 am
Please join the Singles Creating Community group for breakfast.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Friday ,
NovNovember 7 , 2025

Pre-Shabbat Nosh
Friday, Nov 7th 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Please join us for a light nosh before services.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 9 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Sunday, Nov 9th 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 9 , 2025

Swarsensky Memorial Brunch: Zionism and American Jews After October 7
Sunday, Nov 9th 9:45 am to 12:00 pm

Register Now

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Sunday ,
NovNovember 9 , 2025

MaTTY Bowling Night
Sunday, Nov 9th 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Register Now

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Tuesday ,
NovNovember 11 , 2025

Office Closed
Tuesday, Nov 11th (All day)

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Wednesday ,
NovNovember 12 , 2025

Mitzvah Winter Holiday Shoeboxes for Nehemiah and FOSTER
Wednesday, Nov 12th (All day)
Help provide gifts for children and adults who might not otherwise receive any gifts in the 2025 holiday season who are clients of Nehemiah and FOSTER.
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Wednesday ,
NovNovember 12 , 2025

Midrasha
Wednesday, Nov 12th 6:15 pm to 9:00 pm
Midrasha Hebrew High School
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Thursday ,
NovNovember 13 , 2025

Board Meeting
Thursday, Nov 13th 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm

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Friday ,
NovNovember 14 , 2025

Likrat Shabbat Family Dinner
Friday, Nov 14th 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Join us for a light dinner preceding our Likrat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat) service on the first Friday of the month, November–May. Dinner is $18 per family unit/household. Please note: there is not a special Likrat Shabbat service on the first Friday in January.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Friday ,
NovNovember 14 , 2025

Pre-Shabbat Nosh
Friday, Nov 14th 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Please join us for a light nosh before services.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 16 , 2025

TBE Bakers
Sunday, Nov 16th 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Join us for Sunday sessions where we will create community while baking delicious treats to share with the congregation at upcoming Temple Beth El events.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 16 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Sunday, Nov 16th 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 16 , 2025

Sunday School for Adults
Sunday, Nov 16th 9:30 am to 10:30 am
This monthly course is an opportunity for adults who missed having a formal Jewish education, or would like a refresher, to have a parallel learning experience while their students are in Religious School.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 16 , 2025

Parent/Guardian Koffee Kibbitz
Sunday, Nov 16th 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Gather at Café Panim with other parents/guardians from your student's grade and get to know each other while your students are in Religious School.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 16 , 2025

Tots and Tunes
Sunday, Nov 16th 10:45 am to 11:45 am
This song and craft program for families with children ages 0–5 is open to the entire Madison Jewish community.
MORE INFO
Monday ,
NovNovember 17 , 2025

Fiber Arts Schmooze
Monday, Nov 17th 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Join friends at TBE for an evening of knitting, crocheting, stitching, and friendship!
MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
NovNovember 18 , 2025

Sisterhood "Monthly Mingle" Lunch
Tuesday, Nov 18th 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Join us for a Sisterhood lunch!
MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
NovNovember 18 , 2025

Serve Supper at the Catholic Multicultural Center
Tuesday, Nov 18th 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Join fellow TBE volunteers on the third Tuesday of each month to help serve dinner and clean up.
MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
NovNovember 18 , 2025

Environment and Climate Change Action Team Meeting
Tuesday, Nov 18th 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Join our action team as we make plans to engage the congregation in activities that raise awareness about environmental issues. We meet on Zoom.
MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
NovNovember 19 , 2025

ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out)
Wednesday, Nov 19th 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
NovNovember 19 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Wednesday, Nov 19th 4:00 pm to 6:15 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
NovNovember 19 , 2025

Singles Creating Community Dinner
Wednesday, Nov 19th 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Join the Singles Creating Community group for a dinner gathering.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
NovNovember 19 , 2025

Midrasha
Wednesday, Nov 19th 6:15 pm to 9:00 pm
Midrasha Hebrew High School
MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
NovNovember 19 , 2025

