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)
12 (draft)2023-03-08 16:57RonaldEttinger73.195.177.392023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503)Flag Planting to Commemorate 9/11 AnniversaryRonaldEttingerEttinger0502@gmail.comPhillipGodorovPhillipgodorov@gmail.comPhlilipGodorovPhillipgodorov@gmail.comCommunity Outreach
112023-03-06 06:35fishmandh24.34.203.2042023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Israel of Natick Men's Club - Natick, MA (733)Sock and Underwear driveDr. Jeff ShoreDavidFishmanfishmandh@yahoo.comDavidLandmandjehrlandman@gmail.comAdamWilenahwilen@yahoo.comCommunity OutreachThe Men's Club of Temple Israel reached out to our local social services agency, Jewish Family Services of Metrowest to see how we could support their efforts to provide for the less fortunate among us. They asked for help with an on-going, overlooked program they run through their 'Children's Clothing Closet' to provide clean clothes to those that can't afford it. While they get donations of used pants and shirts, of course they can not collect used underwear or socks. So we ran a drive, coinciding around Hanuka, that asked for donations we could deliver to JFS/MW.The overall goal of the program is to encourage the Congregational community to become more aware of the basic human needs all around us and to share their generosity while doing a mitzvah and showing chesed to our neighbors. Once JFS/MW provided us their Amazon "Wish List" we promoted it via our the temples weekly communications. The program consisted of several EASH ways to help: 1. the Amazon order a) shipped directly to JFS/MW (HOW EASY IS THAT!), b) have the order shipped to the temple c) drop it off at the temple, or 2. for those that might not have seen the marketing campaign we ran a 'pop-up' shop at Sunday school pick-up where we had on display some of the goods that $5, $10, or $20 could buy and 3. we solicited donations. Fliers with QR codes were put up around the temple. To start it off, the Men's Club donated about $400 worth of items. We ran in this program around Hanukah 2021, and 2022. Here is a video from 2021: https://youtube.com/shorts/DVawbtsDC0Qfjmc_torch_awards_2023_ti_clothing_closet1.docx (236 KB)ti_sock_underwearprogram_schedule.xlsx (31 KB)ti_mens_club_jfs_marketing1.jpg (248 KB)
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20211129_144812.jpg (944 KB)		Each of the past two years we delivered hundreds of socks/underwear and other necessities. We believe this was a great success that alleviated the burden on some under-priveleged families in our area. It re-connected the synagogue community to JFS who does amazing work.This program easily increases the opportunity for men to practice tzedaka. For those than can only spend the time to do 3 clicks of a mouse, it gives them something to feel good about. For those that can spend time operating the pop-up shop, or delivering to the agency, it provides additional opportunities to give of their time and energy.n/aOriginal ProgramYesHonorable Mention
102023-02-14 21:32Dale134.228.139.1632023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.B'nai Jeshurun Men's Club - Pepper Pike, OH (325)WWWDr. Jeff ShoreDaleLevydlevy82@gmail.comJoelHermanzmanjoel51@gmail.comJoelHermanzmanjoel51@gmail.comWorld Wide WrapThis is a modification of the traditional WWW program to make it truly international, or World Wide!! We partnered with several synagogues in South America to do WWW together. We studied together, we davened together and celebrated together! While each synagogue met in person we also had zoom to join together internationally! WWW Torch Award The KIO region held a hybrid WWW this year with congregations in our region as well as several congregations in South America. The goal of this program was to take WWW from a local congregational wrap to a truly international WORLD WIDE WRAP! Our member at B’nai Jeshuran in Cleveland, Jerry Brodsky, learned of a Rabbi in South America who may be interested in davening with us on WWW. Our Regional President, Dale Levy, contacted and met by zoom with Rabbi Leandro Galanternik in December 2022. We discussed the idea of doing WWW together. It seemed we would be able to do this! We looked into the ways we could make this program happen. Due to time zone differences and halachic requirements for reciting Shema we came up with the following plan. The SA shuls would davin on their own timeline with their own zooms and in-person services. They would finish up at ~10:15 their time which corresponded to 8:15 our time. We would join together at 8:15 EST to have a combined event. The event would begin with a brief introduction of our participants. We had KIO Shuls and the following from SA: Comunidade Shalom - São Paulo, Brazil CIP + Curitiba, Brazil Comunidad Or Israel - Buenos Aires, Argentina Comunidad Iona - Buenos Aires, Argentina Next, we would recite the Prayer for the State of Israel followed by Adon Olam. (in Sephardic tradition Adon Olam is sung at the beginning of the service, while Ashkenazik tradition is at the end; so we did it together.) Finally we would do L’Chayim together. Dale arranged for a local shul, B’nai Jeshuran to host the zoom service. We began at 7:45 AM with teaching to Wrap. Dale Levy led this. When we reached 8:15 AM, Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria (Cleveland) and Rabbi Galanternik (Brazil) became co-hosts. Our SA brothers and Sisters lead the