April 26, 2023

Dear Friends,

 

I invite you to join us in person for our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 2 at 6 pm. We are appreciative to Executive Director Julianna Johnston Senturia and our entire staff for making it possible for us to return to our building for this Annual Meeting in the Hilda Bogomolny Faigin Activity Center. Please note, the damage to the part of our building which houses our worship and some meeting locations, clergy and staff offices, and kitchen, is still being assessed and that area remains off-limits. When arriving for the Annual Meeting, you must enter through the school doors at the North end of the building.


For our May 2 Annual Meeting, we will gather at 6 pm for a light dinner with the meeting to begin at 6:30 pm. Please RSVP to Barb Smith here to we can plan food and seating accordingly. The meeting will include an important update on our recovery from the fire and planned comeback, reports from our Executive Director Julianna Johnston Senturia and Treasurer Marcel Duhamel. In addition, Julie Raskind, Chair of the Exploration Committee of our conversations with The Temple-Tifereth Israel, will give us an update, and we’ll hear from Rabbis Elle Muhlbaum and Nosanchuk, and Cantor Lapin. Rabbi Caruso will not be in attendance as we are delighted to announce he will be traveling to New York to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Divinity from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in tribute to his 25 years of Jewish leadership since rabbinical ordination!

I am also looking forward to presenting this year’s President’s Award to Darrell Young, pictured, in appreciation for his contributions of time and guidance in connection with our facility. We are grateful to Darrell and his wife Andria for their deep commitment to our synagogue and Darrell’s ongoing commitment and record of strengthening our building in Beachwood. I look forward to recognizing him! 


At the Annual Meeting, we will also vote on a motion to approve the slate of nominees to serve on our Board of Directors. You must be present to vote. The following members are nominated to serve another three-year term starting July 1, 2023: Peter Brosse, Marcel Duhamel, Marilyn Goldfein, Julie Raskind, Leah Taylor, Amy Wain, and Adam Young. The following members are nominated to begin first terms of three years starting on July 1, 2023, pending an official vote at the Annual Meeting: Michael Davidson, Karen Hiller, Esther Potash, and Scott Spiegle. We will also express our gratitude to our members whose terms will be ending June 30, 2023: Lisa Berns, David Biegel, Barry Cramer, Scott Polster, Jamie Spiegle, and Annie Weinstein. 

 

Serving as your President is an honor and a joy.  One of the best parts is the opportunity I have had to meet so many wonderful members.  And we truly welcome your ideas!  So please reach out to me here if you have anything you would like to discuss or suggest concerning Fairmount Temple.  

 

Thank you for your support!  

Michele Krantz, President

 HELPING FAIRMOUNT TEMPLE'S COMEBACK AFTER THE FIRE:

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to help Fairmount Temple make a comeback from the April 13 fire, the damage of which is still being assessed. You can help by:


  • Consider making a generous donation, whether it's an additional or first donation, to our Friends of Fairmount Annual Campaign - donate online here.. You may also send a check to Friends of Fairmount, 23737 Fairmount Boulevard, Beachwood, OH 44122.


  • If you wish to make a donation for a specific aspect of this recovery, please reach out to Executive Director Julianna Johnston Senturia at Jsenturia@fairmounttemple.org or 216-464-1330. Similarly, if you might like to discuss donating stocks, annuities, or establishing Fairmount Temple as a beneficiary of a legacy gift, you may contact Julianna and she and temple leaders will be in touch to help you.


  • Plan to join us on Saturday, May 6, 6 pm, for a Candlelight Benefit Concert with Cantor Lapin, together with Elana Arian, our Artist-in-Residence, and acclaimed clarinetist Ivan Barenboim. Get your tickets here, limited number left - See below for more information about the entire weekend, supported by the Elton and Joni Katz Artist-In-Residence Fund.


This financial support we receive will be a critical element to our success!

Artist-in-Residence Elana Arian, May 5-7

We invite you to join us when we welcome one of the leading performers and composers of contemporary Jewish music Elana Arian for an weekend to include a Saturday evening Benefit Concert!

Saturday, May 6, 6 pm - Candlelight Benefit Concert: Cantor Lapin will be joined by Elana Arian, one of the leading performers and composers of contemporary Jewish music and a fantastic multi-instrumentalist, and acclaimed clarinetist Ivan Barenboim! The evening begins with wine and hors d'oeuvres, followed by this memorable concert featuring these amazing performers, and concludes with a brief and beautiful Havdalah ritual to end Shabbat.

