TBE Board Passes Resolution Protesting Passage of HB2
I am so proud of our Temple Beth El Board for passing a resolution protesting the passage of HB2. I am grateful to the Tzedek Council and its Chair, Annie Lord, to Keshet (our group committed to supporting the LGBT community), LIBERTY (our Senior Youth Group), and to SPICE (our vibrant organization for Temple members 50+) […]
Now Is the Time… by Rabbi Judith Schindler
For me, writing comes easily. Words flow like water from my mind to my keyboard so rapidly that my fingers cannot keep up. Yet I am struggling with this last blog post as Senior Rabbi. I write this post while on Kibbutz Kfar Blum in the Upper Galilee. I am with a large, kind, engaged, […]
The Highs and Lows of Israel by Rabbi Judy Schindler
One ascends to Jerusalem – both physically and spiritually. Forty of us from Temple Beth El ascended to our Holy City this past Thursday. We ascended to Kabbalat Shabbat as we welcomed Shabbat and celebrated with our sister congregation, Birkat Shalom. Since 2004, we have partnered with them and they have become our family. Rabbi […]
How do we respond to tragedy? by Rabbi Judy Schindler
With silence… There aren’t words to respond to someone with semi-automatic guns in hand murdering innocent souls en masse. With identification… As President Obama stated, “An attack on any American is an attack on all Americans.” People lost their sons and daughters, their brothers and sisters, their friends and colleagues. With outrage… Suspected terrorists are […]
Going up! by Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas
I tend to be a little near-sighted in my personal life. Matthew will tell you that my regular response to “Where shall we go for dinner?” is, “Let’s get in the car first, then decide.” Sometimes, that’s all I can manage: one step at a time, one task at a time, one goal at a […]
Changes by Cantor Andrew Bernard
It has always been my rule of thumb that when you move to a new home, you know you’ve settled in when you can find the bathroom light switch at 3am without thinking. Familiar routines, familiar places, familiar faces — all these anchor us as we move through the mundane moments of our days, and […]
Honoring the Past, Looking Forward to the Future by Rabbi Asher Knight
In my visits to Temple Beth El over the past few months, I have heard the most inspiring and touching stories about the impact that Rabbi Schindler has had in the lives of congregants and with the broader Charlotte community. Indeed, Rabbi Schindler is an exceptional preacher and teacher. She has boundless energy. I have […]
What Being Rabbi Emerita Means to Me by Rabbi Judy Schindler
The hardest decision of my life was leaving the role of Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth El. With intense soul searching and with some tears, I made the decision that after eighteen years at Temple Beth El and after thirteen years as Senior Rabbi, I was ready for a new professional chapter. I wanted to […]
The Journey Continues by Dr. Laura Bernstein
Tomorrow is Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the Omer. The counting of the Omer marks the period from Passover, commemorating the Jews’ Exodus from Egypt, to Shavuot, commemorating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The journey from Egypt to Sinai was not only physical, but it was also spiritual. The Israelites had […]
