|
Dear Congregants:
Our Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum was recently elevated to a full-time role at Fairmount Temple! A native Buckeye, Rabbi Muhlbaum returned to Ohio in 2020 after several years as Rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Great Neck, NY. Her initial role here was entirely focused on education. But we've delighted to see her take on additional roles. Indeed many have shared enthusiasm for Rabbi Muhlbaum's soul-stirring sermons, such as her 2022 Erev Rosh Hashanah sermon, Living Our Weeks. Nor have people forgotten her Yom Kippur afternoon sermon in 2021 when Rabbi Muhlbaum retold the story of Jonah incorporating her compelling teaching in English and beautiful chanting in Hebrew. See Rabbi Muhlbaum deliver her 2021 Yom Kippur sermon here!
Beginning July 2023, Rabbi Muhlbaum's role has shifted. She works alongside Staci Cohen, RJE, who has now assumed the role of Religious School Director. During this transition, Rabbi Muhlbaum continues to be an empowering and unflagging support to our educational programming and educational team as its clergy liaison. This summer our whole congregation beamed with pride as Rabbi Muhlbaum received city-wide recognition along with two other members, Dr. Scott Yasinow and Andrew Kahn. They are three of the "12 under 36" Cleveland Jewish News awardees! See this recent CJN feature about Rabbi Muhlbaum! Also, see this CJN story honoring all 12 honorees of the CJN at last night's award reception! Congratulations to Andrew (and his spouse Alina) Kahn, Dr. Scott (and his spouse Dr. Sasha) Yasinow and Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum (and her spouse Cantor Vladimir Lapin)!
We're excited to help even more of our members make meaningful connections with Rabbi Muhlbaum. If you haven't yet had a chance to connect with her, there are lots of opportunities ahead! Want to meet Rabbi Muhlbaum in the office or for a cup of coffee? Email here or call 216-464-1330. Schmooze with Rabbi Muhlbaum after an upcoming Shabbat or holiday service, or reach out for Rabbi Muhlbaum's pastoral support when you need the care and attention of clergy.
| |
Rabbi Muhlbaum thoughtfully guides our members celebrating B'nai Mitzvah (pictured here officiating at her nephew's bar mitzvah), weddings, and baby namings. She also loves crafting meaningful, customized rituals to mark special moments of transition in meaningful ways, and helping folks make deeper connections to Jewish life at any juncture!
She is currently preparing a special adult education course, Held on Zoom, Wednesdays beginning October 4. her subject is fostering civil discourse in what has become an often bitterly divided society. (learn more in this E-Connections about Machloket Matters, a special 5-session course available to members. Email [email protected] to register.)
Rabbi Muhlbaum welcomes your input as she continues to develop the Tamid initiative, a nascent Fairmount Temple effort to strengthen our connection to young adults. Finally, many of our members have been working with Rabbi Muhlbaum and our lay co-chairs on expanding abortion access in Ohio, working closely with RAC-Ohio (Ohio Religious Action Center) on a campaign to advance reproductive freedom. It's not too late to get involved in our congregation's Abortion Access Working Group!
| |
Fairmount Temple members Eric & Marcy Silver recently wrote to share gratitude for Rabbi Muhlbaum's officiation at a triple-baby-naming of their three new grandchildren. They wrote: "We loved how Rabbi Muhlbaum spoke with first-hand knowledge about loved ones whose memories were honored by the names given to each grandchild. Her warmth, sincerity, expertise, and over-flowing love of family helped made our celebration so special. We look forward to Rabbi Muhlbaum's leadership in future life-cycle events!"
The gratitude of this mazel-filled note sent by the Silver family (pictured with Rabbi Muhlbaum) underscores her accessibility, a prominent commitment within Rabbi Muhlbaum's rabbinate. For Rabbi Muhlbaum, personal outreach to our members is a priority. This strengthens each life-cycle event she leads and makes it enriching for congregants to study and worship with her. Her accessibility radiated to hundreds of interfaith and civic leaders this March, guests who joined us in our Penni & Stephen Weinberg Social Hall at the AJC-Cleveland Interfaith Passover Seder, expertly led by Rabbi Muhlbaum and Cantor Lapin. We believe that same joy in learning with her prompted dozens of travelers to register to join her and Cantor Lapin on December's spectacular Fairmount Temple multigenerational Israel adventure! If you might still want to join the group traveling to Israel, there are still a couple of spaces available. To join, email Rabbi Muhlbaum!
