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Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley offers something for everyone, including the weekly study of Torah with Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, a four-week class on Kabbalah, or an interfaith study open to Jewish and non-Jewish members of the West Valley, or a Scholar-in-residence speaker on the Holocaust. Temple Beth Shalom hosts “Jews and Judaism in Morocco" course in December A unique three-part series featuring a slideshow of “Jews and Judaism in Morocco” today is being presented to all interested persons in December at Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley. Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan recently returned from an educational trip to Morocco sponsored by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. The group of rabbis met with members of the Jewish community in Casablanca, Marrakech, Fez and elsewhere. They visited all sorts of different historical sites dealing with the history of the Jews in Morocco. Morocco historically hosted the largest Jewish population in the Arab world, with a presence for over 2,000 years, but the community has significantly dwindled from a peak of over 250,000 in the 1940s to about 2,000 today, largely due to emigration following the establishment of Israel and other factors. Rabbi Kaplan extended his stay in the country, which enabled him to visit Berbers in desert areas and other fascinating sites which he will discuss and also show photos of and place into context. The course will be offered from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursdays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18 at the Temple, 12202 N. 101st Ave. in Sun City. The cost is $20 for TBS members and $35 for non-members. Registration deadline is at noon Dec. 1. Contact the Temple office at 623.977.3240 or templebethshalomaz@gmail.com to register and pay the course fee.

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley offers many educational opportunities for all ages, including adult education, Torah study, Bar and Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, Religious School and Scholars-in-Residence. Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley offers many educational opportunities for all ages, including: Adult Education : We offer a variety of educational opportunities, such as a series about Judaism and humor. Torah Studies : During weekly Torah study sessions on Zoom, participants have a lively study of the weekly portion of the Torah. Religious School: We have a very small school which allows us to provide individual attention. Bar or Bat Mitzvah and Confirmation : We have a multi-year program for children to learn about Judaism, our prayers and basic Hebrew. Scholar-in Residence : Our Scholar-in-Residence have included Rabbi David Frankel from the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem. Jewish education is the teaching and transmission of the knowledge, ideas, practices, and character traits of the Jewish religion and has been valued since the birth of Judaism. In the Hebrew Bible, Abraham is lauded for instructing his offspring in God's ways. The act of study can serve as a transformative experience for us, changing the ways that we understand and interact with the world. On the third day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt, God descended in a cloud upon Mount Sinai in view of the entire Children of Israel. According to The Book of Exodus chapter 19, God began speaking directly to the people, uttering the first two of the Ten Commandments. This marked the beginning of God’s giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. The word “Torah” means the Five Books of Moses but in a broader sense it symbolizes all of the efforts of Jewish education. Torah is a framework and tradition that helps us make sense of our lives and build our own individual system of faith that can make our lives laden with spiritual significance. But for any of this to make sense and therefore provide personal as well as communal meaning, we need to study it in order to understand Torah and then be able to integrate it into our lives and absorb it into our very essence — our souls. Education

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley offers something for everyone, including the weekly study of Torah with Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, a four-week class on Kabbalah, or an interfaith study open to Jewish and non-Jewish members of the West Valley, or a Scholar-in-residence speaker on the Holocaust. ALEF-BET: Beginning Hebrew for Adults "ALEF – BET: Beginning Hebrew for Adults" will be offered at Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley. TBSWV Board Vice President Mariane Anderson will teach the three-month course, which will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays: Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28; Nov. 4,11,18 and 25 and Dec. 2, 9, 16 and 23. Deadline for registration is Oct. 1. It’s never too late to learn to read Hebrew! Here is your chance. Beginning from scratch, we will go through each of the Hebrew letters as well as each vowel and explain how you put together sounds and eventually words. This will be a beginning course for those who would like to read prayer book Hebrew. It will require some practice at home and some perseverance after the course ends but it is definitely possible to learn to read the Hebrew letters from the prayer book. Even if you are not entirely successful, the familiarity with Hebrew that you will acquire will make you feel more connected to the Friday night prayer service and Judaism as a whole. Mariane has many years of experience teaching Hebrew to children and adults. She has taught group classes as well as tutoring one to two students. Her previous students will tell you that she is very patient. The cost for the 12-week course is $35 per month, which includes all course materials. Contact the Temple Office at 623.977.3240 or templebethshalomaz@gmail.com to register and make payment.

