2023 Torch Award Application (submit here)
# | Submitted | User | IP Address | Award Year | Documents read | Club Name | Program Name | Existing Contact | First Name | Last Name | Email of Club Rep | First Name | Last Name | First Name | Last Name | Email Current President | Category | Program Overview Summary | Detailed Program | Detail Program Documents | Program Advance Planning | Marketing | Photos | Video | Impact | FJMC | Additional Input | Program Origin | Identify Source | Certification | Award Level (to be completed by Torch Award Chairmen after judging) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 2023-04-26 19:08 | gpollack | 73.75.56.142 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608) | Steak & Shots | Dr. Jeff Shore | Gregg | Pollack | gdp5607@gmail.com | Alan | Mintz | mintzad@gmail.com | Alan | Mintz | mintzad@gmail.com | Fundraising | Signature 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) 321822909_720961472598370_8939321014605014780_steak_n_shots_2022.jpg (484 KB) 322329449_697270835315338_7157293014390715253_steak_n_shots_2022.jpg (447 KB) 322497346_1110638642928169_3835106684410084240_steak_n_shots_2022.jpg (647 KB) 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 Program | Yes | ||||
| 71 | 2023-04-26 15:22 | DiamondMC | 32.213.190.202 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Beth El Temple Men's Club - West Hartford (217) | Golf Lounge 18 Outing | Dr. Jeff Shore | David | Diamond | daviddiamond2@comcast.net | Arthur | Freedman | drartf@aol.com | Arthur | Freedman | drartf@aol.com | FJMC - other | One 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) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_fb_publicity.png (532 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_publicity_e-mail_personalized_1.pdf (913 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_publicity_e-mail_personalized_2.pdf (528 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_publicity_e-mail.pdf (513 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_publicity_request_e-mail.pdf (1426 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_-_four_players.jpg (1522 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_-_four_players_relaxing.jpg (1908 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_golf_lounge_18_-_casual_shot.jpg (2142 KB) 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 Program | Yes | ||||
| 70 | 2023-04-25 11:21 | Robertwolf48 | 45.35.195.57 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Chizuk Amuno Brotherhood - Baltimore, MD (1106) | Chizuk Amuno Brotherhood Second Seder | Dr. Jeff Shore | Robert | Wolf | misterwolf@verizon.net | Lee | Brill | lsbrill@gmail.com | Dr. Harvey | Cohen | toothtime@mac.com | Jewish Observance | Engage 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 Program | Yes | Honorable Mention | |||||
| 69 | 2023-04-25 08:10 | jmberk | 98.115.5.119 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Ohev Shalom of Bucks County | Meet the Candidates | Dr. Jeff Shore | Steven | Miller | smdr18@hotmail.com | Steven | Miller | smdr18@hotmail.com | same | same | smdr18@hotmail.com | Community Outreach | Meet the congresstional candidates | On 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 them | As 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 Program | Yes | Honorable Mention | |||||||
| 68 | 2023-04-24 20:01 | Levitanru | 100.36.33.35 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Beth Emeth Men'S Club - Herndon, VA (1144) | Men's Club Shabbat | Dr. Jeff Shore | Russ | Levitan | rdl1973@yahoo.com | Russ | Levitan | rdl1973@yahoo.com | Russ | Levitan | rdl1973@yahoo.com | Mens' Club Shabbat | 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. | 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 Program | Yes | |||||||
| 67 | 2023-04-24 19:16 | jbrody627 | 47.20.34.190 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Park Avenue Synagogue Men'S Club - New York, NY (816) | TZEDEK Youth Initiative | Dr. Jeff Shore | Dr. Steven | Mandel | drmandel1979@aol.com | Steven | Darling | stevenjaydarling@gmail.com | Steven | Darling | stevenjaydarling@gmail.com | Family and Youth Programming | The 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 Program | Yes | ||||