davening described. Dale introduced the KIO clubs and The SA Rabbis introduced their clubs. We then spent a few minutes schmoozing. Then we departed and began our service. Many clubs left zoom to hold service in person, while many continued on zoom to do service together. Many clubs invited post B’nai Mitzvah students and HS students to participate in local services. Many shuls donate Sets of Tefillin to their students! In fact, the KIO Region donated 5 pairs of Tefillin to our SA congregations! This was a fascinating collaboration between multiple congregations in South America (with different time zones) with our Region to achieve a meaningful WWW. I have run WWW and BAP for close to 10 years. This has been one of the most meaningful WWW I have run!!! This was a KIO regional event. As I am a member of multiple shuls in KIO we agreed to submit this under the B’nai Jeshuran synagogue. All our advertising was word of mouth!! That being said, we had 5 shuls from KIO and 4 from South America. This was an amazing turnout!!! The impact was significant in that Wrapping was taught throughout regions, we made serious connections with South America and we learned together across geographic lines. This was an amazing program!Wrapping Tefillin is arguably the fundamental mitzvah of Judaism! The WWW in general is an amazing program to get Jewish Men involved in Jewish Life. Our adaptation is to et Jewish Men Involved In Jewish Life Internationally. It is unique for a FJMC Region to involve an international community in our program. The nature of our program addresses Innovation and (International) Community. By presenting this program to the FJMC we also invoke leadership..An adaptation or enhancement of a previous Torch Award entry TAxx-xxxx|YesBronze
92023-02-14 20:08Dale134.228.139.1632023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Tifereth Israel Men'S Club - Columbus, OH (303)Combating Antisemitism SummitDr. Jeff ShoreDaleLevydlevy82@gmail.comMarkRosensonmrosenson3216@aol.comMarkRosensonmrosenson3216@aol.comJoint ProgrammingThe program is in the model of a scholar in residence with 3 sessions, Friday evening, Shabbat Day and Sunday morning. The topic is Combating antisemitsm in our lives: Media, Workplace and On Campus. We have panel discussions with local representatives of international organizations, including ADL, AJC, Hillel International, Honest Reporting and Stand With Us. The goal of the program is for the community to learn and develop the tools to combat antisemitism in their lives.2022 - 23 Torch Award Submission Tifereth Israel from the KIO region will submit this as a Torch Award. This will be in the category of Joint Programming. Our region President, Dale Levy, has long held an idea for holding a summit on Combatting Antisemitism. The vision was to hold a weekend event in the model of a scholar – in – residence weekend. We would have a session on Shabbat evening, a session on Shabbat afternoon and a session on Sunday morning. Each session would address a different aspect of antisemitism in the community and how to deal with it! Dale is a member of multiple clubs in KIO! He recruited members of B’nei Jeshuran, Park Synagogue and Tifereth Israel to Advise and plan this event. While this is truly a Regional Torch Award, as Dale is a member of Park, BJ and TI we agreed to submit this under the club at TI. As mentioned above, the idea was to have a full weekend event to teach people how to combat Antisemitism in our time. We would model this in a Scholar-in-residence weekend. Instead of having all the sessions at one location, we chose one city in KIO with individual sessions to be distributed at locations around that city. We would hold one session at a local shul on Friday night where we would hold services and Shabbat dinner at the shul and have a presentation just afterwards. We would have services at another shul on Shabbat morning followed by a kiddish lunch and the panel program. Finally, we would have a session on Sunday morning at our JCC with a brunch and panel to cover the final topic. The goal was to cover the topics of combatting antisemitism in the media, our personal lives, in our work lives and on campus. To this end we engaged Local Leaders of National organizations to give speeches and engage us in discussions in these topics. We engaged and had involvement from these organizations: ADL, AJC, Hillel International, Stand With Us and Honest Reporting and Ohio Jewish Communities ( an organization of the statewide government advocacy, public affairs, and community relations voice of Ohio's eight Jewish Federations and their network of 150 nonprofit agencies statewide for the purpose of enhancing the Jewish community's ability to serve vital human needs.) The organizing Committee was Jerry Brodsky (B’nei Jeshuran – Cleveland), Mark Rosenson (Tifereth Israel – Columbus) and Dale Levy, (B’nei Jeshuran, Park synagogue and Tifereth Israel). We ultimately decided that this submission will be under TI: however, it is truly a regional effort! The committee began with determining the programming. We decided to begin with Defining antisemitism and Combatting Antisemitism in social and written media; then we would discuss antisemitism in the work place and our personal lives and finally we would have a day devoted to combating antisemitism on campus. Our discussion combatting antisemitism on campus would encourage college age members to attend this session. Next, we chose