Welcome to Temple Beth Shalom!
Temple Beth Shalom is a dynamic congregation of about 100 families, under the leadership of Rabbi Michael Ross. Known as the Synagogue of the Western Reserve, we are a Reform Jewish congregation, affiliated with the national organizations of that movement.
Although the Temple has grown over the years, it endeavors to maintain a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Please come join us so we can share who we are today and our vision for the future.
The Temple is located in a beautiful, historic building at 50 Division Street in Hudson. Friday night services are held twice a month at 7:30 p.m. For a schedule of services and other activities, see our Calendar page.
50 Division Street
Hudson, OH 44236
330-656-1800
Office hours vary; please call for appointment.
General Inquiries: info@tbshudson.org
Rabbi: rabbimichaelross@gmail.com
Education Director: education@tbshudson.org
President: president@tbshudson.org
Membership: membership@tbshudson.org
Accounting: accounting@tbshudson.org
Letter from Rabbi Ross
Dear TBS Friends and Family,
SUKKOT & SIMCHAT TORAH EVENTS
We are planning three special Sukkot gatherings and one amazing Simchat Torah party. The entire community is invited to each of the events. Here are the details:
– 9:30-11:30 am, Saturday, 9/30: Prayer Lab – Sukkot Edition Join us for a special bagel brunch and Prayer Lab, as we explore Hallel, the special songs of praise about our abundance and our gratitude. After the discussion, we will have a brief prayer service with Rabbi Michael and Chuck Fink. All are welcome! The discussion will be in a hybrid format: in person and on Zoom.
– 11:30 am, Sunday, 10/1: Pizza in the Hut – For the final 30 minutes we will have a pizza lunch in our lovely Sukkah. Parents and community members are invited to join us to shake the lulav and feast in the Sukkah. Religious School will take place from 9-11:30, as we make decorations and prepare for the holiday. Sweaters may be needed.
– 6 pm, Friday, 10/6: Sukkot Dinner & Sukkot Service – This special time is specifically for our young families to join our community for this wonderful annual gathering. We will be joined by a special group of international guests that night, “Women Leaders – Promoting Peace and Security.” Pasta and salad for dinner in the Sukkah. Short Service inside. Oneg Dessert in the Sukkah. Sweaters may be needed.
– 10 am, Sunday, 10/8: Simchat Torah & Consecration – Brady Weinstein, Talia Bronstein, Evelyn Miller will be welcomed into our school community with this special service. Brunch will be served after the service. As our celebration ends at about 11:00 am, we will enjoy a festive oneg in the Social Hall. Please RSVP to Laurie Frankino lfrankino@gmail.com with the number of family members attending before Monday, October 2. The entire community is invited to this special event. (Like Rosh Hashanah, there will be no Religious School classes on this special holiday.)
HIGH HOLIDAY APPRECIATIONS
It was such a deep privilege and blessing to be with everyone for these High Holidays. Robin Selinger created this list for Facebook:
Many thanks to everyone who leads and supports this lovely community: pianist Peter Tavens, Amy McCormick for adding sweet harmonies, to co- presidents Laurie Frankino and James Field for their leadership and hard work holding the community together and making everything happen, to Kim Strausser and David Terkel for blowing the shofar, to Adam C. Alderson for managing audio and zoom, to David Weissman for playing violin, to Jean Beasley and Art Busch for reading Torah, to Len Rose for reading Jonah, to my dear Jonathan Selinger for his work as treasurer and webmaster.
Religious School Update
This Sunday, 10/1, we will have a regular day of Sunday classes, followed by Pizza in the Hut at 11:30!
TBSBrotherhood meetings/events
- Brotherhood Membership
Annual Brotherhood Membership Dues are due. Membership dues are $36 (double chai) and this year we are adding a sustaining membership level $54 (triple chai). Make checks payable to TBS Brotherhood and mail to 50 Division St., Hudson, 44236 or bring to the next meeting. Please contact treasurer Art Busch, ascyb34@yahoo.com, with any questions. Your financial support is much appreciated.
The Brotherhood performs much needed projects for TBS. Even if you cannot participate in Brotherhood, PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION. This will help to complete the many projects planned for 2023-2024 for TBS. - Sukkah Fun!
The Sukkah is complete! - Sun, Oct 8 – Sukkah Removal, 1:00 pmWe meet throughout the year in the spirit of friendship and good humor. We sponsor social events, fundraisers and building beautification projects to support and enhance the TBS community. Contact: Mike Miller at mikemillercsi@roadrunner.com.
TBSSisterhood meetings/events
- It is that time of year to consider joining the Sisterhood and supporting us with a dues donation. Please email me, Robin Rosen-Sharp (rrsdvm2@gmail.com) if you need a membership form and and would like to mail your payment. Otherwise you can use this PayPal link:
TBS SISTERHOOD PAYPAL LINK
Please Do Not pay along with your Temple dues as Jonathan has asked us not to do this any longer.
Thanks, Robin Rosen-Sharp - Next year, Jeanie Rhodes will be the president of the Sisterhood. Robin Rosen-Sharp has served as president for nine years and she deserves a hearty thanks. She’ll take over the Secretary-Treasurer position but would be willing for another Sister to come forward to take over these tasks.