| 66 | 2023-04-24 17:22 | obgenetics | 155.190.17.4 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Congregation Beth Shalom Men'S Club - Northbrook, IL (643) | Bios in the Bulletin | Dr. Jeff Shore | Andrew | Wagner | andrew.wagner@nm.org | Robert | Goldwin | rudybux@comcast.net | Andrew/Steven | Wagner/Lessman | andrew.wagner@nm.org | Club Administration | The 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 Program | Yes | Bronze | ||||||
| 65 (draft) | 2023-04-24 09:26 | TAG1218 | 70.107.212.149 | 2023 | Family and Youth Programming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 64 | 2023-04-23 22:23 | behemmer | 71.255.224.174 | 2023 | I 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 Reflections | Dr. Jeff Shore | Barry | Hemmerdinger | behemmer@gmail.com | Barry | Hemmerdinger | behemmer@gmail.com | Barry | Hemmerdinger | behemmer@gmail.com | Educational Programming | Objective 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 Program | Yes | Silver | |||
| 63 | 2023-04-23 17:21 | DiamondMC | 32.213.190.202 | 2023 | I 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 Player | Dr. Jeff Shore | David | Diamond | daviddiamond2@comcast.net | Arthur | Freedman | drartf@aol.com | Arthur | Freedman | drartf@aol.com | Israel / Masorti | Doron 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 Program | Yes | Gold | |||
| 62 | 2023-04-23 16:54 | mgetz27 | 76.152.206.153 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738) | Overall Club Activities | Dr. Jeff Shore | Michael | Getz | mgetz27@comcast.net | Gary | Keimach | gkeimach@comcast.net | Michael | Getz | mgetz27@comcast.net | FJMC - other | From 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) brotherhood_planning_calendar_2022-2023_-_snapshot.xlsx (14 KB) 2023_brotherhood_auction_community_sponsor_form_12-25-2022.pdf (203 KB) 2023_brotherhood_auction_community_cover_letter_12-25-2022.pdf (240 KB) brotherhood_weekend_concert_program_2023_-_8.5_x_14_-_fin_adjusted.pdf (483 KB) temple_israel_brotherhood_trifold_2022.pdf (836 KB) | brotherhood_shabbat_2023_flyer_0.pdf (331 KB) neshama_carlebach_concert_flyer_2023_hi-res.pdf (171 KB) jewish_routes_flyer_2022-2023_1.pdf (299 KB) paid_up_supper_2022_flyer_0.pdf (465 KB) hmv_series_2022-2023_1.pdf (440 KB) greg_bedard_3-12-2023.pdf (365 KB) burgers_beers_2022_flyer_0.pdf (803 KB) lift_your_spirits_flyer_2023.pdf (800 KB) pinball_museum_flyer_2023_0.pdf (437 KB) tccgt2023brochurer2.pdf (538 KB) brotherhood2023golfluachad_save_the_date.jpg (155 KB) | 2022_scholar_photo_0.jpg (2193 KB) 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 Program | Yes | Gold | ||||
| 61 | 2023-04-23 11:09 | jepstein | 68.133.19.214 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Brotherhood of Temple Beth Tzedek - Buffalo, NY (1226) | Latkes & Lomein | Dr. Jeff Shore | Jonathan | Epstein | jepstein@buffnews.com | Jonathan | Epstein | jepstein@buffnews.com | Jonathan | Epstein | jepstein@buffnews.com | Family and Youth Programming | This 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) latkes_lo_mein_guidelines_for_torch_award.docx (14 KB) | 12-25-2022_latkes_and_lomein.pdf (597 KB) 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 Program | Yes | Honorable Mention | |||||
| 60 | 2023-04-23 06:50 | mgetz27 | 76.152.206.153 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738) | Club Administration, Sustainability & Membership Engagement | Dr. Jeff Shore | Michael | Getz | mgetz27@comcast.net | Gary | Keimach | gkeimach@comcast.net | Michael | Getz | mgetz27@comcast.net | Club Administration | Temple 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) ti_brotherhood_exec_board_retreat_agenda_aug_2022.docx (18 KB) ti_brotherhood_bod_meeting_agenda_3-19-23.docx (18 KB) board_positions_2023-2024.xlsx (13 KB) brotherhood_membership_dues_letter_2022-2023.pdf (854 KB) calendar_of_events_2022-2023_-_8-23-2022.pdf (276 KB) brotherhood_purim-pesach_luach_article_2023.docx (19 KB) | calendar_of_events_2022-2023_-_8-23-2022.pdf (276 KB) paid_up_supper_2022_flyer.pdf (465 KB) jewish_routes_flyer_2022-2023_0.pdf (299 KB) hmv_series_2022-2023_0.pdf (440 KB) burgers_beers_2022_flyer.pdf (803 KB) pinball_museum_flyer_2023.pdf (437 KB) brotherhood_shabbat_2023_flyer.pdf (331 KB) | tibreakfast-20230219-459.jpg (2676 KB) sukkah_build.jpg (4503 KB) habitat_for_humanity.jpg (548 KB) tibrotherhood_routes_1_0.jpg (1910 KB) 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 Program | Yes | Gold | ||||
