Nov. 28, 2023

Dear Fellow Fairmount Temple members,

I am excited to share with you an update regarding our continued conversations with The Temple-Tifereth Israel. Yesterday, the Boards of Trustees of each temple approved a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reflecting the areas of alignment we communicated to you previously, including unification in the following areas: 

• a clergy team which will be led by Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk as founding Senior Rabbi
• a physical home located on the Beachwood campus that now houses The Temple-Tifereth Israel
• a combined Religious School and Early Childhood Center
• all operations combined with one Executive Director
• a unified Board of Directors and governance structure
• and combining all financial assets to support the unified congregation.

The MOU expresses our vision of a shared future in which we come together to create an innovative, multi-generational congregation that warmly welcomes everyone and ignites engagement through robust offerings as a vibrant, spiritual community. Thank you for the feedback you have shared in our town hall meetings, emails and phone calls. From that feedback we have heard our members recognize the clear benefits of combining into a unified Congregation which I am sharing with you here.

We are continuing to do important planning and due diligence work with The Temple-Tifereth Israel to bring forward to you a more detailed plan for unification. We will continue to update you on our progress.

I hope you will be able to attend the Clergy Conversations event this Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2pm at the Temple-Tifereth Israel, which will be an opportunity to get to know clergy from both congregations, with building tours and shmoozing after. RSVP here. Streaming will also be available through The Temple-Tifereth Israel website.

As always, please reach out to me at any time with your thoughts or questions.   

Michele Krantz, 

[email protected]

P.S. You should've received an invite yesterday from Anita Gray & Dr. Tom Abelson, co-chairs of our 2023-2024 Friends of Fairmount annual campaign. Thank you to many who've already responded to their outreach. Your Friends of Fairmount campaign support is absolutely critical. Your generosity is put to work right when we receive your gift: fostering member engagement, expanding Fairmount Temple's educational offerings, strengthening our nationally-recognized social action work, and recently producing one of the most meaningful High Holy Days in our history, at Severance Hall. Please support Friends of Fairmount at this link or by sending a generous contribution to our Friends of Fairmount Annual Fund, 23737 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood, OH 44122.

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: DEC. 3 AT 2 PM, CONVERSATIONS WITH CLERGY

CO-SPONSORED BY ANSHE CHESED FAIRMOUNT TEMPLE and THE TEMPLE-TIFERETH ISRAEL

Please join us this Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2 pm, for CONVERSATIONS WITH CLERGY. This special program, to be held at The Temple-Tifereth Israel (26000 Shaker Boulevard, Beachwood), will feature a conversation with the full-time clergy from Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple and The Temple-Tifereth Israel and moderated by Adam Miller, Vice President at WKYC/TEGNA . Sharing their personal journeys and hopes for the future will be Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk, Rabbi Joshua Caruso, Rabbi Yael Dadoun, Rabbi Roger Klein, Cantor Vladimir Lapin, Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum, and Cantor Kathy Sebo. There will also be time to socialize, share a nosh, and tour TTTI.

As we continue this journey of considering the proposed unification of both temples in a new synagogue, this is a unique opportunity for all of us to gather together & learn more about each other. We hope you will join us! Let us know you're attending with your RSVP here.

NEW - the Conversations with Clergy will also be live-streamed here, Sunday, Dec. 3 at 2 pm.

SHABBAT GUEST SPEAKER / HAVDALAH / ADULT LEARNING

Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, Dec. 1, at 6:15 pm - Keisha Krumm, Lead Organizer and Executive Director Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC), will be our special guest speaker. We are proud to be a founding GCC institution, and to learn more from Keisha Krumm in GCC community organizing campaigns, leadership trainings for justice leaders of our congregations, and "actions" taken by GCC to build power for a more just and equitable Greater Cleveland. We also share our gratitude to GCC for its statement after the October 7 attack in Israel and its many GCC leaders attending the Cleveland Stands with Israel Rally in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish community. The Shabbat service this Friday will be held in person in our Hilda Bogomolny Faigin Activity Center and led by Cantor Lapin, Rabbi Caruso and Rabbi Nosanchuk. You may also pray virtually by live-stream, on YouTube, or the YouTube app on a Smart TV.

Saturday, Dec. 2 9:15 am

Shabbat Morning Torah Study- Join Rabbi Muhlbaum and fellow members for an accessible and engaging discussion of this week's Torah portion, Vayishlach, via Zoom.

Wednesdays, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 9:15 am

Adult Learning - Rabbi Caruso continues his Wednesday Zoom course for adults, A Primer on Zionism, examining the evolution of Zionism at a time when Israel and Zionism are so prominently on our minds, along with our prayers for peace and continued release of hostages held captive by Hamas.

Members: To register for Shabbat morning Torah study or any adult learning class, contact [email protected] for us to share with you the virtual learning link

Shabbat Service Celebrating Chanukah, Friday, Dec. 8, 6:15 pm - For our Shabbat Chanukah service, we invite you to bring your own household chanukiah and candles for a communal lighting of chanukkiot together in our activity center. The service will be led by all of our clergy and feature beautiful Chanukah music and celebrating consecration and leadership of our youngest religious school students marking the beginning of their Jewish education! A special Chanukah Oneg will follow!



Saturday, Dec. 16, 6 pm - Havdalah & Song Session: Fairmount Temple enjoyed such a positive reception to our October Havdalah Service and Song Session, we invite you back to join us again on Dec. 16!  Havdalah is a brief ritual that concludes Shabbat. This gathering will be for anin-person service touched by sensory experiences of sweet juice, Havdalah candle light, the smell of spices, and easy to learn melodies. Cantor Vladimir Lapin will be joined by other song leaders, at this special opportunity to draw together as a community as we end Shabbat, and begin to look toward a new week with prayers and hope.