E-Megillah September 4, 2025

Dear TBS Friends & Family,
This Saturday at 9:30 is our next Torah For Our Times. We will discuss the events of the past week for a few minutes to get started. Bagels will be served.  We will meet both in-person and on zoom.

BUSY WEEK, MANY THANKS YOUS
Last Friday’s BBQ: Thank you to everyone who came to our wonderful BBQ last Friday night. A special thank you to Laurie Frankino, Brotherhood and Sisterhood for all of your efforts! And a special thank you to Deb Rogers for her creative service based on familiar melodies. The lyrics were amazing!

Wednesday’s Peace Vigil: Thank you to everyone who came out to join us last night for our amazing peace vigil! It’s the first time I ever spoke with someone carrying an AR-15 on their shoulder. It truly helped me to calm my fears when I looked out and saw your faces. I could focus on people who wanted to hear my words and avoid the few who didn’t want to hear.

Here is the text of my talk from last night, lightly edited for length.
There are times when hate can motivate.
In the summer of 2015, I was starting a new rabbinic role in Greensboro, NC when the Mother Emanuel AME church shooting occurred in South Carolina. I knew from my understanding of the Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, that violating sacred spaces was and is unacceptable. I began to work with Rev. William Barber’s folks to support those in pain in the Carolinas. So I begin tonight, by extending love and blessings to our Catholic friends and neighbors after the tragedy in Minneapolis last week.
In 2018, as I began my work here in Hudson, I met Rev. Peter Wiley as he invited me to collaborate with him on First Serve, an annual day of service in the North Hill neighborhood of Akron. Peter called, and I said sure. It didn’t matter that Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, was the next day. I could make time to begin meaningful interfaith work.
A few months later, in late October of 2018, a gunman entered the Tree of Life Synagogue, in Pittsburg, murdering 11 congregants as they prayed their morning prayers.
Hate motivates.
Peter and Rev Charlotte Collins Reed reached out to me to support my Temple Beth Shalom community. We organized a Hudson community prayer vigil at TBS for nearly 200 people. At that vigil, I shared that I felt like my naivete was shattered. I felt like the idea that American Jews are safe in their prayer spaces had been destroyed. My trust was gone.
A month later, Peter, Charlotte and I began our now annual interfaith thanksgiving service, as a sign of communal support during difficult times. (We have rotated from The First Congregational Church, to Christ Church Episcopal, Temple Beth Shalom and Laurel Lake over the years.)
The warmth, and love that overflowed onto our Jewish community warmed our souls during the sadness of that fall in 2018. We were not alone. We were surrounded by a loving, compassionate Hudson community
By the way, at that time in 2018, TBS  began hiring security officers for our worship services.
For me the key to this Interfaith work in Hudson has been the relationships. Peter and I don’t hesitate to reach out when we are in need. We miss Charlotte as a dedicated partner, but we look forward to welcoming Rev. Charlie Knuth into this ongoing collaboration, alongside Chaplain James Dodson, the chaplain at Laurel Lake.

Navigating Trauma
For the past two years, the Jewish community has been navigating profound trauma around the Gaza War with Hamas. I have wept for the Israeli victims and the hostages, and the profound loss. I have wept for the Palestinian civilians who are caught in harm’s way and who are facing famine conditions.
I mention this not to score political points, but to gently point out that the Jewish community is slowly figuring out how to navigate life in light of these traumas. Our personal and communal response to trauma puts us at risk today.
Every year, since 2015, the amount of antisemitic acts rises. This spring, I spent 2 months exploring the intersection between trauma, antisemitism and mindfulness with a dozen rabbis and scholars. We learned about the role of intergenerational trauma. We notice when we get triggered. We noticed when our family members get triggered. We notice how social media’s warp on information challenges us to find out what is actually going on.  We noticed the rise in hate.
We noticed that spending time in the community helped us to get back to center. We noticed that spiritual practices, like prayer, meditation, and yoga allow us the spaciousness to return to center. We noticed the role of gratitude practices that help us refocus when we are triggered.

Building Resilience
If hate motivates, may we find the inspiration to act upon these expressions of hate for the sake of our children.

• May we be inspired to find and build community to respond to these expressions.
• May we show up at Interfaith days of service like first serve this Sunday
• May we build bridges of understanding, care and compassion.

     We live in divided times. We live in a time where we are encouraged to think that only our opinion or our group’s opinion is correct. Culturally, we seem to prefer forums of debate, where we can prove how correct we are.
Can we move from a posture of debate to a posture of dialogue?
Can we as spiritual leaders, communal leaders and teachers find more curiosity in the role of dialogue in our lives?
But as I stand here three weeks before the jewish new year, I am exploring my spiritual work, and I am noticing the need to cultivate humility, compassion, and honesty.
If we want to move from debate to dialogue, where we can hear the story of another, we will need to have profound humility that someone else’s experience can help me understand my own experience.
May we move from debate to dialogue as we try and fulfill the words of the prophet micah:
“He has told you, human what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Let us be motivated by these expressions of hate to build resilience, build community and build bridges in our broader communities.

