2007 - United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

100-250 Jacksonville, FL
904-268-0404
Beth Shalom Congregation is a vibrant congregation located in Jacksonville, Florida. Similar to many other
congregations, we have over the years honored our young children (consecration and other events), our young teenagers
(B’Nai Mitzvot), our older teens (confirmation), our young adults (B’Nai Mitzvot Reunion Shabbat), but we had never
specifically honored our older members. A committee was formed to honor our senior members and the name Golden
Shabbat was chosen. The committee determined that we would honor all of our members who had reached the age of
75. The event chair obtained a membership roster and with the help of long time congregation secretary, identified
members who were 75 years of age or older. We had sixty-two golden members. Committee members volunteered to
arrange for decorations for a Friday night dinner for our golden members and their families, to obtain sponsors so that
the program would not be an expense to the congregation, to interview honorees to learn their interesting life stories for
publication, to arrange for publicity, to organize a dinner and to organize a transportation committee because many of
the golden members would not be able to drive. We discussed tailoring the Friday night service to involve as many
golden members as possible. Rabbi Sandberg worked with the event chair to do so. We also decided to give each golden
member a memento of the evening and to engrave a leaf on our tree of life near the sanctuary entrance in honor of the
Golden Shabbat. A date of May 5, 2006 (the 8th day of lyar 5766) was chosen for the first ever Beth Shalom Golden
Shabbat.
The committee met many more times to plan and implement all of the details to make the program successful.
Publicity articles appeared in the Beth Shalom Shofar and in the Jacksonville Jewish News in the months leading up to
the program. Several of the committee members worked on the decorations, several others worked on the dinner, and
several worked on obtaining a suitable memento (an apothecary jar engraved with the name and date of the event and
filled with chocolate candies). One committee member took charge of creating a tribute program (brochure) for the
event. One committee member interviewed most of the honorees to obtain their interesting life stories. This member
created a beautiful display with names, dates, photographs and very interesting comments and quotes by honorees
concerning their Jewish life.
On the night of Golden Shabbat our driving committee picked up those honorees who could not provide their
own transportation. Most of the honorees attended the dinner as well as Shabbat services, while some were only able to
attend services. Since the Friday dinner started before sundown, we were able to take some photographs. The dinner
room and the sanctuary were beautifully decorated with gold being the theme color. After a wonderful dinner, Birchat
Hamazon and time for socializing, services began. Many of our golden members participated by reading in English and
Hebrew, leading the congregation in songs, and opening and closing the Ark. The Rabbi’s sermon was devoted to the
wisdom, beauty and inner strength of our golden members. Services concluded with all of our golden members on the
bima leading the congregation in Odon Olam.
In the days and weeks after the Golden Shabbat, committee members, officers of the congregation, the Rabbi
and the staff received many thank you’s and wonderful comments from those honored and their families. We also
received a number of donations in honor of the event. One golden member, Evelyn Shiller, wrote “Thank you for
making us feel so special. The beautiful table settings, the delicious food, the great service, your caring and warmth and
your special gifts all contributed to an unforgettable evening, and to think -- all we had to do was reach age 75!” It was
truly our honor at Beth Shalom to honor our golden members.
GOLD
CONGREGATION OF MOSES
100-250 Kalamazoo, MI
Submitted by Harvey Spivak 269-342-5463
Two Torah scrolls were given as a gift by the Congregation of Moses, Kalamazoo, Michigan, to LaJavura, a new
Masorti congregation in Valencia, Spain. LaJavura is established in a location where there has not been a Jewish
community for many generations.
Alba Toscano, president and founder of LaJavura, came to Kalamazoo to receive the Torahs and bring them to
Spain. She was in Kalamazoo for several days, visited people and places in the area, had an interview with the local
newspaper and led a Sunday morning cooking program, “A Taste of Valencia.” The giving of the Torahs to Alba and
her congregation took place on Shabbat in a moving ceremony that was incorporated into the morning Torah Service.