Men's Club Book Group
Wednesday, Nov 19th 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
The Men's Club Book Group will gather to discuss "The Names" a novel by Florence Knapp.
MORE INFO
Thursday ,
NovNovember 20 , 2025

Play Mahjong with Sisterhood
Thursday, Nov 20th 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Join Sisterhood for a fun afternoon of Mahjong!
MORE INFO
Thursday ,
NovNovember 20 , 2025

Families with Young Children Friendsgiving Potluck and Challah-Making Extravaganza!
Thursday, Nov 20th 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Gather with your friends for an unforgettable Friendsgiving potluck celebration and challah-making workshop!
Register Now

MORE INFO
Friday ,
NovNovember 21 , 2025

Pre-Shabbat Nosh
Friday, Nov 21st 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Please join us for a light nosh before services.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 23 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Sunday, Nov 23rd 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
NovNovember 23 , 2025

Parent/Guardian Koffee Kibbitz
Sunday, Nov 23rd 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Gather at Café Panim with other parents/guardians from your student's grade and get to know each other while your students are in Religious School.
MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
NovNovember 26 , 2025

Office Closes at 12:00 pm
Wednesday, Nov 26th 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

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Thursday ,
NovNovember 27 , 2025

Office Closed for Thanksgiving
Thursday, Nov 27th (All day)

MORE INFO
Friday ,
NovNovember 28 , 2025

Pre-Shabbat Nosh
Friday, Nov 28th 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Please join us for a light nosh before services.
MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
DecDecember 2 , 2025

Contemplative Writing Workshop
Tuesday, Dec 2nd 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Amelie Davidson will lead a small group on a contemplative writing journey.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
DecDecember 3 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Wednesday, Dec 3rd 4:00 pm to 6:15 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
DecDecember 3 , 2025

Midrasha
Wednesday, Dec 3rd 6:15 pm to 9:00 pm
Midrasha Hebrew High School
MORE INFO
Thursday ,
DecDecember 4 , 2025

House Committee Meeting
Thursday, Dec 4th 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

MORE INFO
Thursday ,
DecDecember 4 , 2025

Social Action Committee Meeting
Thursday, Dec 4th 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Social Action Committee meetings are held at 7:00 pm on the first Thursday of most months at Temple Beth El.
MORE INFO
Thursday ,
DecDecember 4 , 2025

Sisterhood Exec Committee Meeting
Thursday, Dec 4th 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

MORE INFO
Friday ,
DecDecember 5 , 2025

Singles Creating Community Coffee Klatch
Friday, Dec 5th 9:00 am to 10:30 am
Please join the Singles Creating Community group for breakfast.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Friday ,
DecDecember 5 , 2025

Likrat Shabbat Family Dinner
Friday, Dec 5th 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Join us for a light dinner preceding our Likrat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat) service on the first Friday of the month, November–May. Dinner is $18 per family unit/household. Please note: there is not a special Likrat Shabbat service on the first Friday in January.
MORE INFO
Friday ,
DecDecember 5 , 2025

Pre-Shabbat Nosh
Friday, Dec 5th 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Please join us for a light nosh before services.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 7 , 2025

TBE Bakers
Sunday, Dec 7th 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Join us for Sunday sessions where we will create community while baking delicious treats to share with the congregation at upcoming Temple Beth El events.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 7 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Sunday, Dec 7th 9:15 am to 12:00 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 7 , 2025

Sunday School for Adults
Sunday, Dec 7th 9:30 am to 10:30 am
This monthly course is an opportunity for adults who missed having a formal Jewish education, or would like a refresher, to have a parallel learning experience while their students are in Religious School.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 7 , 2025

Parent/Guardian Koffee Kibbitz
Sunday, Dec 7th 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Gather at Café Panim with other parents/guardians from your student's grade and get to know each other while your students are in Religious School.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 7 , 2025

Community Knesset
Sunday, Dec 7th 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Leaders of our community, including the Board of Trustees, committee and task force chairs, and their staff liaisons, are invited to participate in the Community Knesset.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 7 , 2025

