2023 Torch Award Application (submit here)

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#sort ascendingSubmittedUserIP AddressAward YearDocuments readClub NameProgram NameExisting ContactFirst NameLast NameEmail of Club RepFirst NameLast NameEmailFirst NameLast NameEmail Current PresidentCategoryProgram Overview SummaryDetailed ProgramDetail Program DocumentsProgram Advance PlanningMarketingPhotosVideoImpactFJMCAdditional InputProgram OriginIdentify SourceCertificationAward Level (to be completed by Torch Award Chairmen after judging)
922023-05-01 09:25martinmantis335898.185.178.1112023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Kol Haverim Mens Club - Glastonbury, CT (207)Yellow Candles April 19, 2023Dr. Jeff ShoreMARTINMANTISdba.mantis.sales@cox.netMARTINMANTISdba.mantis.sales@cox.netMARTINMANTISdba.mantis.sales@cox.netYom HaShoah Yellow CandleYellow Candle Program summary Our Brotherhood makes it a mission for all congregational families to receive the Yellow Candles for Yom Hashoah We do the program on Wednesday Nights - school takes place on Wednesday and hope some students and family members stay for the service which is at 6PM Our Congregational Community fully supports this program and any donations we receive go back to Holocaust program within our congregation and the ADL does some programming too. We deliver the Yellow candles to all congregants homes prior to Yom Hashoah.. If congregants are out of town - we mail the yellow candles to them. Our Rabbi Kari performs our Yom Hashoah service in person and via zoom We get wonderful letters from congregants after the service with donations that go back to Holocaust programming. We, The Brotherhood of Congregation Kol Haverim started doing Yellow Candles 3 years ago when we joined FJMC Connecticut Valley Region Our mission is to reach all members of our congregation with a candle at their home. for all our local families - we have a few guys that drive to our congregants homes and personally deliver the candles to them. Some of our congregants who come to our building can pick up but after April 9th, the CKH brotherhood drivers head out and deliver. Some of our members are home and we chat with them. Many though are not home at the time of delivery and we out on their door post or in their front door area. I will be attaching the letter and memorial information that is provided with the Yellow Candle For those members who are out of the area -we package up and mail 1st class to be sure they receive them. The Yellow candles are in a Yellow bag along with information about the upcoming service and a note at the bottom of the letter if they want to make a donation for this program. A second page lists the name of a child who perished. Each family receives a different name. Our Rabbi Dr. Kari Tuling presides over our Yom Hashoah Services on Wednesday April 19th. We have in house and provide this service via Zoom to our congregants. The service lasts about 45 minutes and finishes with all congregants in attendance or via zoom light the yellow candle and recite a name of a child who perished during the Holocaust. This is a very powerful moment for all of us. There is a quietness after the lighting for a minute or two. A week following the program - The Brotherhood starts to receive donations for this program. To date, we have received over $500 in donations. These $$ are earmarked for Holocaust and ADL programming within our congregation The ADL has come in for a program on Hate , Antisemitism in our State ( CT) The hebrew school also had programming from the ADL to talk to our students as well during their hebew school classes which was held on a Wednesday in April. yom_hashoah_2023_congregant_letter.pdf (122 KB)yom_hashoah_2023_prayer_meditation.pdf (178 KB)Our Congregation really appreciates this programing on the Holocaust/ Yom Hashoah and we will continue to provide programming throughout the year(s). We find some of our members have participated in this programming. Our most difficult challenge is getting younger families to take part in this particular program. This is something we need to work on and when I attend Convention, I hope to receive ideas regarding this.Our membership is Free to all male members of our congregation. We only have about 20-30 paying members out of a total of 150 give or take. Programming always needs to be adjusted to bring more men of our congregation involved. Something we are always working on. It really pertains to the younger guys ages 30-45. Not getting these guys involved in Bhood and we cannot figure out why. We talk to them but they just dont seem to make time for themselves - rather more about their work and families. we want to offer more programming but this age bracket is really hard to figure out.WE do not have any pictures or film from this very important program. All I can tell you is prior to 3 years ago we did not have the Yellow Candle program - our congregants greatly appreciate this program exists and they do not want it to end.Other Sourceyellow candlesYesHonorable Mention
912023-04-28 00:10ScotF155.70.104.1172023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.B'Nai Amoona Men'S Club - St. Louis, MO (631)Hearing Men's Voices - Men's Health Edition with Dr. Ronan LevDr. Jeff ShoreScotFowlerscot.a.fowler@gmail.comScotFowlerscot.a.fowler@gmail.comKevinLittlitt.kevin@gmail.comHearing Men's VoicesMen's Club held a special Hearing Men's Voices - Medical Edition with Dr. Ronan Lev, who led a discussion on Men's Health and aging. As part of marketing this HMV, we created an anonymous submissions form for attendees to submit questions in advance the March 15th session, and provided those questions to Dr. Lev previous to meeting.After attending a Hearing Men's Voices session earlier in the year, Dr. Lev approached the Men's Club leadership with the offer of a Men's Health discussion, covering a wide-ranging set of topics. We determined that we would ask the members what questions they would like answered as part of this session, and, too make it anonymous, we developed a Google Form that wouldn't capture the email/name of the individual who was submitting the question(s). In addition to answering members' questions, and addressing men's health/aging in general terms, Dr. Lev also opened up the discussion for any medical topic the group was interested in. What resulted was a lively discussion over a multitude of health issues men face as we grow older.2023-03-15_hmv-medicaled.docx (1910 KB)Men's health issues, as we age, is not typically a popular topic, but this was one of our biggest HMV attendances. I think it was well attended because the person leading this presentation was not only a doctor board-certified by the American Board of Urology with a specialization in laparoscopy and stone surgery, but he was also an active member of our club. To help make men even more comfortable, we provided the club with a link to where they could ask questions anonymously. This allowed guys to attend and ask questions without having to raise their hand. Our HMV presenter, Ronan, did a fantastic job of starting with a basic description of issues men have as they age, and then letting the group lead the conversation with questions. The Hearing Men's Voices Program engages our community with issues that concern Jewish Men, and our health is one of the most important issues. This talk, with Dr. Lev, allowed for very meaningful conversations, and no one felt any stigma in asking questions that didn't feel comfortable asking in a group format - because they had the opportunity to ask the questions via an anonymous submission.An adaptation or enhancement of a previous Torch Award entry TAxx-xxxx|TA-631-2015YesSilver
902023-04-27 23:10obgenetics155.190.17.42023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Congregation Beth Shalom Men'S Club - Northbrook, IL (643)Beer on the WallDr. Jeff ShoreAndrewWagnerandrew.wagner@nm.orgBobGoldwinrudybux@comcast.netAndrew/StevenWagner/Lessmanandrew.wagner@nm.orgProgramming for Younger Men, 39 and youngerThe lifeblood of any successful Men’s Club is sustainability and reaching out to future generations of members. Attracting younger members and introducing them to the Club will help keep the Club alive. We followed a successful program on Zoom in the early days of the pandemic with an in-person version, craft beer tasting from a local shop.On March 4, 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Congregation Beth Shalom (CBS) Men’s Club held a dinner and beer tasting. As we were still not yet having events in person at the synagogue, dinner could be ordered from a Kosher caterer, the beer was available for pickup, and the tasting was guided by an employee of a local craft beer store called Beer on the Wall. This was an incredibly memorable and successful program. Now that we are able to have events back in person, we wanted to bring this program back in-person. What made this event memorable, beyond the beer, learning about brewing, and the discussion, was the wide range of Club members who attended. This was especially popular amongst our younger members. These members are who we hope to become emerging leaders in the Club. In bringing this program back in an in-person fashion, we hoped to attract a younger crowd. This way, we could show them how fun and meaningful our Men’s Club can be while hosting an interesting event. Our VP of Programming checked with a number of local liquor stores, but we primarily focused on the one we used last time. They were able to bring a variety of beers to taste as well as an employee who does these types of private events and tastings frequently. His experience as a cicerone, like a wine sommelier but for beer, was certain to make the experience fun and educational. A reasonable event price point of $15/person was set to cover the beverages, the cicerone, and snacks was set. Publicity was sent through our synagogue bulletin, emails, and, what proved to be the most helpful, word of mouth. This event was held on April 19, 2023 in the evening after a quick Board meeting with a break between for evening Minyan. tried four beers, and our cicerone discussed the breweries, the histories of these types of beers, and some of the science of brewing these beers. He also went over food pairings and how best to taste beers. We had 40 attendees. There were about 10 attendees age 39 and younger, and 6 were new to Club events. There was great spontaneous effort by the more experienced members and Club leaders to introduce themselves to these new faces and welcome them to the event. We hope that these new faces will represent the present and future of the CBS Men’s Club. botwem1.pdf (649 KB)
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botw4.pdf (823 KB)		We were extremely happy with how some of our emerging new leaders and upcoming Board members invited friends to attend the event. The success of the event will likely make this a yearly event. As it was held after a Board meeting, that made good attendance easy to obtain and very convenient.Leadership: Our programming VP made the majority of the arrangements and encouraged younger members to invite other younger and new faces. Innovation: Connecting the event with a Board meeting made the event successful as it linked to a work hard, play hard mentality, and it was easy to get good attendance as members were already planning on being at the synagogue that night. Community: The event was open to the entire congregation, and a spouse of a member attended. A wide range of members attended. Even if a cicerone or expert is not available, events like this could be made to compare any kind of drink or food.Original ProgramYesSilver
892023-04-27 21:56Litt97.91.183.1502023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.B'Nai Amoona Men'S Club - St. Louis, MO (631)Ax Throwing with a MohelDr. Jeff ShoreKevinLittlitt.kevin@gmail.comScotFowlerscot.a.fowler@gmail.comKevinLittlitt.kevin@gmail.comProgramming for Younger Men, 39 and youngerThe program was a fun way to encourage guys to get together. https://stljewishlight.org/top-story/axe-throwing-with-a-mohel/#This wasn't designed to be a complicated program. The goal was to have fun in a way that got new guys interested in participating in something related to Men's Club. This was fun and had a funny name and so it worked. We called the Mohel and asked if he would join us. After he stopped laughing he said yes and put the date in his calendar. We set the date with the location, brought kosher pizza and beer (location required groups to byob and food). Men's Club members received a discount when registering for the event. Throughout the night we threw axes, hatchets, ninja stars, knives, a javelin, and even a hand shovel (that was Ed Herzog's favorite). At the beginning of the night, after the safety briefing, Rabbi Rovinsky (the Mohel) did a d'var about sin and missing the mark. Fun was had by all and everyone walked out with the same number of appendages the had when they walked in. axe_throwing_torch_award_program_schedule.xlsx (31 KB)screenshot_2023-04-30_180116.png (216 KB)52650865312_2dd8a45f3b_k.jpg (122 KB)
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52651800365_c705d57024_k.jpg (159 KB)		It was fun to get guys together with a goofy theme. This was a huge success and had many guys that couldn't attend say they want to go next year. I also had several members of the Sisterhood ask if they could join Men's Club. When this event was promoted at the B'nai Amoona Board Meeting, it was met will a round of laughter and smiles. Event's like these make Men's Club feel like its something anyone can participate in. Any activity we do that gets guys active in something related to Jewish life supports the FJMC mission. The guys who attend Axe Throwing with a Mohel were the same ones who volunteered to deliver yellow candles three months later. Schedule an extra few minutes of time on your phone call for the Mohel to laugh when you tell him your idea for the event.Original ProgramYesGold
882023-04-27 21:36marcrichards73.246.14.212023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.North Suburban Beth El Men's Club - Highland Park, IL (614)Mens Club Weekly Email NewslettersDr. Jeff ShoreMarcRichardsmvrichards@gmail.comJoriBrajerjbrajer@gmail.comDanGrossgrossd@gmail.comClub AdministrationFor the past two years, to maintain a better sense of connection between members in the Club, we have embarked on a weekly Mens Club email newsletter. Even though the amount of programming was down, and in-person contact was minimal, we felt that we could at least send out weekly emails with happenings in the synagogue and community to let members know we are still here and care. Prior to this, the email newsletter were sent out primarily to publicize upcoming events, which became few and far between because of the Covid shutdown and continuing pandemic.Mens Club Email Newsletters The overall goal was to maintain outreach to Men's Club members by increasing the frequency and content of the email newsletters to a weekly basis. Even though the amount of programming by our Mens Club was down, and in-person contact was minimal due to the pandemic, we felt that we could at least send out weekly emails with happenings in the synagogue and community to let members know we are still here and care. Prior to this, the email newsletters were sent out on an adhoc basis primarily to publicize upcoming events. However, with the Covid shutdown, events were few and far between, and even sparse a year after the pandemic started. So we embarked on a campaign to provide weekly email newsletters. To fill content in the lack of programming by our Men’s Club, we would promote the online webinars provided by FJMC International and our Midwest Region. We asked members to share news of events they were aware of. We included links to podcasts and other online resources. Because of restrictions on attendance at services, attendance was sparse at simchas so we included notes congratulating families of recent b’nai mitzvot kids. We feel this adds a nice personal touch to the “younger” men in our community who have school age children. When mid-week in-person minyan returned, we included reminders for members to attend to ensure we had a full minyan. We often highlight certain synagogue events in our newsletter even though not sponsored by Men's Club. And the synagogue includes Mens Club events in the synagogue-wide weekly emails. So by having our emails on the same weekly frequency, we each reinforce the publicity of community events, whcih may otherwise be drowned out by other emails. The email newsletters are created by our VP of communications. He generates and finds most of the content, and also solicits weekly input from members. Some of the content is taken from our synagogue emails and lists upcoming synagogue events, which are not sponsored by the Mens Club. Some of the content is taken from the FJMC emails about online webinars and other events. The email newsletters use a standard template, so that it is easy to cut & paste content to fill it in. The newsletter is prepared usually on Thursday evenings by our VP of Communications. It is scheduled to be automatically delivered via email at 6 AM each Sunday morning. In the past, the email was sent out often on an ad hoc basis when there were events to promote. Now members know they can dependably expect to find our email newsletter in their in-box each Sunday morning. We use Constant Contact as our email database service provider. The Constant Contact database includes active members, inactive members, friends, prospects and new members of the synagogue. So it is delivered to a wider base than just the active members. We hope including inactive members and prospects will encourage reactivation or joining. When Men’s Club hosts events, we have a sign-up sheet and input new names and emails into Constant Contact. Over time the list has increased to more than 500 names, which is more than triple the number of active, paid-up members. Constant Contact provides statistics on the reading of the emails. It reports that after 48 hours, there is usually around 50% read rate of the emails, which is considerably high given the high proportion of recipients who are inactive members. The term inactive really means they are unpaid members. We have a large cadre of inactive members who come to our major events, such as our annual Steak & Scotch dinner. So we know we are reaching many of them, and keeping them linked to the club via the emails. Six sample emails are provided. mens_club_weekly_email_newsletter_-_planning_schedule.xlsx (5 KB)mens_club_email_-_2023-02-12.pdf (2347 KB)
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mens_club_email_-_2023-01-29.pdf (1676 KB)		We believe that having emails on a regular weekly basis has helped maintain relationships and connections with the Club during the pandemic. It has become successful to the point that people complain if they cannot find their Sunday morning email, because it may have gone into a spam folder or just been missed. We do not if it has increased membership, but now more people feel they know what is going on with the Club. We have about 150 paid members of the Club, and about 500 names on the email distribution list. There are more than 1000 families who are members in our synagogue. So we have a significant outreach to many former paid-up Club members and prospects. We believe this will benefit the Club in the long run. Although Mens Club events are in the synagogue weekly email, for some families the wife may receive the email and not the husband. So our email matches the frequency of the synagogue emails and can help reinforce the messaging of many events in the synagogue community. Having weekly email helps maintain the FJMC mission of community. In this digital age, emails are still a common form of outreach. We have yet to develop outreach through social media. As we bring in new younger members who relay more on social media, we may need to add additional channels of communication to reach out to them and keep them connected.Other SourceEnhancement; was not entered for Award.YesSilver
872023-04-27 19:32gpollack73.75.56.1422023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)Anti-Hate SeriesDr. Jeff ShoreGreggPollackgdp5607@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comEducational ProgrammingSeries consisted of two programs: Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO or Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in March, 2022, and Amy Spitalnick, Executive Director of Integrity First for America in November, 2022. The ADL program was an online interview (webinar) with our senior rabbi, and the Integrity First program was both in person and via Zoom. Each program attracted 70-80 attendees.We partnered with ADL Midwest and the IL Holocaust Museum to bring Jonathan Greenblatt to our synagogue to discuss his new book "It Could Happen Here." We reached out directly to ADL Midwest to organize and plan the program. He was very gracious to meet with us to discuss his book and the rise of antisemitism and other hate crimes in America with our rabbi. We approached Amy Spitalnick directly for our Kristallnacht commemoration in the fall of 2022. She was also very gracious in coming to speak with us; we used the same format as the ADL program, namely our rabbi "interviewed" Amy. Her topic was Kristallnacht: Democracy at Stake. Amy and her organization had successfully sued the Charlottesville neo-nazis. When she visited Anshe Emet, she talked about the connection between assault on democracy and assault on our rights, as well as how we can fight back. aes_and_the_mens_club_present_a_commemoration_of_kristallnacht_with_amy_spitalnick_and_rabbi_michael_siegel_11-9-22.pdf (636 KB)
