October 2026 / 5787
September 2026 / 5786
From Rabbi Rose
Shalom Temple Beth Shalom, I am so looking forward to celebrating our High Holy Days together as we approach 5787! To prepare for our upcoming High Holy Days, I have been meditating on the traditional psalms we focus on during this preparatory month of Elul. During my reflections, I keep coming back to the instruction in Psalm 31: “So love God, all you faithful; God guards the loyal…Be strong and of good courage, all you who wait for God.” This psalm, and my colleague Rabbi Karyn Kedar’s collection of poetry, “Amen: Seeking Presence,” inspired this prayer for our TBS community as we enter this new year together. L’Shanah tovah,Rabbi Rose A New Year’s Prayer for Our TBS CommunityGod, hear our prayer.We pray for the soul of
Cantor’s Corner
I sit here wondering why God placed me here. What is my purpose? As I prepare for the High Holy Days and look over my past year, I think about what I could do better. The same thing keeps popping up: I need to be better at speaking up for the Jewish people. Why has this been so hard? Why does it feel so scary? After all, I am a Jew and a cantor rabbi. Would it not be expected that I would stand up for my own people? When I was called to Judaism, I was very young, Catholic and knew nothing about Judaism or the Jewish people. I have often told my conversion story, saying that most people looking in at my life
August 2026 / 5786
From Rabbi Rose
Shalom, Temple Beth Shalom! One of the many jobs I had during my studies at Brown University was working as a certified kickboxing instructor. I taught boot camp aerobics six times a week to students and staff, and not surprisingly, my knees have still not recovered! I taught a very challenging class, and none of my students started the semester already strong enough or coordinated enough to make it through every exercise perfectly. The whole point of boot camp was to practice, build endurance and discover that we were capable of more than we realized. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that this year I am teaching a four-part class to build endurance for the High Holy Days called “Rabbi Rose’s High Holy Day
Cantor’s Corner
I am turning 60 this month. I remember thinking when I was a kid that 60 was so old. All my grandparents seemed so old to me. Of course, I only saw them at holiday time, because times were different back then. There were no cell phones or video calling. I remember they would call maybe once a week, and we would get on the phone and chat with them for a few minutes, but when we saw them, they always seemed so tired. They did not get down on the floor and play with us; they sat in their recliners and watched us play. After having our granddaughter Olive with us for a week, I felt really old. I was exhausted, and her parents
July 2026 / 5786
From Rabbi Rose
Thank YOU for filling the sanctuary for Maya’s bat mitzvah. I am so glad our community’s culture is shifting, and you all feel welcome and encouraged to attend every bat/bar/b mitzvah we are blessed to celebrate at TBS. Every mitzvah is a simchah, a communal joy, a celebration of our whole community’s covenant with Torah. It certainly felt like that for our family, especially with the special combination of both our Temple Beit HaYam and TBS communities joined together in prayer and joyful song (“Mamma Mia”, anyone?). I was shepping nachas watching Maya read Torah so “nonchalantly” (as the kids say) in front of all your smiling and supportive faces. I am still kvelling over Maya’s confidence and composure throughout her entire bat mitzvah weekend. It is not easy to
Cantor’s Corner
Cantor Kelly Onickel As I write this, I am in the early stages of planning my next concert on April 4, 2027. The first thing I do when planning a concert is figure out what the theme will be. At first, I thought I would do a Motown concert. Although I lived just outside of Detroit, where Motown, a portmanteau of “Motor” and “Town,” began, I did not really grow up listening to this genre. It was not until I was in my late teens and early 20s that I came to really appreciate it. I think at some point I will do a Motown concert, but it just doesn’t feel like the right time. So, I was stuck. My last concert and fundraiser featured
June 2026 / 5786
Year One in the Books!
In reflecting on my first year (!) serving as your rabbi, one of the greatest blessings has been working so closely with our TBS President, Steve Berlin. Steve Berlin is a mensch’s mensch who walks into a room and, within ten minutes, has connected with everyone. Steve’s superpower is shmoozing, and he uses his “gift of gab” to make wonderful connections and to lead our community with humor and warmth. Steve’s commitment to sustaining our community and securing our future both spiritually and financially inspires me every day. He is patient in the way only truly secure, deeply kind people are. And he is unflinchingly dedicated to the vision of Temple Beth Shalom as a vibrant Jewish presence in this community for generations to come.
Cantor’s Corner: What is the Difference Between a Cantor and a Rabbi?
