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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 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.

All women Temple Shalom of the West Valley members are invited to join the Sisterhood. First-year Temple members receive a complimentary membership to Sisterhood. TBS Sisterhood Register and Pay

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. Join us on Feb. 14, 2026 for Music through the Decades 50s through 80s! REGISTER AND PAY ONLINE We are putting word out on an outta sight shindig that’s going to be held here at TBS on Valentines Day, Saturday, Feb. 14th at 5 pm. Music Through the Decades will be an absolute blast from the past! To begin, there’ll be a super-duper dinner of utterly irresistible goodies like our favorites from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. When we're ready for something sweet, there'll be a dream team bake-off of the most loved desserts. Throughout the evening, we’ll be serenaded by nostalgic songs that’ll take you back to your own special moments from those good old days. Come dance and singalong with us, tap your toes, and cheer for the few brave souls who have the courage to tackle a karaoke song. I'd guess that some of you are already thinking about what to wear so you'll look really cool that night. Easy! Just dress up in your favorite decade or wear something radically red, after all, it’ll be Valentine’s Day. And yes, there’ll be a prize for the grooviest costume!RSVP is required along with payment by Feb. 11 . To register and pay, you can call the TBS Office at 623.977.3240, mail a check or drop a check off at the Temple. It's easy to register and pay online! Please go to tbsaz.org and click on the " Register and Pay Online" button . You also can click on the button above.

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 .

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.

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. TEMPLE BETH SHALOM OF THE WEST VALLEY's INTERFAITH SERVICE COMMEMORATES HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY More than 175 people from different faiths joined in prayer during the Yom HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance Service at Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley on April 24 to commemorate the 6 million Jews and others who were murdered during the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. Six yahrzeit candles were lit in memory of those who perished. Keynote speaker and TBS member Nancy Urbach spoke about how her family in Nashville, Tennessee had rescued 200 family and friends from Nazi Germany in the late 1930s until the American Consulate had to shut down. TBS members Minia Kalish, Shirley Beaser and Monica Arum each spoke about their parents who had survived the Holocaust. Temple Beth Shalom Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan and Cantor Baruch Koritan led the interfaith service. Clergy from many faiths shared prayers and messages, including Senior Pastor Bill Bjork, Grace Bible Church in Sun City; Pastor Greg Emery, Faith Presbyterian Church in Sun City; Rabbi Jeff Lipschultz; Rev. Julie O'Brien, Peace Lutheran Church in Peoria; Father David Halm, St. John Vianney Church in Goodyear; Rabbi Mindie Snyder, Pastor James Rausch, First Presbyterian Church in Peoria and Bruce Scott, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry Mobilization Director.

Since 1968, Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley has been a Reform congregation, committed to promoting Jewish values. We offer a flexible approach to nurturing the spiritual, educational, and social needs of a diverse community, and are committed to social justice, mitzvot and Tikkun Olam . About Us The mission of Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley is to fulfill and nurture the spiritual, social and educational needs of our diverse Jewish community. Since 1968, Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley has been a Reform congregation, committed to promoting Jewish values. We offer a flexible approach to nurturing the spiritual, educational, and social needs of a diverse community, and are committed to social justice, mitzvot and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). Congregation Beth Shalom, predecessor to our Temple, started in 1968 with a handful of Sun City residents looking for a spiritual home. Dr. Aaron Papermaster, a dentist from North Dakota, led the effort. In 1969, the congregation began meeting at the Fairway Center in Sun City and moved to the Sun Dial Center in 1975. The congregation began with a student rabbi, Bernard Beliak in 1970-71, and then Fred Greenspahn in 1971-72. In 1972, Rabbi Albert Michels became the first permanent rabbi of the congregation and was officially installed in 1972 with local church and religious dignitaries participating in the ceremony. The first Beth Shalom Bulletin appeared in 1971, followed by the Beth Shalom Newsletter in 1973. Dr. Aaron Papermaster and his wife presented the first Torah to the congregation. In 1976, land was purchased at the site of the present Temple and the ground breaking ceremony was held January, 1977. As the congregation grew, there were additions to the Temple building. The Social Hall was added in 1983, the auditorium and adjacent rooms, the porte cochere, as well as the choir area were added in 1989, and the office addition was added in 1998. A religious school was formed in 2009 and continues for students K-8, including bar/bat mitzvah training. The rabbis who served Temple Beth Shalom following Rabbi Michels were Rabbi Bernard Kligfeld from 1982 to 1997 and Rabbi Arthur Abrams from 1997 to 2005. Rabbi Sheldon Moss served from 2005 to 2019. Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan has served Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley since 2019. Cantor Baruch Koritan has served at the Temple since 1992. Temple Beth Shalom is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism. Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan tbsazrabbi@gmail.com Cantor Baruch Koritan baruchkoritan@gmail.com