locations for our discussions. We ultimately decided to hold the event in Columbus as this is a central location for our region. Our Friday evening event was held at Agudas Achim in Columbus. This included a Kabbalat Shabbat service, a Shabbat dinner and a session on the topic. Our Friday night topic was defining antisemitism and combatting it in the media. We had a panel that included ADL, AJC and Ohio Jewish Communities. Our Shabbat morning service was at another shul, Tifereth Israel. The D’Var Torah / sermon from the Rabbi was pertinent to our topic. There was kiddush lunch followed by another session. The topic was combatting antisemitism in your personal lives and at work. The panel included the ADL and AJC. This was presented live and on LiveStream. Our final session was held at the Columbus JCC and covered our final topic, combatting antisemitism on campus. There was a brunch followed by our panel discussion. Our panel included Hillel presidents from 2 campuses in Ohio, Ohio U and Miami U; there was a representative from Stand With Us from Israel and Honest Reporting from Israel. We placed an emphasis on the “combating” as opposed to understanding the issue. We believe that at our current level of understanding Jewish Congregations understand the issue itself very well, yet we may lack the tools for combatting it. To make this a successful program we decided to limit our committee to 3 members who would report to the KIO Regional Board. We decided that 1 would arrange speakers, the next would be dedicated to marketing and fund raising; the last would be finding venues and meals. This turned out to be the most efficient means of getting the program to fruition. For clubs that wish to implement this program I strongly suggest this model! We looked at multiple ways to get financial support. The FJMC Foundation for Life generously supported our program with a grant. We ended up getting financial support from the local Jewish News who provided 2 full page ads for the cost of 1; all the clubs in KIO donated and several families / individuals donated. Many local businesses also supported our program. We also had many donors who want the program to be successful! We chose to make the event neutral in terms of raising money. However, we see this as an opportunity for clubs to make this a significant fund raising event. We did not charge admission and all meals provided by donors and all speakers donated their time. We had a very successful program. We averaged 40 – 50 persons per event. We did not count zoom or live streaming for our attendance numbers. The panels were excellent! We received positive feedback from those who attended. This is a very labor intensive program in regards to planning, but is truly achievable at your clubs’ and Region’s level. I found it was difficult to obtain speakers, but ultimately I made my connections and it worked out. The venues were ultimately decided based on each of our schedules!..We tried to engage Reform shuls but ultimately only had buy-in from our conservative movement. As I mentioned, the event was held in Columbus as that was the central location; we had members from Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland, Toledo and Columbus attend, not to mention Hillel leaders from Miami, Ohio and Ohio University, ADL from Cleveland, AJC from Cleveland and Cincinnati. We also had zoom leaders from Israel join our program, Honest Reporting and Stand With Us. So this was truly an international event. Antisemitism is on the rise and is increasingly resulting in violence. We must combat antisemitism and not let it pass unanswered! This program is to provide us with the tools to combat antisemitism. It is not enough to just know what antisemitism is! We must learn how to actively combat it. This program did this for us in KIO and is a model for other regions to follow. I am always available to assist other clubs that wish to do this program. It took over a year of planning to make this program possible. If a region wishes to do the program I recommend that time for planning. If you choose to make it a recurring program, I recommend it be every other year. full_ad_antisemitism_summit.pdf (1781 KB)
press_release_for_kio.docx (18 KB)		kio_report_to_fjmc_-federation_copy.docx (18 KB)full_ad_antisemitism_summit.pdf (1781 KB)The program was well received in the community. We averaged 40 - 50 in person attendees at each session, not including zoom or livestream. The impact of our goal, to learn techniques and develop tools for combatting antisemitsm was the 1 thing people noted in our post event survey.This was truly a Regional Event! The local clubs felt the impact in the attendees from other shuls joining them. The entire KIO community was inspired by this program with people traveling from many distant communities to participate. This is an event that draws the entire community together and should be considered as a regional program across all FJMC Regions.This goes beyond! We are involving Jewish people in Jewish concerns! This program is probably the 1st of its kind in FJMC programming. This program supports Leadership, Innovation and Community. This is an ideal FJMC Program!Original ProgramYesGold