Only a few tickets left - Reserve your tickets today here.


Even if you cannot join us for this concert in person, you can still participate by donating to our Friends of Fairmount Annual Campaign to support our beloved temple.


In addition to Saturday's concert, please join us on:

Friday, May 5, 6:15 pm – Shabbat Evening Service with Graduation: Elana Arian and our special Fairmount Temple band will musically-accompany our Shabbat service that will also celebrate and honor our Religious School Graduates.

Sunday, May 7 - Last Day of Religious School Concert: Elana Arian will perform a special concert for our Religious School families as we celebrate the end of an amazing school year!


You can listen to Elana's artistry by visiting her Spotify page or her website.

Upcoming Services and Learning


Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, April 28, 6:15 pm

Join us for this week's Shabbat Service which will be hosted at the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School (26500 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood), followed by a light oneg Shabbat reception. The service will be led by Rabbi Caruso, Cantor Lapin,and Rabbi Nosanchuk who will speak. The Shabbat Service will also be live streamed by the Mandel Jewish Day School at a special link that will be posted to our temple's live stream page here by Friday.


Shabbat Morning Torah Study, Saturday, April 29, 9:15 am

Join us for dynamic and engaging conversations around the weekly Torah portion. Learners of all levels welcome.  RSVP for Zoom link to Staci Cohen here.


Wednesday Morning Learning, 9:15 am

Rabbi Caruso is leading a new series exploring and studying passages on food found across the Talmud. Each Wednesday session will cover a specific topic/passage and you are welcome to join in as many sessions as you are able. RSVP for Zoom link to Staci Cohen here.

Phone Lines Are Working

We just got our telephone system up and working. You can now reach us by calling the same number, 216-464-1330.



Please note, the new phone system does not include individual phone lines for staff members. Instead, just call the main number, 216-464-1330, and you'll be transferred to the appropriate staff member. You can also reach staff members by email.

Be Part of an Exciting Adventure

There are just a few spots for Cantor Laureate Sarah Sager's trip to Portugal and Morocco!


Scheduled for Sept. 27 - Oct. 9, 2023, this will be an adventure of a lifetime. Together with travel guide Nir Nitzan, explore the sites, tastes, and sounds of these two countries in North Africa.


Registration forms are available by reaching out to Barb Smith here.

Special Friday Edition


Watch for a special email from us on Friday with your copy of the new May Connections!

Passover with our Preschoolers

Check out our Preschoolers and their families celebrating in our Early Childhood Center (several photos)! Spots are still open in the ECC for fall registration - reach out to Director Erika Eskenazi here.


Speaking of our amazing preschool, if you have teens, 13-17 years-old, who are interested in volunteering this summer at the Early Childhood Center, please let Erika Eskenazi know here. On Sunday May 22, at 3:30 pm, there will be an introductory meeting to include responsibilities, dates, times, and required paperwork.  

Caring Community Seeking Volunteers for Thursday - Can you help?


Volunteers will gather at MedWish International (1625 E. 31st Street, Cleveland), on Thursday, May 4, 9:30-11:30 am


This wonderful organization diverts tons of usable medical supplies from landfills to countries all over the world that don't have the medical equipment they need. Our volunteers will sort the supplies to get them ready them for distribution.


Please help accomplish this lifesaving mission! If you want more information about how this non-profit started, watch this inspiring video here.


To offer to volunteer, reach out to Wendy Jacobson here.

Member News


George Aronoff is honored by Crain’s Cleveland Eight Over 80.


Nancy Rich Drehs shares a scale study of the Holocaust memorial mural scheduled for completion by the end of the school year, and Nancy Schwartz Katz will assist with installation at Cleveland Heights High School.


Dr. Kirsten Ellenbogen, President/Chief Executive of the Great Lakes Science Center, selected by Crain’s Cleveland Notable Leader in Education.


Josh Rosenblitt is CJN's Les Levine Player of the week.


Faye Sholiton interviewed on Interplay Jewish Theatre's upcoming staged reading.


Donna & Harry Sulzer's, son and daughter-in-law James & Lindsay Sulzer, will be honored by Friendship Circle of Cleveland.

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