img_1629_adl_program_3-22-22.png (1616 KB)		Both of these events were very timely, and by offering in person and online, we made them very accessible to our constituency. We know it's important to discuss these issues and what we can do about antisemitism. We need to keep these issues front and center, and bringing in high profile speakers helps us raise awareness and provide coping strategies for our members.Education and open discussion of pressing current issues is part of our culture and values. We need to be proactive and advocate for ourselves and our community. So this is all about providing leadership and innovation - finding and presenting compelling programming to educate our community and help them to be informed and proactive citizens.Don't settle - reach for the highest profile, highest impact speakers you can find. They won't all say yes (or be affordable), but work your local affiliates of national organizations to set up programs like these.Original ProgramYes
862023-04-27 18:26gpollack73.75.56.1422023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)Pesach Kosher Wine TastingDr. Jeff ShoreGreggPollackgdp5607@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comJewish ObservanceBack by popular demand after a pandemic-driven hiatus, we offered our Pesach Kosher Wine tasting for the first time since 2019. We partner with our local wine merchant, Binny's, and their Kosher Wine Distributor, Royal Wines, who host a tasting of 8-10 wines, as well as a tutorial on Kosher wines, in their store's tasting room. Attendees can then order wines for their seders at a discount (no sales tax, volume discounts). We receive the wines in bulk at the synagogue and sort them for each individual order. Those who order are then contacted by men's club to pick up their wines once we finish sorting.We start planning 2-3 months before Pesach to ensure that we can find a suitable date for the program ideally 3-4 weeks before the holiday starts. We did not charge for the program, though we provided kosher pizza in addition to the wine (which was provided by Binny's). During the "warm-up" period, we had a blind tasting of 3 different wines. We had about 30 attendees, most of whom purchased wine at the event. Our Kosher Wine Master, Simon Levin, described each wine as we tasted it, while also educating us on the different wine making regions, mevushal vs. non-mevushal, and the various varietals we were tasting. Price points ranged from $12 to $45 per bottle and included white, red and blush/sweet wines (something for everyone). At the end of the program, those who correctly identified the wines from the blind tasting received a free bottle from Simon. The program ran over two hours, and we received very positive feedback from attendees.anshe_emet_mens_club_passover_wine_seminar_2023.doc (142 KB)gmail_-_mens_club_event_-_wine_tasting_3-8-23.pdf (111 KB)Helps our members start preparation for Pesach, while affording opportunity to learn about Kosher wines. Attracts a diverse group as well - younger couples hosting seders, as well as the usual men's club crowd, though often with spouses. So there's a social element to the program, as well as men's club providing a "service" to the synagogue community by helping members prepare for their seders, raising our club profile in the community. And having the wine delivered to the synagogue is also very convenient for our members.Helping our members prepare for and observe the Pesach holiday in a ritually compliant manner, while also educating them and providing a valuable service. Many of the wines also come from Israel, so we are supporting Israeli wine producers. Of course, it's important to support Kosher wine producers no matter where they're based.This is a great way to "show off" your men's club around your shul - shul members and clergy appreciate the service that we provide in helping members prepare for the holiday and also learn more about a critical seder component.Original ProgramYes
852023-04-27 17:37gpollack73.75.56.1422023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)Kayaking on the Chicago RiverDr. Jeff ShoreGreggPollackgdp5607@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comHealth and WellnessPost pandemic revival of of annual program combining exercise and nature. We meet at a boathouse on the Chicago River about 15 minutes from the synagogue on a Sunday morning in September. Program includes coffee/hot chocolate and bagels/cream cheese provided by our club, followed by a brief tutorial and approx. 90 minutes of paddling up and back on the north branch of the Chicago River. We typically see herons, egrets, ducks, geese and other water fowl. Program is open to families with children ages 10 and up.We begin advertising 3-4 weeks in advance of the program, careful to schedule around the holidays and back to school timetables. The only cost is what the kayaking provider charges us (each attendee pays onsite after we finish on the river, typically $20-30 boat). We bring coffee and bagels for all as well as hot chocolate for the younger participants (we usually have 1-2 father/son/daughter teams). We can choose single or tandem kayaks, as well as canoes. Not only is there great comradery amongst the paddlers, but we learn to appreciate our city from a completely different perspective (namely that the big city is not just about traffic and noise, but also offers serenity and wildlife). Paddlers can choose how far they want to paddle - if they get tired they can turn around sooner. gmail_-_re_mens_club_event_rescheduled_-_kayaking.pdf (139 KB)
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img-0653_-_kayaking.jpg (3264 KB)		img-0652_-_kayaking.mov (3493 KB)Great fun and good exercise. Fresh air and appreciation of nature. Attracts new participants and families (spouses and children). Everyone always enjoys this program.Health and wellness of our membership is important. Appreciating nature is part of Shomrei Haaretz too. Offering programming suitable for children is important too so that families can participate together on a Sunday morning.Look for creative ways to get our members moving! Too much sitting around is not healthy...Original ProgramYesBronze
842023-04-27 16:55gpollack73.75.56.1422023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)Yom Hashoah Commemoration - Voices of the GenerationsDr. Jeff ShoreGreggPollackgdp5607@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comYom HaShoah Yellow CandleOur annual Yom Hashoah commemoration in 2022 featured Julie Kohner, child of survivors and Founder / CEO of Voices of the Generations, a non-profit organization with a mission to bear witness as a second generation. In as little as ten years there may no longer be a Holocaust survivor to share stories in person. We offered this program in person at the synagogue and livestream. The program included a candle lighting ceremony as well as Julie's presentation.Julie told her parents' stories and we showed a video (see link below) from "This is Your Life" filmed in the early 50's. It's an incredible story and the video is amazing. I could watch it over and over (and I did). See link below as well as PDF attached. https://youtu.be/8PbuDSynfIU The program was offered in person at the synagogue and via livestream. Yellow candles were mailed out in advance of the program, and we had a "public" candle lighting ceremony during the program. We also publicize that we donate profits from yellow candle donations to Holocaust related causes (typically the featured organization for the subject Yom Hashoah program).gmail_-_mens_club_event_-_yom_hashoah_commemoration_4-27-22.pdf (534 KB)
gmail_-_link_to_this_is_your_life_-_yom_hashoah_april_2022.pdf (97 KB)		_yomhashoah2022flyer.pdf (134 KB)Julie's mission and her parents' stories are very powerful and critical to preserving the memory of the Holocaust as survivors pass away. We were proud to bring Julie to our congregation and further her mission to educate younger generations. And the video was a perfect vehicle for telling the story - no one who sees it will forget Hannah Kohner.Shoah commemoration is an important aspect of Jewish life, and we help our membership and congregants to "remember" the events of WWII and the people who perished at the hands of the Nazis and their accomplices. By sending yellow candles to our members, we provide one more avenue to observe this important day. Lastly, by purchasing yellow candles, we support FJMC in its programming and leadership activities in the Masorti movement and broader Jewish community.We encourage clubs to seek out impactful programming for Yom Hashoah. There are many organizations who can assist with such programming such as Voices of the Generations and the IL Holocaust Museum. If the cost is too high, consider partnering with other auxiliaries at the synagogue to share the cost of this critical programming. It's important that the content and format of such programming leave lasting impressions on the attendees - videos and testimonials help to do that.Original ProgramYes
832023-04-27 15:06obgenetics155.190.17.42023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Congregation Beth Shalom Men'S Club - Northbrook, IL (643)Individually wrapped breakfast itemsDr. Jeff ShoreAndrewWagnerandrew.wagner@northwestern.eduBobGoldwinrudybux@comcast.netAndrew/StevenWagner/Lessmanandrew.wagner@nm.orgCOVID-19The Congregation Beth Shalom (CBS) Men’s Club most popular regular program is our Sunday morning breakfast speaker program. Restarting communal breakfasts as the COVID-19 pandemic waned proved challenging yet led to some creative solutions to ensure the health and safety of our congregation and Club.Sunday morning breakfasts with bagels, lox, and eggs prepared by the CBS Men’s Club is a longstanding tradition for years. It’s a time to kibitz, hang out with friends, and provide breakfast for our congregation after morning minyan or to the parents dropping off their kids at Sunday School. Sitting and eating is a good thing, but if you can learn something interesting when doing it, it is even better. Getting together with friends and fellow congregants was a thing sorely lacking during the COVID-19 pandemic. When synagogues were reopening and we were all establishing a “new normal,” we all needed to come up with new ways to do old things. It wasn’t just about wearing masks and social distancing, but if we were to bring back important and popular events around a meal, we had to think of creative and safe ways to serve our breakfasts. During the pandemic, our congregation was led by our executive staff, clergy, and our medical committee of which four are CBS Men’s Club members and two have received our highest honor, the Kavod award. They made policies to keep us all safe and healthy during the pandemic and as we reopened according to pikuach nefesh, the preservation of human life. We were allowed to bring nack breakfasts and speakers, but our buffets would need to be different. In the past, we had baskets of bagels, plates with lox rolled on them, cream cheese containers with serving knives, and bowl with pre-cut fruit and veggies. Our VP of programming, Lawrence LeVine, who has a career in food service, and our VP of House, Gary Solomon, came up with a solution for our initial breakfast of the 2021-22 calendar year. We could still have a buffet yet limit the number of people touching serving utensils. This involved making single-serving bags or cups with our usual breakfast favorites. This first breakfast was a follow-up program from our TORCH award winning Sunday morning breakfast speaker series on health and wellness, entitled To Your Good Health. Dr. Steve Zaacks, a synagogue and Club member and a cardiologist, planned to speak on How to Prevent and Identify a Heart Attack and Its Effect on Our Lives on September 19, 2021. Not all Club and synagogue members were comfortable being in person, so a Zoom option was made available utilizing an audio-visual system (DTEN) that our synagogue had previously purchased. In order to have everything be single-serving, certain items were replaced (individual cream cheese packets and creamer packets) and other items were placed in their own baggies (bagels, tomatoes/cucumber, onions in their own baggies) or cups (fruit and lox in their own cups). It required working with a local food service supply company, Gordon, to find the appropriate sized cups and baggies and a local grocery store, Woodman’s, to get bulk cream cheese packets. As our house VPs do, a schedule for breakfast crew members was made. The crew that day came up with ideas on the fly while preparing the food, such as not putting the onions in the same baggies and the other veggies since not everyone likes onions. Knowing that this was our first breakfast back since February 2020, everyone steeped up and offered creative suggestions. There amazingly was minimal kvetching.This method of serving continued until the next temporary shutdown due to the Omicron variant in January 2022. The attendees of our program appreciated that we were paying attention to food safety and hygiene. This is especially since many have certain health conditions. It made all of us revisit how to handle food and serving in the future. COVID was a time when we all reevaluated hand hygiene and the communal serving of food in general. Now, as we are relatively back to normal, some of these implementations have continued including assigning servers at our buffet table. Our flexibility and creativity with the goal to keep everyone healthy and while continuing a Men’s Club tradition is to be commended. The leadership of our programming and house VPs was outstanding. This clearly showed how the CBS Men’s Club is an innovative club in FJMC and an important arm of our synagogue. email1.pdf (690 KB)
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email3.pdf (728 KB)		zaacks_flyer_pdf.pptx (158 KB)covid_breakfast_pictures.pdf (230 KB)The attendees of our program appreciated that we were paying attention to food safety and hygiene. This is especially since many have certain health conditions. It made all of us revisit how to handle food and serving in the future.Leadership: Our programming and house VPs lead the way in comping up with creative solutions to keep all of us safe and healthy. Innovation: It would have been easy to cancel breakfasts if we could not do them the way we always did, but our Club needed to innovate in order to change with the times. Community: Pikuach Nefesh is of prime importance. Keeping this in mind allowed us to care about our synagogue community. Original ProgramYesSilver
822023-04-27 10:42obgenetics155.190.17.42023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Congregation Beth Shalom Men'S Club - Northbrook, IL (643)Tuning into the Chicago News and Sports MediaDr. Jeff ShoreAndrewWagnerandrew.wagner@nm.orgBobGoldwinrudybux@comcast.netAndrew/StevenWagner/Lessmanandrew.wagner@nm.orgEducational ProgrammingThe Congregation Beth Shalom (CBS) Men’s Club most popular regular program is our Sunday morning breakfast speaker program. Following our 2021 TORCH award winning To Your Good Health series, we began a series featuring local members of the Chicago media. We invited speakers from sports radio, news radio, and sportswriting to educate and entertain our synagogue membership in person and on Zoom.Sunday morning breakfasts with bagels, lox, and eggs prepared by the CBS Men’s Club is a longstanding tradition for years. It’s a time to kibitz, hang out with friends, and provide breakfast for our congregation after morning minyan or to the parents dropping off their kids at Sunday School. Sitting and eating is a good thing, but if you can learn something interesting when doing it, it is even better. In 2019-20, our Club produced a very successful and TORCH award winning Sunday morning breakfast speaker series on health and wellness, entitled To Your Good Health. When setting up our calendar of events for 2021-22 and 2022-23, we wanted to find topics interesting to bring people to shul on Sunday mornings especially as COVID restrictions were being lifted and we were able to serve breakfasts in the synagogue. Besides work and family, the most common topic of conversation amongst Jewish men tends to be sports. With a rich sports tradition in Chicago as well as its highs and lows, this was a perfect topic to attract our members, both younger and older. Our co-president, Steven Lessman, has worked in radio and advertising for many years and is very familiar with many media personalities. Our programming vice president, Lawrence LeVine, also is very well connected in the community. Their combination of resources resulted in a wonderful roster of speakers and topics. On September 23, 2021, we hosted Steaks in the Sukkah in the outdoor sukkah that our Club annually builds. This was the first Club sukkot-related dinner since COVID and our annual opening dinner, so we knew that we needed to have an exciting activity. David Schuster, a long time friend of Steve and a sports radio producer and personality for many years, previously was a panelist for our Packers vs. Bears Zoom event that we held with Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid’s Club from Milwaukee in the fall of 2020. After cooking a wonderful kosher steak dinner featuring brand new Men’s Club steak knives, David grabbed a mic to discuss all things related to Chicago sports including his experience covering the six-time NBA Champion Chicago Bulls. He spoke on every Chicago pro sports team, local college teams as well as telling us about new controversies in sports and the media, spinning interesting anecdotes, and answering tons of questions. This event attracted over 60 men for camaraderie, fun, and the mitzvah of eating in the sukkah. Our next very well received event in this educational series was for a Sunday morning breakfast on November 7, 2021. We were very fortunate to bring in Pat Cassidy, one of the morning anchors for WBBM Radio. He co-hosted the morning rush hour show informing Chicagoans on the news and especially the weather and traffic for over 40 years. Pat spoke on his experiences seeing news media change, the growth of the internet, and how people have consumed their news over the years. This event brought in over 50 synagogue members for our popular breakfasts. At this time for ease of serving and while meeting health safety protocols, the bagel accoutrements were all in single-serving packages. Like most of our synagogues and Clubs, the Omicron variant of COVID caused some shutdowns of activities, but not to the same extent as it was in March and April of 2020. Our synagogue medical committee did not permit communal meals in the building temporarily. This caused us to pivot for our next two speakers on January 23 and February 6, 2022. At the beginning of the pandemic, we initially offered boxed breakfasts to be picked up at the synagogue the morning of the presentation, but, with waning numbers over that time, we did not offer a breakfast component for these two speakers. On January 23, 2022, we hosted Justice Robert Gordon, a synagogue and Club member, to speak on his work in interviewing many former baseball players. Much of his interest in baseball has been compiling the history of Jews in Baseball where he curates a list through the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. He also was instrumental in obtaining autographs for an art project showing portraits of Jewish ballplayers throughout history creating in Chicago. This program attracted about 40 attendees from across the country, since it was held on Zoom. Two weeks later on February 6, 2022, we had another speaker on Zoom as a part of this series. Jonathan Eig is a local author who recently published the book, Ali: A Life. Jonathan had rare and exclusive access to Muhammad Ali in the last few years of his life and became his authorized biographer. This was an engaging discussion regarding this book, his experiences with Ali, and his other books on sports, the Chicago mob, and the history of the birth control pill. This program also attracted about 40 attendees from across the country. We got back to in person meals as Omicron waned in March. On May 1, 2022, we had our next speaker as a part of our series. Bill Cameron is a long-time Chicago political reporter on both TV and radio. With his career at City Hall, he had a unique perspective seeing the craziness and controversy of Chicago city government, policy, and politics over the years. It was an engaging discussion given the history of the Jewish community in Chicago, most of our members’ having lived here their entire lives, and the impact of city politics on lives in the suburbs. Approximately 50 attended this event in person. Approximately 50 members four synagogue attended this very interesting discussion. For our Opening Dinner of the 2022-23 year on September 21, 2022, we brought in Randy Merkin. He is a local sports radio program director, producer, and personality. He spoke on his history of being a Jewish kid from the south suburbs and how he started his career using moxie to make connections and meet many sports personalities gaining access for interviews. This parlayed to being a producer for radio and tv. As interesting events with delicious food do, we had 70 attendees from our synagogue. Our last presentation in this series occurred on November 20, 2022. We brought in popular sports talk radio personality, Laurence Holmes. He answered questions across all areas of sports as well as how he prepares for his daily shows. He happened to grow up in the same suburb of Chicago as did our last speaker, and he also brilliantly spoke on the necessary alliances between the African-American and Jewish communities in order to build bridges. About 50 attendees packed out Winter Garden for this breakfast talk. Our series proved to be a success considering that, at the beginning, we were learning how to get back together as the pandemic was improving. As COVID numbers changed, we had to change our plans and move to an online format, yet attendance at programs was still at a high level. The numbers during Omicron were lower as there were no breakfasts included, but the popular topics and engaging speakers enabled our Club membership and others from the overall synagogue membership to participate. This series also attracted younger members since sports is such a popular topic. The breakfast times occurring around the same time as drop off for Sunday School added convenience, and this helped with attracting younger men with kids in school. media_marketing_0.pdf (604 KB)media_cameron.pdf (3552 KB)
