Sign In Forgot Password
Home

Temple Beth El Blog

Year in Review 2023–24: Beit Knesset—House of Community

07/16/2024 09:30:18 AM

Jul16

We value the connections we make when we gather as a beit knesset, a house of community, sharing Jewish activities, Temple involvement, and social connections. 

Highlights in 2023–24 included a joyful Whole Latke Fun Hanukkah party for young families, dinner and breakfast gatherings for single seniors, an event to learn about Vietnam veterans’ experiences hosted by Sisterhood and Men’s Club, and our 57th annual Food-A-Rama for the entire community. Read more below about our programs and events for everyone!

Check out the other sections of our Year in Review 2023–24 to read about our worship, study, and social justice activities and accomplishments.

Families with Young Children 

Our Families with Young Children group relies on parent participation and is geared toward kids in 2nd grade and under and their families. We love having multiple generations join us. We met about once a month, occasionally more. Thanks to Ellen Cecil-Lemkin, Alexander Lemkin, and Nick Nunez for co-chairing this year.
 

In partnership with our 4K Religious School class, families with young kids enjoyed songs with Cantor Jacob Niemi, crafts, a story, and snack at Tots and Tunes on six Sunday mornings during the school year.
 

We enjoyed a special Tot Shabbat with Musician in Residence Dan Nichols.

We made ourselves at home at TBE as we enjoyed a pizza dinner, Havdalah, and our glowstick dance party. This has become a favorite of our young families.
 

Our “A Whole Latke Fun” Hanukkah party was well attended: almost 150 people, from newborns to grandparents, joined in the festivities.

Singles Creating Community 

Singles Creating Community brings together single seniors, age 65 or older, who meet twice monthly to enjoy a good meal and conversation together, once for breakfast and once for dinner. The morning “coffee klatch” is always on Fridays, and the dinners are usually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. The December dinner is a New Year’s Eve potluck meal, celebrated at the home of a gracious host.

About 25 people have attended at least one of these gatherings, of which about 18 attend on a semi-regular basis. Most attendees are members of TBE, and about 5 people are unaffiliated or members of other congregations who have found us on the TBE website or heard about us from friends. 

Men’s Club

The Men’s Club fosters healthy relationships among the men of TBE, guided by the principles and values of Reform Judaism, compatible with the vision of TBE and in support of its leadership and congregation. The vision of the Men’s Club is to create and sustain a vibrant and inclusive club membership engaged in social, religious, and educational activities. We currently have a membership of 104 men.

Our activities cover a wide scope from landscaping to reading to golf to speakers. Our Book Club meets monthly and alternates between fiction and nonfiction choices. Some of this year’s books included: 

  • "The Dutch House" by Ann Patchett
  • "A World Without Soil: The Past, Present, and Precarious Future of the Earth Beneath Our Feet" by UW professor Jo Handelsman, who presented the 2024 Joel Pedersen Memorial Lecture
  • "One Summer: America, 1927" by Bill Bryson
  • "The Personal Librarian" by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
  • "How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America" by Clint Smith

In summer 2023 we enjoyed our annual retreat at a pastoral site for reflection and discussion led by clergy.

In spring 2024, Men’s Club Shabbat carried on the energy Louis Swedarsky shared with his musicianship for Yismachu! We also gathered to spread mulch to beautify the Beit Olamim cemetery on Mineral Point Road.


The Men’s Club began a golf group that plays best ball at a local course. We also gather for card games several times a year at a member’s home. 

Sisterhood 

For the 57th annual Food-A-Rama in November, we welcomed people back into the dining room and the bakery for the first time since 2019!

We also enjoyed fun evening last fall learning to make kosher-style charcuterie boards to impress our guests!

Our joint event with Men’s Club in the spring focused on women veterans and Vietnam veterans from Wisconsin.

Interfaith Outreach and Education

Temple Beth El actively engages in interfaith relationships through our group visitation program. We share the beliefs and traditions of Judaism with visitors, while demonstrating our current practices. 
We welcomed nearly 1,000 visitors from September to May, from many churches and schools throughout Wisconsin. Organizations interested in visiting Temple Beth El are welcome to contact the office at 608-238-3123.

Communications

The Communications Committee helps the congregation and community learn about all we do at TBE!

Staff and volunteers together produced in 2023–24:

  • 5 Giving Spotlight emails, 4 Social Justice Spotlight emails plus a Mitzvah Day accomplishments email, and a new Sisterhood Spotlight 
  • 5 Bulletin issues
  • Weekly Happenings emails every Wednesday
  • 9 event publicity postcards
  • Numerous quick-turnaround congregational emails responding to current events and TBE happenings
  • LinkedIn page for TBE 
  • A Toast to Rabbi Biatch invitation and program 
  • Display of Rabbi Biatch’s social justice activities 
  • Publicity of the Endowment for Spiritual Leadership donation match in fall 2023
  • Membership renewal brochure and emails
  • High Holy Day communications, web page, program, and Book of Remembrance
  • Facebook and Instagram posts


Notable accomplishments this year include editing and posting several new web pages:

• Visitor guide, in web and PDF versions
• Solar panels—check out the photos from the installation!
• Code of Ethical Conduct for members, a Union for Reform Judaism initiative 
• Emergency procedures (member login required)

Behind the scenes, we helped edit grant applications for security funding, the rabbi search booklet, and the Caring Committee request and volunteer forms supporting the relaunch of that committee, in addition to all the planning and coordination that makes all this possible!

April 30, 2025 2 Iyar 5785