Ted Kaufman, Linda Peck, and Cantor Wally Schachet-Briskin from Ohef Sholom Temple.
The Simon Family JCC came alive on Sunday, Sept. 9 as local Jewish agencies hosted various community events. The JCC welcomed potential new members to tour the facility and learn about the programming opportunities, Jewish Family Service brought their staff and lay leaders together for a retreat, and, for the first time in community history, the local Synagogues, in a collaborative gesture with the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, came together to host “Back to Shul Shopping: Synagogue Open House.”
Representatives from B’nai Israel, Beth Chaverim, Beth El, Commodore Levy Chapel, Gomley Chesed, Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, Ohef Sholom, Temple Emanuel, and Temple Israel lined the tables in the Cardo, ready to meet-andgreet with community members who were in search of a new synagogue family.
“It was great to see the JCC, the Federation, and all the synagogues in one place, at one time, working together to try to improve our Jewish community,” says Harvey Eluto, co-president of Kempsville Conservative Synagogue in Virginia Beach. “It’s wonderful to see how the Federation is supporting the local synagogues.”
The synagogue representatives talked to families and individuals, discussing programming for all ages, the High Holidays services, and general Shul information.
Representatives say they were pleased with the response. “The Open House was very successful; particularly for a first time,” says Eluto. Other community members remarked at how wonderful it was to see local synagogues hosting events together and look forward to future collaborations.
by Rebecca Bickford, Community Concierge