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media_schuster.pdf (1990 KB)		Our series proved to be a success considering that, at the beginning, we were learning how to get back together as the pandemic was improving. As COVID numbers changed, we had to change our plans and move to an online format, yet attendance at programs was still at a high level. The numbers during Omicron were lower as there were no breakfasts included, but the popular topics and engaging speakers enabled our Club membership and others from the overall synagogue membership to participate. This series also attracted younger members since sports is such a popular topic. The breakfast times occurring around the same time as drop off for Sunday School added convenience, and this helped with attracting younger men with kids in school. While these programs did not have a specific Jewish theme, they meant to bring together Club and synagogue members with a common and popular interest. The speakers either specifically brought up Jewish content or their connection to the Jewish community, as Laurence Holmes specifically did, or the audience members during the question-and-answer session asked questions that linked their area of expertise with the global or local Jewish communities. The programs served to increase involvement by younger and more experienced Club members. It was a way for new members to network with others and learn the fun and always giving ways around the CBS kitchen.Some members of the media charge an appearance fee. You may need to keep this in mind when booking someone for a similar event.Original ProgramYes
812023-04-27 08:15alexanderkiderman98.111.246.372023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Beth Shalom Men's Club - Pittsburgh, PA (1208)The Beth Shalom Men’s Club Annual Sports Luncheon, Community Outreach Dr. Jeff ShoreRobbie Zarembergrzarenberg@comcast.comIraFranknatfabira@juno.comIraFranknatfabira@juno.comCommunity OutreachOn Sunday, February 19, 2023, Beth Shalom Men’s Club hosted its Annual Sports Luncheon and welcomed more than 300 guests from the special needs community from 11 organizations in Greater Pittsburgh and 125 current and former professional and collegiate athletes and coaches. The sports celebrities interacted and entertained the special needs guests, served lunch, took pictures, signed autographs, and gave out promotional team pass outs. This outreach by the sports celebrities and Beth Shalom Men’s Club helped put bright smiles on the faces of the special needs individuals and those that accompanied them to the luncheon at Congregation Beth Shalom. The Beth Shalom Men’s Club has hosted a Sports Luncheon or Dinner for more than 60 years, but this was the first sports luncheon since the pandemic started. Since 1997, the Beth Shalom Men’s Club Annual Sports Luncheon has evolved into having many special needs organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. The last Sports Luncheon that took place before this year’s luncheon was in February 2020, which was a month before the pandemic started. Having our first sports luncheon since the start of the pandemic we didn’t know what to expect in terms of attendance, but the responses from the special needs organizations were very positive. They were so happy that we were having the event again. We were supposed to have 200 special needs individuals and their staffs and families, but we ended up having over 300. A total of more than 500 people packed Beth Shalom’s Samuel and Minnie Hyman Ballroom. In addition to our special needs guests and sports celebrities we also had congregants and members of the community, which included many families with children, as well as representation from local government. The following sports celebrities attended the luncheon: • Emily Giangreco, Sports Anchor/Reporter, WTAE-TV Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 • Pittsburgh Penguins Alumni and Stanley Cup Champions Jay Caufield and Tyler Kennedy o Caufield was a member of the 1991 & 1992 Penguins Stanley Cup teams. He is currently an analyst for AT&T SportsNet, for which he is on the pre-game, intermission reports and post-game shows during Penguins TV broadcasts. He is also an analyst on for WTAE’s “Pens on 4” pregame and post-game shows this season. o Kennedy was a member of the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions He now is a Hockey Trainer and Coach, which where he offers programs for children ages 5 and up to learn how to play hockey. He also is frequently interviewed about the Penguins on media outlets. • Iceburgh, Pittsburgh Penguins mascot • Pittsburgh Riverhounds Soccer Club players forward Robbie Mertz (a native local native Pitssburgher), defender Arturo Ordonez & Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite • 4 players from the professional Pittsburgh Passion Women’s Football team • Athletes from various teams from the University of Pittsburgh, including from their football team and a member of the women’s volleyball team which made the NCAA Final Four • 100 athletes and coaches from Carlow University representing 7 different men’s and women’s sports teams The event began with celebrities interacting and schmoozing with our special needs guests and signing autographs and taking pictures. Then, the program continued with remarks from our Men’s Club President, Ira Frank, and Sports Luncheon Co-Chair Robbie Zaremberg. A proclamation was presented by Pittsburgh City Council Member Barb Warwick. Emily Giangreco, from WTAE-TV, served as our Master of Ceremonies and introduced all the sports celebrities in attendance. A hotdog and hamburger lunch was served by volunteers and our sports celebrities. The following items were passed out to guests during the luncheon: -200 Pittsburgh Pirates Raise the Jolly Roger Flags were donated by Pirates Charities in advance of the luncheon -200 team photos were donated by the Pittsburgh Steelers before the event. -Team posters of various Pitt sports teams -Carlow University Athletics towels and team pictures of various sports -Pittsburgh Riverhounds autograph sheets and team schedules -T-shirts and other items donated in advance by PNC Bank After lunch, Emily, Jay Caufield and Tyler Kennedy engaged in questions and answers about their Stanley Cup experiences. The Community Advisor for City of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey presented a proclamation. We also received proclamations for the Sports luncheon from PA State Representative Dan Frankel and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. We displayed these proclamations at the check-in tables by the entrances to the Samuel and Minnie Hyman Ballroom. We then recognized Carlow University’s recently retired athletic director for bringing their athletes to our Sports Luncheon for more than 20 years. Lastly, we had arm wrestling competitions with a Pitt football player, Riverhounds players, a Carlow athlete, Passion player, kids and some of our special needs guests. Our Annual Sports Luncheon that took place this past February coincided with Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month in the United States. 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mel-el-and-erica-moore-from-pgh-passion.jpg (114 KB)		We welcomed 11 special needs organizations, which brought more than 300 people to the Sports Luncheon. The organizations were the following: -Achieva -Merakey Allegheny Valley School -Mainstay Life Services -Pittsburgh Mercy -Step by Step -Friendship Circle (Chabad) -McGuire Memorial -Special Olympics -Safe Haven -Verland & The Branch (Jewish Residential Services) Many of these organizations we have had at the Sports Luncheon for many years. Some of these organizations have been coming to the Sports Luncheon since 1997 when we started inviting multiple special needs organizations. There were some organizations that attended, it had been several years since they last attended. Melinda Miller, Associate Director of Community Living with Achieva, said the following before the Sports Luncheon. “Achieva is so excited to be included and to attend the Sports Luncheon! Thanks again for all that you do to make this event possible and for always including us.” Ali Dobrowolski from Pittsburgh Mercy said: “Thanks so much for including us again this year! They really enjoyed themselves last time. “ We were happy that so many special needs individuals and their staff were able to attend, and we were able to do the event safely after not having it in 2021 and 2022 because of COVID. We are very fortunate that we were able to rekindle these relationships in 2023. We really were unsure if we were able to even have the event, and we were not sure what the responses would be like until they started sending in their RSVPS before the event. In addition to the special needs organizations, the Sports Luncheon welcomed attendees and volunteers, which included families and children from various synagogues, Jewish Day Schools and Religious School. We had all sections of the Jewish World in attendance. In addition to the sports celebrities, these families also had the opportunity to interact with the special needs guests. Not only the sports luncheon is a great outreach to the special needs community, but it is also outreach to the interfaith community. Carlow University is a private Cathlolic university. Carlow’s athletic teams have been attending the Sports Luncheon for more than 20 years. Their head coaches of sports teams, including basketball, attend but also their athletic director comes to the luncheon as well. This year we had both the recently retired athletic director of Carlow and the new athletic director. The whole athletic department, 100 athletes and coaches from 9 men’s and women’s sports teams, were engaged with our event. Carlow was founded in 1929 by the Sisters of Mercy. Carlow's athletic teams are the Celtics, a reflection of the university's Irish heritage and roots. In 2017–2018, the student body was 84% women and 16% men. (Wikipedia) The University of Pittsburgh’s athletic teams come are very diverse. For the college athletes that attend from Pitt and Carlow, it’s a way for them meet and get to know one another from the other schools. This is a big community service, volunteer project for them but they also get to see a conservative Jewish synagogue and Men’s Club in action. For many, it’s the first time they have been in a synagogue. For many sports celebrities, it’s the first time they have been exposed to kosher food. Some of the celebrities asked and wanted to confirm that the hot dogs would be all beef and mentioned they knew it would be kosher. While one celebrity asked for a cheeseburger and learned that it’s not served in a synagogue. Everyone that attends the Sports Luncheon is greatly impacted by this experience and we received support from people all over the community. We raised more than $3,000 in Angel funds from individuals who underwrites the event so all of our guests were able to come for free. We look forward to hopefully having the Sports Luncheon again next February. After the Sports Luncheon, pictures were shown on the late evening WTAE-TV news and Emily Giangreco mentioned about her experience at the luncheon on the newscast. The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle printed a couple photos and a brief on the event. The following were social media posts from our sports celebrities and City Councilmember that attended: Erica Moore, of the Pittsburgh Passion, posted the following on Facebook: Erica Moore is with Lisa Horton and 3 others at Congregation Beth Shalom. · Pittsburgh · This weekend we had the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon with approx. 200 men and women with special needs as guests of the Beth Shalom Men's Club Annual Sports Luncheon. The luncheon was emceed by WTAE-TV Pittsburgh’s Emily Giangreco at the Congregation Beth Shalom. We were beyond grateful & honored to be invited to attend such a special event and left with our hearts full. I am always humbled by any opportunity to touch others lives in a way that makes them smile. We are reminded that love and kindness can truly change others lives. Thank you again for the opportunity. This is yet another reason why I love being a part of Pittsburgh Passion because it gives us the opportunity to teach, learn and grow on and off the field. Women's Football Alliance Robbie Zaremberg #forevergrateful #womensfootball #wfa #wfapro #specialeducation #specialneeds #pittsburgh #bethshalom Pittsburgh City Councilmember Barb Warwick posted the following on Facebook: Pittsburgh City Council - District 5 · Such an honor to present the proclamation designating Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 as Beth Shalom Men's Club Annual Sports Luncheon Day in the City of Pittsburgh. What a wonderful event celebrating and bringing joy to so many members of our disabled and special needs community. Thank you Congregation Beth Shalom for the invite and for allowing our office to participate. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC · Some of our players had a chance to spend time in the community this weekend as they attended the Beth Shalom Men's Club Sports Luncheon! Thank you for putting on a wonderful event! #HOUNDTAHN Tikun Olam: Healing the World! The Beth Shalom Men's Club Annual Sports Luncheon is an opportunity for hundreds of special needs individuals to experience an afternoon with sports celebrities in one of the many social action projects sponsored by Congregation Beth Shalom Men’s Club and Congregation Beth Shalom that are conducted throughout the year. Information about the President: Ira Frank has been President of Beth Shalom Men’s Club since 2018. He has been instrumental on the Men’s Club Executive Committee and has assisted many Men’s Club presidents for several years prior. Ira started many of the events and fundraisers that Men’s Club runs on a yearly basis. Ira is a life-time member of Beth Shalom Men’s Club and Congregational Beth Shalom. Ira has been a longtime Board member and past President of Congregation Beth Shalom. He is involved in many Jewish organizations including JNF, Israel Bonds and ZOA, as well as being the longtime President of Congregation Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Beth Jacob. Information about the Preparer: Robbie Zaremberg has been a member of Beth Shalom Men’s Club and Congregation Beth Shalom since he came back to Pittsburgh after graduating college from The Ohio State University in 2005. Robbie’s father Sandy Zaremberg and their uncle the late Joe Roth were presidents of both Beth Shalom Men’s Club and the Tri-State Region. Sandy has chaired Men’s Club Shabbat each year since he was President in 1991-1992. For the past 15 years, Robbie has served on the Men’s Club Executive Committee and the Annual Sports Luncheon Committee, which he currently is the Co-chair. Robbie was honored by the Men’s Club as Man of the Year in 2019 and was selected to receive the honor again this year in June. Original ProgramYesSilver
802023-04-27 06:17jbrody62747.20.34.1902023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Park Avenue Synagogue Men'S Club - New York, NY (816)TZEDEK Teen Leadership Fellowship Dr. Jeff ShoreDr. Steven Mandel drmandel1979@aol.comSteven Darling stevenjaydarling@gmail.comGuy Shapira shapiraguy@gmail.comFamily and Youth ProgrammingThe PAS MC Tzedek Fellowship is open to PAS teens from 8th to 12th grade. Teens apply to be a part of the fellowship with a tikkun olam initiative they’ve already begun or an idea to start a new one. The projects help support members of the Jewish community in any topic, including but not limited to: anti semitism, climate change, LGBTQ+ community, Jews of color, mental illness, and Israel Teens learn essential leadership skills, connect with a clergy mentor, and have support around moving their initiative forward. At the end of the fellowship, they will receive scholarships, their name on a plaque posted on the synagogue, letters of recommendation, and continued support from staff and mentors. This is an incredible opportunity to both empower teens to be leaders and give them the opportunity to make a difference in the world. TZEDEK Youth Initiative Ethics, Responsibility, Justice. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said. “take risks, raise your voice, and push everyone to do better” with the Tzedek program Park Avenue Synagogue Tzedek Fellowship NYM Region worked with the Park Avenue Synagogue Men’s Club and Teen Department to create a pilot program called the Tzedek Fellowship. In collaboration, the Tzedek Fellowship was created. The Tzedek Fellowship at PAS runs from January to May. There are two major components to the Tzedek Fellowship: seminars and mentorship meetings. Monthly seminars support fellows in developing crucial leadership skills as well as creating community within the fellowship. Each cohort meeting The Tzedek Fellowship is a new hands-on leadership training initiative in the PAS teen department. Tzedek runs from January to May. Teens applied to be part of the fellowship with a tikkun olam project they were already working on, or an idea to start one. There are two major components to the Tzedek Fellowship: monthly seminars and mentorship meetings. Fellows attend monthly seminars where they will learn crucial leadership/management skills to help forward their projects. Each seminar has an action item attached to it. For example, our first session was about mission and vision statement. By the second session, each fellow used what they had learned in our cohort session to establish their mission and vision statement for their initiative. When we learned about budgeting and grant applications, Tzedek fellows found grants to apply to. When we learned about public speaking, fellows wrote and delivered elevator pitches. Each fellow was paired with a clergy mentor at PAS. Mentors meet with their mentees regularly to offer support for their monthly action items. They helped them refine their mission statement and gave feedback on their elevator pitch,. This was a wonderful opportunity for teens to form connections with clergy and other staff members at PAS, who they might not have spoken to since their bnei mitzvah! The PAS Tzedek Fellowship hopes to be an example of how different synagogues can interpret the NYM Region’s Tzedek Fellowship to suit their youth’s needs. The 2023 PAS Tzedek Fellowship has nine participants with eight different projects. Teens Combating Parkinson’s – this teen felt frustrated that the Parkinson’s Foundation didn’t have any opportunities for teens to get involved, so she created them! She educates teens about Parkinson’s and is thinking about other ways they can help Calling Generations Podcast – this teen wanted to connect with senior members of our community to hear their stories and learn from their wisdom. In conversations with her mentor, Rabbi Cosgrove, she realized that she didn’t want to be the only one to benefit from these stories, so she decided to turn this initiative into a podcast that can be shared with the whole community. Teens who are involved will be paired with seniors in our community to form relationships and, if they’d like to, be interviewed for a podcast which will be shared with the greater PAS community. Our Unique Minds – this teen used her own struggles with mental health to inspire her to inspire others. She knows that teens can feel helpless when they’re dealing with mental health issues, so she is creating a website with mental health resources and stories to inspire hope. The stories will show that, not only can mental health improve, but they will celebrate the ways our minds all work differently and show how this uniqueness is not always a bad thing. Athlete Attire for Change – this teen is working to connect children with terminal illnesses who are interested in fashion design with professional athletes. The children will design clothes that the athletes will wear publicly. Then, this teen will auction off the item of clothing and donate the proceeds to medical research to cure the illness of the child who designed the clothes. Women Fund Women – this teen provides small business loans to women in different countries in Africa. Because the American dollar goes farther in Africa, her loans of $100 - $300 go a long way in empowering women to create a better life for themselves. The fact that these are loans and not donations further empowers the women to see themselves not as a charity, but an investment. This also allows the student to help more people because, when she gets the loan back, she reinvests the money in another woman. Food Pantry Enhancement – this teen has been a part of the PAS teen-led food pantry for a few years, but realized that we could expand our impact by providing items other than food. He realized that if New Yorkers are struggling to afford food, they are likely struggling to afford other essentials. He’s expanding the reach of our food pantry by providing toiletries. Dress Equity – when this teen finished Bat Mitzvah season, she realized she had a bunch of dresses that she would never wear again. Rather than let them sit in her closet or throw them away, she decided to sell them at an extremely low price, and donate the profits to support marginalized teens in New York City. She collects dresses from teenagers after B'nai Mitzvahs, Sweet Sixteens, and Proms to make high fashion more accessible to New York teens in lower income brackets. Teens Combating Antisemitism Task Force – these teens were distraught by hearing about the rise in antisemitism this past fall and wanted to do something about it. They formed the task force firstly to educate teens (and themselves) about antisemitism and take action. They’ve brought in speakers from the ADL, teen-led organizations about antisemitism, the JCC, and more. They ran a workshop for teens to know what to say when they hear antisemitism from their peers, their teachers, or online. They’re planning a letter-writing campaign to encourage legislators to condemn antisemitism. There are 45 teens in the task force. Our seminars took place monthly in the PAS teen lounge on Sundays from 6:30 – 8:00 pm 2/5/23 - Initial Meeting and Mission and Vision Statement – led by Ariel Glueck 3/5/23 - Organizing and Outreach – led by Amanda Miller of the Worker’s Circle 4/16/23 - Prep for Elevator Pitch – led by Ariel Glueck 5/7/23 - Grant Writing and Budgeting – led by Rabbi Solmsen 5/21/23 - Public Speaking and Elevator Pitch – led by Rabbi Zauzmer These teen programs have been largely successful, but even when they come across challenges, they learn from them. They have their mentors to support them when they hit a wall. Each participant in the PAS Tzedek Fellowship will receive awards offered by the Awards Committee. detailed_program_tzedek_.pdf (67 KB)advanced_programing_for_tzedek_0.pdf (58 KB)
