Letter from Rabbi Ross Dear TBS Friends and Family,
Tonight, I will offer up the invocation at Casey Weinstein’s swearing in ceremony at Hudson City Hall.
We stand here today on the cusp of a new year and for you Casey Weisntein, a new role as State Senator.
There is a bit of serendipity with this moment in time.
Jewish time begins at sundown. For the past eight nights, as evening fell, we have lit the chanukah menorah in our homes and in our synagogues to mark the festival of lights. We greet the darkest time of the year by adding more light.
Last night, we lit the 8th candle, and our Chanukkah menorah blazed with a profound sense of hope. The 8th and final day of Chanukkah concluded a few moments ago.
The rabbis of the Talmud call this 8th night and 8th day of hanukkah, “zot chanukkah,” this is our dedication. So what is the hope we are dedicating ourselves to, as we end our holiday celebration, and return to the working world?
What is the nature of our service, and how do we bring hope to that service, in a world that seems to have darkened.
I know for Casey and myself and many at Temple Beth Shalom in Hudson, we find deep meaning in the idea of “Tikkun Olam,” or repairing the world. For us liberal Jews, we believe that we are obligated to perfect the broken world we have – for our children’s sake.
But the kabbalistic mystics, who formulated this ideal of repairing the world, had another repair job that they wanted to tend to first. The mystics developed a two-step process of repair:
First, they taught the individual needs to repair his or herself, Tikkun Hanefesh, repairing the soul. We do this type of repair work internally, as we navigate our daily lives.
After this repair work is completed each day, the mystics taught that one can begin to meditate on how we can repair the world, for the sake of others.
So take a minute and check in with yourself, and see if you have been the best person you can be today – this is Tikkun Hanefesh.
Now that we see how we are doing internally, we can notice how much repair work needs to happen in our city, in our community, in our state.
Let me return now to the idea of “zot chanukkah” and dedicating our hope and dedicating our service:
May we find deep inspiration from these holiday moments over the past week or so.
May we take the power and the beauty of those eight Chanukkah candles as the wind under our wings as we dedicate our service to do the important work at hand.
Transitioning back to the working world is complicated. We can forget the wonder and joy of these holiday moments. So let’s each take a final breath of holy time, and find the spirit of our souls to animate our repair work this winter. Our transition is a havdalah, a separation from sacred time to daily time.
As we dedicate our hope and service to repairing the world, let us do this with joy.
– ivdu et hashem besimchah, from Psalm 100. May we serve God with joy!
TBS’ Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class Starting this winter!
Have you wanted to transform your adult understanding of Judaism into a meaningful ritual? We are forming an adult b’nai mitzvah class this fall. We will spend the next 18 months studying together. Each student will read from the Torah, lead part of a group prayer service, and deliver a D’var Torah.
Rabbi Michael Ross and Jean Beasley will be the instructors. Costs will be determined by enrollment. CLASSES:
– Jewish Prayer Essentials – structure & meaning of prayers (Fall ’24: Saturday mornings before Torah Study, from 9:00 – 9:45 am)
– Making Prayer Real – the art of prayer (Spring ’25, Saturdays before Torah Study, from 9:00 – 9:45 am)
– Basic Hebrew (Winter and Spring ’25, class time to be determined)
– Torah Reading & Chanting (Fall ’25)
– Spiritual Autobiography writing (Fall ’25 or Spring ’26)
Hanukkah Thanks from Laurie Frankino, Ritual Chair
Last Friday night, TBS held a record-breaking Hanukkah Shabbat Dinner and service attended by 96 members, extended family members and guests! Our sincere thanks to all who joined us for dinner and those who came later to light their menorahs at the service and joined us for Hanukkah oneg treats. Huge thanks to Rabbi Michael and Cantorial Soloist Deb Rogers who led a delightful family service filled with special music and fun.
My personal thanks to the TBS volunteers who assisted in the success of this event.
Art Busch & Julie Lakas who helped reconfigure the social hall, school classrooms and conference rooms to accommodate 12 dinner tables, cookie decorating stations and buffet line space. Kim Strausser & Bill Riter who donated Hanukkah gift items for our religious school children. And to Kim for creating beautiful gift bags for each of our children that were given out the last day of religious school and at the Hanukkah Shabbat Dinner event. Robin Rosen Sharp and Sisterhood for making and donating 20+dozen Sisterhood-made latkes that were enjoyed at our Hanukkah Shabbat Dinner and another 20+ dozen that were made for purchase by our TBS families for their own Hanukkah dinners at home. David Holland, new congregant and owner of NOSH, whose expertise with food enhanced every part of our dinner service. Joyce Bigam and Jennifer Frankino who assisted with food prep, serving, and the Cinotti family, Wendy & Julius Hess, Mike & Kim and James Field who joined them for the major clean up effort. And finally, to ourTBS Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Ritual and Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund which all donated funds from their committee budgets making it possible to offer this Hanukkah Dinner as a free event for our TBS community. Thank you all!
