many ways, we had not made a commitment nor even knew our teachings and traditions well enough to be Jews of choice in America nor role models of Jewish identity and continuity for our daughters. Beth Sholom became our family’s sacred center of Jewish living. Jessica Rachel and Julie Aviva celebrated their B’not Mitzvah
at the Temple, attended religious school, Camp Coleman and spent a summer in Israel. Karen became a Bat Mitzvah as part of Rabbi Pomerantz’s 1999 B’nei Mitzvah class, learned to read and chant Torah and joined the Temple Board. Our connections with Israel, Jewish peoplehood and Jewish traditions deepened through Kabbalat Shabbat services and family dinners, Torah study and Hebrew classes, adult Jewish learning and AIPAC meetings. Our family began to experience the beautiful daily,
weekly, monthly and annual Jewish life cycles. We strengthened our precious bond with the land, people and state of Israel. Many cherished friendships have come from our connections to the Temple. Temple Beth Sholom’s 2003 family trip to Israel was a pivotal moment in our Jewish lives. We discovered Marc’s mother’s roots in Tsfat and our Israeli family. We learned about the extraordinary Jewish people who struggled and gave their lives so that we could live the 2000 year-old dream of a renewed Jewish homeland in our lifetime. Dozens of trips to Israel followed. Jess decided to live for three years in Jerusalem to study at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies and returned to
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