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tzedek_handbook-_8_20223_0.pdf (27 KB)		Rather than write about the impact that we believe this program has had on the teens who chose to participate in it, we’d rather let them speak for themselves: “The Tzedek Fellowship has allowed us to build our task force based on our dual mission statement to offer a safe space for teens to discuss antisemitism in their lives AND create an action blueprint to help make real change in our communities. Overall, the Tzedek fellowship has helped us improve or leadership and listening skills” “I have been receiving guidance in developing a program that connects PAS teens with older members of the Jewish community, with the hope of establishing meaningful intergenerational relationships. During meetings, we learn how to improve and further our projects, whether it be through discussions about our work, leadership workshops, or educating ourselves about our community” “As a teenager, it can feel difficult to make a significant change, but the Tzedek program has taught me that through community service and activism, I am capable of supporting others.” “Despite coming into this program with confusion on how to utilize my passion to help others, I feel that with the help of my mentor, Rabbi Solmsen, I have gained clarity in this way and am excited about continuing my project in the future. I am grateful for this program for providing me with the opportunity to simultaneously do work that I love and help others.” "I started Teens Combating Parkinson’s, which the Tzedek fellowship has help me grown through different presentations and meetings with my mentor. Often it is hard to find new ideas to involve the teens that I work with and this opportunity has been helpful in coming up with new ideas. Hearing from other teens who have been working on projects of all different types has been so inspiring.” As you can see from the impact statement, this program supports by tapping into their social justice passions for their peers and families. This program also touches other programs such as community outreach, health and wellness, Inclusion, education, etc. Additionally, as these youths present their projects it instills self-confidence, awareness and leadership. We have found these programs are making an important impact on multiple generations of Jews and their families. The NYM region is fully behind the Tzedek program because it embraces our mission committed to Jewish values, social justice, and future leadership. Through Tzedek, these youths are making a difference plus they learn about the FJMC – its values– and appreciate the encouragement from their Mens Club. The region strongly feels that by engaging in our Jewish youth with programs they want to explore provides a long-lasting link to attract a younger demographic. This program is definitely transferable to other FJMC clubs and regions throughout the world. As one of the youth participants told us – “You don’t have to be of voting age to make a difference.” Original ProgramYesBronze
792023-04-26 23:51marcrichards73.246.14.212023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.North Suburban Beth El Men's Club - Highland Park, IL (614)Demystifying Hagbah and GelilahDr. Jeff ShoreMarcRichardsmvrichards@gmail.comJoriBrajerjbrajer@gmail.comDanGrossgrossd@gmail.comJewish ObservanceHave you ever wanted to take the honor of lifting or tying the Sefer Torah, but were afraid to do so? This program allows you to join an intimate group, to learn how to properly do both. Experienced members of the Men's Club will teach anyone 13 years or older; women can learn this traditional mitzvah as well. If you know how but are rusty and want to practice, you are welcome, too. The program was offered originally in December 2021. By popular demand, another class was offered in April 2023, and more sessions are planned.Hagbah and Gelilah Class Description This program is to encourage more members of the synagogue to practice and become familiar with the lifting (Hagbah) and tying (Gelilah) of the Sefer Torah, so that we have a larger group of experienced members who can be called upon for this honor during our shabbat service. Another goal is to give members an opportunity to have a closer physical connection with the Torah, which is the centerpiece of our religion. Lifting the Torah is often intimidating because people think it can only be done by the very strong. Yet with practice it is a learned physical technique that anyone can do. This class is done in a small setting in the synagogue's small chapel. It allows experienced members to pass on their experience and technique of lifting Torah's to others. It provides the students an opportunity to practice and gain confidence in lifting. Several Torahs of different weights and with different amounts of the Torah rolled up on one side of the scroll (i.e., balanced and unbalanced) are brought out. Attendees are given tutoring and then allowed to practice lifting. It requires at least one experienced member to teach and others to assist (or spot the lifters) so that the students are confident they are surrounded by help to make sure they do not drop the Torah. We also teach how to undress and dress the Torah. Many people are intimidated by the dressing (Gelilah) because they have not had the chance to study how the Torah is tied, how the mantle is replaced over the scroll and how to properly place the crown and yad. They do not want to feel embarrassed by doing it wrong during the regular service on the bimah in front of the congregation. The instructor gives a quick lesson and then allows hands-on practice on how to undress and dress the Torah. Then we bring the two together and allow attendees to pair up and practice the full Hagbah and Gelilah in sequence. In an informal setting without clergy, the attendees have the opportunity to ask any questions to learn more about the care and handling of the Torah. They can see the Torah and its accessories up close. The instructor also explains other information to demystify the Torah, such as: how the Torah is made; how the parchment sections are stitched together and can be replaced; the normal care and handling of the Torah; the various weights and sizes of different Torahs; the origins and histories of the specific Torahs being practiced with, etc. Handouts are provided, and attendees are asked if they want to be placed on a list of members qualified to have the honor of Hagbah or Geliliah at future services. The class is a single session from 60-90 minutes long depending on the number of attendees and questions they ask. demystifying_hagbah_0.docx (17 KB)
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hagbah_class_4.jpg (88 KB)		The class was a success. We have conducted three classes in a small setting with between about 8-12 people attending each class. Since the class was started in December 2021, we have had three classes and out of this group, about 8 new people have performed the Hagbah and Gelilah during a shabbat service. We feel this has increased participation and attendance at shabbat services, with a greater sense of shared community participation. During the summers, our shabbat services are lay led and we expect more people will be willing to perform this mitzvah in a more relaxed service. This has also helped the Men's Club contribute to the religious practice in the synagogue by qualifying more members to perform this ritual. Also, this takes away the burden on the clergy to train new people to do this. Because the event was open to all the synagogue community, we had women and teens participating and not just men. So while it did not really increase membership of our Men's Club, we feel it enhanced our reputation in the synagogue in that we make serious contributions to the congregation beyond just providing scotch for shabbat kiddush.This program strongly supports the FJMC mission of involving Jewish Men in Jewish Life, by reaching out to men who may not have sufficient Hebrew skills to feel comfortable to making an aliyah or reading torah or leading prayers, yet can proudly participate on the bimah with a new learned skill of lifting the Torah, or assisting the lifter with the dressing of the Torah. It also gives men an opportunity to have a closer physical connection to the Torah itself by learning more about the Torah and how to properly handle and care for it.NOTE: This error message was received when going to the next page of the application: Warning: Illegal offset type in wf_crm_name_field_exists() (line 1730 of /var/www/html/web/sites/all/modules/webform_civicrm/includes/utils.inc).)Original ProgramAaron KrumbeinYes
782023-04-26 23:12Joel Herman173.91.42.1032023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.B'nai Jeshurun Men's Club - Pepper Pike, OH (325)WWW with South AmericaDr. Jeff ShoreJoelHermanzmanjoel51@gmail.comJoelHermanzmanjoel51@gmail.comJoelHermanzmanjoel51@gmail.comWorld Wide WrapConduct our World Wide Wrap with Argentina and BrazilThis year, our B'nai Jeshurun Men's Club held their World Wide Wrap at our Synagogue, and engaged two South American congregational Men's Club via Zoom. Our in-person participants of forty-three congregants, as well as another eighteen congregants on Zoom, wrapped Tefillin at our Shul, then davened with an Argentine Men's Club via Zoom. Despite a two hour difference in time, our group and the Argentine MC concluded their final prayers, all in unison. The Tefillin wrapping was even further enhanced with the opening service davening conducted by a visiting Rabbinical candidate husband and wife couple, candidates who will be joining our Shul staff beginning in July. This year's Men's Club World Wide Wrap was truly "world wide", with participation between a North America and a South America congregation.Our WWW program was a huge success, two continents with different languages, Davening in one common language, Hebrew. Overwhelmingly impactful to all our participants. We will anticipate engaging with other international Men's Clubs to participate in the future, given the ability of the Internet.Sharing the commonality of Jewish prayer and customs, internationally, promotes our common heritage!Original ProgramYes
772023-04-26 22:09jepstein68.133.19.2142023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Brotherhood of Temple Beth Tzedek - Buffalo, NY (1226)Yom Ha'Atzmaut-Israel's 75th AnniversaryDr. Jeff ShoreJonathanEpsteinjepstein@buffnews.comJonathanEpsteinjepstein@buffnews.comJonathanEpsteinjepstein@buffnews.comIsrael / MasortiOur goal was to celebrate the Israel's 75th anniversary with a broad community-wide event that would highlight everything Israel and bring people together under the umbrella of TBT Brotherhood. The program in our synagogue social hall included a festive Israeli-style meal of grilled meat, Israeli salad, hummus, Israeli snacks, Israeli beer and wine and Israeli desserts, but was centered around a special guest presentation about modern Israeli music by Josh Shron, co-host of the Israel Hour Radio program, whom we flew up for the event. Over 90 people were in attendance, including three rabbis and the Buffalo Jewish Federation CEO.We wanted to have a special community-wide celebration of Israel's 75th anniversary, on Yom Ha'Atzmaut itself (i.e., not a week later or on a convenient weekend) that would highlight the best of Israel in an entertaining and enjoyable fashion. Our program coordinators, David Schiller and Andrew Symons, were familiar with the Israel Hour Radio program on Rutgers University's WRSU-FM, and decided to bring him in as the centerpiece attraction of the program, around which we would create a celebratory dinner and gathering. We marketed and promoted the event widely in the community, not only through our Brotherhood and synagogue, but through all the area synagogues and the Buffalo Jewish Federation. We secured the event space in our synagogue social hall, planned out the meal, purchased the food and other items, and decorated the social hall with Israeli flags. We also arranged for security. The dinner consisted of grilled chicken and hotdogs, hummus and pita, Israeli salad, pickles and condiments, fruit and vegetables, Israeli snacks (Bamba), Israeli wine, Israeli beer and Israeli desserts. Josh Shron delivered a highly engaging two-hour slideshow and video music presentation, highlighting the power of modern Israeli music to entertain, kvetch, unite, and heal - sometimes with reverance and sometimes not. He took us through Israeli songs, performers and videos from the 1960s through 2023, including the winners and losers of the Eurovision competitions and other Israeli reality-TV shows (Israel's Got Talent, etc.), and showed us that Israeli music today is far more than Hava Nagila, Bashana Haba-a and Al Kol Eileh, but is diverse and talented. Over 90 people were in attendance, including three rabbis and the Buffalo Jewish Federation CEO, and the crowd largely stayed.israel_independence_day_celebration_flyer.pdf (3688 KB)20230426_184406_resized.jpg (1620 KB)
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20230426_190803.jpg (2581 KB)		While the event was only break-even financially, it was extremely successful and well-received in impact. We had over 90 people in attendance, not only from our club and synagogue, but from other synagogues and throughout the Jewish community. We have about 30 people in our club, but we had over 90 people in attendance, including three rabbis and the Buffalo Jewish Federation CEO. We took on a significant upfront cost and risk by bringing Josh Shron in from New Jersey, including paying his airfare and hotel, but the event was impactful nevertheless.This program supports FJMC's focus on Israel and Israel programming, engaged the entire community, demonstrated the leadership of our club, and displayed innovative thinking that, while risky, proved highly beneficial.This program can be replicated by other clubs who wish to bring Josh Shron into their synagogue and community. He was a terrific and engaging speaker.Original ProgramYesBronze
762023-04-26 22:06ScotF155.70.104.1172023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.B'Nai Amoona Men'S Club - St. Louis, MO (631)2023 BAMC Yom HaShoah Candle DeliveriesDr. Jeff ShoreScotFowlerscot.a.fowler@gmail.comScotFowlerscot.a.fowler@gmail.comKevinLittlitt.kevin@gmail.comYom HaShoah Yellow CandleThe overall goal of the program is to bring in volunteers, both within the Men's Club and the congregation membership, to deliver candles to every member/family of the Congregation. This year, our membership listing consists of approximately 700 individuals and families, some of whom have moved out of the St. Louis area. We have also been facing a smaller volunteer base, so we faced a risk of not having enough people to actually deliver.We divided the program into three categories: Communications, Logistics, and Execution Communications: - The Delivery committee began meeting about 6 weeks before Erev Yom Hashoah - We developed the task checklist for the program, and determined assignments - Messages were sent out to the Men's Club and the shul membership requesting volunteers - We picked up grocery bags from Trader Joes to manage each of the deliveries (started with 20 per bag) - We updated the prayer sheet and printed out enough for each candle/bag - As part of the Candle Order, we also ordered both Mailer and the standard yellow bags from FJMC - Lastly, we ensured we would have enough LED tea lights for the nursing/care facilities. Logistics After pulling the most recent membership listing, we: - Segmented out all zip codes that were considered "out of area" (~50 addresses) - Coordinated with the shul staff to identify Sunday School families, who could pick up the bagged candle and prayer sheet the Sunday before Erev Yom HaShoah; (~50 addresses) - Coordinated with the Shomrai Amoomim Lead to pull all Nursing Homes/Long Term care facilities out of the list for a personalized delivery by the Rabbi. (~ 20 names concentrated between 3 facilities) - Create a summarized listing by zip code of all remaining families for deliveries. (~580 addresses across 32 zip codes) - Of the remaining families/addresses, 60% of the addresses were represented by 3 zip codes. Using MyRoute Online software, we imported all of the names and addresses and determined routes for these sets of deliveries. The entire list was not imported, as there is a limitation in the routing software of 350 listing. - After all of the initial routes were determined, where each volunteer would deliver 18-20 bagged candles, the remaining addresses are imported into the software for the additional routes. - All routes were optimized using the MyRoute software, the routes were then printed out. Execution: - A group of 5 volunteers worked on bagging all of the candles, using mailers for the approximate 50 that would be sent out of state, and the regular yellow bags for the rest. - The mailing and the Sunday School candles were set aside for distribution separately. - Two dates were set up for deliveries, April 2nd and April 16th. - As volunteers came to the shul for pick up, we attached a delivery route to the bag that would be picked up and distributed, ensuring there were enough candles for each delivery, and where possible, including the volunteer's address in the delivery, so that they weren't required to receive a candle from another volunteer. - We ended up with 30 volunteers of the 40 volunteers that we were seeking. - Some volunteers willingly took a second route of deliveries, to ensure we had enough coverage for the deliveries to be made. 2023-mens-club-yellow-candles.xlsx (58 KB)2023-mensclub-yellowcandle-communiques.docx (16 KB)The Yom HaShoah Delivery Program is a building community program, that brings together not only the Men's Club, but volunteers from within the synagogue. While the numbers of volunteers has decreased since Covid, there are still a number of individuals who request to be "loaded up" with deliveries, and there has been little hesitation to deliver to areas that they've never been to previously. By introducing the ability to map the delivery routes, and use the GPS software that is either in their cars or their cell phones, many have expressed the ease with which they have been able to deliver, taking a few hours of their time and be able to present the Yellow Candle bag to each recipient. This year especially, where the club focused on getting yellow candles to EVERY member of the congregation, there was a sense of satisfaction that we knew we were serving the ENTIRE community. Many recipients expressed their gratitude for the delivery, both to the volunteer, and to me after Yom HaShoah. Of the 30 volunteers, 24 (80%) were Men's Club members, and 4 were first time deliverers, and 580 addresses to deliver to.This program helps to build community, by way of bringing Men's Club Members together to assemble the candle bags, and eventually by placing our members in front of the larger shul community. This program is also innovative in how we determined how we would deliver to the entire membership - by being flexible enough to have multiple methods of delivery as well as using the logistics software to route to the most efficient path.An adaptation or enhancement of a previous Torch Award entry TAxx-xxxx|TA48-2017 Do a Mitzvah, Meet a MemberYesSilver
752023-04-26 22:03Joel Herman173.91.42.1032023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.B'nai Jeshurun Men's Club - Pepper Pike, OH (325)Men's Club Shabbat and Congregational Cholent CookoffDr. Jeff ShoreJoelHermanzmanjoel51@gmail.comJoelHermanzmanjoel51@gmail.comJoelHermanzmanjoel51@gmail.comMens' Club ShabbatThe B'nai Jeshurun Men's Club Shabbat and Cholent Cookoff is presented to encourage services participation by our members and congregational comradery. It was vitally important to resume this Shabbat program, after a two year absence as a result of Covid 19 precautions. B'nai Jeshurun Men's Club Shabbat each year involves approximately twenty of our members who actively participate in all aspects of the Shabbat morning service. We promote the service weeks in advance, encouraging congregational attendance. When the Shabbat service is over, the congregation is invited to enjoy an afternoon luncheon in the Synagogue larger hall, presenting our Men's Club 23rd Annual Shelia Rabb Memorial Cholent Cookoff. This past year was extremely well attended, having been suspended this past two years due to Covid 19. Over 300 congregants, family members and community guests sampled from nineteen different Cholent recipes, all prepared from our own B'nai Jeshurun different teams of chefs. Each delicacy was judged, recognitions were awarded, and all in attendance enjoyed themselves. Our Men's Club Shabbat event encouraged congregants to reconnect with the Synagogue, as well as with fellow congregants. This year's event was most impactful.The success of this program is measured by the overwhelming attendance, as well as the culinary contribution from nearly sixty-five of our congregational "chefs". The mere fact that so many of our members participated in the Shabbat service exemplifies leadership and compassion for B'nai Jeshurun Congregation, and continue to do so throughout the year.We would encourage other Men's Clubs to enjoin a congregational activity with their annual Shabbat service, presenting a morning of prayer and an afternoon of congregational community, the result of our Men's Club Shabbat.Original ProgramYesBronze
