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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 “Kindness, Courage and Joy” course in October A three-part course led by Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan will focus on kindness, courage and joy. The course will be from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursdays, Oct. 9, 16 and 23 at the Temple, 12202 N. 101st Ave. in Sun City. Over the past two years, Rabbi Kaplan has discussed the topic of character development and the role that it plays in spirituality, especially Jewish spirituality. He will discuss kindness, courage and joy in this new course. Kindness: A quality of being generous, helpful and caring about others. It involves acts of compassion, empathy, and consideration, and leads to positive emotional and social outcomes. Courage: The ability to control fear and to be willing to deal with something that is unpleasant, difficult, or dangerous. Courage is not just about facing fear, but also involves perseverance, integrity and the willingness to act in accordance with one’s values. Joy: The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. Rabbi Kaplan will help us look at each of these phenomena and discuss how understanding what they are can be the first step towards deepening our commitment to becoming fully human. “Part of this process is changing how we look at the world and part is changing how we react to the world. Taken together, we can achieve greater joy not by buying more things or even traveling to more places but by being kinder, more courageous people,” he said. People of all backgrounds are invited to learn with us about character traits. Registration deadline is noon Oct. 6. Cost is $20 for TBS members; $35 non-members or one coupon. Cost is $20 for TBS members; $35 non-membersor one coupon. Call the Temple Office at 623-977-3240 (Monday through Thursday; 9 am-3 p.m. to register for this course or buy coupon books. More information: templebethshalomaz@gmail.com or tbsaz.org .

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.

Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, Cantor Baruch Koritan and Temple Beth Shalom proudly open their arms to all in the West Valley who may be interested in Jewish approaches to spirituality and community. We are a caring and compassionate Reform Jewish congregation. Rabbi Holocaust Torah This Czech Memorla Sifre Torah is on loan to Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley. Describe your image Holocaust Torah This Czech Memorla Sifre Torah is on loan to Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley. 1/14 Our Holocaust Torah Scroll Our Holocaust Torah is a “saved scroll”, recovered after World War II from a destroyed community in Europe. We have become shomrim (guardians) of this Torah and we are honored to have it in our congregation. It is housed inside our ark and is used during services and special celebrations. Our scroll comes from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, MST #1234, (the repository for saved scrolls) at the Westminster Synagogue in London, England. It was recorded by the Jewish Museum in Prague as having been collected from Caslav-Kolin. It is an Orphan scroll form an unknown town in Bhoemia and Moravia. For more information see “The Jewish Sights of Bohemia and Moravia” by Jiri Fiedler, published in 1991. The author notes the following: Caslav is a town in Bohemia, 70km ESE of Prague. Up to the mid-19th century only one Jewish family was allowed to reside in Caslav. When the Jews were granted civic equality under law in the mid-19th century, Jews from the neighboring villages started to move to Caslav. Temple Beth Shalom member Lee Shedroff visited the Synagogue in Caslav when it was restored in 2012. Lee was the caretaker of a small scroll, which he returned to the Memorial Scrolls Trust in London in 2024. The small scroll had been used during Temple Beth Shalom special events over the years. Czech Holocaust Celebratory 60-Year Commemoration Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image 1/3 Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley members participated in the Czech Holocaust Torah Celebratory Commemoration in 2024 at the Culver Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center in downtown Phoenix. Temple Beth Shalom's Czech torah was part of the commemoration along with members of other synagogues and their Czech torahs. The Czech scrolls are survivors and silent witnesses. They represent not only the lost communities of Bohemia and Moravia but all those who perished in the Shoah. The commemoration marked 60 years since the torahs were rescued from a warehouse in Prague and sent to London's Westminster Synagogue. About the Memorial Scrolls Trust The Memorial Scrolls Trust is responsible for 1,564 Czech Torah scrolls worldwide. These torahs were gathered from synagogues throughout the region by Nazi officials. The scrolls were rescued from the Holocaust by the Prague Jewish community and were brought to Westminster Synagogue, London, in 1964. Today, thanks to the work of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, these scrolls have been allocated on permanent or long term loan to synagogues, and take a message of hope, continuity and resilience to every corner of the globe.The Trust is a global center for learning, remembrance, and community. For more information, visit www.memorialscrollstrust.org . View the Nazi Transport List of the Caslav Jewish population to Terezin. Click on the image below to view a slideshow with four pages of names. Caslav Transport List Pg. 1 This is a list of people who were transported from Kolin during the Holocaust. Caslav Transport List Page 2 This is a list of people who were transported from Kolin during the Holocaust. Caslav Transport List Pg. 4 This is a list of people who were transported from Kolin during the Holocaust. Caslav Transport List Pg. 1 This is a list of people who were transported from Kolin during the Holocaust. 1/4

Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, Cantor Baruch Koritan and Temple Beth Shalom proudly open their arms to all in the West Valley who may be interested in Jewish approaches to spirituality and community. We are a caring and compassionate Reform Jewish congregation. Rabbi Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley Clergy Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan and Temple Beth Shalom proudly open their arms to all in the West Valley who may be interested in Jewish approaches to spirituality and community. Rabbi Kaplan is focused on building our temple family through an inclusive, open-door approach that views the congregation as an extension of our relationship circles. He believes that creating a spiritual family is multi-generational, as our children and grandchildren are an integral part of sustaining our spiritual growth. Rabbi Kaplan is always willing to sit over coffee, go for a walk, or meet at the Temple with anyone from the community. We welcome you to come visit at one of our warm Friday night services, which is the highlight of the week, or join us for one of our other social, educational, or service events. These times together not only provide opportunities to make new friends and find emotional support, but they can also help us learn to utilize Judaism in a way to build a life of meaning. Before arriving at Temple Beth Shalom, Rabbi Kaplan was the interim rabbi of the Springhill Avenue Temple in Mobile, Alabama. During his time in Mobile, he was also a teacher in the Department of Theology at Spring Hill College. Prior to 2015, he was the rabbi of the United Congregation of Israelites in Kingston, Jamaica, becoming the first rabbi to serve the country in 33 years. He has also previously led congregations in Albany, Georgia, and Cape Town, South Africa. Rabbi Kaplan is the author and editor of several books, including most recently A Life of Meaning: Embracing Reform Judaism’s Sacred Path. Published by CCAR Press – the official publisher for the entire Reform movement – it is a collection of short, entertaining articles by a broad range of the most important Reform rabbinic thinkers active today. The book provides a range of perspectives on modern Judaism, describing theological and practical ways to find purpose in life, both as individuals and as a community. Along with his time as our rabbi, Rabbi Kaplan continues to be involved in various programs, lectures, and conferences in order to understand the history and theology of Reform Judaism and to discuss ways to make Judaism a vibrant religious form of spirituality for the twenty-first century. As a new resident of Arizona, he also hopes to cycle and hike in and on the many mountains in the Greater Phoenix area. Rabbi Kaplan looks forward to meeting each and every congregant, as well as those who might be interested in becoming a part of our community. You can contact him through the Temple office by phone or email him directly at tbsazrabbi@gmail.com . Check out Rabbi Kaplan's website: danakaplan.com. Cantor Baruch Koritan Baruch Koritan has served as Cantor at Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley in Sun City since 1992. Also, he is a composer and has been invited to perform his new liturgical settings at workshops and conventions of American Conference of Cantors and Guild of Temple Musicians (ACC/GTM) and Cantors Assembly in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. He is a protégé of Cantor Stephen Richards, and began his cantorial career performing a Shabbat service with Rabbi Albert Plotkin in Phoenix. Baruch’s singing career began as a child in Workman Circle schools and music festivals at University of Pennsylvania. Later he attended New Hope Academy of the Arts, Philadelphia Institute of Music, Temple University, Scottsdale Community College, University of Madrid, and U. S. Marine Corps Reserve (Honorable Discharge). In 1999, Cantor Howard Tabaknek commissioned him to write an Erev Shabbat Service for Temple Beth Israel, Scottsdale, AZ. He released a CD, “Shalom to You,” in 2000, featuring many of his own songs and those of the Diaspora in five languages. A former runner-up in the Liberace Piano Competition, he also played piano for the album. His own original cover art for the CD was purchased for TBS and welcomes all into its lobby. Baruch has been on the faculty of Bureau of Jewish Education, Scottsdale, since 2006. He also maintains a private voice studio and is a member of National Association of Teachers of Singing. Watch a video of Cantor Koritan singing “Shalom Aleichem.” You can contact him through the Temple office by phone or email him directly at baruchkoritan@gmail.com .