82023-01-27 10:11Briesenberg98.62.66.752023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Etz Chaim Men's Club - Marietta, GA (1711)Giving Back to Our First RespondersDr. Jeff ShoreBarryRiesenbergbriesenberg@gmail.comBryanColemanrog-bry@mindspring.comBryanColemanrog-bry@mindspring.comCommunity OutreachAs with most synagogues in this era fraught with uncertainly, we have a police presence during Shabbat services… and many other times when the synagogue is occupied. This outreach to our First Responder Community was our opportunity to engage those standing ready to safeguard our security and demonstrate our appreciation....with Kosher Brisket Chili!OVERVIEW A “False Alarm” incident during Shabbat evening services —a silent alarm was inadvertently tripped— brought an immediate and massive response by the Cobb County Police to Congregation Etz Chaim. According to the Synagogue's Executive Director, multiple Police and Fire Rescue units were on-scene within minutes. While this was, thankfully, a “non-event,” the very reassurance of their awareness and presence ignited a desire among Etz Chaim Men’s club to show our appreciation to the men and women who comprise our local First Responders. THE PLAN The decision was taken to reintroduce a tradition lost to the Covid epidemic: engaging our local Police and Fire Departments in a show of community support. THE GOAL Wow them with BRISKET CHILI • Express our appreciation for their presence and vigilance • Explain a little about KOSHER THE CHALLENGE Coordinating a convenient time to host a lunch for our First Responder Police and Fire Departments sounds easy—they share a County Government building— but their schedules don’t always conform to ‘regular hours’. THE “BENEFICIARIES” Cobb Police Department (Precinct 3) As patrol cars are always ‘on-the-move’, Major Batterton suggested we schedule the lunch during change-of-shift so the Officers on both morning and afternoon tours could partake and enjoy. Cobb Fire Department (Precinct 21) Firefighters are on-duty 24 hours and off-duty 48; it was C-Shift’s luck to be on duty the day we dropped by to schedule. Captain Hilley was convinced our chili couldn’t compare to theirs, and “the game was afoot!” Of course, with First Responders, you never know when an emergency call might interrupt the festivities. (Spoiler alert... things don’t always turn out as planned!) THE DAY Our seemingly inexhaustible team of Kitchen-teers* competed for the honor of being in on the preparation. Everyone, if seems, wanted to be a part of the effort to express appreciation to our Police and Fire Departments for their ever-presence and -vigilance. *kitchen volunteers Master Chefs with chili expertise far exceeded the numbers needed, ensuring an enjoyable cooking experience… at Etz Chaim, there’s no such thing as “too many cooks” THE MENU Brisket Chili --- sour cream (Pareve, of course) Creamy Cole Slaw(albeit non-dairy) Cornbread, southern style… meaning spicy! Brownies with pecans (a Hank Needle spécialité) Sweet Southern Iced Tea (de rigueur in Georgia) THE FLY IN THE [Ointment] CHILI Little could we have known when locking the date that it would coincide with Election Run-Off Day. Georgia is one of few states that requires a majority vote. Neither candidate had won a clear 50% vote, and the balance of the U.S. Senate was in play. The Government Center was “Ground Zero”, as the building housing the Police and Fire Departments also served as a polling station. Full of goodwill and fully armed with pots, bowls and trays, we arrived to face a wall of hundreds of voters waiting in line to vote and a large presence of police directing the overflow of traffic. It took a quick call, and we received a road-clearing, light-flashing escort through the throng. We set up in the large dining area at the Fire Department, and as we dished out bowls of the delicious concoction, we were joined by the entire FD crew; the unfortunate police cadre managing the traffic snafu outside could only dribble in on their short breaks. The situation did, however, offer a special opportunity for us to interact closely with the Firefighters. They were very curious to understand what makes a brisket “KOSHER”. They also learned why we didn’t bring Parmesan Cheese and ‘real’ sour cream (they generously provided their own), and why Pareve spread—I can’t believe it’s not butter (it’s not!)—was our selection for spreading on the cornbread. We were just finishing off the delicious meal with Hank Needle’s famous brownies—both with and without nuts—when THE CALL came in. The Rescue Team—Cobb County Firefighters double as EMTS—jumped to their feet in response, and off they went. Police The mostly-absent Cobb County Police Officers brought to mind the last time (pre-COVID) we hosted: it was the same day the funeral of a neighboring DeKalb County police officer killed in the line of duty took place. In a line reminiscent of the 1980’s Hill Street Blues, the Commanding Officer admonished his charges and sent them on their way with a message of caution: “Be careful out there!” THE ESTEEM Our EMT Firefighters returned rather quickly (guess they were still hungry!), and the long lunch drew to a close. The sociable, enjoyable afternoon turned somber as we took the opportunity to tell them about the COMMEMORATIVE BRICK prepared for the Memorial Garden at our Congregation Etz Chaim to honor the memory of fallen First Responders. It reads: “In Memory of Those Who Sacrificed Their Lives in the Line of Duty” LEAVE-TAKING It was time to say Goodbye. We ended with mutual appreciation expressed and new friendships formed... and a clear message to our neighbors that their service is valued beyond measure (even more than can be expressed in a bowl of Kosher Brisket Chili).timeline_supplement.docx (13 KB)
