Mi Shebeirach — Meryl Crews

February 11, 2025 by • ,

Dear Temple Beth Shalom Congregation, one of us needs your healing support at this time.  Our longtime member, cantorial soloist, and friend, Meryl Crews, fell ill and has been hospitalized at Lakeland Regional Health for the last 10-12 days.  Some ways you can support Meryl and her family at this time:

  • Meryl is getting better but has a lot of recovering to do.  She cannot talk right now, but loves you all and welcomes visitors.  
  • Jimmy is spending all of his time with Meryl and would benefit from microwaveable, prepared meals (he needs gluten-free).
  • Your prayers for healing always help.

Dinner with the Rabbi — Fri Feb 14, 5:30 pm

February 11, 2025 by • ,

Dinner with the Rabbi 

Enjoy a meal with Rabbi Herzfeld, and the Hosts Arlene Greenberg & Lee Ann Martinez.

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

Friday, February 14th at 5:30 pm

   Olive Garden Restaurante

  405 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven, FL 33880

R.S.V.P. by Thursday, February 13th to:  lorrainemixter@aol.com

Or text or call: 863-409-8509

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

February 2025 Chai Lites

January 31, 2025 by • ,

Shabbat Shalom Temple Beth Shalom Members and Friends, the Chai Lites are complete and ready for you to enjoy in the approaching new month!  Thanks to all of our members who hurried up and submitted the lovely writings, pictures, and other items so that President and Editor Lorraine Mixter could get it drawn up in time.  We love you and look forward to seeing you on Valentine’s Day and throughout the month of February.

2025FebChai Lites

Host Dinner with the Rabbi February 14 or March 14

January 31, 2025 by • , ,

Dinner with the Rabbi is Back

Be the Host and enjoy a meal with Rabbi Herzfeld.

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

February 14th  or March 14th  

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

Baruch Dayan haEmet: Jacki Korn

January 29, 2025 by •

Dear Temple Beth Shalom Congregation, it is with great sadness that we tell you of the passing of our friend, Jacki Korn.  Jacki had a long journey through illness and recovery and passed on January 27.  We are grateful for the time we had with Jacki and our Mah Jongg players cherished good times with her over the years.  Please keep your thoughts with her devoted husband, Irv, as he travels to family out-of-state where Jacki will be laid to rest.  May Jacki’s memory be for a blessing.

Mourner’s Kaddish for Everyday
By Debra Cash

Build me up of memory
loving and angry, tender and honest.
Let my loss build me a heart of wisdom,
compassion for the world’s many losses
Each hour is mortal
and each hour is eternal
and each hour is our testament.
May I create worthy memories
all the days of my life.

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

Member-Led Shabbat Service — Sat Jan 25, 10:30 am

January 23, 2025 by •

Hello Temple Beth Shalom Members and Friends, it’s cold outside, but Member-Led Shabbat services make it feel like Summer!  Our Board Vice President, Bert Devorsetz, kindly offered to lead a Shabbat service in our building on this coming Saturday, January 25 at 10:30 am.  Come on out and enjoy the service, and say hello to Bert.

Shabbat Jan 17-18

January 15, 2025 by •

Hello Temple Beth Shalom Members and Friends, it is still cool outside, but the light and friendship of our synagogue are always warm!  We meet again for Shabbat services with Rabbi Herzfeld on Friday, January 17 at 7:30 pm.  We will enjoy our traditional Shabbat service with Meryl Crews’ vocal accompaniment.  You can attend with us in the building, and the service will be available via the Zoom link. Please contact us for the Zoom link. Remember if there are names you wish to have added to the Mi Shebeirach list, send them to Secretary Margo Fleisher at margosfb@hotmail.com, or 863-873-8969. 

 
Torah Study follows on Saturday, January 18 at its later time, 10:00 am.  We will again meet in the synagogue building, but will also be available through the same Zoom link. Please contact us for the Zoom link.

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
«‹ 2 3 4 5›»

From the Union For Reform Judaism / Reform Movement

Dear Israel: A Story of Love and Longing

Dear Israel: A Story of Love and Longing jemerman

Experiencing Israel
Photo of Israel
In the pages of a hand-drawn picture book, your story first unfolded before me, telling the tale of my parents' first journey together to your distant lands.

Becoming B’nei Mitzvah at Any Age

Becoming B’nei Mitzvah at Any Age jemerman

Lifecycle Rituals
Photo of an older man standing behind a Torah scroll
Terms like "bar mitzvah," "bet mitzvah," and "bat mitzvah" typically evoke images of teens reading from the Torah and formally taking their place within the Jewish community. But many Reform congregations offer adult b'nei mitzvah classes, enabling people to participate in this ritual later in life.

Five Definitions of Antisemitism

Five Definitions of Antisemitism jemerman

Modern Day Issues in Antisemitism
Photo of a person holding up a sign that says "NO HATE NO FEAR"
As antisemitism continues to threaten American democracy, many are looking for a concise, objective definition to use in online exchanges, schools, and universities to decide if a derisive comment or chanted epithet is legally actionable.

Sam Griffin: Aftermath

Sam Griffin: Aftermath jemerman

Arts and Culture
“Egyptian Border, Dawn,” 2024, oil on paper
Israeli artist Sam Griffin's paintings, forged in the crisis of war, convey the human capacity for healing and hope for a peaceful future for Israel and humankind.