You may not know that according to Jewish mystical teachings, each month brings down the energy of a particular Hebrew letter and a special talent or one of the five senses. The Book of Formation (Sefer Yetzirah) associates this month, Tammuz, with the sense of sight and the letter chet. These are spiritual tools provided by God to help us repair the world. But how do we crack their code? A good place to begin is with their first mention in the Torah. Where does the letter chet first appear, and what is the first mention of sight? Both appear within the first four verses of Genesis (1:2-4) ...

This issue of TBC Connections is all about the importance of community! How we connect and support each other as a community is vital to how we exist in the world as Jews, and we want everyone who is a part of Temple B’nai Chaim to know exactly how much connection is happening in our community! We, your leadership team and clergy, are so excited about ALL the amazing initiatives, events, plans and conversations that are taking place in our synagogue community, and we want YOU to be involved!

I joined TBC more than 20 years ago to find a way to give back. During that time I've received far more than I have given - a spiritual home, an opportunity to learn and share my thoughts, an adult B'nai Mitzvah (one of the best moments of my life), volunteering with an incredible group of extremely talented individuals and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Josh was born and raised in Toronto Canada. A grandson of Hungarian Holocaust survivors, Josh grew up in a Jewish home feeling a special bond with Jewish life (whether he liked it or not…). Josh is nephew to well known Long Island reform Rabbi Marc Gellman and is looking to eclipse his rabbinical accolades he kids… Josh is honored to serve on the Executive Board hoping to lend any and all support to the TBC community starting with a monthly Movie Night both for families and adults. Having recently moved from Los Angeles, Josh credits his new Connecticut life to his wife Ariel, owner of Wild Child Toys, Books, and Games in Wilton, along with his daughters Olive and Miel. Josh is a film and tv producer, formerly of Sony Pictures and 20th Century Fox. 

As Second Vice President on the Executive Committee, I help support senior leadership in determining our future direction. I also serve as the B'nai Mitzvah Coordinator, a role that has enabled me to help families guide their children through this rite of passage into adulthood. My experiences at TBC have taught me that there are many ways for members to be connected to the larger community, depending upon their interests and their stage of life.

My family has always been a part of TBC, and at any given event you may see any one of three generations of our family here.TBC has been a part of so many important rites of passage - the marriage to my husband, the birth, religious education and bar mitzvah of our son, bereavements. As a member of the Communications Committee, I’m always interested in finding new and better ways to inform, educate and engage members of the community. I’m also actively involved in and energized by TBC’s commitment to social justice and community building.

I was a member at TBC from 2005-2024 – we have recently moved to Bethesda, MD, but I will continue (temporarily) as the Treasurer until a replacement has been identified and a transition has taken place. I’m essentially a ‘Jack-of-all Trades’ (and some might add – correctly - Master of None) and – sort of – retired at the end of 2021, only to find so many volunteer opportunities awaiting me that I wonder when I ever found the time to hold down a full-time job. Looking forward to not having to take care of our last home in Weston, which was sold last month – and having some free time to attend to some of the items on my bucket list, whilst greatly missing the entire TBC community.

For more than 30 years I have served in a variety of volunteer capacities including, Chair of Education Committee, First Vice President and President. I love making sure that Jews have a beautiful and contemplative place to connect. I am committed to having our programs represent the best aspects of a Jewish identity: community, social justice, on-going learning, spirituality and joy.

In my current role I help to support leadership in governance and in building our community, provide historical perspectives when needed and act as liaison between various committees and the Executive Committee. Being a member and leader at TBC has been a gift - one that has given me some of the dearest friends one can ask for, a deeper understanding of my faith and an opportunity to give back to the world through service and social action.  

Religious School

We are currently in the process of collecting Religious School Registrations for the 2024-2025 school year! If you would like to receive more information about Religious School, or request to receive monthly Religious School newsletters, please contact the Assistant Education Director, Ellie Gluck!

Membership

Every congregation has a heartbeat and for TBC, this is the membership committee. Our mission is to bring the life blood of welcoming and fun programming to our current and future members. Committee members, Allie Berger-Rabinowitz, Beth Brown, Pamela Friedman, Rachel Langberg and Rachel Sanderson represent our communities (Wilton, Ridgefield, Redding) and the various strata of membership (school age, teens, young adults and empty nesters). Each month there is programming to which any new family would be welcome as well as all the programming for our current families. And if there is a program you would like to create, reach out to one of us to help you get started. For July and August we have two free evenings to which members and non-members are welcome! - --

• July 28th (noon-2): Summer Splash Meet and Greet. Pizza lunch and Ice Cream truck are provided for families with young children (up to 2nd grade) to enjoy a wading pool, splash mat, lawn games and sidewalk chalk. It is a wonderful chance to get to know our Cantor and Assistant Education Director while just relaxing and enjoying the water and sun
• August 20th (6:00 - 9:00) - "Afro-Semitic Experience" at Redding's Topstone Park. Bring a picnic dinner and TBC will provide the popsicles. Enjoy the beachfront, the playground and a hike along the pond trail. Starting at 7:00 the town of Redding will be providing a musical experience for all.  

