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Thursday, June 6, 2024
Issue #671

Letter from Rabbi Ross

Dear TBS Friends and Family,

Shavuot is coming this Tuesday!
Here’s my weekend column about Shavuot, Ruth and our conversion students:
Shavuot is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the experience of receiving the 10 Commandments and the Torah at Mount Sinai. Shavuot will be celebrated this Tuesday evening through Thursday afternoon in Jewish communities. We reaffirm the covenant between the Jewish people and the “Breath-of-All Life.” Additionally, every Jewish holiday has a special study text that highlights themes for the holiday. On Shavuot, our special text is the Book of Ruth. Ruth represents the story of the first person who converts to Jewish practice. This year, I am spending a lot of my time thinking, studying and teaching my amazing group of conversion candidates in Hudson at Temple Beth Shalom.
For the past five months, I have been studying weekly with this large group of folks. Half of this cohort are college students and half are adults
We began our learning together in late January, with a 3-part history series of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, called ”Israel-Palestine 101.” I challenged myself and my students by teaching a dual-narrative curriculum. I invited the general community to join us for these 3 weeks and I was astounded that each week more than 40 people joined me for these special sessions. We learned about Israeli history and perspectives and Palestinian history and perspectives. We challenged ourselves to bear witness to the traumas of both peoples in this land during this horrible war.
I then taught a 12-part “Judaism 101” course based on Jewish history, holidays, theology, and culture. This cohort was for the conversion candidates and some others who wanted to learn more about their Jewish practices.
As a group, these conversion students are fascinating and they will be changing the face of Judaism for years to come. The majority of these students identify as LGBTQ. The majority were raised Christian. Of this current cohort, we had students from Jordan, Kazakhstan, and Mexico.
In the coming weeks, we will welcome two new members into our Jewish community. They will conclude their conversion process when they will meet with the rabbinic Beit Din, or law court, and then immerse in a mikvah, or baptismal pool. Afterwards, we will place our sacred Torah scroll in their arms as we ritually process our new folks into our community for a warm, welcoming embrace.
During this fraughtful, anxious year, this class and these students have given me great hope. They are dedicated to building a healthy community. They are fascinated that Judaism has dozens and dozens of names for God, and that the word “Israel” is derived from wrestling with God. Some loved the idea of “God as a verb.” They are seeking meaning in their lives. They are deeply compassionate, just like Ruth.
It’s Ruth’s profound, loving-kindness that leads her to find her new spiritual home with Boaz and with her mother-in-law, Naomi. Like Ruth, these conversion students will open us to new truths about ourselves as we learn how to welcome them fully into our spiritual communities.
May we all find deep inspiration from Ruth’s powerful focus on loving-kindness. May this pursuit of compassion open our hearts to our own pains and the pains of the other. As we rededicate ourselves to the Torah and to community this Shavuot, may we find solace, expansiveness and joy in the embrace of our spiritual companions and spiritual community.

Religious School Updates
We have begun advertising for a new education director for next
fall. We are conducting an interview this weekend.

Special Shavuot Program
Tuesday evening 6/11 at Bnai Jeshurun!
Join Rabbi Michael and many educators to commemorate the giving of the Torah at the 2024 Community-Wide Tikkun Leil Shavuot Program. This event is free and open to the community thanks to our 23 co-sponsors, in addition to B’nai Jeshurun Congregation and the Estelle and Dr. Milton Rosenberg Fund involved.
Everyone attending in person can pre-register online by June 9.
Walk-ins are welcome, but you will need to register when you arrive.
Register online: https://cutt.ly/registration-tikkun2024
Highlights include: 8 sessions with choices of premiere teachers, Festival services, dessert buffet, breakfast bar, Kabbalistic wedding ceremony and a sunrise service.
We will also offer an early tween session for 5th-8th grades.
Come for one session or the entire evening.
Learn more about our sponsors, presenters, and view the complete schedule which also shows which sessions will be streamed at:
Special Shavuot Program Link   

SAD NEWS – JUDITH A PRITIKIN
Many long-time congregants will remember Elliott and Judy Pritikin. Sadly, Elliott advised us that Judy passed away April 5th at Rhode Island Hospital from complications of a very brief bout with Cancer.
Judith A. Pritikin (Judy), 64, was the beloved wife of Elliott Pritikin for over 37 years.
They met on his birthday, fell in love, married and had their two sons Sam and Jordan in Michigan. His job took the family to Hudson, Ohio, where they joined Temple Beth Shalom. Elliott and Judy were very active congregants. Elliott was elected temple president serving for 2 years and Judy served as Sisterhood President presiding over many fabulous fundraiser events. Both of their sons attended religious school and were Bar Mitzvah at TBS.
Elliott’s work took them from Hudson to New Hampshire, Singapore, and to Judy’s hometown in Rhode Island nine years ago where she was a member of Temple Beth El in Providence.
Memorial and a celebration of her life service took place on May 19th Temple Beth El, 70 Orchard Avenue, Providence, RI. 02906. The family suggests contributions in her memory may be made to Brotherhood of Temple Beth El. If you’d like to reach out to Elliott, his home address is 51 Cambridge Circle, Smithfield, RI 02917. May her memory be for a blessing.

Donations to support Israel can be made at
Cleveland Federation: 

  ISRAEL EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN  

TBS ANNUAL MEETING 
FRIDAY, JUNE 14  6:30 pm Social Room

  ISRAEL EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN  

TBSBrotherhood meetings/events                                                  

• Brotherhood Membership
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 2024 for TBS.
We 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                                                        

• We are working on the service for the Sisterhood Shabbat on June 28th.
How you can become involved:

1. Help write the service with Robin, Julie and Jeanie
2. Sing up front (in a group) for a song or two and/or do an English reading
3. Send me nature photos you have taken
4. Bring something for our Oneg
5. Attend

• Next events are a dinner out in the planning stages and the Sisterhood late June Service.

• In July/Aug we’ll have a potluck brunch at Jeanie’s house to talk about next year!

Temple Beth Shalom Website Notes

We are looking for volunteers to help our Temple.
Please email James Field at jdfield23@aol.com if you would like to be a TBS Super Supporter. Some ways to volunteer include:
• Backup to our Email newsletter
• Coordinator with the Cleveland Jewish Federation for security support
• Setup/takedown of furniture and refreshments for Temple activities
• Sponsoring an Oneg
• Coordinating Zoom services
• Many other activities to match your interests, abilities and availability

Please send us your announcements, engagements, weddings, graduations, sports news, kid news, etc. to: e-megillah editor, hberman44236@yahoo.com no later than ONE WEEK PRIOR to the next issue. Please include ‘e-megillah news‘ in the subject field.

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•  Y A H R Z E I T S  •