Mother’s Day by Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas
Mother’s Day is this Sunday and my social media is filled with friends sharing their Mother’s Day memories from years gone by. The memories shared are funny, frustrating, warm, or pained; they capture longing, they capture solitude and sadness, they capture profound joy. The New York Times Well section has had several articles and […]
Magic Words by Susan Jacobs, Director of Education
I’m sitting at my computer scrolling through inspiring quotes to find the perfect one that will inspire all of our congregational families to volunteer on Mitzvah Day. If only I could find those magic words from someone far more eloquent than me that would touch our hearts and move us into action. Profound words from […]
Stories by Cantor Andrew Bernard
When kids ask me whether some of the more fantastic or contradictory stories in the Tanach are true, I usually respond by asking them whether they go to annual family reunions. For those that do, I ask whether they hear the same family stories year after year, often told by their grandparents or their […]
Engaging Baby Boomers by Rabbi Asher Knight
When I first arrived in Charlotte, I met hundreds of congregants through Welcome Events planned by Temple Beth El’s Transition Committee. During these events, I repeatedly heard similar stories from our members, particularly Baby Boomers and Empty Nesters. They told me that they felt deeply tied emotionally to our congregation and to Jewish life, but […]
DAYEINU! by Dr. Laura Bernstein, Executive Director
Like tens of thousands of Jews around the world, my family and I recounted the story of Exodus this week as we participated in the annual Passover seder. It would have been enough to have been invited to one seder. We were blessed to be included in two. It would have been enough to hear […]
Passover is coming! Are you prepared? by Rabbi Dusty Klass
Passover is coming! Are you prepared? (Imagine an encouraging smile from me. Take a deep breath, and keep reading.) Don’t worry, I’m not ready yet either! There are so many ways to celebrate, and so many options for how we might choose to make the seder “our own.” Below, a definitely NOT exhaustive of some […]
TBE Youth- Impressive! by Sam Swire, Director of Youth Engagement
When I would attend NFTY events as a high school student I had the feeling that when I was at a NFTY event I was able to be my best self. The weekend of 3/24 through 3/26 showed the same was true for the youth of TBE attending our youth programs. Here in Charlotte, 30 […]
Saying Goodbye by Cantor Andrew Bernard
It started off like any other vacation. A crazy week of Shabbat prep mixed with a crazier week of travel prep. Friday night services and then rushing home to pack. Several pre-dawn cups of coffee on Saturday while wrapping up things at home and loading the suitcase into the car. An early morning swim before […]
More Than Enough by Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas
Parashat Vayakhel, Shabbat March 24-25, 2017 In this week’s Torah portion, men and women of special skill are called upon to craft objects for the Tabernacle. Those who weave or work with metals, among other skills, are entreated to use their talents to make magnificent the place in which God will dwell, the place where […]
