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High Holy Days 5785 Join Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley for uplifting High Holy Days services Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley is welcoming non-members to participate in its beautiful High Holy Days services. Cost to attend all services will be $200 per person, and tickets are required for all events. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Reservations can be made by calling the Temple office at 623.977.3240 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Tickets can be purchased online by going to the Temple's Zeffy account. Call the Temple office to learn how to make an online purchase. High Holy Days services will be conducted by Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan and Cantor Baruch Koritan. Here is a message from Rabbi Kaplan: All of us at Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley are actively preparing for what we hope will be a spiritually uplifting and vibrant High Holy Days. We have a new prayer book, “Mishkan Hanefesh,” which addresses profound issues of The human condition. We welcome guests as well as members. We have set aside sets of the new prayer book for all of our guests so that everyone will be able to participate in the communal spiritual experience. We pray that we may gain wisdom and understanding and be able to conquer fear and despair. Our goal during these prayer services is nothing less than to light up the universe with the joy of wholeness, of freedom, and of peace. The High Holy Days are a time when Jews who have become alienated from Judaism return to their community and so we welcome all those who have disaffiliated over the years to return to the synagogue if only for one or two services. I think many people who grew up with terribly long and monotonous High Holy Day services will find that the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur prayers that we now offer are far more emotionally relevant and intellectually coherent. Let me wish you a Shanah Tovah, a wonderful year of many blessings. L’shanah tovah tikateivu v’teichateimu may you be inscribed and sealed for blessing in the Book of Life. We pray for a year of health, a year of accomplishments, and a year of Love. And let us say, Amen. Rosh Hashanah starts on Oct. 2 and commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates on Oct. 12 in the Yom Kippur holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement. The Temple Beth Shalom Sisterhood's Break the Fast will be at about 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12. Call the Temple office at 623.977.3240 to make reservations by Oct. 8. Cost is $20 per person with no charge for children 12 and younger. For security reasons, tickets must be presented for admittance to all services and are non-transferrable. Doors will be locked 15 minutes after services begin. For everyone’s safety, PLEASE, no backpacks or purses will be allowed. You can utilize a clear purse or clear plastic bag. Otherwise, please leave your items in your car. There will be a security guard onsite. 2024/5785 High Holy Day Services Schedule Join us for the uplifting and beautiful High Holy Days services conducted by Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan and Cantor Baruch Koritan at Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Tickets are required for all events. Available for Non-Member Guests Tickets for 2024 High Holy Day Services are available to non-members. Contact the Temple office at 623.977.3240 from 9:30 a.m.– 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday to arrange to purchase non-member tickets, which cost $200 per person. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Questions: Email the Temple office at templebethshalomaz@gmail.com . 2024 High Holy Days Services Schedule * Ending times are approximate Saturday, Sept. 28 Pre-Selichot Sisterhood Oneg and Discussion: 6 p.m. Selichot: 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2 Erev Rosh Hashanah: 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct.. 3 Rosh Hashanah Morning Service: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 Creative Rosh Hashanah service in the TBS Biblical Gardens: 5 p.m. Tashlich potluck dinner: 5:30 p.m (Call the Temple at 623.977.3240 to register.) Friday, Oct. 11 Kol Nidre: 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 Yom Kippur Morning Service: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Yizkor Service: 3:30 p.m. Yom Kippur Afternoon Service: 4:30 p.m. Neilah (Concluding) Service: 5:30 p.m. Sisterhood Break the Fast following concluding service: 6:15 p.m. (Call the Temple at 623.977.3240 for reservations.) For security reasons, tickets must be presented for admittance to all services and are non-transferrable. Doors will be locked 15 minutes after services begin. For everyone’s safety, PLEASE, no backpacks or purses will be allowed. You can utilize a clear purse or clear plastic bag. Otherwise, please leave your items in your car. There will be a security guard onsite.

Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan Leadership Te mple Beth Shalom of the West Valley's leadership members for 2024-25 are: President: Steve Bold 1st Vice President: Warren Bentkover Vice President: Mariane Anderson Vice President: Carmen Berkowitz Vice President: Sara Jane Feldman Recording Secretary: Nan Rubin-Lieber Treasurer: Jonathan Green Financial Secretary: Rich Lieber Board Members: Bernie Arum Gloria Bold Bea Eisenberg Steve Hechler Pam Katz Russ Robbins Ellyn Ventura Sisterhood President: Roz Goldstein

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!!! 

Religious School Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley reopened its religious school in 2023, as part of the congregation's wish to create a multi-generational community. We welcome students from the entire West Valley. Kindergarten is free! Our small school allows us to provide individual attention. We have a team of volunteer teachers from our community who work with students under the guidance of the rabbi. Families of our religious school students are actively involved in the religious and social life of the Temple, including attending services on Friday nights. Our Temple is committed to providing a warm and caring environment for all students to explore their spirituality. We aspire to inspire each student to develop a love of Jewish learning and provide the opportunity for them to participate actively in Jewish ritual and holiday observances. Learning is both individualized and personalized. We also want to help each student to feel emotions related to the biblical stories and ritual acts they are learning about. Our educational experience is not just about learning facts but is centered on what those facts can and do mean for us as human beings. We also engage them with a series of values based on Professor Martin Seligman’s positive psychology. Temple Beth Shalom offers study opportunities leading to confirmation at a minimum age of 15, and bar and bat mitzvah at a minimum age of 13. As part of the confirmation process, the older kids will study advanced material dealing with various themes across Jewish studies. We're trying to build a distinctly Reform approach to Judaism that emphasizes personal religious autonomy while at the same time emphasizing the vibrancy and seriousness of religious commitment. With the limited hours available, American religious schools cannot teach students as much as they would really need to become highly educated Jews. What we do hope to do is to inspire them to want to continue their education into their college years and far beyond. Please contact the TBS office at 623.977.3240 for further information.

TBS Sisterhood All women Temple members are invited to join the Sisterhood. First-year Temple members receive a complimentary membership to Sisterhood. WE:  Are a group of Jewish women supporting our Temple.  Are an active, friendly group offering many opportunities for women.  Share our many talents and interests.  Provide activities that enable caring and bonding experiences.  Maintain the Judaica Boutique .  Send Yahrzeit reminders.  Provide Bereavement “Meal of Consolation.”  Raise funds all year to benefit Temple Beth Shalom through our many activities.  Meet the third Monday of each month from October through May.  Sponsor the Oneg Shabbat after the Friday night service. Dues are $25 per year. For more information, contact the Temple at 623.977.3240 or email the Sisterhood at tbssisterhoodconnection@gmail.com .

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.

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.

Adult Education Lifelong learning is a cornerstone of Reform Judaism. At Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, we provide a variety of opportunities to assist our members in finding educational offerings that meet the varying needs of our members. Whether it be the weekly study of Torah with Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, a four-week class on Kabbalah, a participative program to enable learners to identify the meaning of God on a personal level, or an interfaith study of “Rabbi Jesus” open to Jewish and non-Jewish members of the West Valley, or a scholar-in-residence who spoke on the theft of art from the Jews of France during the Holocaust, we offer something for everyone. The Adult Education Committee and Rabbi Kaplan develop course offerings For most months, there will be two courses on Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons, and there will be a few "extras" added here and there. We will also be introducing a new weekly study group for the serious learner which will focus on God. All our courses are open to TBS members and non-members, whether the non-member is Jewish or a member of another religion.

All Posts Search Log in / Sign up Dana Evan Kaplan Jun 25, 2023 1 min The Museum of Antioquia The Museum of Antioquia is located in the center of Medellín on the Plaza Botero near the Berrío Park metro station. Visiting it was a... 1 view 0 comments Post not marked as liked tbsazwebhost Jun 24, 2023 1 min Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan's Blog Crossing Abandoned Railway Bridges from Palomas to Camilo C. Restrepo, Antioqia This cycling trip involved crossing 3 bridges that had... 1 view 0 comments Post not marked as liked