E-Megillah May 28, 2026
May 28, 2026
Issue #770
Letter from Rabbi Ross
Dear TBS Friends & Family,
Last Friday evening and Saturday morning we celebrated our amazing Adult B’nai Mitzvah ceremony in honor of Shavuot. Aviva Julie Lakas, Michelle Draper, Mike Miller, David Holland, Michelle Touve-Holland, and Erin Andro-Masetta were called to the Torah for the first time! They led the services alongside Deb Rogers and Rabbi Michael. Our Hebrew teachers: Jean Beasley and Art Busch also read from the Torah.
A huge thank you to Laurie Frankino, Susan Berman, Adam Alderson for helping out this wonderful event!
TBS’ Year in Review, ’25-’26
As we prepare for our annual meeting on Friday 6/5, I would like to offer a few comments about our past year.
AUGUST – We had a wonderful BBQ at Hudson Springs Park. We welcomed a handful of new families into our community. The small group of neo-nazis began marching and yelling antisemitic hate at the town green.
SEPTEMBER – We held an Interfaith Peace Vigil with the First Congregational Church to counter the hate with words of love and support. At Rosh Hashanah, I talked about cultivating holiness on Shabbat, as we read the creation story about the first Shabbat. At Kol Nidre, I spoke about the horrors of Gazans starving at the hands of the Israeli army, and our dedication to the Israelis who were protesting in Tel Aviv
OCTOBER – We had a wonderful Sukkot and Simchat Torah celebration, where we unrolled the Torah Scroll for all to see. The final hostages were returned from Gaza.
NOVEMBER – Our Religious School visited the Akron Zoo where the Cinottis presented to us about animal care. We hosted the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service.
DECEMBER – Our students created handmade Chanukkah menorahs and showed them off at our annual Hanukkah Menorah Lighting.
JANUARY – I attended the Hevraya Alumni Retreat for Rabbis and Cantors in L.A. Meditation classes resume. “God is Here” discussions begin.
FEBRUARY – Rabbah Amaliah Hass brought her Bees and Honey presentation to our students, as we celebrated Tu Bishvat.
MARCH – Purim Carnival, Megillah reading, hamentaschen!
APRIL – Community Passover Seder, Addie Mayer was wonderful at her Bat Mitzvah.
MAY – Israel Dialogue and Lunch with guest dialogue facilitators. Israel Shabbat with Shahaf Palas. Amazing Adult B’nai Mitzvah ceremony! Deb Rogers hired as our new Education Director!
JUNE – Pride Shabbat and Annual meeting.
Exciting TBS Religious School News!
We have amazing school news! Deb Rogers, our wonderful cantorial soloist and b’nai mitzvah tutor, will expand her role at TBS and become our education director this summer!
Jean Beasley and I have been filling in as the interim directors for the past 2 years, and it’s been a special joy for us to have led our sweet, small school. Jean and I will continue on as school faculty. Please wish a huge mazel tov to Deb when you see her!
TBS Calendar Adjustment
The TBS Annual meeting will be on Friday 6/5 at 6pm. Wine and cheese will be served afterwards. It had been originally planned for 6/19. It will be followed at 7:30 with our 5th annual Pride Shabbat.
Jewish Meditation Circle Meets on 6/11 at 7:00 pm!
Our Jewish Meditation Circle will resume its twice a month sessions on Thursday, May 28 at 7pm. These sessions are for both new, beginning students and advanced students. All are welcome. Donations are welcome. Upcoming dates: 5/28, 6/11.
Condolences
We send love and blessings to Len Rose, whose sister, Rebecca Rose Kaufman died today.
2026 ADULT B’NAI MITZVAH CLASS
First row: Julie Aviva Lakas, Erin Andro-Masetta, Michelle Touve-Holland, Jean Beasley, Deb Rogers
Top row: Rabbi Michael Ross, Mike Miller, David Holland, Michelle Draper, Art Busch
Over Shavuot weekend, the following 6 congregants completed their course of study by being called to the Torah as B’nai Mitzvah.
Mazel Tov to Michelle Draper, David Holland, Michelle Touve-Holland, Julie Aviva Lakas, Erin Andro-Masetta, and Mike Miller.
Also pictured are Art Busch and Jean Beasley, Hebrew teachers for the class, Deb Rogers, their B’nai Mitzvah trainer, and Rabbi Michael Ross who led the services.
Just a shout out to:
Everyone who came and helped our B’nai mitzvah group of 2026/5786 celebrate our special days this past Friday and Saturday. It was wonderful to have you all present to enjoy our passage in our Jewish journey.
Julie Aviva Lakas
TBSBrotherhood meetings/events
• 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 TBS projects planned for 2024 – 2025. Please contact treasurer Art Busch, ascyb34@yahoo.com with any questions.
* Please Do Not pay along with your Temple dues.
• 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. Announcements will be posted as soon as they are available!
