October 2020 Scroll article
I Sukkot is one of Judaism’s more social holidays. The sukkah, the booth in which we traditionally eat and sleep for eight days, is an outward celebration of Jewish life, and it is customarily placed somewhere that is accessible to guests. “Sukkah hopping,” visiting various friends’ and families’ sukkot during the holiday, is an important […]
September 2020 Scroll article
Dear Friends, By the time you read this article, our plans will be well underway for the High Holy Days. To say that this will be an unusual time for our congregation would be an understatement. However, I am excited about the new challenges and opportunities that await us. The Rabbi and Cantor have been […]
Jewish Concept Garden: Pollinator Garden
While walking our campus, I found myself in one of our pollinator gardens. There is one plant, a climbing aster plant, that blooms in this season and always catches my attention. Not only for it’s beautiful blooms, but because the bees love it. I catch glimpses of motion as so many bees, wasps and assorted […]
Whew! What an amazing Purim celebration we had here at Temple Beth Shalom last month. Our students showed up in an array of costumes and ready to enjoy the day. We baked hamantaschen thanks to the dough provided to us so generously by Lora Stein and with the extra help of Michele Livingston, Rabbi Birnholz […]
Rabbi’s Article March 2020 Social Distancing – Social Connection
The phrase “Social Distancing” has now entered our vocabulary. Each day brings new instructions on quarantining ourselves, limiting the scope of our activities or distancing ourselves from human contact in the midst of the Covid19 epidemic. Social distancing impacts our body and spirit. Humans are social creatures. How can we draw on the strength of […]
Donate Directly
Click here to donate to Temple Beth Shalom
President’s Message
Temple Beth Shalom has been a place where the Jewish people of Vero Beach and the Treasure Coast have been able come to for worship, friendship, education and to help maintain our Jewish presence and identity. Please join us at a Friday night service or attend one of our Temple programs and see how you […]
Jewish Concept Garden: Chicken Soup Garden
Chicken soup garden: In the album, “You don’t have to be Jewish,” one of the comedy sketches is set at a funeral. Even as the rabbi eulogizes the deceased, a Jewish mother interrupts. “Give him some chicken soup” she declares. When she is told that he is dead and it will not help his condition, […]
Jewish Values to Plant: Justice and Righteousness
Tzedek, tzedek tirdof: Justice and righteous shall you pursue! Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof: Justice and Righteousness shall you pursue. (Deuteronomy 16:18) Jewish sages caution us to pay attention to the repetition of a word in Torah. In our gardens we aspire to bring Tzedek – justice and righteousness – from two directions: receiving and giving. With […]
Jewish Concept Gardens: Peace/Justice Garden
Peah Garden. Peah refers to the corners of the fields that were not harvested by the owner of the field. Instead, the produce of these corners were left for the stranger, the widow and the orphan. (Leviticus 19) There is a whole classification of produce: peah, leket, shichach – the corners of the field, the […]