| 59 | 2023-04-23 06:24 | mgetz27 | 76.152.206.153 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738) | Jewish Routes Sunday Breakfast Discussion Series | Dr. Jeff Shore | Michael | Getz | mgetz27@comcast.net | Gary | Keimach | gkeimach@comcast.net | Michael | Getz | mgetz27@comcast.net | Educational Programming | Temple 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) routes_2023_ad.pptx (288 KB) 2022-23_brotherhood_routes_check-in_3-26-2023.xlsx (14 KB) jewish_routes_shopping.docx (17 KB) | torch_award_program_schedule_-_ti_sharon_routes.xlsx (32 KB) | jewish_routes_flyer_2022-2023.pdf (299 KB) jewish_routes_flyer_2022-2023.jpg (285 KB) routes_2023_ad.pdf (154 KB) routes_2023_ad.jpg (229 KB) | tibrotherhood_routes_1.jpg (1910 KB) 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 Program | Yes | Gold | |||
| 58 | 2023-04-22 21:11 | Varkonyi | 72.186.195.133 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Olam Tikvah Men's Club - Fairfax, VA (1147) | Fall in Love in Las Vegas Casino Night | Dr. Jeff Shore | Irvin | Varkonyi | irvinvarkonyi@cox.net | Barry | Hemmerdinger | behemmer@gmail.com | Barry | Hemmerdinger | behemmer@gmail.com | Fundraising | The 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) fjmc_quality_award_supporting_data.otmc_las_vegas_night.xlsx (14 KB) | event_flyer_for_fall_in_love_in_las_vegas.pdf (605 KB) otmc_newsletter_-_jan.pdf (1398 KB) img_3339.jpg (1131 KB) | img_33711.jpg (1406 KB) img_3235.jpg (1524 KB) img_3279.jpg (1546 KB) 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 Program | Yes | |||
| 57 (draft) | 2023-04-21 20:23 | Howardr148 | 67.240.29.32 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Temple Beth El Men'S Club - Rochester, NY (1233) | Annual meeting kids fun day | Howard | Ressel | mensclub@tberochester.org | Alan and Sam | Ginsberg and Miller | mensclub@tberochester.org | Howard | Ressel | mensclub@tberochester.org | Family and Youth Programming | This 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 | |||||||||||||
| 56 | 2023-04-21 18:34 | gpollack | 67.199.210.113 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608) | Steak and Shots | Dr. Jeff Shore | Gregg | Pollack | gdp5607@gmail.com | Alan | Mintz | mintzad@gmail.com | Alan | Mintz | mintzad@gmail.com | Fundraising | Annual 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 Program | Yes | ||||||
| 55 | 2023-04-21 11:58 | Litt | 128.92.159.66 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | B'Nai Amoona Men'S Club - St. Louis, MO (631) | Boys Night Out | Dr. Jeff Shore | Kevin | Litt | litt.kevin@gmail.com | Scot | Folwer | scot.a.fowler@gmail.com | Kevin | Litt | litt.kevin@gmail.com | FJMC - other | Boys 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) bno-2.jpg (76 KB) bno-3.jpg (73 KB) bno-4.jpg (76 KB) bno-5.jpg (76 KB) bno-6.jpg (78 KB) bno-7.jpg (73 KB) bno-8.jpg (80 KB) gmail_-_mens_club-_boy_are_we_busy_redacted.pdf (125 KB) gmail_-_week_at_a_glance_2.20.2023.pdf (296 KB) | bno2.jpg (76 KB) bno3.jpg (49 KB) bno4.jpg (52 KB) bno5.jpg (67 KB) bno6.jpg (72 KB) bno7.jpg (86 KB) bno8.jpg (69 KB) 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 Source | Idea came to us through our Rabbi | Yes | Bronze | ||
| 54 | 2023-04-21 11:43 | tsharkis | 96.246.187.2 | 2023 | I 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 Center | Dr. Jeff Shore | Ted | Sharkis | thesharks@optonline.net | Neal | Zuckerman | nz@pathfindermail.com | Ted | Sharkis | thesharks@optonline.net | Educational Programming | Each 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 | x | Original Program | Yes | Honorable Mention | |||||||
| 53 | 2023-04-19 09:10 | davidj920 | 69.248.94.103 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | East Brunswick Jewish Center Men's Club - E. Brunswick, NJ (953) | L'Shanah Tova Greetings | Dr. Jeff Shore | David | Julis | doovey920@gmail.com | Marty | Hoffman | martyhnj@aol.com | Marty | Hoffman | martyhnj@aol.com | Fundraising | The 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 Program | Yes | Honorable Mention |