Contact: Mike Miller at: mikemillercsi@roadrunner.com
Thank you for your support!
TBSSisterhood
meetings/events
• It’s that time again to support sisterhood with your membership dues. Please contact Robin Rosen-Sharp at Rrsdvm2@gmail.com for a membership form. Please DO NOT send dues with your Temple dues or to the Temple Zeffy account. Robin can provide you with a Zelle link if you want to pay online. Thanks for your support!
Thanks, Robin
• 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 and Links
*Receive our weekly e-newsletters!
Please email your First Name, Last Name, and Email Address
to: hberman44236@yahoo.com
PAST NEWSLETTERS PW: TBSHudson
Past e-Megillahs can be found on Media > e-Megillah Newsletters page
CALENDAR PAGE View upcoming services and events
SHABBAT SERVICE ID: 861 4959 4595, PW: shabbat
Available when noted on the Upcoming Events schedule
TORAH STUDY ID: 844 3145 6155, PW: tbstorah
Saturday Prayer Essentials and Torah Study
MAKING PRAYER REAL The book for Saturday classes can be ordered here
KENT HILLEL SHABBAT Candle-lighting, Service/Community Discussion, FREE Dinner (*Registration is REQUIRED and will close each week on Thursday at 2:00pm)
KENT HILLEL Providing a comfortable atmosphere for socializing, studying, or connecting spiritually for students
Zeffy We can now use Zeffy for Dues, Fees, and Donations.
Temple Beth Shalom does not pay a fee
ISRAEL DONATIONS Donations to support Israel can be made at
Cleveland Federation
TBS BOOKKEEPER NEEDED!
TBS SEEKS PART-TIME BOOKKEEPER
As we thank James Field for his years of service as TBS Bookkeeper, we seek a new part-time bookkeeper to replace him effective June 30.
Basic duties include:
• Make deposits and pay bills, which are primarily done online.
• Record all transactions in QuickBooks software.
• Issue preprogrammed reports from QuickBooks including monthly profit & loss and fund balance statements and annual dues invoices.
• Input annual budget created by Treasurer/President into QuickBooks.
• Along with Treasurer check communications on Accounting@tbshudson.org email.
• Work with Treasurer to monitor financial position.
If you are interested, or know someone who might be interested in this position, please contact Co-Presidents Mark Schildhouse or Larry Terkel for further information at markschildhouse@gmail.com or Larry Terkel at larry@larryterkel.com.
Saturday, June 6 & 7 – Akron Mitzvah Day 1 & Cleveland Pride
Sunday, June 6 – Cleveland Pride
Monday, June 8 – Social Action Organizing meeting, 5 pm
Sunday, June 14 – Hebrew Cultural Garden Clean-up
Saturday, July 11 – TBS Volunteer Day at Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, 8:30 – 11:00 am
• eSurvey
Coming soon. Our summer survey will be arriving in your inbox. The Social Action team is committed to offering a wide variety of opportunities to give back to our community and beyond. Our goal is to be responsive to the needs and preferences of the TBS congregation. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey when it arrives to provide us guidance for future activities. Thank you!
• Hebrew Cultural Garden Clean-up
June 14, July 12, August 23, 9:00 am-noon – 1160 East Blvd., Cleveland. Help with new plantings, pulling weeds and raking leaves. There are ferns to thin around the fountain and replant them on the northern side of the hill. Rakes, clippers, and shovels will be needed. Reach out to Sheila at sailmomoh@gmail.com for more information. Other clean-up dates June 14, July 12, August 23.
June 6-7. Join Akron area congregations, organizations and neighbors for a Day of Caring in the greater Akron community. A wonderful family event, registrations are underway at www.mitzvahdayakron.com . Brochure www.mitzvahdayakron.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/MitzvahDay2026-Brochure.pdf . A roundtable discussion of the immigration crisis is scheduled for Sunday afternoon followed by a dinner for those interested.
• Pride in the CLE
June 6 – Pride in the CLE is an annual event celebrating the city’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community. See lgbtcleveland.org/pride/ for the details• Next Meeting
The Social Action Committee will meet on Monday, June 8 at 5 pm in the TBS Boardroom. All are welcome. Please text or call Eric Draper, 216-630-6075, for more information and to be added to the Social Action communication.
• Hebrew Cultural Garden Clean-up
June 14, 9:00 am – 1160 East Blvd., Cleveland. Help with new plantings, pulling weeds and raking leaves. There are ferns to thin around the fountain and replant them on the northern side of the hill. Rakes, clippers, and shovels will be needed. Reach out to Sheila at sailmomoh@gmail.com for more information. The next clean-up dates and is July 12 & August 23.
