Temple Solel Sisterhood Prepares for a Busy Year

The Charlotte Jewish News, February 2023

By Dale Rivers, Vice President Temple Solel

The Sisterhood of Temple Solel has always provided much of the love and effort that has made ours such a caring and nurturing community. Now, with multiple pandemics hopefully winding down and people feeling safer about getting together, our Sisterhood is preparing for a busy year. It’s a fun group, joining in activities such as learning how to make yahrzeit candles, afternoon movie trips, and just schmoozing over morning coffee. They have always focused on supporting Temple Solel’s worship and outreach programs.

In past years, they put together a demonstration seder with all the fixings so that more than 200 St. Philip Niri Catholic Church 10th graders could experience and more fully appreciate the real meaning of our Passover celebration. This year, now that we have found such a welcoming new home at the Grace Presbyterian Church in Fort Mill, our Sisterhood is busy planning a huge Passover Seder for both congregations. In fact, when Temple Solel was still looking for a new home and we were talking to several possible options, Grace Presbyterian got so excited about a joint seder that they said they wanted to join us, even if our congregation landed somewhere else. That’s welcoming!

Passover Seders are not the only events that the Sisterhood supports. Our Sisterhood held a Chanukah latke party right before our annual Temple-spon- sored Ruach Rockin’ Chanukah Concert. Everyone who came to the concert, congregant or not, joined in at the party. We were bursting at the seams, but our Sisterhood pulled it off. Of course, every single latke went. In March we will hold our annual Purim festival. In the past, this has been a combination of religious service, costume party, and reading of the Megillah. This year, Grace Presbyterian wanted their kids and parents to attend and better understand the Story of Esther, so we’ll be holding a big multi-denominational party for Purim with enough macaroni groggers for all. After the service, the groggers will be donated to the Fort Mill Care Center, since almost everything we do has a social action component. They will also be cooking and serving meals for Grace Presbyterian’s Room in the Inn program for homeless men and the Bethel Shelter in Rock Hill. Social action activities like these make Temple Solel a special place. We are a Reform Jewish congregation that has eliminated the barrier of annual membership dues. While we gladly accept donations, it is much more important to have active participation in our activities. We meet at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Friday of every month at the Grace Presbyterian Church at 2955 W. Highway 160 in Fort Mill. For more information about our services and other events, please visit https://templesolelsc.org or call (803) 610-1707. We’d love to meet you.