January Shabbat Worship

Learning Opportunities

Torah Study - Leviticus: Striving for Holiness | Saturday Jan. 6 and Saturday Jan. 20, 9:30 am

Join us at Temple Beth El or via Zoom as we continue our study of Leviticus. We will explore the text with the help of both rabbinic and modern commentaries. Learners of all levels and experience are welcome. Bagels and schmear will be served. For more information contact Rabbi Joel.

Torah on Tap | Tuesday January 2, 5:00 pm

Join us at Odd Colony Brewery (260 N Palafox St) for friendship, libations and learning. In honor of Tu B’shvat, Jewish Earth Day, this month’s topic will be: Should We Compel Others to Live Green?

Introduction to Judaism |Wednesday January 10 and Wednesday January 24, 6:30 pm

Want to know more about Judaism? Thinking about conversion? Not sure how to answer your children's questions about Jewish holidays? Join us at Temple Beth El as we explore Jewish belief, sacred text, Jewish holidays, lifecycle events and important historical events. For more information contact Rabbi Joel.

Safety Training

Sunday, January 14 | 10:00 am

The safety of our community depends on all of us. Join us on January 14 as Temple Beth El welcomes experts from the Secure Community Network (SCN), the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America.

SCN will offer trainings on situational awareness, countering an active threat, and providing emergency first aid. Held under the umbrella of Pensacola Jewish Federation, the trainings are open to the entire Pensacola Jewish Community. The safety committee strongly encourages you to attend.

Click below for additional information:

Stop the Bleed Training

Countering Active Threat Training

Situational Awareness Training

Silence and Secrets is the title of a book written by Yvonne Carson Cardozo. It tells the story of a little girl, born in Belgium who a madman living in Germany thought must die. It is a great book, the story of her eventual escape to Indonesia, Canada and eventually to California. Ms. Cardozo ended up serving in the intelligence services and raising two wonderful kids. 

You hear her name being read every Shabbat because she recently passed in her late 90’s. She is a defacto part of our family in an odd and wonderful way. Mary Jo and I read her book twenty some odd years ago and really loved it. When we bought a house in Orange County, California we were shocked to see her name on the contract. In a way that gave the realtors heartburn, we reached out to her. Over the years we visited her in her rest home and had her over to see how we changed her home of many years. 

Yvonne spoke to the community and told the story of the Holocaust. She spoke to both of the Temple Beth El’s we've belonged to and to the Shoa project. Despite having gone through hell, she was cheerful and bright- a welcome part of Pesach Seders and family birthdays.

We've placed two copies of her book in the Temple Library for you to read.

We hope you'll enjoy her story as we did. 

Bruce and Mary Jo Pelton