Beth El Life

Monthly Bulletin of Temple Beth El Congregation

May 2026 | Iyar - Sivan 5786

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Birthdays & Anniversaries

May Shabbat Worship

Friday, May 1 \| 6:00 pm	Shabbat Worship & Dinner: 8th Grade Class Shabbat featuring the Temple Beth El Youth Ensemble
Friday, May 8\| 7:00 pm	Shabbat Worship: Baccalaureate Shabbat
Friday, May 15 \| 6:00 pm	Shabbat Worship & Dinner: Kindergarten Class Shabbat
Friday, May 22 \| 7:00 pm	Shabbat Worship: Shabbat Shavuot and Confirmation Class Service
Saturday, May 23 \| 10:00 am	Shabbat Morning Worship and Adult B'nai Mitzvah
Friday, May 29 \| 7:00 pm	Shabbat Worship

Adult Learning Opportunities

Torah Study: Book of Deuteronomy

Saturdays, May 2 and May 16 | 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. Breakfast will be served. For more information contact Rabbi Joel.

Adult B’nai Mitzvah

Continuing Tuesdays, May 5 and May 19 | 10:30 am | Temple Beth El

The group meets twice monthly in preparation for the special B'nai Mitzvah service on Saturday, May 23. For more info, please contact Rabbi Joel.

Torah on Tap

Tuesday, May 5 | 5:00 pm | Odd Colony Brewery, 260 N. Palafox

Join us for an adult beverage, lively conversation, and Jewish learning. This month's topic will be "Buried in the Special Section: Is Larry David Correct About Jews and Tattoos?" Schmoozing starts at 5:00, learning at 5:30. For more information contact Rabbi Joel.

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.

Annual Congregational Meeting | Sunday, May 17th at 10:00 am

All congregants are encouraged to attend in order to stay informed, vote on critical matters, and be part of the decision-making process that shapes the future of our community. Important topics will include: finance review and 2026-2027 Annual Budget adoption, ratification and approval of new Board Members, Committee Reports and more.

If you are a member of the congregation and did not receive the Annual Meeting Packet via email, please contact Jessica Jacobson.

We look forward to your presence and participation!

Click Here to RSVP

Manna Food Drive - Volunteers Needed!

Thursday, May 21 | 1:00 - 4:00 pm

The Social Justice Committee is excited to announce our annual collaboration with Manna Food Bank and the National Association of Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Thanks to the incredible support of our community, more than 665,900 pounds of nonperishable food donations were provided to Manna in 2025!

This year's food drive is taking place on Saturday, May 9.

Look for a bag to be placed in your mailbox, fill it with your generous donations, and simply place it back in your mailbox for pickup.

To support the food drive, we will be volunteering at Manna on Thursday May 21 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm (please note the time change). Activities will include sorting, checking donated packages, and more.

We need ten volunteers to meet at Manna (3030 N. E Street) for a fun afternoon of socializing and meaningful work to help prepare food products for distribution to our community. Volunteers should be 12 years of age or older, and must wear closed-toe shoes.

Together, we can help make a difference in the lives of many. To volunteer, please reach out to me at debrbuch@icloud.com.

Deborah Buchalter

Social Justice Committee

Confirmation Service and Celebration

Friday, May 22 | 7:00 pm

Join us as we celebrate Shabbat Shavuot and honor this year's Confirmation Class with a special service planned and led by our High School students.

Following service a celebratory oneg will be held in the Max L. Bear Auditorium.

Mazel Tov to this year's confirmands!

Austin Bodkin

Alex Greenhut

Jonathan Hochhauser

Seth Kerman

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to our Brentwood Elementary snack drive! Thanks to your generosity, we were able to deliver a wonderful collection of snacks to help fuel their students through end-of-year testing.

Your kindness makes a difference!

A sincere thank you to everyone who has sponsored an Oneg over the past several months.

As summer approaches, each Friday night Oneg will be hosted by a congregation member or family, who will provide the main entrée for the evening. This is a wonderful opportunity for each host to showcase their culinary creativity and share a special dish with our community.

To add an extra layer of excitement, hosts are encouraged to choose a theme for their dinner entree. Whether it's Tex-Mex, Italian, Mediterranean, or any other cuisine you love, let your imagination guide you! This allows other members to bring complementary dishes that align with the chosen theme, fostering a sense of community and shared enjoyment.

We encourage everyone to participate! To sign up and/or inquire about available dates, please contact Sydney McAbee . We look forward to a summer filled with delicious meals, warm fellowship, and cherished traditions.

Click Here to Host a Summer Oneg

Reminders:

Temple Beth El

Gift Shop

Stop by the Gift Shop to browse our beautiful selection of gifts, jewelry, greeting cards and more!

Hours:

Monday - Friday

8:00 am - 2:00 pm

A Message from the Mitzvah Caring Committee

Temple Beth El's Mitzvah Caring Committee continues its important work of supporting those in our community who need assistance. Whether it's providing a home-cooked meal, making a friendly visit, or offering a compassionate phone call to someone who is ill, experiencing depression, or grieving a loss, our team stands ready to help.

If you know of anyone in our congregation who could benefit from these services, or if you would like to join this meaningful committee, please contact Rabbi Joel, Kym Lewis or Elaine Storms.

A Message from the Cemetery Committee

While it can be difficult to think about the end of our lives, it is an act of kindness to our loved ones to preplan our final arrangements. The Temple Beth El Cemetery offers the pre-purchase of Perpetual Care Agreements to Temple members for $3,000.

For more information, please contact Ray Engel at 850-516-3495.