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memorial_garden_section_0.jpg (5220 KB)		Personalizing the relationship with our First Responders has brought a heightened appreciation and appreciation their service. Our (East) Cobb County is a relatively small community geographically, and it is not unusual to encounter a local police officer directing traffic at a community event or see a local firefighter at a fast-food restaurant. For those of us who participated in this event, these men and women are no longer just people who work at the Fire Station or the Police Precinct... they are our neighbors. As an extension of this meaningful program, we will have an ‘unveiling’ ceremony at which the MEMORIAL BRICK commemorating the lives of First Responders—it reads: “In Memory of Those Who Sacrificed Their Lives in the Line of Duty”—will be dedicated. More than ‘successful,’ the program is destined to become a regular event on our Men’s Club calendar. While we didn’t find a Jewish Policeman or Fireman among the lot, we certainly exerted a positive presence to our local First Responders, establishing a better understanding of who we are and who they are protecting.Original ProgramYesGold
72023-01-24 22:00JMarkowitz47.187.209.1032023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Beth Torah Men's Club - Richardson, TX (1713)Totally 80's Murder Mystery Event Dr. Jeff ShoreJeffMarkowitzjeff.markowitz@verizon.netBill Millerwsm96@me.comJeffMarkowitzjeff.markowitz@verizon.netFundraisingThis very interactive program was designed to encourage both Congregation and Community involvement with raising funds and providing several hundred pounds of non-perishable foods & personal hygiene products to support our partnership with the Jewish Family Services of Greater Dallas. The program consisted of a Two-Hour Interactive Murder Mystery Program | Fully Catered Dinner | Costume Contests | Door Prizes | Drinks | and Silent Auction. It’s totally like the 80’s and all the big names are here for a really big concert! Tensions run rampant as backstage secrets spill out into the spotlight with like, totally tragic results! This isn’t an episode of Miami Vice! This is like… MURDER! It’s up to you to help catch whoever did this bogus crime. As with any program it all begins with communication and generating excitement. Our Men’s Club worked on this program for almost a year. There was pent up demand for a different event, and our sponsors were ready to participate in a community activity to fund a worthwhile cause. The secret is to engage your sponsor partners early in the marketing process so they can gather the approvals and resources to participate. Within 4 months most of our costs for the entire event were covered! Communications: It just seems there is never enough time to communicate your event. Unfortunately, that is normally the case. Why, because we wait until the very last minute, when in reality it should be the first item on the project plan. We are very blessed with fantastic community partners and when possible, we seed future event ideas well in advance of the first communication. This practice generates a substantial runway for both our partners and funding recipients to plan their resources and to generate their own advertising to their communities. For this event we advertised in the Texas Jewish Post, the Congregation Beth Torah Weekly and Monthly publications, the Congregation Beth Torah’s Men’s Club Weekly Newsletter. Our partners leveraged their business websites and Facebook pages and our funding recipient, Jewish Family Services created their own advertising campaign. The Worthwhile Cause: Jewish Family Services and the Congregation Beth Torah’s Mens Club has enjoyed a terrific relationship for almost 10 years. Starting with our Dallas Kosher Barbeque Championship and now through our yearly fund-raising event. Our ability to excite the surrounding community to donate hundreds of pounds of dry goods and provide financial support to Jewish Family Services is extremely satisfying at both the Club level and the individual satisfaction it brings to each of our Club members. Catering: Our partnership theme continues with The Market. Specializing in Kosher breakfast and lunch fare, the Market Local Comfort Cafe turns out bakery-quality breads, bagels, desserts and more, plus sides, dips, and salad and single-serve meals. The restaurant is meatless, serving only fish and vegetarian dishes with several vegan options daily. The Market catered an on-site dinner menu of Salmon, Grilled Vegetables and Potatoes, Steamed Rice, Veggies and Dip, Ice Cream and Assorted Toppings. Our beverage partner, one of our major event sponsors, and recently one of our Men’s Club Breakfast speakers was BuzzBallz. BuzzBallz is a certified Women Owned® and family-operated Texas distillery, winery and brewery founded in 2009. They provided their ready to drink cocktails through out the evening. Interactive Programs - Murder Mystery Program, Costume Contests | Door Prizes | and Silent Auction Event engagement is one of the many keys to success. The 80’s theme screamed costumes and we were not disappointed! From Back to the Future to ET and everything in between. The program attracted a large diverse age demographic and at final count we had 160 attendees. Door prizes and silent auction items were donated by 70 companies and the financial