Dear Bet Torah Family,
I am so excited to bring you positive news for our future. With thanks to our Interim Cantor Search Committee, we are considering for this position two candidates who will each share this coming Shabbat with us.
Cantor Brian Shamash
, most recently of Congregation Beth El in Fairfield, CT,
will join us this Friday night, April 17,
during our Kabbalat Shabbat service, beginning at 6:15 p.m. with our Shabbat Schmooze.
Click here
for the zoom link, and please remember to use our new Passcode for access to the service. In addition to his warm personality and excellent singing voice, Cantor Shamash has a strong background in education, specifically Bar and Bat Mitzvah training.
Cantor Gil Ezring
, most recently of Congregation Beth Judea in Long Grove, IL,
will join us Saturday morning, April 18,
beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Click here
f
or the zoom link, and again, please remember to use our new Passcode to access the service. Prior to joining the clergy, Cantor Ezring worked as a teacher and still loves finding ways to motivate students of all ages. His joyful singing and humble, warm personality lend themselves to involving the congregation in a meaningful way from the Bimah.
We invite all of you to join us virtually for these services to meet our final candidates, hear them daven, and gain a sense of how they could integrate with our community. We encourage your feedback; please send your impressions by this Monday, April 20, to Interim Cantor Search Committee Co-Chairs Mindy Hermann Zaidins and Susan Katz Truwit at
clergysearch@bettorah.org
. Many thanks to the full Committee, including Nili Ionascu, Hayley Kupperman, Mitch Portnoy, Mike Rosenman, Antony Schwartz, Abby Siegel, Susan Cohen Silberman, Meredith Tanowitz, and Josh Winograd. Thanks also to Cantor Herman for his assistance in making this transition as seamless as possible.
See our weekly
Into Shabbat
email for full Shabbat service information, including all Shabbat services and study opportunities, zoom links and times. This week’s email will be sent after the end of the Passover Holiday, this Thursday evening, April 16.
As we look forward to engaging with a new cantor, we acknowledge the loss our community will feel as Cantor Herman moves on to a new chapter in his life. Please watch for information as we plan for an appropriate way to say goodbye to Cantor Herman and thank him for his years of service at Bet Torah.
Please join us virtually as we come together in music, poetry and reflection to mourn and commemorate. We will introduce the new Bet Torah Holocaust Memorial website, featuring survivor stories from our own congregation. During the ceremony, we invite everyone to light a Yizkor candle (or any candle you have) with us. Kulanu Learning Program Zayin (Grade 7) student work will be included in this program, which is appropriate for 4th grade and older. Access information will be emailed to the Bet Torah community on the morning of the program.
ZOOM SAFEGUARDS
A reminder that all Remote Community, Worship and Learning is now Passcode protected. Please refer to previous emails with Passcode information or contact Seth Young
(
syoung@bettorah.org
), and
consider this Passcode as you would the alarm code to our synagogue: Be careful how and with whom you share this information.
Please watch for separate emails from Gina for our Kulanu families and Mindy for our Nursery School families for school-specific Passcode information.
We are working hard to keep our virtual community as accessible as possible while preserving our security, and yet we recognize that some of our members may struggle with any level of security added to our virtual programming. Please email us at
Technology
if you need assistance in gaining access to any service, program or class.
As we are constantly reminding ourselves, we are all swimming in uncharted waters right now. We will continue to work to keep our community active and engaged while evolving as circumstances dictate. We continue to send thanks for your support and cooperation as we do our best to maintain our mission to help all of our members live their best lives Jewishly within the challenges of this trying time.
Wishing everyone health and ease as we end the Passover Holiday.
Chag Pesach Sameach!
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