Cantor Kelly Onickel I have been asked this question often, especially in recent weeks. A rabbi and a cantor are both equally ordained clergy, but they often focus on different core areas of leadership. Within the Reform and Conservative movements, a rabbi is generally the congregation’s expert in teaching, spiritual leadership and the interpretation of Jewish tradition. A rabbi’s roles often include preaching and teaching Torah and Jewish values, providing pastoral care and counseling, guiding life cycle events such as weddings, funerals and conversions, offering leadership in matters of Jewish law, ethics and community direction, and working with the congregation in the areas of education, justice and spiritual growth. Within the Reform and Conservative movements, a cantor, or hazzan, is also clergy and is generally
May 2026 / 5786
Mother’s Day
A man calls his mother: “Mom, how are you?” “Not too good,” she says. “I’ve been very weak.” “Why are you so weak?” he asks. “Because I haven’t eaten in 38 days.” “That’s terrible! Why haven’t you eaten?” “Because I didn’t want my mouth to be filled with food if you should call.” Like so many Jewish jokes, it lands because, while hyperbolic, it also rings true. Jewish mothers, in all their legendary devotion, give and give and give. The least we can do, the joke reminds us, is to call them (sorry, Mom, I’ll do better!). Thankfully, our very first Jewish mother, Sarah, raised a son who remembered her. In Bereshit we read: “Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah, and
Religious School
On behalf of the religious school community, we congratulate Cantor Rabbi Kelly Onickel on her ordination! We are excited to celebrate with her at Shabbat services on Friday, May 1. The celebration continues Sunday, May 3, when all are invited to a concert and festive luncheon. Students will participate in the presentation on May 3 and should arrive by 11:30am to prepare for the noon event. Please join in the celebration. Mazel tov this month to Max Nagy and Maya Durbin! Both students will be called up to the Torah as B’nai Mitzvah, and we hope you will join us for worship and simchah. Max becomes a bar mitzvah on Saturday, May 9, and Maya becomes a bat mitzvah on Saturday, May 30. We are
Cantor’s Corner
Cantor Kelly Onickel As I am writing this article, I am exactly two weeks out from ordination. So many of you have already become sponsors in honor of this very important time in my life. I cannot thank you all enough. I know I have said this many times before, but I feel so incredibly blessed! It was B’sheirt that God led me to look on JewishJobs.com and found Temple Beth Shalom’s listing just a few days before Rabbi Birnholz was planning to take it down. I knew after my interview that Temple Beth Shalom was a very special place, and even if I didn’t get the job, I just had a wonderful experience that I would never forget. These past few years have been
April 2026 / 5786
Passover is Weird
Last spring, I sat on a particularly memorable beit din (a panel of rabbis who make religious decisions) to approve a conversion. When we asked the candidate, a joyful man in his early 30s about to welcome his first child, which holiday he appreciates most, he said, “Passover.” When I asked why, he replied, “I love how weird it is!”, and then immediately covered his mouth, worried he’d said the wrong thing. Meanwhile, the other rabbis, his very pregnant Jewish wife, and I were laughing with delight. He had named something we often forget: Passover is weird. It’s counter-cultural, detailed, and particular. It makes our kids stand out in school with their peanut butter matzah sandwiches. Many of us avoid that “weirdness” by attending a
Religious School
Our Wicked Purim Party last month was a fun-filled celebration of the month of Adar!Thank you to everyone who participated, especially all who volunteered with setting up, food service and cleaning up. It really does take a village. With that, Passover is already upon us! Dan and I wish you all a wonderful Passover holiday with best wishes for meaningful seders and yummy matzah creations. I know I look forward to all the Passover staples, like matzah pizza and matzah chocolate bark. What are some of your favorite ways to eat matzah? Following Passover and Spring Breaks, our Sunday programs scheduled for this month are April 12, 19, and 26 9:30am until noon. On Sunday, April 12 during class we will talk about the importance
Cantor’s Corner
I can’t believe that April is finally here! Why? Because that means I am 27 days away from being ordained! I cannot wait to be done with this part of my life, and I am looking forward to what is ahead. I have had many people ask me what my plan is. In last month’s Scroll, my article addressed many of the concerns regarding my ordination and what is to come after. Let me reiterate, I am not planning to go anywhere. Harry and I are very happy here in Vero. Doing a double ordination was purely for educational purposes and the fact that I am not a young chick and if I was going to do it, I needed to do it now. I