TBS Legacy Fund Update
Exciting News!
We have now reached $118,400 or 59% of our goal. And the really good news (which I announced at our fabulous Hanukkah celebration Friday night) is that one of our members has generously offered to match all donations up to the next $10,000 and another member is talking about taking over the match when that goal is reached.
Which means that since your donation is a mitzvah (the blessing of a good deed) your donation at this time will be a double mitzvah. We would really love to see everyone receive the blessing of knowing they played a part, however small, in completing the purchase of our wonderful building and insuring our Jewish presence well into the future. It is an investment we can all be proud of.
While we are at 59% of our goal, only 25% of our congregation has participated so far. We would love to see that reach 100% as well. Please join us. All contributions of any size will be greatly appreciated and then doubled in value. Let’s do this together! I know we can.
Donations to support Israel can be made at
Cleveland Federation:
Temple Beth Shalom can now use Zeffy for donations, membership dues or other payments. On the Dues/Fees/Donations tab on tbshudson.org is the option Zeffy, which works like PayPal except Temple Beth Shalom does not pay a fee. Dues/Fees/Donations Link
TBSBrotherhoodmeetings/events
• The Brotherhood is excited to host this year’s Bingo fundraiser on 2/22/25.
Bingo is always well attended with scrumptious appetizers and desserts. This year will be NO exception!
• Brotherhood Membership
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 – 2025 for TBS. Please contact treasurer Art Busch, ascyb34@yahoo.com with any questions.
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
TBSSisterhoodmeetings/events
• Kim Strausser has set up our next sisterhood dinner out at Blu Basil, 180 W. Streetsboro St Ste 5, Hudson, OH 44236. It is a great place and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday, January 21st at 7 PM.
Please RSVP Kim at: kimstrausser@gmail.com
• Join the Sisterhood and support us with a dues donation. Please email me, Robin Rosen-Sharp (rrsdvm2@gmail.com) if you need a membership form and would like to mail your payment.
Please Do Notpay along with your Temple dues.
• Upcoming meetings and events are currently being planned and scheduled by the Sisterhood. Announcements will be posted as soon as they are available! Thank you for your support!
Temple Beth Shalom Website Notes
• Past e-Megillahs can be found on Media/e-Megillah Newsletters page: E-MEGILLAH NEWSLETTERS
You will need to use the password TBSHudson
You can view upcoming services and events on the Calendar page: CALENDAR PAGE
Save the Date! February 22, 2025
Back by Popular Demand! TBSBingo Night!
Bingo is always well attended with scrumptious appetizers and desserts. This year will be NO exception!
Bingo Night Silent Auction Donations are Welcome!
Please reach out to Eric Chupack ericchupack@gmail.com with questions if you plan to donate silent auction items so we can be ready with the supporting marketing (description, quantities, retail value, photo, etc.) for your items.
Welove to share news & announcements at TBS
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.
We are looking for VOLUNTEERS tohelp our Temple!
Activities to match your interests and abilities
are still available!
D E A T H S I N T H E L A S T Y E A R
John Andro • Jane Litt• Jack Scanlon Norman Taer • Karen Touve • Mark Varney
A monthly yahrzeit list of TBS family loved ones will now be published in the e-megillah
as well as read during Shabbat services.
J A N U A R Y Y A H R Z E I T S
Joseph Beck • Cynthia Blazey • Harry Robert Bronstein
Mildred Caplin • Helen Cooper • Celia Eisen
Xenia Fischmann Culiner • Frank Frankino
Sabina Fromm • Theodore Hess • Sarah Koller
Simon Krutowsky • Dorothy Long • Deborah B Neiburg
Leo Schildhouse • Robert Noel Schildhouse • Anne Selinger
Haim Singer • Allen Slivka • Maurice Terkel • Sylvia Weisman
If you have names to add, please send them with their yahrzeit date to:
Laurie Frankino, Ritual Chair, at lfrankino@gmail.com.
T B S
Fri. 1/10/25, 7:30 pm: Shabbat Servicewith Robin Selinger
• Upcoming meetings and events are currently being planned and scheduled by the Sisterhood. Announcements will be posted as soon as they are available!
help our Temple!
Hanukkah Thanks from Laurie Frankino, Ritual Chair
announced at our fabulous Hanukkah celebration Friday night) is that one of our members has generously offered to match all donations up to the next $10,000 and another member is talking about taking over the match when that goal is reached.
Temple Beth Shalom can now use Zeffy for donations, membership dues or other payments. On the Dues/Fees/Donations tab on 
Temple Beth Shalom
Please reach out to Eric Chupack 