Temple Shalom events open to the community

By Jeanette Fischer, Temple Shalom Director of Communications

Temple Shalom is happy to offer several events open to all this month.

Torah Talk

Join this lay-led discussion of the week’s Torah portion every Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. via Zoom. Please contact the Temple Shalom office at info@ naplestemple.org for the Zoom link.

Jewish Yoga

Join yoga teacher Missy Balsam via Zoom as she guides you through an all-level gentle yoga stretch session interwoven with Jewish spiritual teachings, designed to relieve stress and calm the mind. This class will be practiced lying down and seated on the floor. Open to all; no experience necessary. The cost for this 8-week session, held on Mondays at 11 a.m., is $54. Call the Temple Shalom office to register and receive the Zoom information.

Shabbat ShaPlay

Join Rabbi Boxman and Miss Jane on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. as we sing, dance, play and celebrate Shabbat in the park. All young families are invited to attend. Temple Shalom membership is not required. To register, contact Paolette Matute, education administrative assistant, at 239-455-2233 or pmatute@naplestemple.org.

Stories of Music

Facilitated by Cantor Donna Azu, Stories of Music is an adult education project of the Lowell Milken Fund for American Jewish Music at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. On Wednesday, Feb. 16, this series continues with “The Sounds of Eretz Yisrael in America: The Crucial ’60s,” exploring how music of Israel grew in the consciousness of American Jews and penetrated American culture generally. This program is offered via Zoom at 10 a.m. Contact the Temple Shalom office to register and receive the Zoom link.

A look at hunger and food insecurity in our community

Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 1:30 p.m., a series of forums presented via Zoom by the TOV (Tikkun Olam Volunteers) of Temple Shalom begins. Each forum features two well-respected experts from our community offering the opportunity to learn how we can help combat hunger and food insecurity. For more information, contact the Temple Shalom office at 239-455-3030.

Soulful Shabbat

Join us on Friday evening, Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. for the very popular Soulful Shabbat, a musical Shabbat service conducted entirely in song and accompanied by a professional band. Everyone is invited to attend this uplifting Shabbat evening service.

Scholar-in-Residence weekend

Friday, Feb. 25 thorugh Sunday, Feb. 27, Rabbi Norman Cohen, professor emeritus of Midrash at HUC-JIR/New York, joins us for a weekend of informative lectures on the theme of “Moses as Every Person.”

The lecture series kicks off during Shabbat services on Friday evening with “Moses’ Struggle with His Own Self-Doubts: Confronting Our Own Demons.” On Saturday, during the Kiddush luncheon following the services, Rabbi Cohen continues the series with “Moses Suffers the Loss of Miriam and Aaron: Dealing with the Deaths of Those Whom We Love.” On Sunday at 9:30 a.m., the series concludes with the topic, “Moses as Brother: His Relationship with Miriam and Aaron, and Our Relationships as Siblings.”

These events are free and open to the public. For more information on the Scholar-in-Residence program, visit the Temple Shalom website or contact the Temple Shalom education office at education@naplestemple.org. The Scholar-in-Residence program is generously supported by the Shirley and Henry Kraus Scholar-in-Residence Fund.