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Needed Now More Than Ever: TBC

"A diverse community filled with love, acceptance and a social conscience striving to make the world a better place. Temple B'nai Chaim is your spiritual home - regardless of how you connect to Judaism." Visit us at: templebnaichaim.org.

Communications

TBC's Communications team certainly has their work cut out for them! Under the guidance of Ellie Gluck, who has taken on the role of Communications Coordinator, we are looking to expand on what we are currently doing to include a monthly TBC Connections newsletter as well as maintaining our weekly Chailites. We are excited to announce that we will transitioning to Rakefet Online, which will really add to our team's productivity as this transition will allow for forms and bill payments to be made online through individual member portals and for new communication tools to be implemented! We are always looking to hear feedback from congregants, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us at any time at communications@templebnaichaim.org!

Social Action

Social Action continues to help out at Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen in Danbury the first Wednesday of each month, serving take away meals to those in need, Laundry Love, and Tuesday and Friday mornings at Daily Bread Food Pantry in Danbury. All are excellent opportunities to reach out to the community and it feels great to help others. There are excellent volunteers and we have fun while helping. Depending on Bridge of Hope patients, there may be need for support over the summer. We usually find out close to the time of a patient with cystic fibrosis arriving due to visa issues. If you are interested in helping at any of these, you can get more information on the Social Action page on the website or reach out to Jane Alexander and/or Peggy Zamore.

Kulanu

TBC’s social action group Against Antisemitism and Hate concludes its second year implementing the ADL’s Kulanu endeavor. The ADL provides synagogue participants with educational webinars, meetings and assistance. With their support, the partnering synagogue

creates and delivers programming to address Antisemitism. These programs occur both inside its temple walls and outside, engaging temple members and neighboring partners within our local towns . Our spin off project, Confronting Hate in Our Community started its real work this past May and June to prevent and rectify hate incidents, as well as to offer support to our friends of other faiths, color, gender and sexual orientation. Kulanu has partnered with our religious school to introduce Anti Semitism and Holocaust in age appropriate curriculum. We have brought in ADL speakers to guide adults and teens to constructively recognize, speak about and report Antisemitism and all incidents of hate. Please watch out for and plan to attend our Kulanu sponsored educational and social events. Our group meets monthly on Zoom and in person. We seek temple members to join us...Webinars and live events will keep you informed. By joining us, you will play a meaningful role in the fight against antisemitism and all hate in our community. You may contact Bonnie Heft, TBC’s Kulanu

coordinator at Kulanu@templebnaichaim.org.

Adult Education Opportunities

If you would like to enroll in Morah Ellie Gluck's Adult Religious School, request specific programming, would like to share program ideas or have an interest in joining the Adult Education Committee, please click here!

House/Building

Stay tuned for upcoming information in our next issue!

Finance Committee

Assisted with the review and finalization of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Will continue to work with the Treasurer this month to assess financial needs. For more information, please contact Jessica Diskin Evans.

Progress of our Future Preschool

We are in the process of forming a committee to work on this exciting initiative and exploring grant opportunities. If you would like to participate or are looking for more information, please contact June Mara.

Sisterhood

The Temple B’nai Chaim Sisterhood is a warm, vibrant, and welcoming group dedicated to the fellowship, spirituality, social connection and sustainable financial stewardship of our membership and of Temple B’nai Cham (TBC). We love Judaism, one another, and our wider community. We are inclusive to all interested TBC members, as well as members of the larger community interested in women and Judaism, to join our circle. Sisterhood is affiliated with the Women of Reform Judiaism network. Click here to become a member, or contact sisterhood@templebnaichaim.org for more information.

Movie Committee

Please join us for an evening at the movies with hosts Josh Friedman, former studio exec at Sony and producer, and Richard Lerner, Digital Imaging specialist. Each month a new film will be screened and discussed from the Jewish perspective as well as other cinematic themes, alternating between Adult movie nights on Tuesdays and Shabbat movie nights on Fridays that are more family-friendly. On Tuesday, July 30, we will be viewing the movie "Everything is Illuminated." On Friday, August 23, we will be viewing the popular Disney movie "Wreck It Ralph." In this 2012 animated film, a video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives. If you would like to join the committee or would like to share any suggestions, please contact Josh Friedman and/or Richard Lerner.