results were significant with a portion donated to Jewish Family Services. Actively Engaged Committee: A successful event is spearheaded by a fully committed and engaged committee. We were blessed top down from our Event Chairman to our multiple committees’ chairs and huge crew of volunteers. It’s important the committee believes in the purpose and planned outcomes of the event. Maintaining consistent communication throughout the project plan and providing event progress transparency with the entire committee and your vendor partners is extremely important. Workable Timeline: June / July • Confirmed quote / costs of hiring murder mystery performance group. o Booked event thru murder mystery company. o Chose theme of event / show options • Confirmed with Jewish Family Services that we could work with them as our beneficiary for the event o Worked out agreement, in principle, to what we would be doing for them and how they would be a participant in the event • Created basic sponsorship packet in order to solicit financial support for the event o Sent out packet to previous supporters of our club’s events as well as many new contacts o Started to receive positive, and negative, responses to the sponsorship requests  Followed up continually on unanswered requests through October, with each round of follow up netting multiple replies either way August / September • Created basic budgeting tool to account for costs and sponsorship monies coming in and expenses for event. • Began to craft menu options with caterer, confirming costs and outline for execution of the menu plans. • Began to develop plans for decorations, favors, advertising, etc. and purchasing of items to support event. • Began solicitation of items for silent auction / door prizes from businesses and individuals o Created a spreadsheet to track items donated for silent auction. o Separated items based on value to create raffle prize subset of donations to be used during event as door prizes. o Created raffle tickets for door prizes. o Created bid sheets for silent auction. October / November / December • Ongoing solicitation of items for silent auction / door prizes • Purchasing of serving pieces needed for dinner (plates, napkins, etc.) • Working with committee members, starting to assign tasks such as picking up items, printing materials, scheduling kitchen and set up assistance, etc. January • Confirmation of show with actors • Confirmation of menu execution with caterer • Confirmation of decorations layout, room layout • Purchasing of needed food / serving pieces / etc. as outlined by needs list. • Day of event o Set up of room. o Decoration of room o Set up of silent auction. o Execution of event murder_mystery_program_2023.docx (573 KB)
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pxl_20230122_040621303.jpg (1718 KB)		This very interactive program was designed to encourage both Congregation and Community involvement with raising funds and providing several hundred pounds of non-perishable foods & personal hygiene products to support our partnership with the Jewish Family Services of Greater Dallas. The event generate additional funding that we donated directly to the Jewish Family Services Food Pantry operations. The event also sheds light on the continual daily struggle and difficulties on Dallas area families and how our club's partnership with many organizations made a huge difference. Approximately 60% of our Men's Club participated with supporting this event. The Power of Listening and Consoling is a Sight to Behold. The Power of Giving is Priceless! This event is just one example of how Congregation Beth Torah’s Men Club is impacting our community but more importantly how our Club and the individual men continue to grow from a combination of all these experiences. The measure of our Club’s success is making sure these desperate families have enough food for the week. The measure of our Club’s success is providing Grow Boxes to families so they can grow their own vegetables. The measure of our Club’s success is building ramps for those with limited mobility to emerge from the confines of their homes. The measure of our Club’s success is seeing smiling faces of our Learning Center children after cooking them a pancake breakfast. The measure of our Club’s success is speaking the names of Holocaust victims that have not been heard in over 75 years. Yes, Congregation Beth Torah’s Men’s Club proudly embodies Leadership, Innovation and Community.Original ProgramYesGold
62023-01-13 10:48Canadiensa04184.88.108.2442023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Ohev Shalom Men's Club - Maitland, FL (1316)Help UkraineDr. Jeff ShoreElliottDaviselliottdavis613@gmail.comElliottDaviselliottdavis613@gmail.comElliottDaviselliottdavis613@gmail.comFundraisingCOS Men's Club raises money from fundraisers to support the synagogue and offer scholarships to the youth of the COS Hebrew School. The attack by Russia on Ukraine and the thousands of Ukrainian families forced to leave their homes and flee to Poland gave the Men's Club a immediate reason to raise funds. A "Help for Ukraine" event was planned for Sunday, May 22, 2022 and over $11,500 was raised and sent to the JCC of Krakow.The Men’s Club of Congregation Ohev Shalom hosted an afternoon event on Sunday, May 22, 2022 to raise much needed funds for Ukrainian refugees who have been forced to leave their homes and flee their country amid the ongoing war with Russia. 