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. A Life of Meaning: Embracing Reform Judaism's Sacred Path REGISTER ONLINE

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. Contemporary American Judaism

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley Mem ber Testimonials Marlene and Jonathan Green We recently moved to Arizona, and knew we wanted to sink new roots into the Jewish community in the West Valley. We visited Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, met the Rabbi, attended services, and immediately felt the warmth and welcoming of the congregation. We were impressed that Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan came over to our home to welcome us and ask about our history and interests. We joined, and found the congregation very inviting. We have enjoyed some of the adult education programs. I've gotten involved in the treasury function, the Outreach Committee, and Marlene is co-chairing the Social Action Committee. We are very happy with our decision to join, and feel our efforts to contribute to the congregation are well-received and appreciated. Gloria and Steve Bold Steve and I were snowbirds for 3 years, until our daughter told us she was expecting our first grandchild. So we bought a place in Sun City and quit the back & forth to the East Coast. We were sad to leave our temple in Rehoboth, Delaware! We had gone with our daughter to their synagogue in Scottsdale. It was too big for us & a long drive. We decided to try Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley since it was nearby. We felt welcomed and liked those we met. The next week, several people recognized us and we told them we were looking for a synagogue! After attending services several times, we knew we had found our new home. Friendships have grown & both of us are getting involved. We are a close community of committed Jews. It has made a huge difference in our life. We love Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan and look forward to many more years at Temple Beth Shalom. Steve Siegel and Robert Koch Before we joined Temple Beth Shalom we started Shul shopping around the Phoenix area. There were so many choices to choose from. It became overwhelming. None of the other congregations felt right to us. Plus most were on the other side of town and as many of you know it’s a schlep. After talking with then president Jan Sodos and the temple educator, Elissa Rose, they gave us the highlights of the temple and this wonderful community. So we began attending services and we decided to join. We then joined the Brotherhood and started attend Torah study with Rabbi Sheldon Moss. This was the community we needed and wanted to be a part of. Then something struck us. We were reading a message from Mary Gill Savoren in the Shofar that said: “We (TBS) have always welcomed individuals and families of varying Jewish lifestyles. We are particularly sensitive to the need for inclusion of both traditional and non-traditional family structures.” The message rang home to us. We want to thank the members of Temple Beth Shalom for opening their arms and welcoming Bob and I into your family.

Through Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's donation portal, you can make a donation in honor of a Yahrzeit, an anniversary, birthday or another special occasion. Your support is greatly appreciated. Donations A donation to Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley is a wonderful way to celebrate a special event; to honor the life of a loved one; or simply to express appreciation for the benefits Temple Beth Shalom brings to your life. Temple Beth Shalom is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and donations are 100% deductible. You can make a Yom Kippur Appeal pledge online. Your support of the Temple through your Yom Kippur pledge is an extremely important major source of income to keep our synagogue operating. How to Donate Pay by check Donations can be made by mailing a check to Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City, AZ 85351. Pay online You can make donations to Temple Beth Shalom online by using the Temple's Zeffy account and fill out the online form . You can use your credit card or make a direct debit (ACH) from a bank account. Please note that if you are registering and paying for a specific Temple event, such as the Seders, please go to the specific event's page on tbsaz.org then click on the link to the Zeffy form on that event page. Please do not use the general Donation form for specific events. Each event has a different Zeffy form. The Temple receives 100% of the Zeffy donation transactions. Zeffy is free to nonprofit groups, thanks to voluntary donations. When you fill out a Zeffy form, you’ll see a suggested voluntary donation amount to Zeffy for the convenience of making donations online. You can change the amount by choosing "other" then type in an amount, including $0 if you'd rather not make a voluntary contribution. View this how-to video to learn more . Thank you for your support of Temple Beth Shalom.

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley celebrates Shabbat every Friday night with a joyous service at about 7 p.m. to about 8:15 p.m., led by Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan and Cantor Baruch Koritan, followed by a Oneg. Most prayers are in English so a worshiper with minimal Hebrew can participate actively. Friday Night Shabbat Services View live streaming of Shabbat services and past services on Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's YouTube channel We celebrate Shabbat every Friday night with a joyous service at about 7 p.m. which runs to about 8:15 p.m., followed by an Oneg. Our Shabbat services are led by Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan and Cantor Baruch Koritan. Most of the prayers we read are in English so a worshiper with minimal Hebrew should be able to participate actively. Many of the prayers that are sung are in Hebrew and our prayer book provides transliterations of 100% of them. The services are snappy and upbeat. We want to pray to God with reverence and sincerity but we also want to mix in a little bit of levity and humor. We read the Torah every Friday night. Sometimes the rabbi reads a short excerpt and simultaneously translates it into English, while at other times he attempts to chant and summarizes the biblical story after finishing. We have a Torah processional preceding the reading and the rabbi likes to give one of our two smaller Torahs to children to carry around the sanctuary. The rabbi speaks extemporaneously from notes rather than reading from a prepared text. He likes to come down from the bimah to better communicate and interact with all of us in the pews. Sometimes he engages us extensively in discussion and other times he delivers remarks stressing a particular point about Judaism and connecting it to the contemporary world. We sing Debbie Friedman’s Misheberach song every Friday night as part of our regular prayers for healing. Some of us may believe God can heal us and others may believe that marshaling the combined spiritual power of many people can create miracles. Either way, we want to focus our thoughts and bring forth our emotions in a determined effort to bring healing and wholeness to our friends and family, our community and nation, and ourselves as well.

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

On one Saturday morning of every month, a small group gathers for prayer, conversation, and good food. Sometimes we have a guitar player who leads the service with Rabbi Kaplan and we read together and sing enthusiastically. After about an hour, we make kiddush and we enjoy a potluck brunch. Family Shabbat Service 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 Sing, create, and celebrate together as we welcome Shabbat! This vibrant, engaging morning is designed specifically for our youngest Temple Beth Shalom families and the grownups who love them. With creative crafts, interactive stories, and lively music, it’s a wonderful, silly, and meaningful way to share the day of rest. Stay and Mingle! A community potluck lunch and social time will immediately follow the program. Please fill out the online registration form .

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.

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.

Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's Caring Committee team is personal, physical, spiritual and loving. We specialize in building connections with our congregants and their immediate family members during times of health crisis. We are available to all at-risk congregants at any time. Caring Committee Dr. Jack Pearlman and Phyllis Jacobs started our Caring Committee over 20 years ago. The Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley Caring Committee specializes in building connections with our congregants and their immediate family members during times of health crisis and beyond. Our congregants live in Arizona while most of our family members are scattered around the world. We do not wish any member to feel alone or afraid during any time of stress. Our professional Caring Committee Team is personal, physical, spiritual and loving. We have been dedicated for many, many years to our congregation. We reach out via telephone calls, visits and prayers. We are available to all at-risk congregants at any time of the day or night. Our Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan is also on OUR team. Prayers have marvelous healing powers. The close contact and gentle embraces we provide will help on your road to recovery.

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 .