SELICHOT MOVIE & SERVICE – Sat., Sept.13, 7:30 pm
Selichot is a time to begin to prepare for Rosh Hashanah by examining where we missed the mark. This year we will show the new movie, “One Life,” starring Anthony Hopkins as the man who saved hundreds of children, but has enormous regret over those he couldn’t save.
We will start with dessert at 7:30, and begin the movie at 7:45.
We will have a brief discussion after the film ends, around 9:30, followed by our Selichot Service led by Deb and the TBS Choir.
We will change the Torahs’ mantles into their High Holy day white, preparing us for our own season of transformation. Everyone is welcome.

TBS Religious School News
Deb Rogers is formally joning our faculty: she will co-teach the Hebrew classes on Thursdays and she will be our b’nai mitzvah tutor and teach music and cooking on Sundays. Jean Beasley will be our assistant director this year, teaching on Thursday with Deb. On Sundays, Jean will teach the younger students, while I will teach the older students. I will serve as the education director this year as well. Jean’s daughter, Shari, will run our preschool program each month.
Our first day of classes is 9/14.

Selichot-A First Step Toward Repentance  
Saturday, September 13, 7:30 pm

On the road to repentance, we can begin with small steps by saying I’m sorry, s’lichah. Our tradition provides the opportunity for us to do that with Selichot prayers. The Selichot service begins the annual process of gathering as a community to pray for forgiveness.

Please join Rabbi Michael Ross and Cantorial Soloist Deb Rogers Saturday night, September 13, at 7:30 pm, in the TBS Social Hall, for desserts and treats followed by a movie and short discussion. No preparation is necessary to participate.

A short Havdalah service will follow including our new volunteer choir led by Deb Rogers. We will change the Torahs’ mantles into their High Holy day white, preparing us for our own season of transformation.  Everyone is welcome.

GUEST TICKETS FOR HIGH HOLY DAY SERVICES FOR NON-MEMBERS

Temple Beth Shalom is delighted to welcome guests for High Holy Day Services.  All people attending services, members and non-members alike MUST have a ticket to be admitted to services over the High Holy Days. If you would like to arrange to receive Guest tickets (please note that members do NOT need to do this), please contact Amy McCormick at e-mail: membership@tbshudson.org. It is important that you include the following information in your e-mail so that Amy can get back in touch with you: Your full name (first and last), your e-mail address, and most importantly your phone number and times when you can be reached.  Amy will reach out by phone to everyone requesting tickets so please don’t forget to include your number. After speaking with Amy and making arrangements to receive the tickets, they will be mailed to you through the US post office. If it is too close to the date of the service to mail them, you will be able to pick the tickets up at the door after showing your ID.

Ritual Committee is asking for Volunteers to help with the following projects. Time of day is flexible:

Thursday, September 18       1-1/2 hours

• Set up the Social Room for 9/21 Religious School Buffet Dinner

Saturday, September 20

• Change out Shabbat Prayer Books for Holiday Prayer Books – 1 hour
• Set up sanctuary for the high holy days – 1 hour

Monday, September 22-late morning

• Set up the Social Room for Erev Rosh Hashanah Oneg – 1 hour

Saturday, September 27

• Set up the Social Room for Thursday Break the Fast – 1-1/2 hours

Please contact Laurie Frankino 330-620-2020 or lfrankino@gmail.com to volunteer.

TBS Legacy Fund Update
Participation hits 70%!

Thank you to those who responded to my email. Those who haven’t, please, please join us in this mitzvah of owning our building and ensuring our Temple’s survival for years to come. With less than 15% left to go our goal is within reach! Please help push us over the top.

Blessings to all,
Larry Terkel

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

• Join the Sisterhood and support us with a dues donation. Please email Robin Rosen-Sharp (rrsdvm2@gmail.com) if you need a membership form and would like to mail your payment.
* Please Do Not pay 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!

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News Flash for Sisterhood
News Flash for Sisterhood
News Flash for SisterhoodHello!
It has been an extremely busy summer so forgive me, but I am off and running now, (well more like a energetic pace). A few changes are in store, but if they are done it will be after I send out a short (I promise!) questionnaire. I want to make this a very democratic procedure.  I think any changes will be appreciated by all. Please watch your email for this. I would love everyone’s input.
In October after the high holidays and beautiful fall weather, our first event will be to see the movie “Eleanor the Great”. Check it out in IMBD or google. It doesn’t release till September 26th, so as soon as it does, I will send out  information on when and where.
In November, depending upon weather, I hope to have a special get together in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Details to come.
In December (or thereabouts) we will be learning how to repair book bindings (think Sidduriem or old cherished copies you may have of any book. This will be taught by our own Jean Beasley.
Jeannie Rhodes has offered to host a meeting and pot luck brunch at some point. This is always an awesome event with good food and good company.
So, I am looking forward to may enjoyable times together. See you soon I hope.

Julie Lakas.

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Temple Beth Shalom

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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
    
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Temple Beth Shalom does not pay a fee

  ISRAEL DONATIONS    Donations to support Israel can be made at
Cleveland Federation

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