As the New Year of 5784 approaches, we wish you a year of happiness, health and prosperity. May Rosh Hashanah launch a year when you make or renew your connection with our Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum and all of our Fairmount Temple clergy, educators, staff, and fellow members! Shana Tova!
Michele Krantz
President, Fairmount Temple
Robert A. Nosanchuk , pronouns: he/him/his
Senior Rabbi, Fairmount Temple
| |
|
Selichot, Saturday Evening, Sept. 9
The introspective rituals of Selichot ("penitential prayers") are held each year on the last Saturday evening before Rosh Hashanah. Our worship begins with our senses heightened by the Havdalah rituals concluding the Sabbath. Then our Fairmount Temple tradition is to communally change the covers of our Torah scrolls to High Holy Day robes, accompanied by beautiful and majestic High Holy Day melodies. Selichot prayers are meant to be said in the mid or late evening, based on the idea that our final thoughts and words on Selichot are words God and community find sincere, penitent and true. Selichot will be held on Saturday evening, Sept. 9. This year it will be hosted at The Temple-Tifereth Israel (26000 Shaker Blvd., Beachwood). Join our clergy and temple members for a lovely reception at 8:30 pm, and stay at TTTI for the beautiful Selichot worship at 9:00 pm, co-led by our Cantor Vladimir Lapin and Rabbis Elle Muhlbaum, Joshua Caruso and Robert Nosanchuk, along with Cantor Kathy Sebo, Rabbis Yael Dadoun and Roger Klein. We will pray from Fairmount Temple's prayerbook for Selichot and the month of Elul, a beautiful compendium of prayers called Mishkan Halev. Join the reception at 8:30pm, and Selichot worship at 9 pm at TTTI,(26000 Shaker Blvd., Beachwood) or pray with us by live-stream. You'll find the link at ttti.org!
| |
|
Would You Like To Help Make These High Holy Day Services
at Severance Music Center Special?
Fairmount Temple can use your help. We want to assure that a welcoming and secure atmosphere awaits our worshippers on the High Holy Days. Volunteers are needed to help us check admission passes and welcome worshippers to Severance Music Center. We need extra people to greet fellow worshippers and direct people to service locations, to carts to borrow a prayerbook from our lending library, to meet a temple staff member to ask a question, or to a convenient place to nurse or change a baby? Help us make a difference and set a tone at our High Holy Days at Severance Music Center of inclusivity and connection! Please volunteer soon by emailing Yael Casselberry on our staff or call her at 216-464-1330. Thank You!
| |
|
SHABBAT SERVICE
This Friday, Sept. 1, 6:15 pm, Cantor Vladimir Lapin and Rabbi Rob Nosanchuk will lead the service, our third Shabbat of the month of Elul, in Fairmount Temple's Hilda Bogomolny Faigin Activity Center. You may also pray virtually using our live-streaming page, Facebook, or YouTube Channel. If you usually view Shabbat worship on YouTube or on YouTube app on your Smart TV, please connect on our YouTube channel to pray virtually with us each week!
Click here for the list of names being read in memoriam during the service.
| |
VIRTUAL ADULT LEARNING
Saturday, Sept. 2, 9:15 am, Shabbat Morning Torah Join a compelling study of the weekly Torah portion led by Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum. We'd love to have you participate, & to know Rabbi Muhlbaum. Join fellow temple members pursuing lifelong learning!
| |
Wednesday, Sept. 6, 9:15 am - Join an engaging course, Windows on Teshuvah, led by temple member Rabbi Rabbi Thalia Halpert Rodis chaplain at the Cleveland Clinic. The course focuses on the central concept ofTeshuvah ("repentance") our human capacity to change, a critically important theme to our members as we anticipate our upcoming High Holy Day traditions.
