Community

Baruch Dayan haEmet: Donald Maize

January 28, 2025 by •

Dear Temple Beth Shalom Congregation, we are sad to share with you that we lost one of our newest friends, Mr. Donald Maize.  Mr. Maize came to us in July 2023 with an open heart and we wish we had more time to know him.  This world released him to eternity on January 24.  President Lorraine Mixter will be leading his service with his family on tomorrow, January 29 at 11:00 am in the Temple Beth Shalom section at Rolling Hills Cemetery in Winter Haven.  Please come if you can to say goodbye to Mr. Maize and give support to his family and Temple Beth Shalom; it will be a mitzvah and a kindness.

 

 

There are stars
whose light reaches the earth only after they themselves have disintegrated
and are no more.

 

 

And there are people
whose scintillating memory lights the world after they have passed from it.

 

 

These lights –
which shine in the darkest night – are those which illumine for us the path.

 

       —Hannah Senesh

 

Yesh kokhavim
she’oram magi’a artzah rak ka’asher heym atzmam avdu v’eynam.

 

 

Yesh anashim
she-ziv zikhram me’ir ka’asher heym atzmam eynam yoter bitokheynu.

 

 

Orot eyleh –
ha-mavhikim bi-kheshkat ha-laila – heym shemarim la’adam et orot ha-derekh.

 

  יֵשׁ כּוֹכָבִים

שֶׁאוֹרָם מַגִּיעַ אַרְצָה רַק כְּאַשֵּׁר הֵם עַצְמָם אָבְדוּ וְאֵינָם

יֵשׁ אֲנָשִׁים

שֶׁזִּיו זִכְרָם מֵאִיר כְּאַשֵּׁר הֵם עַצְמָם אֵינָם יוֹתֵר בְּתוֹכֵנוּ

אוֹרוֹת אֵלֶּה

הַמַּבְהִיקִים בַּחֲשֵׁכַת הַלַּיְלָה –הֵם שֶׁמַּרְאִים לָאָדָם אֶת אוֹרוֹת הַדֶּרֶךְְ

Dinner with the Rabbi — Fri Jan 17, 5:30 pm

January 11, 2025 by • ,

Dinner with the Rabbi 

Enjoy a meal with Rabbi Herzfeld, and the Hosts Arlene Greenberg & LeeAnn Martinez

Take this opportunity to chat with the Rabbi and his host.

Friday, January 17th at 5:30 pm

   Carrabba’s Italian Grill

  910 3rd St SW, Winter Haven, FL 33880

R.S.V.P. by Thursday, January 16th to:  lorrainemixter@aol.com

or text or call: 863-409-8509

Arlene, Lee Ann and the Rabbi look forward to dining with you.

January 2025 Chai Lites

January 3, 2025 by • ,

Happy New Year Temple Beth Shalom Members and Friends!  In between cooking latkes, working with our Board and membership event planners, celebrating Chanukah, and among many other things, our Editor and President, Lorraine Mixter prepared a lovely issue of the Chai Lites!  We are thankful to her and grateful also to our many talented contributors.

2025JanChai Lites

Shabbat/Chanukah — Dec 27-28

December 25, 2024 by • , , ,

Chag Chanukah Sameach Temple Beth Shalom Members and Friends!  We light the first candle in our homes tonight at sundown.  It will be the third night of Chanukah when we meet this Friday, December 27, and we will light the three candles together.  Our Board members and their helpers have a lovely dinner planned to start at 6:00 pm.  If you plan to come to dinner but have not advised the planners, let Lorraine Mixter at lorrainemixter@aol.com know ASAP.

 
Along with delicious food and friendship, we will have songs and an entertaining skit Beverly Lerner authored to share with you.  After dinner and singing, we will have a short, traditional Shabbat service.  The service will be on Zoom as well as in the sanctuary, for anyone unable to make it in for the on-site festivities.
 
Your Secretary, Margo Fleisher, took over the Mi Shebeirach list so you can send any additions to her at margosfb@hotmail.com or 863-873-8969.
 
We are trying a later time for our hybrid on-site/Zoom Torah Study session.  Torah Study will meet on Saturday, December 28 at 10:00 am.  The Zoom link will work for both the service and the Torah Study. Contact us for the link. 

December 2024 Chai Lites

December 1, 2024 by • ,

Hello Temple Beth Shalom Members and Friends, we hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!  We have attached for you the December Chai Lites, the last issue of the secular year.  Thank you everyone for getting your pieces in so quickly, and many thanks to our Editor and President, Lorraine Mixter, for preparing another informative and engaging issue at this busy holiday time.  We look forward to seeing you at some of our many activities in December, and of course at Chanukah!  Look inside for details about the Chanukah dinner and service on December 27.

Dinner with the Rabbi — Fri Nov 22, 5 pm

November 17, 2024 by • ,

Dinner with the Rabbi 

Enjoy your Shabbat meal with Rabbi Herzfeld, take the opportunity to chat with the Host and the Rabbi.

November 22nd at 5:00 pm

Host: Bert Devorsetz

Outback Steakhouse

170 Cypress Gardens Blvd,

Winter Haven, FL 33880

R.S.V.P. by November 20th to:  lorrainemixter@aol.com

Or text or call: 863-409-8509

Bert & Dottie and the Rabbi look forward to dining with you.

Host Dinner with the Rabbi

November 15, 2024 by • ,

Dinner with the Rabbi 

Be the Host and enjoy a meal with Rabbi Herzfeld.

You choose the restaurant (from the many options in Winter Haven, or your home)

November  22nd 

Restaurant of your choosing

The Rabbi is looking forward to dining with you and getting to know you better.

Sign up to host the Rabbi by contacting

Lorraine Mixter at: lorrainemixter@aol.com

or 863-409-8509

November 2024 Chai Lites

October 31, 2024 by • ,

Hello Temple Beth Shalom Members and Friends, we are so impressed and grateful that our contributors and Editor got the Chai Lites together for you so quickly!  See what your synagogue’s members, Board, and Brotherhood/Sisterhood have been up to and what is coming in November/December.

2024NovChai Lites

2024 Membership Directory

October 17, 2024 by • ,

Shana Tovah Temple Beth Shalom Congregation!  After a great deal of patience and effort, the 2024 Directory is available.  Copies will be printed for you to pick up at the synagogue building.  Many thanks to the following:

  • Our media Editor and President, Lorraine Mixter, for coordinating all of the contributors and following this project through to completion.
  • Lorraine Mixter, Rabbi Herzfeld, and Past President Joseph Rodriguez for contributing pieces of writing,
  • All of the members and business owners who submitted ads.
  • Meryl Crews for printing copies.
  • And our multi-talented and hard-working tech expert, Ethan Feldman, for updating the layout and content.

Hurricane Milton

October 8, 2024 by • ,

Dear Temple Beth Shalom Members and Friends, after the first year of remembrance of October 7, now our minds are on Hurricane Milton advancing toward our community.  Our love and concern is with you as you evacuate to a safer area or prepare your home to wait out the storm.  With Yom Kippur approaching, the Jewish principle of pikuach nefesh applies — the priority is for your safety and well-being and that of your loved ones.  We wish for you:

 
  • That all of us come through the storm safe and well,
  • That any damage to your homes and our synagogue building is minimal,
  • That you do not lose electricity and other essentials, and if you do; it is only for a short time,
  • And that we can come together again soon.

 Be on the lookout for any updates about Yom Kippur services in the next 24 hours.  Wishing you shalom.

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