Michael Birnholz

Chevruta on Hanukah! December 12, 2020 from 9:30 to 12:30 Eastern Time!

The tradition of Jewish study prefers Chevruta, partnership.

Study is an action that brings us into connection with beings Divine and Human.

Study is a spiritual experience, builds community, connects us across time and

space, broadens our perspective.  We are excited to bring all of our communities together to learn and connect for this Festival of Light.

You can  us for this Chevruta study experience on this Saturday December 12^th.  Between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm, we will offer multiple 45 minute sessions on Zoom.   You are welcome to go to any of the offerings to partake of the learning and discussion.   If you have questions or need additional login information contact Rabbi Birnholz rabbi@tbsvero.org

Below, you can find the biographies and further class descriptions

The Study Sessions:

Starting at 9:30 am

Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell: Jewish Texts on Fair Voting and Just Elections

Rabbi Joseph Edelheit: Celebrating the Festival of Light During the Summer! Jewish Life in Brazil

Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar the History of Hanukkah – an examination of the Book of Maccabees

Rabbi Richard Birnholz: Hanukah in the Responsa

Starting at 10:30 am

Rabbi Michael Birnholz: Temple Beth Shalom in Vero Beach  https://tbsvero.org/category/about-us/our-staff/rabbi-2/

All the lights of Hanukah: the Hanukiyah and the Moon

As we discuss the in’s and out’s, the why’s and wherefores of the Hanukah Menorah, we will consider the way we increase the light in our homes and its connection to the increasing and decreasing lights in this season in nature!

Beth Pennamacoor: Chanukah Around the World

Rabbi Estelle Mills: History and Mystery in the Chanukah Story: The Secrets in the Stanzas of Maoz Tzur and Seduction by Cheese

Rabbi Courtney Berman: Miracles Large and Small: Using Texts from the Siddur to Explore the Constant Miracles that Make Up Our Lives

Hanukkah is a time when we acknowledge the presence of miracles.  We affirm “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham,” a great miracle happened there, with each spin of the dreidel.  This season of miracles can give us an opportunity to consider all the ways smaller miracles permeate our lives as well.  We will explore the constant nature of those miracles through a study of Birkhot Ha’shahar – the morning blessings – and a few other sources from the Siddur.

Starting at 11:30 am

 Rabbi Bruce Benson: Up or Down 1 to 8 or 8 to 1.  How to define a miracle…

Cantor Sara Kheel: The Maccabees and Religious Fanaticism

Rabbi Matt Durbin: One People, Many Traditions: Come take a tour around the world as we examine and unpack many of the foods and customs that define our culture and people.

Rabbi Emily Losben-Ostrov: Miracle of Miracles- The miracle of Hanukkah and the miracles in our own lives

Our Presenters:
Rabbi/Cantor Bruce Benson has been the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El Israel in Port St. Lucie, Florida for 6 years. He spent almost 40 years as an ordained Cantor by HUC-JIR before adding a second Ordination as Rabbi. He is a published author on Jewish subjects and is the recipient of a Grammy nomination for his musical liturgy, “The Rock Service”, the first liturgical piece ever nominated in that category.

Cantor Sara Kheel, who serves Temple Beth Shalom in Vero Beach, Florida, hails from Los Angeles, CA. She began her involvement in the Jewish community early in life, studying at Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School in Northridge, CA and spending her summers at Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa. She grew up at Temple Judea in Tarzana, CA, where she also sang and led services as a young adult. It was there that she began her trajectory toward the cantorate. Cantor Kheel was ordained from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 2017. During cantorial school, she held pulpit positions at Garden City Jewish Center in Garden City, NY, Congregation Or Hatzafon in Fairbanks, AK, Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold, MD, and Temple Beth Israel in York, PA. Immediately following ordination, she spent a year as a chaplain resident at NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn. She is passionate about creating meaningful worship, composing new Jewish music, and pastoral care. You can find her around Temple Beth Shalom working with the Caring Community Group; directing our choir, the Shalom Singers; and teaching music and liturgy to our young people.

Beth Pennamacoor has served the Congregation as Cantorial Soloist at Temple Beit HaYam in Stuart, Florida since 1997. Originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, she participated in her Temple’s choir from 2nd grade until graduating high school in 1974. Beth has been Temple Beit HaYam’s Director of Education since 2009. She is having a great time in that position. She loves working with all of the teachers and students in the Religious School. She also does one-on-one tutoring with students preparing to become B’nei Mitzvah. She feels that this is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.
In 2017, Beth achieved one of the things on her bucket list. She received a dual Bachelors/Masters Degree in Jewish Education through Hebrew College with a minor concentration in Israel Education through the iCenter in partnership with Hebrew College. This has been a long time goal for her to complete her education. Beth is an active member of the Commission for Jewish Education in Palm Beach, as a member of the Educators’ Council. She is also a member of the Association for Reform Jewish Educators and is a current board member for the Guild of Temple Musicians serving as Vice President of Conventions. She previously served as Vice President of Membership.

Rabbi Michael Birnholz arrived at Temple Beth Shalom in Vero Beach in 2002 following his ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Over the almost 20 years that Rabbi Birnholz has been in Indian River County, he and his family have had a chance to grow in body, mind and spirit right along with Temple Beth Shalom. Rabbi Birnholz enthusiastically shares his ruach and koach -spirit and strength – with the many diverse generations and facets of the Jewish community. From the biblical garden to tot Shabbat, from Men’s club breakfast to adult learning while making challah, Rabbi Birnholz is proud to be part of vibrant and meaningful life of his congregation. Rabbi Birnholz has also enjoyed his wide variety of community opportunities to teach and preach Jewish values and wisdom. His hope is to build Temple Beth Shalom into a House of wholeness, harmony and peace and see these efforts spread caring, compassion and justice to the whole Treasure Coast.

Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar was ordained in 2009 by Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, where she also earned her Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters.. She also earned a BA in philosophy at Brandeis University. Rabbi Bahar is president of the South East Central Conference of American Rabbis. She was recognized by The Forward as one of “America’s 33 Most Inspirational Rabbis” in 2015. On June 1, 2020, Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar joined the Temple Beth Israel family after serving at Congregation Ahavath Chesed in Jacksonville.
She served the congregation in Jacksonville beginning on July 1, 2018. Prior to that she served as spiritual leader of Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville, Alabama for nine years.. The values and traditions she cherishes and her commitment to fostering the closest relationship possible between congregation and clergy are central to her new role at Temple Beth Israel. Rabbi Bahar is the proud parent of a daughter, Aiden, and two sons, David and Daniel.

Rabbi Emily Losben-Ostrov is honored to serve as the spiritual leader of Temple of Israel in Wilmington, NC. Prior to that, she served as the Rabbi of Temple Anshe Hesed in Erie, PA and as the Rabbi of Sinai Reform Temple in Bay Shore, New York (Long Island) following her ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 2008.
Rabbi Losben-Ostrov is very proud to have founded the Pesach Project for HUC-JIR which has now allowed hundreds of Rabbinical Students to help lead seders and educational opportunities in the Former Soviet Union. She is also very passionate about fighting AIDS and has led an annual Healing Service for nearly two decades to raise awareness of the AIDS crisis.

Rabbi Matthew Durbin was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and was an active member of his home congregation of Holy Blossom Temple. After completing an undergraduate degree (Honours B.A.) from York University in Toronto in Anthropology, he embarked on his journey towards the rabbinate preparing at the Leo Baeck College in London, England where he was awarded a Masters of Hebrew and Jewish Studies as well as rabbinic ordination in 2008. Rabbi Durbin was the spiritual leader for Temple Beth El, a Reform congregation located in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate NY for six years, where he strengthened the community, formed a strong sense of Jewish identity within the congregation and inspired members of the community to become more active and involved in congregational life. He brings with him to Stuart a great energy and excitement for Judaism and a strong commitment to learning and education, as well as a deep passion to interact and form relationships among the members of the community. During his third year in rabbinical school, while studying abroad in Jerusalem, he met his wife, Rose, while she was training for the rabbinate in her first year at HUC-JIR in Israel. They have three beautiful and energetic daughters, Eliana, and Maya, and Delilah, who are a delight and certainly keeps them on their toes. They are thrilled to call Stuart home.

Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell is in her thirteenth year serving as the Rabbi of Temple Concord in Binghamton, New York. She is an adjunct faculty member of the Judaic Studies Department and has taught a course on Jewish Nonprofit Organizations for seven years. She has served other congregations in PA, VA and CA and worked for Jewish Federations and Jewish Community Centers in Jewish family education, Jewish education, Holocaust education and awareness, and community relations.
In addition, she is the chair of the Children of Abraham of the Southern Tier Planning Group, has served on the Board of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College, and is on the boards of the Broome-Tioga NAACP and the Southern Tier AIDS Program. She has continued her work locally, working to build coalitions and foster understanding and joint endeavors.

Rabbi Richard Birnholz is the Rabbi Emeritus at Congregation Schaarai Zedek in Tampa, Florida. He graduated from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, and was ordained in 1971. From 1971 to 1973, he was the Assistant Rabbi of Temple Israel in Memphis, Tennessee. From 1973 to 1986, he was Rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation, Jackson, Mississippi, where he also served as a Visiting Professor in the Religion Department at Millsaps College.
Rabbi Birnholz has won numerous awards for his outstanding contributions to Reform Jewish life. In 1977, he won the Samuel Kaminker Memorial Curriculum Award for the outstanding informal education curriculum in the country. In 1983, he was Alumni-in-Residence at Hebrew Union College in New York. In 1989, he was a United Jewish Appeal National Rabbinic Award Winner. In 1991, the professional title of Reform Jewish Educator was conferred on him by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. In March of 1996, he was conferred with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion for serving the spiritual and intellectual needs of the Jewish community for 25 years. Rabbi Birnholz was elected to serve on the Executive Board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1996-1998.
He has been published in numerous magazines and lectures extensively on “Jewish Assertiveness Training. ” He is currently listed in ‘Who’s Who in Religion.”
Rabbi Estelle Gottman Mills received her honorary doctorate for twenty-five years of service as a rabbi in 2017. Most of those twenty-five years were spent serving as the rabbi of Congregation Kol Chadash in the Cleveland suburb of Solon, and as the rabbi of Congregation Kol Am in the St. Louis suburb of Ballwin. Rabbi Mills was the recipient of the prestigious Legacy Heritage Innovator Grant and the Union for Reform Judaism has recognized her creative and innovative programming by awarding her an Incubator Grant for her Family Education Program: “Exciting Destinations, Jewish Explorations” and a Belin Award for her Membership Program: “No Regrets Membership. Rabbi Mills currently serves as the rabbi of Temple Bat Yam in Ocean City, Maryland.

Rabbi Joseph Edelheit was ordained in 1973, served congregations in the Chicago area and Minneapolis. He retired as the Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel in 2001. He served as Director and Professor of Religious and Jewish Studies at St. Cloud State University until his retirement in 2016. He was the rabbinic chair of the Reform Movement’s committee on HIV/AIDS, served on President Clinton’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and created an interfaith AIDS orphanage in India. He currently lives in Rio de Janeiro and volunteers in small cities without a rabbi. He is the author of “What Am I Missing? Questions About Being Human” available through his website, www.whatamimissing.org