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 of the West Valley offers interfaith series about Heaven and Hell What happens after the final breath? In a three-part interfaith series, Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan of Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley will explore Judaism’s boldest and mysterious teachings about the afterlife, drawing from biblical texts, rabbinic debates, medieval philosophy and Jewish mysticism. “We will ask why the rabbis spoke so intensely about what awaits us beyond this life. Does Judaism believe in Heaven and Hell — or something far more unsettling? Jewish tradition refuses easy answers, offering instead a haunting and powerful range of visions: judgment and mercy, resurrection and return, silence and promise,” Kaplan said.“These teachings are not meant to satisfy curiosity alone. They challenge how we live, how we repent, how we face suffering, and how we imagine justice and hope. Whether you arrive with belief, doubt, or deep questions, this series invites you into Judaism’s most dramatic confrontation with life, death and eternity,” he added. The series, which is open to people of all faiths, will be offered from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 2, 9, and 23 at the Temple, 12202 N. 101st Ave. in Sun City.In addition to being the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, Kaplan has authored several books. “Since Judaism does not stress Heaven and Hell nearly as much as some forms of Christianity do, many people are surprised that Judaism does have well-developed concepts of both. There are many different Jewish views of Heaven and Hell,” Kaplan said. The cost is $20 for members and $35 for non-members. A discount is available by purchasing a coupon book.The registration deadline is noon Jan. 29. To register, pay or buy a coupon book, call the Temple Office at 623-977-3240 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Learn more about Kaplan on his website, danakaplan.com.

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 .

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley offers chavurah groups of like-minded Jews who assemble for the purposes of sharing communal activities, experiences such as lifecycle events, or Jewish learning. Call the Temple office at 623.977.3240 for more information. Chavurah Are you interested in joining a Chavurah? What is a chavaruh? Small groups with like interests. It is only open to Temple Beth Shalom members and their spouses or guests. Temple Beth Shalom is looking for help in creating Chavaruh groups. Here are some suggestions, but feel free to add to this list: * The Lunch Bunch * Let's Go to the Movies * Grandparents Bragging Rights * New Yorkers or Clevanders (or wherever else in the desert) * Travel Club * Let's Play Games: Poker Club, Mah Jongg Group, Bridge, Canasta, Pinochle, etc. * Knitting Group * Cooking Together * Let's Talk Yiddish * Let's Laugh If you're interested or have suggestions, please contact Ellyn Ventura at eventura@dreamvacations.com or 602.595.9303. Please leave a message if it goes to voice mail. Let's socialize!!! 

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's leadership includes officers and trustees. Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan Leadership Te mple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's leadership members for 2025-2026 are: President: Sara Jane Feldman Past President: Steve Bold 1st Vice President: Gloria Bold Vice President: Mariane Anderson Vice President: Carmen Berkowitz Recording Secretary: Dave Katz Treasurer: Jonathan Green Financial Secretary: Warren Bentkover Board Members: Bernie Arum Lori Baker Richard Bass Bea Eisenberg Steve Hechler Nan Lieber Barbara Rudzin Ellyn Ventura Michael Zager Sisterhood President: Roz Goldstein Brotherhood Co-Presidents: Max Allen and Bernie Arum