120 people filled the social hall for this important event, paying $36-$72 per ticket to attend. Mark Stone, a long-standing member of the congregation and a mentalist extraordinaire, donated his time to present his comedy and ESP show “MENTALMANIA”. Mark astounded the audience with his uncanny ability to read minds, make predictions and “see” with his fingertips while blindfolded. He engaged with the audience and performed his classic 53 card trick, telephone book listing determination and combining multiple numbers in columns and rows to add up to a predetermined number. The committee presented 3 videos highlighting interviews with JCC of Krakow Executive Director Jonathan Ornstein on CNN, Congregation of Reform Judaism Rabbi Steven Engel on WESH-2, a local TV station, and a young girl named Claire singing Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love”, which brought tears to many in attendance. Rabbi Murray Ezring, COS Interim Rabbi, spoke about the injustice going on in the Ukraine in his opening remarks. One hundred percent of the proceeds from ticket sales and donations were sent to the JCC of Krakow. The Men’s Club agreed to cover all the expenses. The generosity of those who made donations was heartwarming. But I believe that one donation made stood out above the rest. The COS afternoon school donated $302 from their Tzedakah Fund, mostly in one-dollar bills. In all, the event raised over $11,500. Everyone left the event with feelings of sadness for the Ukrainian families and were pleased that the Men's Club organized the event to raise both awareness and much needed funds.benefit_for_ukraine_video.docx (14 KB)help_for_ukraine_flyer.docx (689 KB)panoramic_view.jpg (56 KB)
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engel_ornstein.jpg (131 KB)		COS Men's Club traditionally holds 2 major fundraisers each year, raising thousands of dollars for the synagogue and for scholarships for youth to go to Camp Ramah and Israel. This fundraiser brought the synagogue congregants and the community together to show support for the Ukrainian refugees fleeing their homes. The entire Men's Club membership made telephone calls to inform the public of the event. The event was a total success, with over $11,500 sent to the JCC of Krakow, where over 400 refugees were being taken care of. During the video presentation before Mark Stone's mentalist show, there were many tears shed and approximately $3,000 of additional donations were received. Our club has 125 members and the synagogue has 550 family units. The Men's Club totally supported this important event.After considering several options of where to send the funds raised at the Help for Ukraine event, the Men's Club decided to reach out to the JCC of Krakow. We spoke to Jonathan Orenstein, CEO of the JCC of Krakow, and he shared with us that his team was doing their best to provide Jewish services and traditions to the refugees. This was a key to having our Jewish men helping a Jewish organization thousands of miles away to make it a little easier for the Ukrainian families..The men took leadership roles in planning the event with short notice and reached out to the community for support, both financially and with compassion.Planning an event that will benefit an outside organization is often not scheduled in the yearly programming of the Men's Club. When a urgent need to act required 100% participation and support of the club membership, the Men's Club leaders made telephone calls, sent emails and texts and personally reached out to the clubmembership and the synagogue membership to get support. That is the mission of our club. "Total commitment and dedication in what we do".Original ProgramYesSilver
52023-01-08 11:38mjc-mensclub74.90.91.172023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Congregation Shir Shalom Men`s Club - New City, NY (1890)Yom HaShoah Blue Candle Dr. Jeff ShoreBruceYoremensclub@shirshalomrockland.orgBruceYoremensclub@shirshalomrockland.orgMitchSpiegelmensclub@shirshalomrockland.orgYom HaShoah Yellow CandleDistribution of Blue candles (in addition to Yellow candles) to commemorate Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Hashoah since they are only about 1 week apart. Increase awareness on the founding of The State of Israel and Holocausts. The program will consist of 2 candles (Blue and Yellow) instead of 1 (Yellow) but uses the current Yom Hashoah delivery methods.The program will consist of 2 candles (Blue and Yellow) instead of 1 (Yellow) but uses the current Yom Hashoah delivery methods. Changes to current Program are 1) Create Letter to congregants about the 2 candles 2) Purchasing Blue 1oz candles and Votives 3) Organize congregation address in the delivery routes 4) Assign routes to volunteer for delivery 5) Packing these Blue candles with the Yellow Candles 6) Hand Delivery to each Local congregant based on assigned route 7) Mailing to this congregants that are Not Localyom_hashoah_candle_letter_2023-draft.docx (20 KB)
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meditations_2022.docx (19 KB)		The visibility to the Men's Club was increased and response to the fundraising was larger than expected. This also increased the awareness of both Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Hashoah.The visibility to the Men's Club was increased and response to the fundraising was larger than expected. This also increased the awareness of both Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Hashoah.Original ProgramYesHonorable Mention