MuTTY Goes to Geeks Mania
Sunday, Dec 7th 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Join MuTTY at Geeks Mania, a video game arcade filled with countless different options.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
DecDecember 9 , 2025

Board Meeting
Tuesday, Dec 9th 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm

MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
DecDecember 10 , 2025

Midrasha
Wednesday, Dec 10th 6:15 pm to 9:00 pm
Midrasha Hebrew High School
MORE INFO
Thursday ,
DecDecember 11 , 2025

ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out)
Thursday, Dec 11th 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

MORE INFO
Thursday ,
DecDecember 11 , 2025

Congregational Book Club
Thursday, Dec 11th 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Join us in reading and discussion of challenging, but accessible, contemporary Jewish writings.
MORE INFO
Thursday ,
DecDecember 11 , 2025

Membership Renewal Information Session
Thursday, Dec 11th 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Join Stefanie Kushner, executive director, on Zoom to learn about your membership renewal.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Friday ,
DecDecember 12 , 2025

Pre-Shabbat Nosh
Friday, Dec 12th 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Please join us for a light nosh before services.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 14 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Sunday, Dec 14th 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 14 , 2025

Parent/Guardian Koffee Kibbitz
Sunday, Dec 14th 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Gather at Café Panim with other parents/guardians from your student's grade and get to know each other while your students are in Religious School.
MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 14 , 2025

A Whole Latke Fun: Hanukkah Party for Families with Young Kids
Sunday, Dec 14th 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Enjoy a delicious latke and pasta bar, a festive song session, a Hanukkah story, dreidel spinning, cookie decorating, Hanukkah-themed crafts, and so much more to usher in the first night of Hanukkah together. Event is brought to you by Temple Beth El Families with Young Children, Jewish Federation of Madison and their PJ Library Community.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Sunday ,
DecDecember 14 , 2025

MaTTY Hanukkah Party
Sunday, Dec 14th 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

MORE INFO
Monday ,
DecDecember 15 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Monday, Dec 15th 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Monday ,
DecDecember 15 , 2025

Fiber Arts Schmooze
Monday, Dec 15th 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Join friends at TBE for an evening of knitting, crocheting, stitching, and friendship!
MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
DecDecember 16 , 2025

Judaica Shop Open
Tuesday, Dec 16th 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Temple Beth El Sisterhood runs our Judaica shop, the only dedicated Judaica shop in Madison. Stock up on Hanukkah, Shabbat, and other Judaica items.
MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
DecDecember 16 , 2025

Serve Supper at the Catholic Multicultural Center
Tuesday, Dec 16th 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Join fellow TBE volunteers on the third Tuesday of each month to help serve dinner and clean up.
MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
DecDecember 16 , 2025

MJND (20s and 30s) Latke Making Party
Tuesday, Dec 16th 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm
MJND (20s and 30s) will be frying latkes in the TBE kitchen using mixtures that guests bring themselves.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
DecDecember 16 , 2025

Environment and Climate Change Action Team Meeting
Tuesday, Dec 16th 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Join our action team as we make plans to engage the congregation in activities that raise awareness about environmental issues. We meet on Zoom.
MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
DecDecember 17 , 2025

Sisterhood "Monthly Mingle" Lunch
Wednesday, Dec 17th 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Join us for a Sisterhood lunch!
MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
DecDecember 17 , 2025

Midrasha
Wednesday, Dec 17th 6:15 pm to 9:00 pm
Midrasha Hebrew High School
MORE INFO
Thursday ,
DecDecember 18 , 2025

Hanukkah Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Jon Prosnit
Thursday, Dec 18th 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Please join Rabbi Prosnit for lunch and discussion. Learners of all backgrounds are welcome. Bring your own lunch—we’ll supply the drinks.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Thursday ,
DecDecember 18 , 2025

Play Mahjong with Sisterhood
Thursday, Dec 18th 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Join Sisterhood for a fun afternoon of Mahjong!
MORE INFO
Friday ,
DecDecember 19 , 2025

Pre-Shabbat Nosh
Friday, Dec 19th 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Please join us for a light nosh before services.
MORE INFO
Friday ,
DecDecember 19 , 2025

