Planning for Temple Beth O’r/Beth Torah’s 50th anniversary celebrations have been led by its president David Brotman and vice president Wendy Mandelbaum.
Sidebar
Stephen SternMay 29, 2008
Two years ago, Temple Beth O’r/Beth Torah was on the brink of a major change, with the prospect of leaving Clark and seeking a new home in Westfield in the hopes of attracting more young families.
The membership pulled back from that brink, and now, two years later, the congregation is commemorating the Conservative synagogue’s 50th anniversary with — according to its members — a renewed vigor.
The program of celebratory events started with a special service last October to honor the congregation’s 26 past presidents. It is culminating on Sunday, June 1, with a festive dinner-dance. As it says in the commemorative book of the temple’s history, the purpose is for “the ganzah shul mishpocha” to wish themselves a “freiliche mazel tov!”
In some ways, according to current president David Brotman, the congregation is stronger than it has been in some time. Though membership is down since 2006 — around 193 families compared to 220 — that is a minor decrease compared to the previous years. Meanwhile, the synagogue is on a stronger financial footing, is led by a popular cantor, and is attracting an active corps of lay leaders and volunteers.
Founded in 1958 as the Clark Jewish Center, the congregation became Temple Beth O’r in 1965. It merged with Temple Beth Torah of Rahway in 1992, reaching its peak membership of almost 500 families. In subsequent years, as demographics shifted, the numbers began to decline and it became increasingly hard to attract people with young children.
Brotman took over the presidency just as talk of moving came to a head in the summer of 2006. He has been open about his opinion that the temple should still move — or join forces with other area Conservative synagogues — to ensure the congregation’s future health, but the desire of the longest-serving members to stay won out. A number of them bought homes close to the synagogue decades ago, and the move would have transformed their relationship to the congregation.
“I said I would do everything I can to make it work,” Brotman said in an interview last week. However, he laid down three conditions he considered essential if the synagogue were to stay put: that it be financially viable, with a balanced budget; that attendance at services increase; and that it has enough volunteers.
All three conditions have been met.
The board of Temple Beth O’r/Beth Torah meets to discuss the program of anniversary celebrations.
Another decision also played a key part in reducing costs: the choice to have just one clergy member. Last year Rabbi Michael Klayman asked to be released early from his contract, so he could move to Israel. Since then Cantor Stephen Stern had been leading most services as well as teaching the bar and bat mitzva students. The congregation opted to have him be their fulltime spiritual leader, with Rabbi Israel Stein periodically leading services.
“Cantor Stern has drawn in a lot of people who hadn’t really come out before,” said Brotman. “He suggested we have a regular Shabbat kiddush, and that’s helped a lot too. The turnout is bigger this year than last. He has also significantly increased the involvement of the kids. The older ones have all been his pupils, and if they walk in, he has them participate in the service.”
Brotman said the board has a full slate of incoming office holders, who will serve with his successor as president, Wendy Mandelbaum. The members’ participation has also been evident all year in the busy lineup of fund-raisers, adult education programs, Shabbatons, men’s club and sisterhood events, and now Sunday’s big birthday bash.
Stephen Stern
THIS SPRING, the board of Temple Beth O’r/Beth Torah in Clark voted to name its cantor, Stephen Stern, the spiritual leader of the congregation.
In May 1965 ground was broken for the expansion of what was then Temple Beth O’r, the congregation that in 1992 became Temple Beth O’r/Beth Torah.
“It’s a tremendous honor to have been given this awesome responsibility, and I hope and pray that I can make a difference in the synagogue,” he said in an interview last week.
Stern said he sees three areas to synagogue life: learning, prayer, and gemilut hesed — acts of loving-kindness. The challenge is to strike the correct balance in introducing new and creative ideas, while “respecting tradition and maintaining the utmost authenticity.”
To that end, he has introduced “Friday Night Alive” services, with more congregational singing and even dancing in the aisles. Each Shabbat, he has youngsters lead the service with him — by way of encouraging them to be leaders rather than merely followers.
With adult members, he instituted a bikur holim and hesed group, which meets to hear a speaker, see a film, and investigate ways to go out and do good in the community. Two members recently talked about their involvement with a soup kitchen; those attending were so energized by the description, they are now lending a hand, making sandwiches for the needy each week.
Trained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Hebrew Arts School (Kaufman Center) in New York, Stern has been with the synagogue since 1994. He was raised in Brooklyn and held his first cantorial job at the Sea Crest Hotel in Cape Cod at the age of 22.
--TOP--
- Comment: comments@njjewishnews.com
