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Federation Star
SYNAGOGUE NEWS
May 2022
www.bethtikvahnaples.org / 239.434.1818
BETH TIKVAH
Rabbi Chorny contracts to lead Beth Tikvah another 5 years Steven Chizzik President
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egular readers of the Federation Star should be very well aware of the column that is regularly written by Beth Tikvah’s Rabbi Chorny. What is very clear from his column is that Rabbi Chorny is a brilliant scholar as he clearly and thoughtfully delves into his topic, which often surrounds an upcoming Jewish holiday. Those of us who attend Beth Tikvah regularly know Rabbi Chorny for his Shabbat morning discussions and interpretation of each week’s Parsha. He is always on point, and he clearly relates the week’s Parsha to what is relevant in the world at that moment. Rabbi Chorny also
conducts a weekly Tuesday “Eat ’N Learn” class (via Zoom since the pandemic) that focuses on a current event or theme. This class is always well attended, and everyone looks forward to it. Since the COVID pandemic, Beth Tikvah has been in the forefront of bringing religious services as well as all programming directly to its congregants, both via Zoom as well as livestreaming. This has all been made possible due to the tremendous technological skills of our rabbi. We have been blessed that Rabbi Chorny had the skills to immediately bring Beth Tikvah into everyone’s homes. Rabbi Chorny is also the artistic creator of our quarterly Trumpet as well as our Weekly Bulletin. He is our stage director, ensuring everyone sees everything that is happening at all times. Rabbi Chorny’s participation is one of the reasons that our Naples Jewish Film Festival is so successful each year.
Rabbi Chorny is about to celebrate 10 years as the spiritual leader of Beth Tikvah and it is my pleasure to announce that Beth Tikvah has just signed a new contract with him, ensuring that he will be leading us for the next five years! We know how lucky we are! I look forward to continuing to work with my trusted friend and confidant in making Beth Tikvah the most inspirational experience in Southwest Florida. I, again, would like to remind everyone that Beth Tikvah is now offering new members their first year’s dues free of charge. If you or a friend wishes to experience the warmth and community found at Beth Tikvah, please join us. Beth Tikvah is the affiliated congregation in Greater Naples of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ). We are grateful to Jewish Federation of Greater Naples (JFGN) for support of our Scholar in Residence, Naples Jewish Film Festival and All Things Jewish programs.
Beth Tikvah happenings
Sunday, May 1 at 10 a.m. – Rosh Chodesh Women’s Study Monday, May 4 – Yom HaZikaron Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m. – Yom HaAtzma’ut Israel Night Party Wednesday, May 18 at 5:30 p.m. – Lag BaOmer Picnic Sunday, May 29 – Yom Yerushalayim Please check the Beth Tikvah website, www.bethtikvahnaples.org, for details of all our events.
Religious services
• Sunday morning services begin at 9 a.m. via Zoom • Friday services begin at 6:15 p.m. in person and on Zoom • Saturday services begin at 9:30 a.m. in person and on Zoom • We convene Yahrzeit minyanim upon request. You may reach Rabbi Chorny directly at 239-537-5257.
www.naplestemple.org / 239.455.3030
TEMPLE SHALOM
How do we measure success? Deborah R. Fidel, JD, MAJPS,
Temple Shalom Executive Director
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here are many metrics of success for nonprofit organizations. Most of them are quantifiable. How many people were fed and sheltered? How many animals were rescued and adopted? Synagogues are fundamentally different. While we can always point to the number of children who become Bar or Bat Mitzvah in a given year or the attendance in our adult education programs, we feel strongly that attendance alone paints an incomplete picture of our performance. For-profit businesses can tell their shareholders that earnings are up, shares are up, franchise sales are booming and
the like. Similarly, we could point to our endowment fund that has tripled in the last two years, numerous successful grant requests and fundraising campaigns. The numbers tell the story. Or do they? Business XYZ makes widgets. We make Jews. How do we know if we are on the right track? Unlike businesses and other nonprofit organizations, we measure our success in terms of relationships. It’s in our mission statement — We are One Family, believing in the sacredness of relationships, fostering connections – one to another, Temple, Israel, Torah and God. Everything we do is furtherance of that overarching goal. It is for this reason that Temple Shalom moved away from the traditional dues system in 2017. We want each member of our community to feel that their support of Temple comes from their heart and think of their gifts as exactly that — not a transactional arrangement where you give us x dollars and we give you Torah study on Shabbat morning
or a hospital visit when you or a loved one is ill. I meet visitors to Temple every week, who ask me some version of “How much will it cost me to be a member of your synagogue?” I tell each one the same thing, “We share a suggested amount (the “sustaining amount”), which is based on our total expenses divided among all our members, but the decision is yours. All we ask is that the gift is meaningful to you. There are no questions, no committees and no forms.” Many of our members contribute much more than the sustaining amount. Some of our members give less, based on their circumstances. Whatever the amount and the reason for it, we say the same thing to each and every person — Thank you! It would appear that we are doing something right. We have seen meteoric growth, from 337 households to 800 households in a little over a decade. Since we implemented the voluntary dues
JEWISH CONGREGATION OF MARCO ISLAND
system, which we call L’Shalom, the congregation has increased in size by 40%, from under 500 households to 800 today! We have two full-time rabbis and an invested cantor. Our office staff is small. So, how do we serve 800 households, comprised of 1,327 adults and approximately 400 children? The answer is the incredibly dedicated and hardworking lay leaders and volunteers who make “One family, many connections” a reality. Relationships lead to commitment — financial and otherwise. Our members continue to invest their time, energy and resources in Temple Shalom because we offer something they value. Please join us for a Friday night service and stay for the oneg that our Sisterhood lovingly and generously provides each week. From the moment you enter our newly renovated, beautiful sanctuary and gathering spaces, where you will be warmly welcomed, you will understand what One Family means to us. See what the buzz is all about!
www.marcojcmi.com / 239.642.0800
Grateful and eager for the future Stan Alliker
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s the incoming President of JCMI, the reform Temple serving Marco Island and the surrounding Naples communities, I feel both grateful and eager. I am grateful that this synagogue of dedicated worshippers elected me
to lead us into a period of renewal and strength, and I am eager to see what the future holds. Our newly elected Board of Directors stands on the shoulders of the previous Board’s guidance through two years of COVID-related closures and creation of virtual services that were viewed from other states and even other countries. A few months ago, under the oversight of our physician-lead COVID Task Force, we opened our synagogue for Friday night services (complete with delicious, homemade Oneg treats), Torah study,
mahjong, the successful cultural and film series and the congregational Seder. The ongoing presence of the Marco Island Police Department sees to our physical safety and peace of mind. Now is the time when our snowbird friends go north and those of us who are “year-rounders” settle in for lighter traffic, shorter lines and last-minute fine dining. As we enter this time of review and planning, I am happy to report that we are growing as new members discover the leadership, knowledge, warmth and hospitality of Rabbi Mark Gross,
Cantorial Soloist Hari Jacobsen and the entire congregation. Over the summer, we will continue our Friday night services led by Cantor Hari with congregational participation. We will be busy planning next season’s special events for the community, including the much-anticipated reopening of our popular weekly BINGO. I encourage everyone to look for us, pray with us, and join us for wonderful ways to learn and grow your Jewish self.