742023-04-26 20:52Levitanru100.36.33.352023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Beth Emeth Men'S Club - Herndon, VA (1144)CBE Men's Club World Wide WrapDr. Jeff ShoreRussLevitanrdl1973@yahoo.comRussLevitanrdl1973@yahoo.comRussLevitanrdl1973@yahoo.comWorld Wide WrapThe 2023 World Wide Wrap at CBE was the first official WWW since COVID. Men's Club partnered with the 6th and 7th Graders in Religious School, along with their families, to learn the history and significance of tefillin, and then learned to wrap themselves. So the program consisted of 1)Rabbi and Men's Club Member Josh Winston teaching the audience about tefillin, 2) Learning to Wrap, 3) Learning the associated prayers, 4) Post-event brunchThe 2023 World Wide Wrap at CBE was the first official WWW since COVID. The event this year had more than 50 participants from both the Men's Club as well as Religious School (with their families) and synagogue staff.www_pic_6.jpg (155 KB)
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www_pic_1.jpg (296 KB)		The feedback from attendees as well as those that heard about this event all agreed that this was a terrific event. Our synagogue board was thrilled that Men's Club was able to bring this event back to the congregation and involve so many people from multiple generationsThis event clearly tied to FJMC's tagline, particularly in the areas of Leadership and Community. The Men's Club at CBE has continued to show leadership in bringing events back after COVID, and while these events are sponsored and led by Men's Club, they have generally been open to the entire community to stress the importance of that interaction.Original ProgramYesGold
732023-04-26 20:15gpollack73.75.56.1422023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)Who Will Tell Their Story - Kristallnacht CommemorationDr. Jeff ShoreGreggPollackgdp5607@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comEducational ProgrammingWho Will Tell their Story: Kristallnacht commemoration program - virtual only. The goal of the program was to educate our youths on the Holocaust with archival video footage and survivors telling their stories. Students the Bernard Zell Day School were interviewed following the footage and survivor stories. The students also have separate study sessions on the Holocaust prior to the program. The program concluded with a candle lighting ceremony and singing of Hatikvah. We partnered with the IL Holocaust Museum on this program, as well as the day school administration. See attached storyboard. Program included videos and live interviews with survivors and students, moderated by our men's club president and our senior rabbi. Since this was during the pandemic in Nov 2021, we chose to keep the program virtual. We had 70-80 registrants, and were linked with the web sites of both the day school and the IL Holocaust Museum. kristallnacht_program_outline.pdf (1278 KB)
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722023-04-26 19:08gpollack73.75.56.1422023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)Steak & ShotsDr. Jeff ShoreGreggPollackgdp5607@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comFundraisingSignature annual event drawing over 80 people for steak BBQ and scotch/bourbon tasting in the Sukkah during Hol Hamoed. Each year we have an honoree who is also invited to select their charity of choice to receive the bulk of the profits from the event. Our honoree this past year (October 2022) was our new senior hazzan, Rachel Brook, who chose The Ark as her designated charity. And because we had "standing room only" despite raising our prices for the event, we generated a record profit and donated $1600 to The Ark, a local social services organization operating under the Jewish Federation umbrella.We always start publicity early, essentially as soon as our honoree has accepted and designated his/her charity of choice. We also line up our Scotchologist as early as possible to ensure his/her availability. We also pre-order the steaks (before the holiday starts). We use this program as a membership drive by offering incentives to join at registration or in person. We also hold our official installation of officers at this event. We begin with some appetizers and wine while we wait for everyone to arrive and the grillmaster (one of our members) to cook most of the steaks and potatoes. We present our honoree with a plaque commemorating the event, and once everyone has gotten dinner, our Scotchologist begins the tasting portion of the program (typically 5-6 pours), which includes an educational component (how the Scotch is made and bottled). Many people stay late to have some cookies and fruit for dessert and to continue socializing and enjoying more Scotch. steaks_and_shots_dinner_handout_1.pdf (98 KB)screenshot_2023-04-26_185955.png (1041 KB)321751757_2056587141203375_8215812581463111364_steak_n_shots_2022.jpg (444 KB)
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322017783_1217844242136334_3164696014453790326_steak_n_shots_2022.jpg (509 KB)		Raises profile of Men's Club in the synagogue community. Our charitable focus also supports our mission of tzedakah/tikkun olam; The Ark is a local social services organization under the Federation umbrella umbrella with a food pantry, transitional housing services, mental health, employment counseling and other social services. As noted, we contribute to local and national Jewish charities, as well as helping our membership observe the holiday of sukkot by dining in the sukkah. We also recognize the services of one of our local synagogue leaders (lay or professional), showing our appreciation and supporting their efforts to improve our community.As noted in the previous submission, it's easy to turn this event into a major fundraiser and also membership drive by donating profits and offering incentives to join men's club early in the fiscal year. Original ProgramYes
712023-04-26 15:22DiamondMC32.213.190.2022023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Beth El Temple Men's Club - West Hartford (217)Golf Lounge 18 OutingDr. Jeff ShoreDavidDiamonddaviddiamond2@comcast.netArthurFreedmandrartf@aol.comArthurFreedmandrartf@aol.comFJMC - otherOne of our board members suggested that we sponsor an outing at a recently opened Golf Lounge 18. We agreed right away that having an outing at a sports-themed bar with multiple TVs, food and drinks, as well multiple indoor golf bays, would be of interest and attract a variety of members of our synagogue.Golf Lounge 18 (https://golflounge18.com/) is a venue with multiple locations in Connecticut as well as locations in the suburbs of Boston and New York City. They recently opened a venue in Canton, CT, a short drive from our synagogue. At a board meeting when we were discussing programming, one of the board members suggested we have an outing at this venue. We readily agreed, and decided to identify a Thursday evening that would work. We try to gear as many programs as possible for younger members and they've provided us feedback that an occasional night out later in the week is the best time for them to go out. Knowing that many of them enjoy golf, this would be the ideal outing. This venue offers more than just golf - it's really a sports bar with many TVs, and of course having the usual food and drinks. Non-golfers who didn't want to play could still attend and have an enjoyable evening out. The board member who suggested Golf Lounge 18 agreed to be the program chair and a small committee was formed to work with him in planning this outing. The date we suggested worked for the venue, and we ultimately made some key decisions about this program: It would be from 8-10pm, we'd have 3 golf bays to ourselves, and various appetizers would be included. There would be a cash bar. The cost would be $10pp for Men's Club members, $20pp for everyone else, and the Men's Club would subsidize the balance of the cost for the evening. A diverse group of 14 people, ranging in age from early 40s through 70s, attended and had a great time. Everyone enjoyed the socializing and camaraderie. Most tried their luck playing golf, even some of the non-golfers. No one played particularly well, but we didn't care!fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_torch_award_program_schedule_0.pdf (15 KB)fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_publicity_newsletter.pdf (748 KB)
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fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_-_jeff_k.jpg (1743 KB)		We all considered this program a success. Having a relatively small number of participants allows everyone to meet each other and not get "lost in the crowd." There was one couple who joined Beth El Temple just two months earlier and enjoyed meeting everyone. When they joined, the woman found out about the Men's Club walking group which meets twice per week, and she has become one of the regular walkers! Her husband (who is not Jewish) remarked how welcome he feels at our synagogue and any event he has attended. Having this indoor golf outing is yet another example of the variety of programming the Men's Club offers to reach out to our diverse community.This activity had Jewish men working together to provide an opportunity for a fun night out and to connect with others in the community. Innovation: developing programming that better connects people of all ages to the Jewish community. This was a fun night connecting our synagogue members covering a wide range of ages. It provided an activity that helped connect a non-Jewish member who recently joined our synagogue (with his Jewish wife) with the Jewish community. Community: forming meaningful long-lasting relationships based on camaraderie, common interests and core values. A night out at an indoor golf facility and sports bar helps in this regard.Video of action shot from the outing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5peobBYektw While Golf Lounge 18 currently has venues in just three northeast states, there are similar venues opening up all over the country. This activity does not require much manpower or expenses, and is easy to replicate. Simply find a nearby venue, identify a date and time that works, and publicize.Original ProgramYes
702023-04-25 11:21Robertwolf4845.35.195.572023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Chizuk Amuno Brotherhood - Baltimore, MD (1106)Chizuk Amuno Brotherhood Second SederDr. Jeff ShoreRobertWolfmisterwolf@verizon.netLeeBrilllsbrill@gmail.comDr. HarveyCohentoothtime@mac.comJewish ObservanceEngage the congregation and community in a family Second Seder service and dinner. Seder was lead by Rabbi Joshua Gruenberg with programming and execution by Brotherhood members. Brotherhood provided logistical and financial support for the event.The overall goal of the program is to encourage families and individuals to come together in a welcoming and communal environment to celebrate and participate in a Second Passover Seder. We wanted to provide a venue and opportunity for those that may not have had the ability to participate in a Second Seder on their own. In addition, it was an event in which we learned more about the Passover holiday, with an example of how to experience and joyfully celebrate our heritage.scan_0001.pdf (754 KB)This event has continued over the years, except when Shabbat does not allow for preparation. It has been greatly attended and welcomed. We had approximately 175 participants at the 2023 event. Plans are being made for next year's Second Seder.This program has been a great success. The congregation and community now look forward to the Second Seder as a yearly Brotherhood event. It gives Brotherhood members an opportunity to reach out to prospective members for future activities.This program meets all of the FJMC goals of Leadership, Innovation, Community and Inclusion. It is a very open and welcoming opportunity for the Brotherhood, synagogue and the community at large.Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention
692023-04-25 08:10jmberk98.115.5.1192023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Ohev Shalom of Bucks CountyMeet the CandidatesDr. Jeff ShoreStevenMillersmdr18@hotmail.comStevenMillersmdr18@hotmail.comsamesamesmdr18@hotmail.comCommunity OutreachMeet the congresstional candidatesOn Sunday morning the our Congressman and his opponent came to speak to our Men's Club. This was open to our entire congregation and guests if they were accompanied by a member of our synagogue. Each candidate took questions from those attending and spoke for over an hour each. Rather than getting sound bites from our politicians, we had the opportunity to ask hard questions and expected to have real answers. To arrange to have both candidates come the same morning at the end of October took many long hours of calls, emails and texts to each candidates election committees. We have made this a commitment by our Men's Club to sponsor and arrange this event.Meeting candidate for congress and actually speaking to themAs above, we had the opportunity to meet, talk and ask questions to our congresstional candidates. In our times, it is so importent to speak up and know who we are sending to Conress to pass laws that effect all of us.Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention
682023-04-24 20:01Levitanru100.36.33.352023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Beth Emeth Men'S Club - Herndon, VA (1144)Men's Club ShabbatDr. Jeff ShoreRussLevitanrdl1973@yahoo.comRussLevitanrdl1973@yahoo.comRussLevitanrdl1973@yahoo.comMens' Club ShabbatCBE's Men's Club Shabbat is an annual event where we look to have multiple members of the Men's Club lead the Saturday morning service. We use this event as an opportunity to get more men from multiple generations participating and hopefully increase our visibility throughout the CBE community. This year we also made a concerted effort to include as many children of Men's Club members as possible, whether leading some of the Hebrew prayers, or doing an English reading.CBE's Men's Club Shabbat is an annual event where we look to have multiple members of the Men's Club lead the Saturday morning service. We use this event as an opportunity to get more men from multiple generations participating and hopefully increase our visibility throughout the CBE community. This year we also made a concerted effort to include as many children of Men's Club members as possible, whether leading some of the Hebrew prayers, or doing an English reading.2023_mens_club_shabat_1.docx (403 KB)The 2023 Men's Club Sports Shabbat was an important part of CBE's "re-opening" coming out of COVID. We had over 25 members participate in the service along with 5-10 kids, along with more of the remaining congregation that is seen on Saturday mornings normally. We also invested in a more "premium" lunch afterward as another way to bring people in and let them know that "we're back!"This event was all about involving Jewish Men in Jewish life, as it was leading the entire Saturday morning service and torah reading. It was also an important event to strengthen the CBE community by bringing people together. The CBE Men's Club has also been a leader in this regard in hosting the events that try and bring more people in to continue to get back to where we were pre-COVID.Original ProgramYes
672023-04-24 19:16jbrody62747.20.34.1902023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Park Avenue Synagogue Men'S Club - New York, NY (816)TZEDEK Youth InitiativeDr. Jeff ShoreDr. Steven Mandeldrmandel1979@aol.comSteven Darlingstevenjaydarling@gmail.comSteven Darlingstevenjaydarling@gmail.comFamily and Youth ProgrammingThe Tzedek Program is for youth, and leadership between the ages of 13-19. They will develop projects related to the Jewish Community which can include antisemitism, climate change, Gender, Jews of Color, Mental illness and others of their choosing. There will be scholarships/ plaques, letters of accommodation and more. This is a great opportunity to develop leadership in the Jewish Community. TZEDEK Youth Initiative Ethics, Responsibility, Justice. This quote below is says why this is such an important program. Take risks, raise your voice and push everyone to do better.” - Rabbi Abraham Heschel Purpose: Park Ave Synagogue created the Tzedek Program and opened it to the NYM region. The NYM/FJMC Region is committed to promote social justice and well-being in education and programming. As a Region we want to encourage “caring for the other” and the opportunity for personal growth, activism, and leadership. Tzedek is designed to stir up students and teenager ideas from NYM/FJMC members Synagogues with a mission of developing community programs to address Jewish values that can have an impact on the Jewish community. The areas of Jewish values are: 1. Jews of the Diaspora. 2. Mental health, suicide, and addiction – especially within our youth. 3. Diversity, equity, and inclusion of underserved populations to include race, ethnicity, LGBTQ, gender Jews of color those with physical and mental disabilities. 4. Antisemitism. 5. Climate and environmental change. Eligibility and requirements:  Applicants must be members of the New York Metro Region clubs in good standing.  Boys and Girls 12 – 18.  Approval for their proposal from their Synagogue Men’s Club and Committee of the New York Metro FJMC.  With approval, the student will then begin his/her project.  The program can take place either within the synagogue or outside in the community. Awards Committee Composed of the Regional President, Drs. Steven, and Heidi Mandel, and three additional members chosen by the NYM Executive Committee. Critical Date: Programs need to be completed by April 2023 to be considered, along with a written summary of their project. Awards and Recognition: There will be a maximum of four awards recipients per year of $250.00 per student. The student will receive a plaque of recognition. Recognition at the Man of the Year event. Recognition in the Regional newsletter. Recognition on the Regional website. tzedek_handbook-_8_20223.docx (14 KB)advanced_programing_for_tzedek.pdf (58 KB)tzedek_flyer_.pdf (1035 KB)
tzedek_handbook-_8_20223.pdf (27 KB)		● Currently there are 9 youth members enrolled into the PAS Tzedek program. ● These PAS youths are engaged in several diverse topics: ○ Combating Parkinson's ○ Reach out to multi-generations how to better understand the differences - creation of podcasts. ○ Mental Health podcasts ○ Connecting athletes with patients with the goal of fund-raising by selling athletes clothing ○ Women funding Women's activities with specific focus on African women ○ Food Pantry - ongoing at PAS for several years ○ Dress equity - collection of used clothing with the emphasis to fund-raise. ○ Creation of an Antisemitism task force As you can see from the impact statement, this program supports youth and families. This program also touches some of the other programs such as community outreach, health and wellness, Inclusion, education. This program touches all of those and more. The program is making an impact on multiple generations of Jews and families. The region is fully behind the Tzedek program because it embraces the mission that the NY Metro Region is committed to. All of the areas for the Tzedek program are Jewish values. We look forward to the program becoming a success in our own community and growing in the region as well.Original ProgramYes
662023-04-24 17:22obgenetics155.190.17.42023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Congregation Beth Shalom Men'S Club - Northbrook, IL (643)Bios in the BulletinDr. Jeff ShoreAndrewWagnerandrew.wagner@nm.orgRobertGoldwinrudybux@comcast.netAndrew/StevenWagner/Lessmanandrew.wagner@nm.orgClub AdministrationThe main purpose of the Congregation Beth Shalom (CBS) Men’s Club’s synagogue bulletin submission is to inform our membership and the congregation of upcoming events. Besides just listing events, we wanted to make these articles an opportunity to introduce leaders in our club where, each month, a Men’s Club board member was interviewed and a biography was presented. This enabled those who read the article an opportunity to see the diversity of the life experiences of our leaders, to otherwise learn about people and find commonalities, and to attract new members who have a similar interest, background, or work experience of the member who was presented.In order to best increase participation in events, to attract new members, and to inform others of upcoming events, publicity is key. Our synagogue, Congregation Beth Shalom, in Northbrook, Illinois, publishes a bulletin entitled Shalom, ten times per year. It includes messages from our clergy, the executive director, and the many arms of our synagogue, such as USY, religious school, Sisterhood, and Men’s Club, along with a calendar of events, a list of recent donations, and advertisements. The Men’s Club article is our opportunity to publicize our upcoming events, give general announcements, and explain the good that we do for our community. Upon the presidencies of Steven Lessman and Dr. Andrew Wagner starting in July 2022, we decided to change the format of our bulletin articles. Now we understand that, for upcoming events, many people just want to check out the calendar, see what is going to happen, and then check with their phone calendar, work calendar, and their kids’ school and activities calendars to make sure that they can attend an event. We also understand that the bulletin and our article is there to inform our congregation on upcoming events. However, knowing that an organization is only as strong as its members and leaders, we wanted to spotlight our many amazing leaders. This gave many a first-time opportunity to meet a valued member of our Club, the congregation and the community. Our co-president, Steve Lessman, interviewed all of our executive board and multiple members of our general board to learn about their background, family, career, interests, community involvement and synagogue involvement. A summary of the interview was then created and proofread by our other co-president. It was then submitted to the CBS Director of Communications for publication.bulletin_articles_222324.pdf (3073 KB)Month after month, we received feedback that the bulletin article was not only informative, it gave a more personalized touch to the article. It enabled those who read the article an opportunity to see the diversity of the life experiences of our leaders, to learn about people and find commonalities, and to attract new members who have a similar interest, background, or work experience of the member who was presented. At various events, it became a nice icebreaker when a relatively new member met the leader who was spotlighted in the article.In showcasing our many board leaders, we are displaying how our members lead in our Club as well as in their community and professions. This can inspire others to try to emulate their successes in life and for our Club. It also is a successful way for marketing outside of the Club and synagogue.Original ProgramYesBronze
