Adult Learning Opportunities

Torah Study: Book of Deuteronomy

Saturdays, February 7 and 21 | 9:30 am | Temple Beth El and Zoom

Join us as we continue our study of Deuteronomy. We will explore the text with the help of both rabbinic and modern commentaries. Learners of all levels and experience are welcome. Bagels and shmear will be served. For more information contact Rabbi Joel.

Adult B’nai Mitzvah

Continuing Tuesdays, February 3 and 17 | 11:00 am | Temple Beth El

The learning journey to becoming Adult B’nai Mitzvah continues with an exploration of Jewish text and prayer in preparation for the special B'nai Mitzvah service on Saturday, May 23. Adult B’nai Mitzvah is open to adult Temple members. For more info, please contact Rabbi Joel. 

Torah on Tap

Tuesday, February 3 | 5:00 pm | Odd Colony Brewery

Join us at Odd Colony Brewery (260 N Palafox St) for an adult beverage, lively conversation, and Jewish learning. This month's topic will be: “Protests: Obligations and Limitations." For more information contact Rabbi Joel.

Introduction to Judaism

Continuing Wednesdays, February 4 and 18 | 6:30 p.m. | Temple Beth El

Want to know more about Judaism? Thinking about conversion? Not sure how to answer your children’s questions about Jewish holidays? Join us for Introduction to Judaism! Together we will explore Jewish belief, sacred text, Jewish holidays, lifecycle events, and important historical events. The class will meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month through March 4. For more information or to RSVP contact Rabbi Joel.

Aleph Bet: Now What?

Sundays, February 8 and 22 | 10:15 am

Join us for a 7-session advanced beginner Hebrew Class. If you can identify letters and vowels, and are ready to put them together to learn common words and expressions, this class is for you! The class will continue Sundays, February 8, February 22, March 8, March 29, and April 12 from 10:15 - 11:15 am. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Andrea Fleekop at andreafleekop@gmail.com.

Mediterranean Cooking with Kate Lollar

Wednesdays | 3:00 pm | Temple Beth El

Interested in learning how to make healthy, delicious, and easy Mediterranean and Sephardic Dishes? Kate Lollar is offering weekly adult cooking classes at Temple Beth El. The only cost to participate is share of supplies. If you are interested in future classes, please contact Kate to let her know you plan to attend.

Opera Shabbat

Friday, February 20

Wine & Cheese 6:15 pm | Worship & Concert 7:00 pm

We are honored to welcome Pensacola Opera's Studio Artists for our annual Opera Shabbat. These talented performers will add their voices to our Shabbat worship, led by Rabbi Joel and Greg Watson. Following the service, we will be treated to a beautiful concert of arias and show tunes. 

Join us for wine and cheese prior to the service and a dessert oneg after the concert.

Following the celebratory events in January, join in the continued commemoration of our Temple’s 150th anniversary!

Temple Beth El has partnered with the University of West Florida Historic Trust to present a special exhibition celebrating our anniversary. The exhibit will explore the history and culture of the Temple and its integral role in our community’s past, present and future. It will feature selected objects from Temple Beth El’s Judaica collection, the University of West Florida’s historical archives and The Bear Family Foundation collection. The exhibition will be presented at two venues: the Pensacola Museum of Art and Temple

Beth El.

The Pensacola Museum of Art exhibition will open Thursday, March 12,

2026 with an opening reception from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and will run through March 29, 2026. The exhibition will then move to Temple Beth El, where it will remain on display through the 150th celebration.

The culmination and heart of our celebration is scheduled for the weekend of April 17- 19, 2026. Rabbi Joel will lead engaging Shabbat services on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. Both services will provide musical treats featuring Pensacola’s own Cantor Richard Cohn, former Director of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music of Hebrew Union College. Friday night’s service will be followed by a special oneg, and Saturday morning’s service will be followed by a delightful Kiddush luncheon, both coordinated and prepared by Sydney McAbee. A lovely Gala including Havdalah, dinner and dancing is planned for Saturday evening.

In addition, Rabbi Joel Fleekop, Chuck Kahn, Bill Zimmern and Ray Engel will lead a tour of Temple Beth El’s historic cemetery on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

We have a rich history to celebrate and much to look forward to in the future!

Warmly, Janet & Chuck Kahn and Maria Goldberg

  A Message from the Social Justice Committee

Our committee extends heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to Manna Food Bank’s Fill the Mayflower campaign. This annual effort, held just before Thanksgiving, depends on the strength of our broader community—and thanks to that generosity, the Mayflower was filled with an incredible 80,000 pounds of food.

Temple Beth El supports Manna throughout the year, and on December 5th, fifteen dedicated volunteers represented our congregation by sorting and preparing food for distribution. Our wonderful team included Zvi Saltpeter, Kathy Cason, Elaine Storms, Janet and Logan Schilling, Bill Zimmern, Rabbi Joel Fleekop, Robin Mertins, Elizabeth Rumfelt, Janet Kahn, Chuck and Marty Lisner, Faye and Scott Rickoff, and myself. Guided by Manna’s staff, we worked hard, shared plenty of laughs, and enjoyed the chance to connect with one another. Volunteering together is not only meaningful—it’s genuinely fun and a great way to make new Temple friends. The impact is profound, especially knowing that children make up 61% of those served by Manna.

Our next opportunity to support this vital work will be in May, following the Postal Service’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive on May 9th. You can participate by donating food, which will be collected at your home, and/or by joining us at the food bank about two weeks later to help begin the distribution process.

We encourage you to volunteer and join us in serving those in need. More details will be shared soon. If you would like to sign up in advance, please reach out to me via call, text or email.

Best, Deborah Buchalter

Reminders:

School for Jewish Living Mitzvah Day

Symphony Shabbat

Sisterhood Book Club

Sisterhood January Luncheon and Cooking with Kate