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley offers something for everyone, including the weekly study of Torah with Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, a four-week class on Kabbalah, or an interfaith study open to Jewish and non-Jewish members of the West Valley, or a Scholar-in-residence speaker on the Holocaust. Archeological journey through Middle East course Have you wondered what it was like to live in ancient Israel? Or daydreamed about standing in the Second Temple? If so, Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley’s interfaith course, “An Archeological Journey through the Middle East” is for you! The course will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 3, 10 and 17 at the Temple, 12202 N. 101st Ave. in Sun City. Join Rebecca Bookman-Zander as she uses archeology to dive into the lives of ancient Israelites and answer these questions: Is there any evidence for an exodus from Egypt? Were David and Soloman real? What was life like in Roman-occupied Judea? Questions like these have been at the heart of rigorous debate for decades. We will explore the evidence, interpret ancient inscriptions and discover the lessons that lay beneath the ruins willing to speak with us today. Rebecca, who is a TBS member, has studied archeological sites in the Mediterranean, North Africa and was part of an excavation at Tel Gezer in Israel. She holds a master’s degree in archeology from Arizona State University. The registration deadline is Oct. 29. Course fee is $20 for members and $35 for nonmembers, or one course coupon. Books of four coupons are $65 for members and $120 for nonmembers. Contact the Temple office at 623.977.3240 or templebethshalomaz@gmail.com to register. More information is available at tbsaz.org .

At Temple Beth Shalom, we celebrate Jewish religious holidays like Passover with meaningful rituals. We also commemorate national holidays like Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Thanksgiving. On Christmas Eve, we sometimes go out to a Chinese restaurant in Jewish fashion. Celebrating Jewish and National Holidays at Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley At Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, we celebrate Jewish religious holidays like Passover with meaningful rituals, usually on the nearest Friday night. We also celebrate or commemorate national holidays such as Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Thanksgiving. This past year, we decided to mark Christmas Eve in traditional Jewish fashion by going out to a Chinese restaurant! Tickets are available for non-members for our High Holy Days 5785 services .

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Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley offers something for everyone, including the weekly study of Torah with Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, a four-week class on Kabbalah, or an interfaith study open to Jewish and non-Jewish members of the West Valley, or a Scholar-in-residence speaker on the Holocaust. Jewish Humor course in December In our last series on Jewish humor, Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan played clips of various Jewish comedians, which covered a fairly broad time frame and presented Jewish humor from a historic perspective. By far, the most popular was a young comedian that none of us had ever heard of. He goes by the name of MODI. His comedic inspirations are Don Rickles, Jackie Mason, George Carlin and Louis CK. He attributes his comedic timing to Alan King. In this new three-part adult education series, we will listen to more MODI and analyze both his style and content. We invite all who are interested in good Jewish humor to join Rabbi Kaplan from 10-11:30 a.m. Mondays, Dec. 1, 8 and 15, for this entertaining series. Modi Rosenfeld, short for Mordechai, known professionally as Modi — stylized as MODI — is an Israeli-American stand-up comedian and actor. He is known for his Jewish humor and has created a niche within the Jewish community, performing for Orthodox, Reform and other non-Orthodox audiences around the world. MODI studied cantorial music at Yeshiva University’s Belz School of Music and continues to sing as a hobby at the Orthodox synagogue where he prays. He is gay and legally married his partner, Leo Veiga, in 2020. Veiga, who is MODI’s manager, was raised Catholic. MODI was a Wall Street international banker for Merrill Lynch before entering comedy. The cost is $20 for Temple Beth Shalom members and $35 for non-members. Deadline for registration is noon Monday, Nov. 24. Register and pay by calling the Temple office at 623-977-3240.

From canned goods to cereal, Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley members make donations as part of the "Can Do" monthly campaign to benefit the Valley View Community Food Bank. Drop off your donations in the Temple lobby. Community Projects From canned goods to cereal, Temple members make donations as part of the "Can Do" monthly campaign to benefit the Valley View Community Food Bank. Temple members are also collecting pop tabs from aluminum cans for the Ronald McDonald House. Drop off your donations in the Temple lobby.

Helene Fox is synagogue administrator for Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, a Reform Jewish congregation that provides compassionate services to Jews in Glendale, Peoria, Sun Cities, Goodyear, Buckeye, Tolleson, Litchfield Park, Surprise, El Mirage, Avondale and Waddell. Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley Staff Patti Weiner Patti Weiner is the Temple’s Office Administrator. She is a professional with extensive working knowledge of administration, human resources, marketing and accounting fields. Patti spent a majority of her life in Chicago but relocated to Arizona six years ago to be closer to family. Her husband, Jeff, and their daughter, Amanda, live in Peoria, and they love the warmer temperatures and sunshine all year-round. Patti is thrilled to be a part of the Temple family and looks forward to meeting everyone.