• TBS Volunteer Event
July 11, 8:30 – 11:00. We have arranged a volunteer activity at the food bank in July. Summer months mean a shortage of volunteers, so TBS is stepping up! This is a great family event for 10-year-olds and up. Details follow. Contact Marcy Caplin at mcaplin981@aol.com with any questions.PLEASE COMPLETE A VOLUNTEER APPLICATION – If you have not volunteered with the Foodbank in the past 3 years, please complete a volunteer application/waiver.
Youth Volunteer Application (children must be at least 10 years old to participate)– Preparing for your visit, Akron Main Campus:
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Main Campus is located at 350 Opportunity Pkwy in Akron, at the corner of Dart Avenue and Opportunity Parkway off of OH-59 near Downtown Akron. Get Directions.
- Please see the attached detailed parking map. Please carpool as much as possible.
- Volunteer parking is located in the Blue Lot, which should be accessed via Entrance A on Dart Avenue. Please use this entrance rather than entering from Opportunity Parkway.
- Dart Avenue is a one-way street. Depending on your route, you may need to circle the block to reach it (Opportunity → Pier → Bartges → Dart).
- When heading north on Dart Avenue, Entrance A will be the first entrance on your right.
- Entrances B and C (second and third entrances) are reserved for our network partners and pantry neighbors — please avoid using these to keep traffic flowing safely.
- Once you’ve parked, please follow the sidewalk toward Dart Avenue and use the city sidewalks to walk to our main entrance via the lobby on Opportunity Parkway, rather than walking through the parking lot.
- Handicap-accessible spaces remain available in front of the building on Opportunity Parkway.
What to wear:
- Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
- It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside affects the temperature inside the warehouse.
- Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes, jewelry, and earbuds/headphones are not permitted in the warehouse.
• Hudson Food Pantry
TBS has stepped up to fulfill a need of the Hudson Food Pantry. Your monthly donations of laundry detergent have been truly appreciated by our neighbors in need. Let’s keep up the momentum! We are asking for three TBS families to donate 2 large detergents — liquid, powder, or pods — each for a total of 6 per month. Families can sign up for a single month or multiple months. The detergents can be dropped off at TBS when open, i.e. Friday services, Saturday study sessions, Sunday school, etc. To sign-up to help go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4FABAF2EA3FE3-61572875-tikkun or scan the QR code:
The pantry has also made a special request for body wash, deodorant and hand sanitizer and juices. These items can also be dropped off any time during the month and there is no sign-up for these items.
For more information about the pantry, see http://www.hudsoncsa.org/food-pantry. For questions about the donation process, please contact Michelle Draper at mldraper@yahoo.com. Thank you!
• Got Sneakers?
The Social Action Committee is collecting used sneakers. Donated sneakers will be refurbished for re-use or will be sent to a recycler who will extract as many materials as possible for reuse or sent to a waste-to-energy program. Our goal is to keep sneakers out of landfills and repair, reuse or recycle them. For sneakers in good condition, TBS receives a small amount of money to fund future Social Action causes. Please deposit your used sneakers into the bin marked as Got Sneakers in the Social Hall.
Note: athletic-wear only – no other type of shoe, boot or slipper. Rubber cleats are acceptable, but not metal cleats. Please deposit them attached as a pair by tying them together with the shoelaces or binding them with a rubber band. Adult and kids’ sneakers are welcome. Contact Cheryl Butensky at cheryl.butensky@gmail.com for more information.
The TBS library is open for business. Please borrow the books of your choice. Return them, pass them on, donate a different book back.
Thank you for your continued donations. We are in the process of adding three more bookcases so we can organize the books by subject: Biographies, Fiction, Hebrew, Israel, Holocaust, Holidays, Jewish humor, Prayers books etc,
All the best, Bill Riter AJL
wrriter@yahoo.com
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• Help our Temple
• Assist with events and gatherings
• Participate in Brotherhood & Sisterhood
• Support & Enhance the TBS community
• E-Megillah Desktop Co-Publisher
Linda Schulman
as well as read during Shabbat services.
Bernard H Berman • Gladys Z Berman
Benjamin Fromm • Rita Gross
Benjamin Lerhaupt • Rebecca Rose Kaufman
George Kerster • Philip Joel Lublin
Samuel Neiburg • Edith Rubino • John W Rubino
Gene Vinciguerra
If you have names to add, please send them with their yahrzeit date to:
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Thu. 5/28, 7:00 pm: Jewish Meditation Circle – new time!
- SAVE THE DATE – Fri, 6/5, 6:00 pm: TBS Annual meeting – wine and cheese social hour follows
- SAVE THE DATE – Fri. 6/5, 7:30 pm: Pride Shabbat
- Mon. 6/8, 5:00 pm: Social Action meeting – @ TBS
- Thu. 6/11, 7:00 pm: Jewish Meditation Circle – new time!
- Sat. 6/13, 9:00: God is Here – Final Discussion
- Sat. 6/13, 9:45: Torah Study & Bagels – short service follows
- Fri. 6/19, 7:30 pm: Shabbat Service with Torah Reading