UPCOMING TBS EVENTS
- Sat. 9/30, 9:30 am: Prayer Lab – Sukkot Edition!
- Sun. 10/1, 11:30 am: Pizza in the Hut Lunch
- Fri. 10/6, 6:00 pm: Family Shabbat Dinner & Service in the Sukkah
- Sun. 10/8, 9:30-11 am: Simchat Torah, Consecration & Brunch
- Sat. 10/14, 9:30 am: Prayer Lab led by Rabbi Michael
- Fri. 10/20, 7:30 pm: Shabbat Service
- Fri. 11/3, 7:30 pm: Shabbat Service
- Sat. 11/4, 9:30 am: Prayer Lab led by Rabbi Michael
- Sat. 11/18, 9:30 am: Prayer Lab led by Rabbi Michael
- Sun. 11/19, 7:00 pm: Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
- Sun. 12/10, 9:00 am-12: Religious School Chanukah Celebration
Registration for Religious School 2023-2024
Dear TBS Religious School Parents:
As you know, Rabbi Rachel Brown has accepted the position of Rabbi at The West Temple in Cleveland, replacing their long-term Rabbi who has retired. We wish Rabbi Rachel the very best in her new opportunity and we thank her for 5 years of leadership. We have taken this as an opportunity to reimagine our religious school program.
We formed a search committee to find a new education director for TBS. Co-Presidents Laurie Frankino, James Field and Rabbi Michael Ross met with Rabbi Stacy Schlein, Director of Educational Capacity Building, at the JEC (Jewish Education Center) to assist us in our search. We took this opportunity to take a fresh look at our religious school program. Our dear teacher, Jean Beasley and Laurie with the help of Rabbi Rachel met to brainstorm our religious school program’s future. That meeting produced the goals for our program, including providing our students with a strong sense of positive Jewish identity and our roadmap to achieve these goals (below).
We are thrilled to announce our roster of educators for this school year:
- Rabbi Michael Ross has accepted the role of Interim Education Director at TBS. In addition to his current position as Rabbi at TBS and Senior Educator at Hillel at Kent State University, Rabbi Michael will lead our religious school on Sundays, implementing our curriculum.
- Jean Beasley, master educator, is the winner of the National Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education and past winner of the Libbie L. Braverman Award. Jean will join Rabbi Ross in the newly created position of Assistant Education Director, and she will run our Thursday Hebrew program for our older students. She will also teach grades K-2 on Sundays.
- We have hired an exciting new teacher, Kate Palleschi for grades 3-5 on Sundays.
- Rabbi Michael will continue to teach students on Sundays grades 6-8 as they prepare for B’nai Mitzvah.
- Thursday religious school will be led by Jean Beasley for grades 5-8 (a change from grades 3-8) and will have a major emphasis on reading Hebrew and practicing the Torah service.
- Cantorial Soloist Robin Selinger is taking a sabbatical year from teaching beginning in October so we’ll have a new song leader, Jacob Rathkopf, who will lead our Sunday morning prayer service with Rabbi Michael and will also lead a monthly music class.
- Laurie Frankino will take on many of the administrative duties for the school this year.
Our first day of religious school for all students is Sunday, August 27, 9:00-12:00 pm. Please plan to bring your students in and stay for bagel breakfast and a short group discussion with Rabbi Ross.
If you can’t stay on August 27, please contact Laurie Frankino lfrankino@gmail.com who will schedule an individual meeting appointment with Rabbi Michael prior to August 27.
Please feel free to reach out to Rabbi Michael at his email: rabbimichaelross@gmail.com or by text/phone at 310-569-6329 with questions, concerns, or ideas.
Additionally, we have a private Facebook group for all TBS members. We will update our communications to you through this group as well as through email and texts. Let us know if you need an invitation to this group.
We are excited to present our new leadership as we begin a new school year and a new Jewish Year on Friday, September 15, Erev Rosh Hashanah.
L’Shalom,
Rabbi Michael Ross
Jean Beasley
Laurie Frankino
James Field
Paige Mintz
TEMPLE BETH SHALOM EDUCATION PROGRAM GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Our goals: By the end of religious school
- Graduates will be comfortable walking into any Reform service in the world and being able to participate fully by knowing:
- The prayers
- The choreography (when to sit, stand, bow)
- The way to behave in a sanctuary
- Graduates will have a strong sense of positive Jewish identity.
We achieve these goals by:
- Focusing our curriculum on Jewish prayer
- Actual recitation and chanting of the prayers
- Rituals that are part of our prayer services (lighting Shabbat candles, taking the Torah out and reading from it, when to stand, when to bow, etc.)
- Hebrew language acquisition specifically for reading/chanting Hebrew prayers and Tanakh
- Celebrating Jewish holidays as they come up on our Jewish calendar.
- Learning the stories of the Torah and other books of the Tanakh.
- Demonstrating that activities and subjects that our students enjoy have inherent Jewish values and teachings
Religious School Fees 2023-2024
Religious School Sundays
K-4th Grades
$600.00
Sundays 9:00-12:00 noon
Religious School Sundays & Thursdays
5-8th Grades
$800.00
Sundays 9:00-12:00 noon, Thursdays 4:30-6:00 pm