65 (draft)2023-04-24 09:26TAG121870.107.212.1492023Family and Youth Programming
642023-04-23 22:23behemmer71.255.224.1742023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Olam Tikvah Men's Club - Fairfax, VA (1147)The Jewish experience in the US Military: History and Personal ReflectionsDr. Jeff ShoreBarryHemmerdingerbehemmer@gmail.comBarryHemmerdingerbehemmer@gmail.comBarryHemmerdingerbehemmer@gmail.comEducational ProgrammingObjective was to have two respected members the US military and of the our synagogue a share history and personal stories of Jewish life in the US military. The program was incorporated into a Sunday brunch that was familiar to our members but still building back attendance levels post pandemic. This was held Jan 22, 2023. To further enhance the topic the brunch featured a menu modeled after a military chow hall. The program drew over 70 people, the largest men's club attended in person event since the pandemic. Our program opened with a buffet chow hall style brunch - eggs, kosher sausage, potatoes accompanied by the men's club standards of bagels and lox. Once served our first speaker Captain Marc Herwitz gave a 40-minute presentation that he compiled on Jews in the US military - beginning from the French and Indian War in 1754 to the present day. Captain Herwitz fielded a short round of questions. Following this Ret Captain Rosalind Sloan shared her personal experiences for 20 minutes of being Jewish in the US military contrasting situations of being stationed domestically and internationally. Captain Sloan then fielded questions along with further questions for Captain Herwitz. Our program charged $12 for Men’s club members and $18 for non-members. Probably about half were non-members (many spouses). By holding the educational session as a Sunday brunch, we maximize likelihood of attendance by starting just after Sunday morning minyan and Sunday school drop off. We had many walk-ins to the invite, more than anticipated but the food held out. We had no speaker fees as the presenters were synagogue members and happy to volunteer their knowledge and experiences. That enabled us to keep the costs down and break even for the event. Finally, we also had a table with materials on Jewish Veteran support agencies for attendees to learn more and contribute to these worthwhile charities. The event was well regarded. Just recently, as club president, I was contacted by the adult education committee if the men’s club could partner with them and help that group gain traction for their educational programs. Unfortunately, the first one planned conflict with our regular election brunch planning. I have attached snippets of the presentation as the whole presentation was too large to upload. There is a lot to learn from the whole presentation. speaker_bios.pdf (168 KB)
beginning_of_presentation.pdf (346 KB)		program_advance_planning_-_jews_in_the_military.xlsx (8 KB)
copy_of_brunch_standard_operating_procedures_lessons_learned.docx.pdf (29 KB)		brunch_announcement.pdf (448 KB)
jewish_us_military_brunch_-_shabbat_flyer.docx.pdf (111 KB)
synagague_announcement.pdf (370 KB)		captain_herwitz.jpg (93 KB)
brunch_-_attendees.jpg (73 KB)		Very successful. Immediate bounce back for educationally themed brunches post pandemic. Other OT groups have subsequently reached out to Men's Club to help and/or partner on upcoming educational events. We had approx 70 attendees out of our ~600 families and ~120 men's club members. For a comparison attendance at the earlier in the year brunch focused on the election and candidate Q&A drew about 55. Election brunch is usually the largest, so besting that is good sign of building back the interest for in-person educational events.This brunch highlighted the experiences of two highly respected Jewish US Navy Captains. Leadership oozes out of their pores when the speak. Very inspirational to hear them speak. Additionally, the topic of the Jewish experiences in the US military is very important for Jewish Men to understand in a historical sense as well as the to fight stereotypes in the future.Original ProgramYesSilver
632023-04-23 17:21DiamondMC32.213.190.2022023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Beth El Temple Men's Club - West Hartford (217)Breakfast Program with Doron Sheffer, UCONN Huskies and Israeli Retired Pro Basketball PlayerDr. Jeff ShoreDavidDiamonddaviddiamond2@comcast.netArthurFreedmandrartf@aol.comArthurFreedmandrartf@aol.comIsrael / MasortiDoron Sheffer is a well-known college basketball player as well as an Israeli retired professional basketball player. The Men's Club secured him as a speaker to talk about his basketball playing days, his life afterwards, and a book he wrote that was available to purchase at a book-signing at the end of the program.A Men's Club board member, who is the Executive Director at Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut (JFACT), suggested that Israeli basketball player Doron Sheffer speak at a Men's Club program in late February. Through his professional involvement with JFACT, he knew that Sheffer would be in Connecticut at that time before heading home to Israel. While he originally suggested that Sheffer speak as part of a Saturday morning Shabbat, the consensus was that a Sunday morning breakfast program, which would include a book-signing, would be more feasible and would likely draw a larger crowd. We landed on a date that worked for the Temple and for Sheffer. We knew that there would be a lot of excitement about this. While Connecticut does not have any professional sports teams, the University of Connecticut (UCONN) men's basketball team is very popular. Sheffer is well-known locally having played on championship teams at UCONN alongside some other very popular players. His professional basketball career in Israel added to the interest in seeing him in person. The Men's Club reached out to Beth El Temple's Israel Engagement Committee to see if they wanted to co-sponsor this program with us. The committee sponsors or co-sponsors with other community organizations, programs and events designed to share Israel’s story. They explore history, politics, culture and day-to-day life, actively connecting our members to our homeland’s past, present and future. They of course were happy to be part of this program. Their role would be to help publicize the program through their network as well as provide help the morning of the program. A publicity request was sent out that would set things in motion for marketing this program through inclusion in the bi-monthly newsletter, weekly Shabbat e-blasts, weekly Shabbat bulletins, standalone e-blasts, and Facebook publicity. As we got closer to the program date, the Men's Club board made arrangements for the breakfast buffet, including having enough volunteers helping out with the food, registration, set-up and clean-up, as well as the book-signing. Over 40 people attended the program, one of our largest Sunday morning programs in many years. Sheffer gave an inspiring presentation, and many people bought his book at the book-signing held at the end of his presentation. Afterwards, the Men's Club agreed to pay Sheffer an honorarium which is done occasionally to show our appreciation and thank the speaker for their efforts. Per e-mail sent to the Men's Club afterwards by the organizer and event chair: "It was a terrific event. We had over 40 people in attendance which, I was told, was one of the biggest events in the last several years. He connected with the audience so much that he brought a woman to tears with his message. He talked about his basketball career in Connecticut and Israel, battling cancer and trying to live a life centered around Torah." fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_breakfast_program_with_doron_sheffer_room_request_form.pdf (802 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_breakfast_program_with_doron_sheffer_torch_award_program_schedule.pdf (14 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_breakfast_program_with_doron_sheffer_torch_award_program_schedule_0.pdf (14 KB)		fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_breakfast_program_with_doron_sheffer_bio.pdf (121 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_breakfast_program_with_doron_sheffer_program_flyer.pdf (169 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_breakfast_program_with_doron_sheffer_publicity_e-mail.pdf (536 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_breakfast_program_with_doron_sheffer_publicity_newsletter.pdf (864 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_breakfast_program_with_doron_sheffer_publicity_request_e-mail.pdf (1629 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_program_with_doron_sheffer_fb_publicity.jpg (4107 KB)		fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_program_with_doron_sheffer_book.jpg (43 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_program_with_doron_sheffer_signing_basketball.jpg (46 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_program_with_doron_sheffer_-_photo_of_mc_asst_treasurer_dave_klau_with_doron_sheffer.jpg (43 KB)
fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_program_with_doron_sheffer_-_speaking_to_over_40_attendees.jpg (49 KB)		The Men's Club had not had a Sunday morning breakfast program at the Temple since before COVID. It was great to start again with such a successful program, attracting the largest crowd we've had on a Sunday morning in many years. It was great seeing such a variety of people attending, including children.Throughout the initiation, planning and execution of this program, every step involved Jewish men working together to achieve a common goal. The program related and supported these elements of the FJMC tagline: Innovation: the program connected people of all ages to the Jewish community, Community: helped form and build meaningful long-lasting relationships based on camaraderie and common interests.In most communities, there are Jewish sports heroes that can share their stories, both professional and personal. This type of program can easily be replicated by any Men's Club by connecting with such a person and arranging for a program that can bring the community together as we did.Original ProgramYesGold
622023-04-23 16:54mgetz2776.152.206.1532023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738)Overall Club ActivitiesDr. Jeff ShoreMichaelGetzmgetz27@comcast.netGaryKeimachgkeimach@comcast.netMichaelGetzmgetz27@comcast.netFJMC - otherFrom our end-of Summer outdoor BBQ and Board meeting held in August to our Man of the Year tribute and roast held in May, Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood has had an extremely active year that has focused on fostering member engagement, attracting new members, and involving the greater Temple community. We held many engaging social activities throughout the year, from Paid-Up Supper, Scotch & steak night, Man of the Year, Judaic and sports speaker breakfasts, a charity golf tournament and online auction, and a combined Brotherhood Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat Weekend that included a major concert for the community with over 300 in attendance.Not including our monthly Board meetings, we held over 35 individual programs and activities this past year. We started our year off with an annual half-day executive leadership strategy planning meeting of all the officers and key committee chairs in July; this was led by our president and first vice president. At that meeting, we begin discussions around the year’s calendar (see attached), which we presented to the board at our end-of Summer kickoff BBQ/board meeting, which was held at one of our member’s home on a lake in the area. We regularly have 25-30 members attend our monthly board meetings, which are open to all members, and are held on Sunday mornings over bagels and lox. One of the goals at the meetings is to build camaraderie and fellowship, and a lot of collaboration happens at each meeting. A program launched by our first vice president this year, “Cause Without Applause”, allowed us all to vote on a monthly donation to a meaningful charity – this has helped develop a sense of shared responsibility and charity. Our annual work on a Habitat for Humanity home, support for holiday Meals on Wheels, donation to Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, and other similar contributions allow our members to participate in acts of tikkun olam. This past year we also helped sponsor two Temple Israel of Sharon youth to go on the March of the Living Holocaust memorial trip to Poland and Israel. We held many engaging social activities throughout the year, from Paid-Up Supper, which featured NYC-based comedian, Brad Zimmerman, as well as our annual “Lift Your Spirits” Scotch & steak night, Man of the Year honor/roast, Judaic and sports speaker breakfasts, Hearing Men’s Voices series, Jewish Routes discussion series with our Rabbi, Holocaust memorial Yellow Candle drive, participation in the Tour de Shuls charity cycling ride, “Burgers & Beers in the Sukkah”, World Wide Wrap, and more. Our “Combined Charities Golf Tournament” held in August, and our annual online auction, held in late February/March, have become major fundraising events for the club. Our annual Brotherhood Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat Weekend was also a major weekend for the community, and not only included our famous Gala Kiddush for the community, but also a concert with singer/songwriter Neshama Carlebach and her band, which attracted an audience of over 300 people from the greater Boston community. All these activities require a significant number of volunteers to help organize and run. We have found that volunteering to work on an individual program or event can often lead to greater engagement and deeper involvement.calendar_of_events_2022-2023_-_8-23-2022_0.pdf (276 KB)
calendar_of_events_2022-2023_-_8-23-2022.pptx (470 KB)
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2023_neshama_carlebach_photo_1_0.jpg (2840 KB)		This year, our synagogue President, Neil Aronson, thanked the Brotherhood after a very successful Brotherhood Shabbat Weekend with the following words, which speak to the incredible hard work and leadership of our club within the community: “Thank you all for an amazing weekend at Temple Israel. Your hard work resulted in an incredibly successful, meaningful and enjoyable weekend. From a wonderful Mishpacha Minyan and Kabbalat Shabbat to a great turnout (on a holiday weekend!) for Shabbat services and a scrumptious kiddush luncheon to a wonderful Sunday brunch and fascinating discussion with Rabbi Creditor, everyone is still kvelling. “All your efforts making this so successful was truly remarkable. And when one considers that COVID doubled the amount of work, our words cannot say enough for your redoubling (tripling?) of your efforts to make this weekend so successful. “It’s an honor to be President of a shul with such a vibrant, committed and caring Brotherhood. Please send along to the Brotherhood members the Executive Committee’s congratulations and utmost appreciation for all you do.”We feel strongly that our activities this year were well aligned with the FJMC’s mission of Involving Jewish Men in Jewish Life. Our own mission, as stated in our bylaws, are: “Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood’s mission is to strengthen our members’ ties to Jewish values, to build communal ties, to support Temple Israel, and to build fellowship and camaraderie through social interaction, education, performing mitzvot, and a commitment to tikkun olam.” Our efforts this year and every year are focused on building a succession of leaders within our synagogue community, and identifying engaging and innovative programs that help form strong bonds among our members and the greater Jewish community.Original ProgramYesGold
612023-04-23 11:09jepstein68.133.19.2142023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Brotherhood of Temple Beth Tzedek - Buffalo, NY (1226)Latkes & LomeinDr. Jeff ShoreJonathanEpsteinjepstein@buffnews.comJonathanEpsteinjepstein@buffnews.comJonathanEpsteinjepstein@buffnews.comFamily and Youth ProgrammingThis program was designed to bring our synagogue community together (including families) for afternoon of great food, great fun and great camaraderie on Sunday, Dec. 25, when everything else was closed. We combined homemade latkes and homemade lo mein, to bring together the Chanukah tradition with the classic "eat-Chinese-food-on-Christmas," and also provided TVs to watch football as well as children's movies in two different rooms. (Note: This was originally scheduled for Dec. 25, but had to be rescheduled for Jan. 1, because Buffalo got hit with a massive blizzard.)Our plan was to provide food and entertainment for our members, their spouses and their families on Dec. 25, utilizing the skills of our members. As noted above, we had to pivot our planning when Buffalo was hit by an unusual massive blizzard the weekend of Dec. 25 that shut down the entire region. So we postponed it a week and did the same program on Jan. 1 instead. All food was homemade in the synagogue kitchen, under supervision, except for some store-bought desserts. One of our members led and directed the latkes, while another did the same for the lo mein. We set out tables in our interior community courtyard, set up a pair of big-screen televisions (one on a cart in the courtyard and one that is stationary and used for Zoom services in our minyan room) for entertainment (we watched football games on one and connected to Disney-Plus for children's movies on the other). We had over three-dozen attendees, all of whom had a great time.tbt_brotherhood_rsvp_list_for_torch_award.xlsx (12 KB)
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1-1-2023-latkes-and-lomein.pdf (628 KB)		The program was definitely a success. We had over three-dozen people in attendance, of all ages, enjoying the food and friendship and entertainment. It brought community together, and showcased Brotherhood as the organizer. It was also marketed outside of our synagogue and brought in a few people from another congregation. And we made a profit.This supports the Community element of the FJMC tagline, and brought Jewish men together for relationship-building, under the framework of celebrating Chanukah.Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention
602023-04-23 06:50mgetz2776.152.206.1532023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738)Club Administration, Sustainability & Membership EngagementDr. Jeff ShoreMichaelGetzmgetz27@comcast.netGaryKeimachgkeimach@comcast.netMichaelGetzmgetz27@comcast.netClub AdministrationTemple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood is proud of the efforts we have taken and activities that we have honed over the years – that have become a foundation of our club – to make sure our members remain active and engaged, that we attract new members, that we stay relevant within the greater Temple community, and that we ensure that our club continues to thrive from year to year. We start with an annual half-day executive leadership strategy planning meeting held during the summer that allows our incoming president and officers set the vision for the year; we strive to plan the year’s calendar early and present it to the board at our end-of Summer kickoff BBQ/board meeting. We hold many engaging social activities throughout the year, from Paid-Up Supper, Scotch & steak night, Man of the Year, Judaic and sports speaker breakfasts, a charity golf tournament and online auction that have become major fundraising events for the club, and our monthly “Cause without Applause” donations and support for numerous other programs and charities designed to give meaning to our members.Sustainability, leadership training and member engagement are central to our club and the foundation that was laid by our founder, Robert Zeitsiff, z”l, for whom we have named our annual Brotherhood Shabbat Scholar-in-Residence Weekend. We’ve shared a copy of our upcoming slate of officers for 2023-2024, which shows our incoming president, vice president, officers and board structure, which includes also a number of key voting committee chair positions, including Programming, Membership, Hessed (caring), Tikkun Olam (mitzvot & repairing the world), and Publicity, who are named in our club’s bylaws. Each president’s term is two years, and the four vice presidents move up each in turn. The collaboration between a president and his first vice president is very important. This succession strategy has helped groom each new president and create a sense of continuity. We start our year off with an annual half-day executive leadership strategy planning meeting of all the officers and key committee chairs; this is held in July and organized by our incoming president and first vice president and allows us to set the vision for the year. We typically also invite the immediate outgoing president(s) as well. At that meeting, we begin discussions around the year’s calendar, which we will present to the board at our end-of Summer kickoff BBQ/board meeting, which is held at one of our member’s home on a lake in the area. We use Google Groups for regular email messaging to our club members and get support from the Temple office in including notices in weekly bulletins, the Temple monthly newsletter, and web site. We also use Facebook Groups to publicize our activities. We regularly have 25-30 members attend our monthly board meetings, which are open to all members, and except during COVID when they were held on Zoom or outdoors in the local High School parking lot, are on Sunday mornings over bagels and lox. One of the goals at meetings is to build camaraderie and fellowship, and a lot of collaboration happens at each meeting. A program launched by our first vice president this year, “Cause Without Applause”, allows us all to vote on a monthly donation to a meaningful charity – this has helped develop a sense of shared responsibility and charity. Our annual work on a Habitat for Humanity home, support for holiday Meals on Wheels, participation in Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, and other similar contributions allow our members to feel they are participating in tikkun olam. Each year we help sponsor a number of youth to go on the March of the Living Holocaust memorial trip to Poland and Israel. We hold many engaging social activities throughout the year, from Paid-Up Supper, which featured a NY-based comedian, as well as “Lift Your Spirits” Scotch & steak night, Man of the Year honor/roast, Judaic and sports speaker breakfasts, World Wide Wrap, Hearing Men’s Voices, Jewish Routes discussion series, Holocaust memorial Yellow Candle drive, participation in the Tour de Shuls charity cycling ride, “Burgers & Beers in the Sukkah”, and more. Our “Combined Charities Golf Tournament” and annual online auction have become major fundraising events for the club. Our annual Brotherhood Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat Weekend is a major weekend for the community. All these activities require a significant number of volunteers to help organize and run. We use Google Forms and Sheets to invite volunteer participation, and on some occasions we have held phone drives. We have found that volunteering to work on an individual program or event can often lead to greater engagement and deeper involvement.2021_tib_excom_strategy_session_agenda_8-17-2021.docx (16 KB)
