We Listen and Learn from You by Sam Swire, Director of Youth Engagement
This past weekend I had the privilege of helping to staff our 10th graders’ annual Confirmation Trip. While most would shy away from accompanying 26 teenagers to Charleston for a bonding experience, it was exactly what Rabbi Klass, Rebecca Ferry, and I wanted to do. Being the third time running this trip we had a […]
Explore Your Love for Israel (Charlotte Jewish News Editorial, December 2018) by Cantor Mary R. Thomas
Chanukah rolled around about halfway through my year living in Jerusalem while a student at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, the Reform movement’s seminary. That year in Jerusalem, I would walk about 20 minutes from my apartment to school every day. One morning, as Chanukah approached, my brisk walks were unexpectedly scented […]
Reflections Following Pittsburgh by Rabbi Asher Knight
Reflections following Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue November 2, 2018 Tragedy upon tragedy – ripples upon ripples. A community of worshipers at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – were killed in the sanctuary of their synagogue on last Shabbat. And the ripple effect: In Charlotte, members of our community here at Temple Beth […]
Meditation’s Surprising Ties to Our Religious Practice by Adam Bernstein
In an attempt to divine some order from mid-life chaos, I recently turned to meditation. The loss of my parents, a health scare and other issues were catalysts, and a supportive sibling facilitated with the gift of a subscription for an iPhone app called “Ananda.” Most mornings I’ll drag myself out of bed, don headphones […]
Build Connections with Us by Rabbi Asher Knight
My grandmother and I had an incredible relationship. We traveled to Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Egypt together. She introduced me to new ideas, books, art, and music. I remember watching world-events on the news and talking about the unfolding of history. She shared the wisdom gleaned from what she had experienced and seen throughout […]
Find Your TriBE by Andy Harkavy, Director of Congregational Engagement
TriBEs are small groups of individuals, couples, or families that help make our big community feel small. They help every person be a part of something sacred. They help to deepen your connection with other congregants who share similar interests or life stages. They enable you to share Jewish experiences, conversations, and celebrations with other […]
You Matter and So Does Your Vote by Rabbi Dusty Klass
If you have been in the building at temple over the past week or so, you may have noticed a cut out of a person, painted purple, next to a bowl in the lobby holding a number of purple ribbons available to wear as an addition to your outfit. Every October, these ribbons appear in […]
Temple Beth El Follows Path of Three Centuries of Southern Jews (Charlotte Jewish News Editorial, October 2018) by Rabbi Judy Schindler
August 5th marked twenty years since I arrived in Charlotte. By sheer coincidence, I spent my twentieth anniversary of becoming a Southerner immersed in a Hebrew Union College intensive graduate course on Southern Jewry. I spent the week learning from scholars in Cincinnati, Atlanta, and Savannah about the critical role Southern Jews played in the […]
Iyyun for Healing (Yom Kippur 5779) by Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas
A few months ago, in the course of conversation with our summer intern, Student Rabbi Hannah Elkin, she mentioned that her Clinical Pastoral Education supervisor taught her that a preacher must always “preach from their scars, but not their wounds.” I stopped her, “wait, say that again?” “You must preach from your scars, and not […]