Shabbat Hanukkah Dinner
Friday, Dec 19th 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm
Join us as we welcome Shabbat and Hanukkah together and enjoy a tasty Chinese food dinner. Bring your hanukkiyah and seven candles to light together.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
DecDecember 24 , 2025

Office Closes at 12:00 pm
Wednesday, Dec 24th 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

MORE INFO
Thursday ,
DecDecember 25 , 2025

Office Closed
Thursday, Dec 25th (All day)

MORE INFO
Friday ,
DecDecember 26 , 2025

Pre-Shabbat Nosh
Friday, Dec 26th 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Please join us for a light nosh before services.
MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
DecDecember 31 , 2025

Office Closes at 12:00 pm
Wednesday, Dec 31st 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

MORE INFO
Thursday ,
JanJanuary 1 , 2026

Office Closed for New Year's Day
Thursday, Jan 1st (All day)

MORE INFO
Sunday ,
JanJanuary 4 , 2026

Play Mahjong with Sisterhood
Sunday, Jan 4th 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Join Sisterhood for a fun afternoon of Mahjong!
Register Now

MORE INFO
Wednesday ,
JanJanuary 7 , 2026

Men's Club Book Group
Wednesday, Jan 7th 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
The Men's Club Book Group will meet via Zoom to discuss "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" by Yuval Noah Harari.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Thursday ,
JanJanuary 8 , 2026

Sisterhood "Monthly Mingle" Lunch
Thursday, Jan 8th 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Join us for a Sisterhood lunch!
MORE INFO
Thursday ,
JanJanuary 8 , 2026

Social Action Committee Meeting
Thursday, Jan 8th 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Social Action Committee meetings are held at 7:00 pm on the first Thursday of most months at Temple Beth El.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Friday ,
JanJanuary 9 , 2026

Singles Creating Community Coffee Klatch
Friday, Jan 9th 9:00 am to 11:00 am
Please join the Singles Creating Community group for breakfast.
MORE INFO
Saturday ,
JanJanuary 10 , 2026

Community Havdalah
Saturday, Jan 10th 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Let's create warmth on a cold winter night through a community Havdalah, a heartfelt and unifying experience that celebrates the close of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week.
MORE INFO
Tuesday ,
JanJanuary 13 , 2026

Board Meeting
Tuesday, Jan 13th 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm

MORE INFO
Thursday ,
JanJanuary 15 , 2026

Play Mahjong with Sisterhood
Thursday, Jan 15th 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Join Sisterhood for a fun afternoon of Mahjong!
MORE INFO
Friday ,
JanJanuary 16 , 2026

ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out)
Friday, Jan 16th 11:45 am to 2:00 pm

Register Now

MORE INFO
Sunday ,
JanJanuary 18 , 2026

Shaping a Stronger City: Downtown Madison, Inc.'s Vision for Equity, Growth, and Community
Sunday, Jan 18th 9:30 am to 11:30 am
This year’s Men’s Club & Sisterhood joint event focuses on the future of our vibrant and thriving downtown. It’s sure to be an engaging and enlightening conversation about what Downtown Madison, Inc. is focused on in the years to come as our city continues to grow.
Register Now

MORE INFO
Monday ,
JanJanuary 19 , 2026

Fiber Arts Schmooze
Monday, Jan 19th 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Join friends at TBE for an evening of knitting, crocheting, stitching, and friendship!
MORE INFO

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by Erica Serlin

01/10/2022 03:59:57 PM

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by Lynn Silverman

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by Linda Reivitz

01/10/2022 02:19:14 PM

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12/23/2021 10:01:01 AM

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12/09/2021 10:00:30 AM

11/17/2021 08:53:08 AM

11/16/2021 10:28:15 AM

Helping Refugees from Afghanistan

Porchlight Program Needs Travel-Sized Personal Supplies

Serving Meals at the Catholic Multicultural Center

Donating Sleeping Bags, Tents, and Clothes for Those without Housing

11/15/2021 03:48:33 PM

Worship Schedule

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