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2023_neshama_carlebach_photo_2_0.jpg (2307 KB)		This year our membership drive resulted in approximately 150 members renewing, from roughly 135 the prior year, and from a total of roughly 475 families in our synagogue. This year we brought in 10 new and 4 re-joined members. This year, our synagogue President, Neil Aronson, thanked the Brotherhood after a very successful Brotherhood Shabbat Weekend with the following words, which speak to the incredible hard work and leadership of our club within the community: “Thank you all for an amazing weekend at Temple Israel. Your hard work resulted in an incredibly successful, meaningful and enjoyable weekend. From a wonderful Mishpacha Minyan and Kabbalat Shabbat to a great turnout (on a holiday weekend!) for Shabbat services and a scrumptious kiddush luncheon to a wonderful Sunday brunch and fascinating discussion with Rabbi Creditor, everyone is still kvelling. “All your efforts making this so successful was truly remarkable. And when one considers that COVID doubled the amount of work, our words cannot say enough for your redoubling (tripling?) of your efforts to make this weekend so successful. “It’s an honor to be President of a shul with such a vibrant, committed and caring Brotherhood. Please send along to the Brotherhood members the Executive Committee’s congratulations and utmost appreciation for all you do.”We feel strongly that Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood’s mission is well aligned with the FJMC’s mission of Involving Jewish Men in Jewish Life. Our own mission, as stated in our bylaws, are: “Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood’s mission is to strengthen our members’ ties to Jewish values, to build communal ties, to support Temple Israel, and to build fellowship and camaraderie through social interaction, education, performing mitzvot, and a commitment to tikkun olam.” Our efforts are focused on building a succession of leaders within our synagogue community, and identifying engaging and innovative programs that help form strong bonds among our members.Original ProgramYesGold
592023-04-23 06:24mgetz2776.152.206.1532023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738)Jewish Routes Sunday Breakfast Discussion SeriesDr. Jeff ShoreMichaelGetzmgetz27@comcast.netGaryKeimachgkeimach@comcast.netMichaelGetzmgetz27@comcast.netEducational ProgrammingTemple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood’s Jewish Roots/Routes breakfast discussion series is a program that was started in the early 2000’s but had seen dwindling interest in recent years. As a way to inject new life into the educational series, and also to provide an opportunity for our synagogue’s new Rabbi, Jeremy Fineberg, to teach and inspire the greater temple community, we came upon the theme, “Rabbi Fineberg Ruins Everything!” Together with him, we busted some commonly misunderstood myths about Judaism as we took a look at classic Jewish stories and concepts through a new lens.Temple Israel Brotherhood's Jewish Roots/Routes breakfast discussion series has always been an important educational program that we've run together with our temple Rabbi. Past years' programs have addressed end of life issues, stem cell research and medical technology, biomedical ethics in Jewish life, Jewish law in the 21st century, Jewish life-cycle events, and sexuality and spirituality. The program, however, had gotten a little stale and uninspiring in recent years, and we were looking for a way to inject new life into it and also to provide an opportunity for our synagogue’s new Rabbi, Jeremy Fineberg, to teach and inspire the larger community. Together, we came upon the theme, “Rabbi Fineberg Ruins Everything!” In four Sunday morning learning and discussion sessions over bagels and lox, Rabbi Fineberg helped bust some commonly misunderstood myths about Judaism, and we took a look at classic Jewish stories and ideas through a new lens. The exploration of our tradition was geared towards learners of all backgrounds - as long as they were keen to learn with a critical eye, open mind, and generous heart. The sessions included: • Rabbi Fineberg Ruins Famous Jewish Stories! • Rabbi Fineberg Ruins Chanukah! • Rabbi Fineberg Ruins Wine! • Rabbi Fineberg Ruins Cemeteries & The Afterlife! We’ve found that the key to engaging and well-attended sessions is a provocative theme or topic that truly “pushes the envelope”. We're looking to continue the current theme next year and give Rabbi Fineberg new things to ruin! Planning for the program began in the late summer/early Fall as we were looking to hold the first of the sessions in November. We met with Rabbi Fineberg to discuss a topic, with the objectives described above in mind. With a topic and selected dates, we prepared the flyer and advertisements for our temple newsletter and email blasts. We had our temple office set up an online RSVP and payment form on the temple’s ShulCloud web site. We charged a total of $36 in advance for the entire series or $8 for each session, paid at the door, to cover the cost of the breakfast. The Rabbi prepares Jewish text source sheet handouts and other materials for each session using Sefaria.org and other online sites. We have a group of 4 or 5 volunteers to help with shopping and preparation of the breakfast in the kitchen, as well as to check people in as they arrive.jewish_routes_flyer_2022-2023.pptx (294 KB)
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tibrotherhood_routes_2.jpg (1443 KB)		As noted, we were very pleased that this year’s Temple Israel Brotherhood’s Jewish Roots/Routes breakfast discussion series was very successful in rejuvenating a program started in the early 2000’s but that had gotten stale and uninspiring in recent years. While the topics were interesting, attendance had dwindled to 10-20 people in past years. As a way to inject new life into the educational series, and also to provide an opportunity for our synagogue’s new Rabbi, Jeremy Fineberg, to teach and inspire the larger community, we came upon a very enticing topic, and the charisma of our new Rabbi helped grow attendance to close to 50 at each of the sessions this year, including members from a much wider demographic of the community.Our Jewish Roots/Routes series is primarily an educational program that has allowed us to delve into both contemporary topics from a Jewish perspective, as well as Jewish tradition and spirituality from a contemporary perspective, and is one of the ways we have shown leadership in bringing innovative educational offerings to the greater temple Israel community.Original ProgramYesGold
582023-04-22 21:11Varkonyi72.186.195.1332023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Olam Tikvah Men's Club - Fairfax, VA (1147)Fall in Love in Las Vegas Casino NightDr. Jeff ShoreIrvinVarkonyiirvinvarkonyi@cox.netBarry Hemmerdingerbehemmer@gmail.comBarryHemmerdingerbehemmer@gmail.comFundraisingThe past year has seen the return of many congregants, after COVID constraints, to in person services and activities at Congregation Olam Tikvah highlighted by Falling in Love in Las Vegas Casino Night, Feb 11, 2023, a collaboration between Men’s Club and OT Sisterhood, as the largest social event held since the onset of COVID. This smashing success brought over 120 congregants to play Blackjack, Texas Hold’em, Roulette and Craps, accompanied by delicious home made hors d’ouvres in a wonderful ambiance created by our 15 year old DJ playing favorites from the 70’s through the 2000’s. Capping off the evening was our Super Raffle with items such as baseball tickets, acupuncture sessions, JCC membership; restaurant gift cards and more. Our goal was to capture our congregants’' imagination. Our strategy was to have professional displays easily visible to attendees sharing a common theme from pre-event publicity through the night of the event. One member of our Las Vegas Committee, a business owner of Fast Signs, created bold, visually powerful signage displayed throughout our social hall to welcome attendees. The visual theme of the displays was carried in our pre-event promotion on the synagogue website, Men’s Club and Sisterhood newsletters and social media. A committee was formed of Sisterhood and Men’s Club members, meeting every couple of weeks starting about four months before the event. We designated roles for each person including catering, raffle solicitation, sponsorship solicitation and event night tasks. Our admission pricing was all inclusive at $36 per person with no additional costs for attendees to eat, drink and be merry. Attendees were encouraged to spend additional money at the event through our raffle with ticket prices set at $10/ticket or 3 for $25. We established a budget goal forecasting a reasonable profit which we designated for donation to the synagogue. A sponsorship program was set up, in addition to admission, starting at $54 up to $360 from name recognition through sponsoring gaming tables. The collaboration with Sisterhood demonstrated our commitment to an inclusive Men’s Club, partnering with and welcoming the congregation’s women to join together with Men’s Club. We secured a professional casino organization with dealers and tables, who taught congregants on the different games as well as created a professional atmosphere for experienced congregants. Our 15 year old DJ, son of one of our members, played excellent music throughout the event. Together, we split $5,600 in net profit with Sisterhood, exceeding our forecasted profit, and gave everyone a wonderful evening. In addition to collaboration with Sisterhood, we had buy in from synagogue clergy and administration for whom the goal was to have congregants enjoy themselves, as well as raise money to supplement the synagogue’s budget. Our goal is to collaborate annually with Sisterhood, with different events each year. fall_in_love_las_vegas_casino_night_planning_._2023.docx (14 KB)planning_tasks_las_vegas_night_2023.docx (13 KB)
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img_3300.jpg (1567 KB)		"Fall in Love Las Vegas Casino Night," exceeded expectations as nearly 10% of the congregation came to the event, while nearly $6,000 was raised for the synagogue. The collaboration between Men's Club and Sisterhood was important for both organizations and for the synagogue which values joint activities. We estimate that approximately 85% of attendees were either Men's Club or Sisterhood members. Men's Club is a service organization which donates time and funds to the synagogue. This is our top goal. This joint success created good will with synagogue administration and clergy, recognizing the value of Men's Club to create events of social value as well as financial importance. Mens Club and Sisterhood are at the core of leadership for the synagouge, in fundraising and creating a desirable environment for congregants to socialize and get to know each other better. Las Vegas night continued this tradition for our synagogue. The event was important to contribute to our synagogue community given the desire of congregants to resume social relationships made so difficult by the onset of COVID. The synagogue looked to Mens Club and Sisterhood to help congregants enjoy themselves at the synagogue. Collaboration between Mens Club and Sisterhood is important to demonsrate an inclusive approach for the two main auxiliary organizations at the synagogue. This event was a key demonstration of this collaboration. Original ProgramYes
57 (draft)2023-04-21 20:23Howardr14867.240.29.322023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Beth El Men'S Club - Rochester, NY (1233)Annual meeting kids fun dayHowardResselmensclub@tberochester.orgAlan and SamGinsberg and Millermensclub@tberochester.orgHowardResselmensclub@tberochester.orgFamily and Youth ProgrammingThis program combined our annual meeting with a fun activity filled morning for the famil8es and kids. The program include the mascot from the Rochester Red Wings AAA baseball team. When both programs ended Men's Club sponsored a pancake breakfast cooked and served by Men's Club volunteers. Our annual meeting each June includes a guest speaker and installs our officers. In June of 2022 we created a family fun event to coincide with our annual meeting. Those who wished attended a special presentation by
562023-04-21 18:34gpollack67.199.210.1132023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)Steak and ShotsDr. Jeff ShoreGreggPollackgdp5607@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comFundraisingAnnual event drawing 75-80 attendees (after pandemic hiatus in 2020), we provide a steak and potatoes BBQ dinner in the Sukkah along with a master Scotchologist to lead a tasting of fine Scotch and/or Bourbon. We have an honoree each year who also designates the beneficiary charity for the bulk of our profits. For this event, our honoree was a past Men's Club President and Man of the Year, Neil Schwartz, and he designated Wilderness Torah as the charity. We also have our annual installation of club officers at this event, which is a great opportunity to introduce our leadership to the broader synagogue community.This was the perfect program coming out of the pandemic in Sept 2021, being an outdoor event in the Sukkah and honoring one of much deserving club and shul leaders, Neil Schwartz. Our grill master pulled off the Kosher steak dinner for 80 people (plus staff) without a hitch, and Monique Huston, our guest Scotch expert (back by popular demand), led a highly acclaimed tasting. Neil designated Wilderness Torah to receive most of the profits from the event which turned out to be ~$500: "Wilderness Torah promotes healing, belonging, and resilience. We awaken and celebrate earth-based Jewish traditions through inclusive and intergenerational village-building. Our innovative community-building and education programs create transformative experiences for participants. We welcome folks from across the country and internationally to join our retreats, festivals, and online programs."steak_and_shots_2021_facebook.pdf (377 KB)
240502122_4276147162470548_32834394166451068_steak_n_shots_9-23-21.jpg (163 KB)		Our members, their spouses, and clergy all appreciated the planning and execution of our signature annual program. This is always our most popular program and we put significant effort into planning and execution to maximize turnout, which also drives the profit for our fundraising component. Attendees always appreciate the comraderie, outdoor setting and charitable component of this event.We observe the holiday of Sukkot while honoring our leadership and raising funds for worthy causes in the broader Jewish community.Turning Steak and Shots in the Sukkah into a fundraiser is very easy to do! Just designate a charity and attendees will be willing to pay a bit more to support a worthy cause.Original ProgramYes
552023-04-21 11:58Litt128.92.159.662023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.B'Nai Amoona Men'S Club - St. Louis, MO (631)Boys Night OutDr. Jeff ShoreKevinLittlitt.kevin@gmail.comScotFolwerscot.a.fowler@gmail.comKevinLittlitt.kevin@gmail.comFJMC - otherBoys Night Out is a program hosted by Men's Club where men from the synagogue eat out at a different restaurant each month. This provides a low barer program for men to meet other men in Men's Club and strengthen friendships. This program is designed to be simple. Once a month, our Boy's Night Out (BNO) Chair coordinates a location for us to have dinner. Our Rabbi likes to attend but that isn't required. Our one requirement of any location is that they must serve vegetarian or vegan options, but not exclusively. A digital sign-up sheet is sent to all Men's Club members and is promoted in the synagogue email announcements. There is no cost to attend, people pay their own tab. There is no program. There is no welcome or closing. It is a chance guys to get to know each other. bno_torch_award_program_schedule.xlsx (31 KB)bno-1.jpg (76 KB)
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bno1.jpg (83 KB)		BNO has significantly increased the attendance at all Men's Club events as well as increased the number of guys willing to volunteer. Having a laid back, no program, social event has given our members a chance to get to know each other better. Those connections that have been built make attending a Men's Club event a chance to hangout with friends vs a chance to help with something at the synagogue. Joining Men's Club as a new member can be intimidating, but going to dinner with a few guys is not. Our club is more active and our membership continues to grow because of BNO. Men can't be involved in Jewish life until they get involved. This is the easiest way to make it happen. There are two key reasons why Boys Night Out is a success for us at the B'nai Amoona Men's Club. 1. We do it every month. Not always the same day, but once a month there will be a BNO 2. We don't make it complicated. It's just guys going out to dinner. Other SourceIdea came to us through our RabbiYesBronze
542023-04-21 11:43tsharkis96.246.187.22023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.East Meadow Jewish Center Men's Club - East Meadow, NY (833)Breakfast On The Road - Nassau Count Holocaust CenterDr. Jeff ShoreTedSharkisthesharks@optonline.netNealZuckermannz@pathfindermail.comTedSharkisthesharks@optonline.netEducational ProgrammingEach month our clib has a breakfast with a speaker. From time to time we take this program on the road to a place of either social or educational purpose. We did a breakfast at and tour of our local Holocaust educational center.We started our with a breakfast in the centers meeting room. Once we finished eating and davining Birkat, we took a tour of the Holocaust center. One of our members is a tour guide there and they provided an additional tour guide to suppliment additional information. It was a very informative and moving morning. x xOriginal ProgramYesHonorable Mention
532023-04-19 09:10davidj92069.248.94.1032023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.East Brunswick Jewish Center Men's Club - E. Brunswick, NJ (953)L'Shanah Tova GreetingsDr. Jeff ShoreDavidJulisdoovey920@gmail.comMartyHoffmanmartyhnj@aol.comMartyHoffmanmartyhnj@aol.comFundraisingThe L'Shana Tova Program is to offer greetings to the entire congregation.Through this program, Men's Club offers the congregation to offer L'Shana Tova Greetings to the entire congregation. Along with the greetings, Men's Club provides a bag of "goodies", similar to Shaloch Manot. The bag contained a round challah, a jar of honey, apple chips, a bottle of grape juice and candles, though the contents have varied over the years. These greetings are then hand delivered to the homes of every congregant. We have the membership laid out by geographic routes to ease in the delivery. This is the largest fundraiser for our Men's Club and this past year we raised over $20K.lshana_tova_timeline.docx (16 KB)lshana_tova.docx (57 KB)The greetings are very well received as the congregation is not only extending greetings to all, but they are also getting items that they can actually use for the holiday. Also, the fact that we deliver everything makes an impact as we - Men's Club - are going that extra mile.It helps our community financially, as we raise funds that are used to benefit the lives of our congregants. Being that this is our largest fundraiser, we use these funds to provide extraordinary expense items that are not within the Synagogue budget.Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention
522023-04-19 07:42davidj92069.248.94.1032023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.East Brunswick Jewish Center Men's Club - E. Brunswick, NJ (953)History HikersDr. Jeff ShoreDavidJulisdoovey920@gmail.comMartyHoffmanmartyhnj@aol.comMartyHoffmanmartyhnj@aol.comCommunity OutreachThe Synagogue started what is called Common Interest Activities (C.I.A.) which is open to EBJC congregants and members of our community to connect in shared interest either in person and/or Zoom. One of these programs is called History Hikers, which Men's Club arranges and leads.History Hikers - Join us as we scout out different locations to explore. Members of this C.I.A. are invited to an informal tour at a destination - local park, nature preserve, hiking trail - worth sharing. The walk lasts about an hour and covers gentle to moderate terrain. Once a date is selected, the event is sent out within our weekly newsletter called TidBits which is sent to the entire congregation where they are told to email the organizer/leader. We have given new meaning to the phrase "Take A Hike".cia.docx (88 KB)tidbits_april_14_2023.txt (6 KB)hike.jpg (1224 KB)This program has increased camaraderie among our membership to gather outside of the synagogue. While we have a core group that consistently participates, we have been able to include "newbies" and build friendships. Once the hike ends, we stand around and shmooze for another half hour or more. Involvement of community.Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention
512023-04-18 22:46gpollack73.75.56.1422023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)Sukkah VillageDr. Jeff ShoreGreggPollackgdp5607@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comFundraisingWorked with a member of our synagogue to bid on an auction of one of 11 custom sukkot to bring home for our rabbi in honor of his 40th Anniversary as our rabbi. Program sponsored by Jewish Federation of Princeton (NJ) Mercer Bucks. The event promotes the impact of design in addressing key social issues impacting New Jersey and the nation as a whole, such as Homelessness, Food Insecurity, Sustainability and Struggles of Refugees. We won the auction for $1000 (all donated to the cause) and brought the sukkah home to Chicago in time to build it for our rabbi and present it to him for Sukkot 2022.Michael Landau, a member of our synagogue, is an architect who brought this program to our attention and encouraged our men's club to participate during Sukkot 2021. Michael designed the sukkah (named Sukkah Drash) with thematic input from our rabbi. We solicited (10) $50 bids from our members for half the cost ($500), and then our men's club treasury donated the other half ($500) to fill out our winning bid. All proceeds went to Sukkah Village to support awareness of the key social issues noted above. Michael then arranged to transport the sukkah that he had designed (and we had bought) to be brought back to Chicago so that we could set it up and dedicate it for our senior rabbi for Sukkot 2022, for which we organized a group of men's club members on Oct 9, 2022 (see attached photos). The gift to Rabbi Siegel was in honor of his 40th Anniversary with our synagogue.sukkah_drash_32auctions.pdf (828 KB)
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img-0665_-_sukkah.jpg (3467 KB)		Our club was very proud to have supported our congregant Michael Landau in this unique and innovative program while raising $1000 for a worthy cause and providing a wonderful and generous gift of ritual significance to mark this special occasion for our rabbi. This was a team effort that made us all very proud and was highly appreciated by Rabbi Siegel and the other clergy.Our members were encouraged to both donate to a worthy cause and to help observe the holiday of Sukkot, as well as honoring our rabbi. All about innovative programming which involved Jewish men in Jewish life promoting Jewish values across the country.We encourage other clubs to seize unique opportunities like this that both support worthy causes and involve their members in Jewish observance. Original ProgramYes
502023-04-18 16:40gpollack73.75.56.1422023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)Violins of HopeDr. Jeff ShoreGreggPollackgdp5607@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comAlanMintzmintzad@gmail.comYom HaShoah Yellow CandleCo-sponsoring with JCCs of Chicago, Anshe Emet Men's Club brought the Violins of Hope to our shul for the Yom Hashoah Observance on April 17, 2023. Our Clergy led a short service and helped to organize the quartet to play the violins and also selected music for our volunteer choir. Program took place in the synagogue sanctuary (live) and was also livestreamed. 125-150 people attended in person.The Violins of Hope travel the world from Israel where they have been lovingly restored and cared for. Violins of Hope hosted by JCC Chicago and other partner organizations is in Chicagoland and surrounding areas across Illinois from April through September 2023. The collection of 70 string instruments played by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust, many of which were discovered in the concentration camps after the war and whose owners did not survive. They have been painstakingly restored and are now coming to our area for cultural exhibitions, performances, and community education with a message of hope, resistance, resilience, and unity. We brought 4 of these instruments to Anshe Emet Synagogue for Yom Hashoah and assembled a quartet to play them. The musicians chose period pieces to perform, some of which we know were played at Terezinstadt. Our program consisted of a brief memorial service with candle lighting by children of survivors, overview of the Yellow Candle Program and the Violins of Hope by Men's Club Past President and program organizer Barry Balik, additional background from a representative of the JCCs who read a passage from Elie Weisel's Night about a prisoner playing his violin, music performed by our string quartet (2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello), and songs performed by our cantors and volunteer choir Shirenu. The musicians also told the stories behind each of the 4 instruments. Program ran just under 2 hours.3backyomhashoah2023program.pdf (269 KB)
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img-0103_-_violins.jpg (1905 KB)		Very powerful and meaningful program. Very successful based on attendance, reaction of attendees and feedback from our clergy. The physical instruments and the music produced from them by our quartet made for a very tangible connection with the holocaust and its victims. We all became witnesses at Terezinstatdt watching and listening to the quarter play these instruments. The melodies were very haunting at times - certainly appropriate for the occasion.We initiated this program for the benefit of our synagogue community, together with distributing (and promoting) yellow candles. Barry Balik then organized the program and highlighted FJMC's role in Yom Hashoah observance at the actual event.Innovative programming for Yom Hashoah will draw more congregants and help keep this observance front and center in our communities. There are many organizations in addition to Violins of Hope that can help to make a special connection with people so the observance is more meaningful and enduring.Original ProgramYesGold
492023-04-17 17:07gkeimach76.152.194.542023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738)The Combined Charities Golf TournamentDr. Jeff ShoreGaryKeimachgkeimach@comcast.netGaryKeimachgkeimach@comcast.netMichaelGetzmgetz27@comcast.netFundraisingObjective to have fun while fundraising for our Temple Israel Brotherhood and other community charities that are too small to run a golf tournament on their own.This was Combined Charity Golf tournaments 14th year. 7 charities signed on as TCCGT partners in 2022: 1. Home for our Troops 2. AJC New England 3. New England friends of the March of the Living 4.World Boston 5. Temple Israel Brotherhood 6. YMCA Old Colony Council 7. American Friends of Magen David Adom. When you register online to play golf or become a sponsor, you will be asked to select any of the worthy causes above as your designated TCCGT beneficiary. Here is how your Combined Charities tournament participation helps the charity you choose: $50 of your $160 golfer fee will be donated to any of the Charity partners you choose. $75 of your Tee sign price of $150 will go to any of the Charity partners you choose. $100 of your Pin Flag Sign price of $200 will go to any of the Charity partners you choose. The balance of the proceeds covers our cost of golf, golf carts, snacks, Breakfast, Lunch and production costs of our tee & pin flag signs, swag items, raffles and golfer awards.tccgt_key_assignments_and_tasks.docx (14 KB)tccgt2022-r6.pdf (437 KB)
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tccgt_fb_img_1660860723581.jpg (40 KB)		Largest fund raiser of the year for Temple Israel Brotherhood. Nets between $16k and $19k after expense. Helps in providing the income needed to support our synagogue, our Brotherhood programs, and many other charitable endeavors throughout the year.We have consistently taken this tournament beyond the four walls of our synagogue to include participation and benefit of other Men's Clubs along with several Jewish and secular, local, national, and international causes and organizations.128 golfers supported by 25 members of our Brotherhood who volunteer in advance and the day of the event to ensure all who participate have an enjoyable day.Original ProgramYesBronze
482023-04-17 15:12dmschloss47.23.177.2342023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Orangetown Jewish Center Men's Club - Orangeburg, NY (1886)Community Seder 2023Dr. Jeff ShoreDavidSchlossbergdavid@schlossberg.netDavidSchlossbergdavid@schlossberg.netDavidSchlossbergdavid@schlossberg.netCommunity OutreachWe held a First Seder open to the regional Jewish Community. Providing for any and all who needed a Seder to attend in order to fulfill the mitzvah. The program started with evening Minyan, and concluded with a Seder run by one of our Rabbis. We started advertising the availability of a Seder open to any in the community who wished to attend starting the day after Purim. The intent was to provide a first Seder which most communities don't provide. We did all the cooking ourselves, which allowed the cost to be held to a level similar or below the cost if we had gone with an outside caterer. For 2023 we started cooking Sunday after the kitchen was kashered for passover. The menu consisted of : Vegetable soup - with Matzah Balls Roasted Chicken Braised Brisket Candied carrots Roasted Brussel Sprouts Roasted Broccoli Roasted Asparagus Roasted Potatoes Potato Kugel Quinoa salad Cake and Fruit for dessert We decorated the room and had toy plagues on the table to help enhance the seder as it went along. Every guest had their own personal seder plate to use as the Rabbi led the seder to keep everyone engaged beyond just the reading of the Haggadah.The program was definitely a success. Everyone was very pleased and the leadership of the Men's Club was getting thanks throughout the holiday. We had 43 people in attendance ranging in ages from pre-bar mitzvah to people who were celebrating their second bar-mitzvhasThe co-president of the MC lead the preparation of the Seder and was actively and visibly leading the program.It's a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention
472023-04-16 13:22gkeimach76.152.194.542023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738)Hearing Men's VoicesDr. Jeff ShoreGaryKeimachgkeimach@comcast.netGaryKeimachgkeimach@comcast.netMichaelGetzmgetz27@comcast.netHearing Men's VoicesThe theme for this year’s HMV is sharing our feelings about inclusion and diversity. The uncertainty of using the right words can be paralyzing. Most of us are worried we will say or do the wrong thing. As a result, we simply don’t talk about race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age, or other differences. Hearing Men's Voices is a series of discussion groups among members of the Brotherhood. It provides a safe, supportive environment in which men can delve into areas of mutual interest and concern. Discussions here are confidential, and this creates a safe space for us to talk about our feelings and experiences. Practically, each meeting is at the home of a Brotherhood member, with refreshments provided. We discuss our experiences related to the topic, led by a facilitator, and each discussion lasts about an hour and a half. Here is a brief description of the six sessions from this year: 1. The Terminology of Inclusion The words we use both react to social change and also help drive acceptance of it. How do we choose the right words? What shouldn't we talk about? Have the words you've been using recently gotten discouraged? 2. Acknowledging our Preconceptions However we were brought up, it involved one kind of preconception or another. Modern inclusion and respect for diversity asks us to recognize, if not overcome, these preconceptions. What does it take to recognize our own preconceptions? How do we find ourselves reacting? Does Jewish tradition help or get in the way? 3. Old and New World Growing up, we were trained to live in a world that worked a particular way. The world is different now. What techniques have you found for coping in today's world? Is the Old/New gap today any different it was when WE were the new kids? 4. Sexuality and Gender Who you love, and who you feel you are, is a spectrum. For some people, this is a difficult realization; for others it is already who they are. Does either of these sound like it describes you, or someone else in your life? 5. Tolerating the Intolerant? Perhaps not everyone in your family or friends sees things the same way. Do you have difficulty talking with them? Do you need to cut them out of your life, or is there an alternative? What strategies do you use to find a pathway to talk? 6. From "Us" and "Them" to "We Are the World“ The world is a big place, with all kinds wanting to be included. Have you seen any trouble making room for them? How do we create a better world?temple_israel_sharon-brotherhood_hearing_mens_voices_series_2022-23.docx (212 KB)hmv_series_2022-2023.pdf (429 KB)Hearing Men's Voices is a popular and welcome program in our Brotherhood. It fosters and reinforces not only discussions, but friendship and camaraderie. In addition, our program this year was chosen to harmonize with timely matters of inclusion and our synagogue's recent focus on that, and to hopefully encourage our participants to expand their comfort zones in this area. We held our meetings in person this year, which was a welcome change after two years of online discussions via Zoom.HMV continues to play a key role in our mission to involve and support Jewish Men in all facets of Jewish Life. The sessions are coordinated by two of our board members. They effectively reach out and involve many individual Brotherhood members to be facilitators and hosts. This safe space discussion builds upon our community and core values. This year, in particular, coming back together in person, was powerful and meaningful for all participants.Original ProgramYesGold
462023-04-12 16:41gkeimach65.211.0.2542023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738)Cause Without ApplauseDr. Jeff ShoreGaryKeimachgkeimach@comcast.netGaryKeimachgkeimach@comcast.netMichaelGetzmgetz27@comcast.netInclusionWe started an initiative called 'Cause Without Applause' to hold ourselves accountable and to ensure we set aside time, at each monthly board meeting, to identify, discuss and vote for a charitable donation to a local, national, or international group or organization based upon need and/or under-representation. We have always donated to worthwhile causes and organizations, usually upon request or proposal. Given the resources we have as a Brotherhood; how fortunate we all are in our personal lives, and our overall desire to support Tikkun Olam, we felt obligated to use each meeting as an opportunity to do something for a cause or organization. The groups we choose to support are not always Jewish-based but usually outside of our immediate sphere as well as any one person's particular agenda. Attached is a listing of the groups we have supported over the past 18 months.cause_without_applause.docx (13 KB)cause_without_applause_process_word_doc.docx (12 KB)The initiative put structure and a process around our charitable giving. We still, from time to time, donate additionally to other causes and organizations, both local and national in scope, but this allowed for a more dedicated effort toward inclusion and Tikkun Olam. Consistency is critical. Over the first few months, it could have easily slipped through the cracks but we had one person champion the initiative to ensure we met our self imposed deadlines and continued the theme we were establishing until it became part of the fabric of each and every board meeting.We are seen as leaders within our shul and community. This is a natural extension of our mission.Original ProgramYes
452023-04-10 23:00bflenett35.140.120.1892023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Beth Shalom Men'S Club - Clearwater, FL (1328)Mens Study Group Dr. Jeff ShoreBlakeLenettblake.lenett@verizon.netJeffBrownjffbrwnjb@hotmail.comJeffBrownjffbrwnjb@hotmail.comEducational ProgrammingA men’s only adult Education class focused on the issue of “finding relevancy within Judaism” in the world in which we live.Our “Mens Study Group” is all about finding “relevancy” within Judaism. Giving men the opportunity to honestly discuss where they stand on basic theological issues such as: God, Prayer, Liturgy, Jewish Identity, Holy Living, Israel, Charity and anything else that the modern Jew is apt to wrestle with. Everything is on the table and the class promotes group participation, it’s not a lecture series followed by Q and A. We discuss in detail, a variety of subjects, which in most Congregations will not generally be addressed from the Bima. While the classes evolve around a text, the sessions are facilitated in such a way as to use the weekly readings as a segue into a variety of related topics. The classes and related questions, target a diverse adult audience with varying Judaic backgrounds.mens_study_group_program_documents.docx (14 KB)
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pxl_20230212_141238230.jpg (2734 KB)		Anytime you can capture and retain an adult audience willing to invest the time to prepare for and attend classes on Judaic content - it’s clearly a win/win. We have succeeded in building a cadre of students who attend eagerly and with regularity. They actually look forward to the next book and class.Our class at times calls for “soul searching” on core issues surrounding Jewish theology and identity. Our men at times share personal beliefs, concerns and experiences which serve to bond the participants in ways which was never anticipated when the class was conceived.The key to the class success hinges on the facilitators, who must be prepared and enthusiastic. They need to guide the session, encourage participation, and create challenging questions based on the designated readings for the week - which in turn stimulates discussion.Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention
442023-04-09 21:43bruce9185.198.240.502023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Beth Emeth-Bais Yehuda Men's Club - Downsview, ON (404)Mark OppenheimerDr. Jeff ShoreBruceMartinbruce@charitycards.caAllan Snowallan.snow@gmail.comAllanSnowallan.snow@gmail.comEducational ProgrammingOur Synagogue brought in Mark Oppenheimer for a Sunday Evening talk. Mark is the founder and host of Unorthodox, the most popular Jewish Podcast about Jewish Life and Culture.We actually had 2 programs. In the morning Mark did a breakfast talk for our men's club and synagogue about his most recent book, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue shooting and the soul of the area. Mark read his favourite passages from the book and took many questions. In the evening Men's club sponsored and Evening with Mark Oppenheimer where his topic was Jewcasting: Jewish Media from the Yiddish Press to the Podcast. The evening was well attended, was free of charge, courtesy of our Men's Club and from all accounts was a resounding success.img_7644.pdf (392 KB)The program not only invigorated the Club but the Synagogue. We became very relevant to the community by bringing in a high profile. well known guest.Bringing in a high profile person like Mark was just what our Men's Club and Synagogue needed. Our Shule and club has been very slow to come back from Covid and the fact that we hundreds of people come live was a real plus. We were particularly excited by the number of young people that showed up.Both of Mark's programs were directly related to involving people in Jewish Life.Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention
432023-04-09 21:07jbrody62747.20.34.1902023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Midway Jewish Center Men's Club - Syosset, NY (890)Veterans Day Breakfast Dr. Jeff ShoreJonathanBrodyjbrody627@gmail.comJason Saltsberg JSaltsberg@olshanlaw.comMattKoganmatt31974@hotmail.comCommunity OutreachThe Midway Jewish Centers Mens Club Veterans Day Breakfast This annual program honors Midway members and community members who served in the military. We invite members who served this country from the Syosset/Plainview NY area.The Veterans Breakfast happens once a year around Veterans Day. We have found this event to be very rewarding and fulfilling for the Mens Club, Midway Community and the especially the men and women who served. We invite the veterans and their families while we honor them with the breakfast. We ask them to make a presentation or just have a conversation about their experiences and answer any questions. We have had veterans who served including a 99 year old woman named Tess Garber, who enlisted in the military in 1943 and served as a teletype operator. She served as a US Marine Sargent. Tess was honored by a program called “Opening the Door”—honoring military women considered trailblazers for future females serving in the Armed Forces. We have also had members of the IDF who served. Our Rabbi Joel Levenson currently serves in our armed forces as a Chaplin for the National Guard. the_veterans_breakfast_details.docx (12 KB)veterans-breakfast_planning_.docx (14 KB)vets_breakfast.pdf (154 KB)
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img_3229.jpg (798 KB)		The program is very well received and quite important for veterans to share their stories.The FJMC has supported the community as well as honored those who served. We wanted to make sure we honor those who served our country as well as Israel. Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention

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