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's Hy Mandell Biblical Gardens has plants and trees noted in the Bible. Trees include fig trees, a large carob, almond, citron, henna, acacia, olive trees, Aleppo pines, pomegranate and frankincense. Plants include a rose garden, myrtle bushes and cassia bushes. Hy Mandell Biblical Garden Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's Biblical Garden were created by member Hy Mandell. The Garden has trees and plants which are noted in the Bible. Trees include fig trees, a large carob, almond, citron, henna, acacia, olive trees, Aleppo pines, pomegranate and frankincense. Plants include a rose garden, myrtle bushes, cassia bushes, cedar, rosemary, agave and aloe. In addition, there is an arbor with rose bushes and a Jacob’s ladder. A slate path leads around the Garden with “stepping stones” covered with stain glass art work created by congregants. A highlight of the Garden is that each tree or plant also has a plaque labeling the plant plus the Biblical reference in English and Hebrew. A geniza vault was added by Hy to the Garden for the proper burial of older, unusable books and artifacts. Adjacent to the Garden is the Sukkah frame. Every Sukkot, the Brotherhood places palm fronds on the top of the Sukkah and the religious school students decorate it. The Garden was used by the religious school for gatherings. Their students added plants to the herb garden. Over the years, the Garden has been maintained by members of the congregation. Pam Katz is the Garden's “Guardian.” She helps with the tree trimming, raking and handiwork by fellow congregants.

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley offers something for everyone, including the weekly study of Torah with Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, a four-week class on Kabbalah, or an interfaith study open to Jewish and non-Jewish members of the West Valley, or a Scholar-in-residence speaker on the Holocaust. Temple Beth Shalom hosts “Jews and Judaism in Morocco" course in December A unique three-part series featuring a slideshow of “Jews and Judaism in Morocco” today is being presented to all interested persons in December at Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley. Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan recently returned from an educational trip to Morocco sponsored by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. The group of rabbis met with members of the Jewish community in Casablanca, Marrakech, Fez and elsewhere. They visited all sorts of different historical sites dealing with the history of the Jews in Morocco. Morocco historically hosted the largest Jewish population in the Arab world, with a presence for over 2,000 years, but the community has significantly dwindled from a peak of over 250,000 in the 1940s to about 2,000 today, largely due to emigration following the establishment of Israel and other factors. Rabbi Kaplan extended his stay in the country, which enabled him to visit Berbers in desert areas and other fascinating sites which he will discuss and also show photos of and place into context. The course will be offered from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursdays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18 at the Temple, 12202 N. 101st Ave. in Sun City. The cost is $20 for TBS members and $35 for non-members. Registration deadline is at noon Dec. 1. Contact the Temple office at 623.977.3240 or templebethshalomaz@gmail.com to register and pay the course fee.

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley is a Reform Jewish congregation serving the West Valley, all the Sun Cities, and Avondale, Buckeye, El Mirage, Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Peoria, Surprise and Tolleson, Tonopah, Waddell and Youngtown. Everyone is invited to join our congregation. Stand in Solidarity with Israel How You Can Help Israel Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley is taking donations in support of Israel. Please make checks payable to Temple Beth Shalom. You can drop off your donation or mail it to Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City, AZ 85351. Your donation is tax-deductible and 100% of your donation will be sent to the Magen David Adom Emergency Medical Fund. Religious leaders lead interfaith service to show solidarity with Israel Rabbis, pastors, ministers, priests and preachers joined Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan and Cantor Baruch Koritan in leading an interfaith service with about 200 congregants to show solidarity with Israel on Oct. 7, 2024. At Temple Beth Shalom, they prayed and sang in unity with congregants in memory of those murdered on Oct. 7, 2023, and prayed for Israel and her people, the safe return of the hostages, safety of the Israel Defense Forces, healing of those innocent Israelis and tourists wounded in body and soul, and the comfort of grieving loved ones. Rabbi Kaplan shared his experiences during this past summer having visited several of the sites of massacres of innocent civilians that had taken place in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. “Our Temple felt it was important to bring together congregations from as many different backgrounds as possible in solidarity with Israel. On the first anniversary of the terrible atrocities committed by Hamas and other groups and individuals from Gaza, it was gratifying to see and feel how so many people in the West Valley want to share their support for the State of Israel and the local Jewish community. I think it is important to bring together people of different faiths to support the right of Jewish people to live in our ancestral homeland without fear of being butchered in our homes or blown up by missiles,” Rabbi Kaplan said. Clergy from neighboring communities shared prayers and statements, including First Presbyterian Church in Sun City, Living Word Pentecostal Church in Sun City, First Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Saint Haven Ministry in Surprise, Shepherd of the Desert Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sun City, Grace Bible Church in Sun City, First Baptist Church in Sun City West, St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Goodyear, Embassy Church, Faith Presbyterian Church in Sun City, Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Soka Gakkai International Nichiren Buddhist Community in Phoenix, and Avista Hospice and at the Palazzo Senior Living Center.