Members should email [email protected] to register for Adult Education and receive access to Zoom links.
| |
BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE REMINDER
This Thursday, Aug. 31, is the final day to update or add names of loved ones you want to honor in the Book of Remembrance. This memorial book is distributed annually during our Yom Kippur Yizkor Memorial Service on Monday, Sept. 25, at 3:30 pm. You may click here to add (or confirm) your Book of Remembrance listing Questions? call us by August 31 at 216-464-1330.
| |
PLAN NOW TO LEARN
WITH RABBI MUHLBAUM:
9:15 am: October 4, 11, 18, 25,
and November 1
Join Rabbi Muhlbaum for a special new Zoom-based adult education offering, Machloket Matters. a course focused on fostering civil discourse. Rabbi Muhlbaum will show our members studying on Zoom how diverse interpretations of ancient and contemporary Jewish texts can empower us to engage more constructively in disagreements. After her recent specialized educational training with Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies based in Jerusalem, Rabbi Muhlbaum is offering Machloket Matters on five upcoming Wednesday mornings.
The course is based on the Jewish principle of "constructive disagreement for the sake of heaven" (machloket l'sheim shamayim). This is an important value to examine at a time when we've come to realize we are living in a time of unprecedented breakdown in civil discourse that permeates our Jewish community. Can Judaism help us come to terms with what appear to be irreconcilable differences and views? Especially as we approach the upcoming 2023 and 2024 election seasons, addressing such issues carries a special relevance. Join us!
To study with Rabbi Muhlbaum on Zoom, Wednesdays at 9:15 am, Oct. 4 - Nov. 1. You must register. Also consider registering for her weekly Shabbat Morning Torah class held at 9:15am Saturday mornings on zoom. Email [email protected] to register.
| |  |
|
IN SADNESS WE SHARE THE PASSING OF OUR MEMBER:
Henry Edheimer
| |
HIGH HOLY DAY PACKETS WITH REQUIRED FOR-ENTRY PASSES WILL BE MAILED THIS WEEK
All Fairmount Temple members current with their member commitment will soon receive High Holy Day packets in the mail, including required-for-entry admission cards & details on picking up a parking pass (if you need one) for High Holy Days at Severance Music Center. You'll also find:
-
Instructions on obtaining, purchasing or borrowing a prayer book. At our main congregational worship (Mishkan Hanefesh) or at our High Holy Day worship for school-aged children (Mishkan Hanefesh For Youth).
- Directions for live-streaming High Holy Day worship to help you pray remotely.
-
Details about parking. We also suggest joining other neighbors or family to carpool to services.
-
If you are not sure you are current with your membership commitment, contact Julianna Johnston Senturia, Executive Director or Joey Laidman, Membership Coordinator, We all want help you gain and retain all the benefits of Fairmount Temple membership: including High Holy Day participation, year-round Fairmount Temple clergy support, adult education and religious school registration, burial rights at our Mayfield Cemetery, and so much more!
|  | |
FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP FOR OUR FAIRMOUNT TEMPLE ISRAEL TRIP
A few spots remain on the Fairmount Temple multi-generational Israel Adventure. Registration will close soon. Led by Cantor Vladimir Lapin and Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum, this exciting trip begins Dec. 23, 2023.
- See Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Galilee
- Connect to the Land, People and State of Israel
- Explore your relationship to Israel and the Jewish People
If you are interested, reach out to either Cantor Lapin or Rabbi Muhlbaum soon.
More trip details can be found here.
| |
MEMBER NEWS
Leah Taylor shares the importance of the PJ Library program in Cleveland, a program funded in part by our temple members Iris & Mort (of blessed memory) November.
Cathe Schwartz interviewed about the Sept. 10 Pals In Motion fundraiser to support InMotion.
Joel Fox, Greg Marcus and Shelley Marcus pictured in CJN coverage of a special award being given to a leader at Menorah Park.
Beth Wain Brandon, chair of this year's annual campaign to support the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, invites volunteers and donors to support the Sep.10 Super Sunday Campaign Kickoff
| |
|
Sharing Our New Issue of Connections
Your new Sept/Oct Connections newsletter is in the mail to all member households. If you don't receive it in the mail, or want a copy of any of our recent Connections newsletters, call our office at 216-464-1330, and we'll make sure we have your correct contact mailing information and send it out to you! Also if you haven't received your Sept/Oct Connections newsletter yet, we invite you to click here for the virtual edition. as you plan to connect with Fairmount Temple over the next couple of months!
| | | | |
