Being part of one family

By Deborah Fidel, Temple Shalon Executive Director

Temple Shalom is a warm, welcoming, diverse and dynamic congregation. At Temple Shalom, members can enhance their spirituality through worship services, enjoy Jewish learning opportunities for all ages and stages of life, partake in meaningful social action programs and celebrate Jewish holidays and life cycle events with friends and family.

Led by Rabbi Adam Miller, Cantor Donna Azu and Rabbi Ariel Boxman, Temple Shalom is more than a building, school or set of programs. Temple Shalom is about being part of one family. Members come from all over the world, representing every stream of Jewish thought and practice. Sacred experiences are shared by learning together, supporting each other in times of need, celebrating life’s milestones and finding opportunities for Tikkun Olam – repairing the world.

Believing that one’s financial situation should not be a barrier to synagogue membership, Temple Shalom has replaced its traditional dues system with L’Shalom, a system that allows members to determine their own annual pledge amount.

The synagogue offers Shabbat worship services and all major holidays are celebrated. Livestreaming of services and special events allows those who are unable to attend to remain connected.

YESh, Youth Engagement at Shalom, (formerly known as the Religious School), is led by Rabbi Ariel Boxman and provides outstanding religious and Hebrew education for children in grades K-12, consecration, B’nai Mitzvah and confirmation.

Adult education is an important part of temple life. Year-round programming includes:

The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish learning o Jewish Spirituality and Wise Aging classes

Sunday School for adults

Scholar-In-Residence and Artist-in- Residence o Weekly Torah discussions and learning opportunities

Guest speakers

Temple Shalom’s award-winning preschool is the premier preschool in Collier County. Creative learning, outstanding education and a nurturing environment continues year-round and includes music, art, science, technology, fitness & yoga, gardening, Spanish and, of course, enriching playtime. Registration for preschool is ongoing throughout the year.

Temple Shalom Sisterhood includes an intergenerational membership and operates Collier County’s only Judaica Shop. Sisterhood provides excellent programming, support for the Religious School and an unmatched Oneg Shabbat.

The Men’s Club offers lectures, sports outings, a golf tournament and family get-togethers to create a strong sense of community while also raising funds to support the youth education and life of the congregation.

If social action and social justice are your passion, the Tikkun Olam Council (TOC) of Temple Shalom offers many creative and diverse opportunities to help repair the world. Focusing their efforts on one or two projects every month, the TOC has tackled such issues as water quality in Southwest Florida and reducing gun violence as well as partnering with organizations, such as Grace Place, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center of Immokalee, to name just a few.