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 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. High Holy Days Course High Holy Day Course Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley will present a "High Holy Days" course from 10-11:30 a.m. Mondays, Aug. 25, Sept. 8 and 15. Deadline for registration for this course is noon Aug. 20. Rosh Hashanah begins on the evening of Monday, Sept. 22 and Yom Kippur begins 10 days later. In contrast to some other Jewish holidays, the High Holy Days are spent primarily praying in synagogue. The more that we understand about what these holy days teach us and how we can engage with them spiritually as well as religiously, the more meaningful that they will be. In three sessions, we will go through some of the major themes of these holy days. We will look at a few sample prayers and discuss some of the major traditions. We will discuss what we hope to accomplish emotionally over the High Holy Days period as well as what we can begin to do after this course begins. The High Holy Day prayers speak in metaphors, utilizing many of the traditional theological categories of rabbinic Judaism. If you are not familiar with these categories, then many of the prayers can appear to be difficult to grasp. We will go through some of them and try to make them easier to undertand and make suggestions on how they can be looked at from different perspectives, depending on your personal perspective on life. This course is for all who have an interest in the Jewish holy days and want to learn about them and potentially get more out of them. Course fee is $20 for members and $35 for nonmembers, or one course coupon Books of four coupons is $65 for members and $120 for non-members. Contact the Temple office at 623.977.3240 or templebethshalomaz@gmail.com to register. More information is available at tbsaz.org .

The Temple Shalom of the West Valley Brotherhood's mission is to promote fellowship and service to the Temple, including fundraisers and social events such as the monthly potlucks, a speakers series, Golf Tournament, and Mother's Day Brunch. Members are caring and compassionate Jews. TBS Brotherhood The Temple Shalom of the West Valley Brotherhood was established in 1979 with 42 members starting out with the first meeting. Our Brotherhood's mission is to promote fellowship and service to the Temple. Toward that goal, the Brotherhood sponsors fundraisers and social events such as various entertainment functions, Movie and Breakfast Speaker Series, Mother's Day celebration, monthly potlucks before Shabbat services, picnics, Jewish Chautauqua Society and the Israeli Scouts. With the Sisterhood, we contribute funds and provide many unseen activities that foster a smooth Temple operation. Our "Movers and Shakers" do the annual Succah erection and all chair moving needed for the holidays. We are proud to serve the Temple.

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's Bar and Bat Mitzvah program for children is a multi-year program based on a commitment by parents and the child to engage in worship and study resulting in a public demonstration of what the child has learned about Judaism, our prayers, and basic Hebrew. Bar/Bat Mitzvah Confirmation About While providing a course of study for a child to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah after age 13 is a basic religious education program at TBS, like many other Reform congregations we also recognize that many of our adult members never had the opportunity to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah as a child. Our program for children is a multi-year program based on a commitment by the parents and the child to engage in worship and study that results in a public demonstration to the congregation of what the child has learned about Judaism, our prayers, and basic Hebrew in order to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. However, the commitment does not end there: it extends for another two years of a different type of learning in order to prepare the youth for Confirmation. The adult B'nai Mitzvah program is a one-year program of concentrated study similar to that of the children, but with different texts and individual study. This one-year program culminates with a service at which time each adult who completes the program becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

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.

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's Edith Mattal Library has a significant collection of non-fiction Judaica and quite a lot of fiction by Jewish authors or with Jewish themes. The library is open when the office is open, or when there are other open meetings or services. Edith Mattal Library The TBS library has a significant collection of non-fiction Judaica and quite a lot of fiction by Jewish authors or with Jewish themes. The Mattal Trust Fund purchased a group of 2021 and 2022 National Jewish Book Award (NJBA) winners for the library at Temple Beth Shalom. The library is open when the office is open, or when there are other open meetings or services. Come in to browse the shelves and take home a book or three to read.

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 “Kindness, Courage and Joy” course in October A three-part course led by Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan will focus on kindness, courage and joy. The course will be from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, 16 and 23 at the Temple, 12202 N. 101st Ave. in Sun City. Over the past two years, Rabbi Kaplan has discussed the topic of character development and the role that it plays in spirituality, especially Jewish spirituality. He will discuss kindness, courage and joy in this new course. Kindness: A quality of being generous, helpful and caring about others. It involves acts of compassion, empathy, and consideration, and leads to positive emotional and social outcomes. Courage: The ability to control fear and to be willing to deal with something that is unpleasant, difficult, or dangerous. Courage is not just about facing fear, but also involves perseverance, integrity and the willingness to act in accordance with one’s values. Joy: The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. Rabbi Kaplan will help us look at each of these phenomena and discuss how understanding what they are can be the first step towards deepening our commitment to becoming fully human. “Part of this process is changing how we look at the world and part is changing how we react to the world. Taken together, we can achieve greater joy not by buying more things or even traveling to more places but by being kinder, more courageous people,” he said. People of all backgrounds are invited to learn with us about character traits. Registration deadline is noon Oct. 6. Cost is $20 for TBS members; $35 non-members or one coupon. To register, buy coupon books, call the Temple Office at 623.977.3240 (Monday through Thursday; 9 am-3 p.m.) More information: templebethshalomaz@gmail.com or tbsaz.org .