THE OPERATIVE WORD Dan Silien, Director of Shul Operations In what I hope to be the first of many communications to you in this space, I want to reintroduce myself as well as reflect on my first three months with BT. It is incredible how quickly this time has flown by! My time here started almost on Day 1 with our High Holy Days celebrations. While Covid prevented some from gathering at this time of year, the heart and soul of the community were readily apparent. I was thrilled not only to have a chance to meet some of you in person, but also to see the joy of being able to come together to pray, reflect, and gather for this holiday period. It was a milestone in our ability to come together again.
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of their friends, the BT teachers and staff participating in shul and being active members of a strong Jewish community. Our children are blessed to not only learn Jewish values as students at BT, but also because those around them so notably teach by example.” Through their preschool connection, the Levinoffs built relationships with other families and to the shul clergy – while hanging out in the PreSchool lobby before school started, through their participation in various committees and boards, and attending synagogue services. Not long after joining Beth Tfiloh shul, their youngest daughter, Rebecca, was born. They hosted the baby naming at their house, and were thrilled that all the BT clergy members made a point to share in the celebration.
In addition, these High Holy Days provided an amazing glimpse into who and what this community is all about. I saw people renewing friendships, experiencing moments of spiritual connection, enjoying walking through the halls of BT again, and overall coming together as a single — but diverse — community! I also want to make note of something which should not be taken for granted (and I admit to being a little biased) – BT is incredibly fortunate to have an amazing staff in place that worked tirelessly to make the High Holy Days special and meaningful to our community.
“While he was speaking, Rabbi Wohlberg wanted to recognize that it was David’s birthday the day before and came with lollipops for our older children. While he was talking, our 2 year-old daughter came up to him and asked for a candy as well. Without missing a beat, he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out… a bagel for her,” shared Heather. “The clergy and staff of BT care about their congregants, students and parents – for many this is more than just a job and we are grateful to be part of the BT community.”
Speaking of hard working staff, we are busy planning many centennial events to celebrate this incredible milestone! The rich history of this community has a chance to shine this year, and I encourage you to join us at one or more of our events. If you have not already seen it, please come spend some time looking at our newly unveiled Centennial Timeline! Maybe you will see some familiar faces, and maybe you will discover something new about BT. I am also excited to share that the Sanctuary Design Competition moved into the presentation phase over the past several weeks. Presentations from the five architectural firm finalists were delivered. The conceptual designs that were shared were diverse and creative. In the coming months, Synagogue leadership will determine if and when to move forward with any of the potential enhancements.
“As parents, we love the dedication to immersing our children in Jewish traditions, culture and learning in a fun way that keeps them engaged and enthusiastic about attending and participating in shul,” said Heather. “BT has given a lot to our family and we are more than happy to give our time back to BT.”
I have spent significant time after the holidays getting to learn more about the BT staff and community. There is much to learn, and much I hope to contribute to helping BT be the best it can be, and I want to hear from you and get to know you. Please let me know if you experience issues, have suggestions, or just want to talk. That said, I do ask for your patience as well. I am meeting and hearing from many new people at the same time. Change of any kind can take time, and may cause a few unintended bumps in the road. Everyone on staff wants only the best for this amazing institution, so bear with us as we continue to make improvements together. Some changes will work amazingly well as soon as they are implemented, and some ideas may turn out to require further tweaking. I hope to use this space in the future to inform you about interesting things taking place at BT, introduce (or reintroduce) you to members of the staff, highlight a particular topic, or respond to your questions. If you have other ideas for something you would like to see me discuss here, please let me know!
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Today, the Levinoffs are deeply devoted and involved Beth Tfiloh community members. Aaron currently serves as the treasurer of the school while Heather is a member of the Parent Association board. She is also a former school board of trustee member and chairperson of the PreSchool Committee.
Added Aaron, “BT has so much to offer beyond the incredible school experience that our children have received thus far. There are incredible and impactful programs and opportunities to learn and develop relationships, and our hope is that many other young families can get to experience BT as we have, which will allow BT to remain strong for many, many years.”
BETH TFILOH CENTENNIAL TIMELINE EXHIBIT Explore Beth Tfiloh’s remarkable history! View our multimedia Centennial Timeline, a permanent exhibit in the hallway between the Tuvin and Hurwitz Halls paying tribute to Beth Tfiloh’s remarkable history over the past 100 years. You can also view the companion online interactive historical timeline to view the many people and events that have shaped Beth Tfiloh’s history at bethtfiloh.com.
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