42022-11-01 15:43jonzimmer47.196.188.2002023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Kol Ami Brotherhood - Tampa, FL (1357)Firearm Safety DayDr. Jeff ShoreJonathanZimmerbroherhood.kolami@gmail.comJonathanZimmerjonzimmer3@gmail.comJonathanZimmerjonzimmer3@gmail.comFJMC - otherFor the 5th year, the Brotherhood of Kol Ami has put together a Firearm Safety Day, open to men, women, and teenagers (w/ parental permission). Open to all synagogue members and certain teenagers (w/ parental permission), a certified instructor/staff members gives us instruction on proper firearm safety and the rules of the range, and helps first timers during range time.The overall goal of the program was twofold: Give our several members that own and/or are familiar with firearms practice time on the range to improve their skills, and to instruct first timers on proper firearm safety and how to handle a gun. The event is not political and we take no stance on any gun laws. It's designed to not only practice and learn proper safety and skills, but to bond and grow with our fellow shul members. 22_firearm_safety_day_v4_1.png (273 KB)img_2564.jpg (115 KB)
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img_2569.jpg (103 KB)		The program has been running five years straight. It's a signature event and looked forward to every year. People have asked for offshoot/similar events, such as skeet shooting. We have had several first timers throughout the years that have never picked up a gun, including women and teenage children whose parents brought them. This year, we had 18 people participate, including two children and their mother, both first time shooters. We have received several compliments that they appreciate the value in people being properly trained in use of a firearm in today's unfortunate age of rising incidents of anti-Semitism. This program is innovative due to its uniqueness. Kol Ami is not the only shul to have this type of program, but it is not common. Most of the participants who attend own a gun, and it's good bonding and "shop talk" to get information on types of guns and the industry in general. We have had as many as 38 people attend in the past.(pre-Covid). It absolutely is a community building event. We also have a strict rule of no political talk on gun laws, gun violence incidents, etc, as this event is for learning safety, skills, practce, and bonding with our fellow Jews, not being divisive. While the topic of guns may be controversial to some, this event is about learning safety and practicing in a proper, regulated gun range. I am proud of this event and the fact it is commonly spoken highly of in our shul.Original ProgramYesSilver
32022-10-13 08:33sarbital69.119.105.622023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Beth Ahm Men's Club - Aberdeen, NJ (923)Virtual Jewish Experience Around the WorldDr. Jeff ShoreSethArbitalsmarbital@gmail.comSethArbitalsmarbital@gmail.comSethArbitalsmarbital@gmail.comEducational ProgrammingWe hire tour guides who present virtual tours of Jewish history and Jewish communities/sites from different countries around the world. This started during the Covid-19 lockdown and has continued. We cosponsor these events with our Sisterhood. These virtual tours use licensed tour guides via Zoom meetings.Due to Covid-19 restrictions, travel was restricted. Tour guides started offering virtual tours. Our club started investigating these tours and what the tour guides offer that would be well received by our temple community. The obvious first choice location was Israel. We reached out to our Sisterhood for cosponsorship, and they enthusiastically said yes. Our first virtual program was a 2 part tour of Israel (using two separate guides)- first of the Old City of Jerusalem, and second of the Northern Region. This was so well received, that we decided to continue this program to present the Jewish experience in other parts of the world. Our World tours have now included, Paris, Ukraine, Egypt, and Morocco. They include Jewish history, Jewish Life and Jewish Sites. We are working to continue this program to other regions of the world. Our decisions of which regions to choose are based on congregational feedback/requests. We do present these as free to our temple community, but for the last two tours, we have asked for $18 donations to offset some of the costs. virtual_tour_program_task_list_with_notes.xlsx (19 KB)
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morocco_tour.jpg (407 KB)		The feedback has been tremendous. Attendance has averaged 50-75 attendees for any given tour. We are being asked by our congregants for additional tours. And while we do not push for the donations, the mention of it on our flyers have resulted in donations totals between $150-250 for each of the last 2 tours we did. These tours inspire conversations between members and help bring the temple community together, while learning about Judaism, Jewish life around the world, and Jewish historical influence.This program allows our temple community to understand Jewish life around the world without the travel expense and/or time that many cannot afford. These tours bring a sense of community, where attendees can share the tour experience in addition to adding their own experiences from their travels. The result is a closer community, knowledge, and a sense of Jewish pride.Original ProgramYesBronze
22022-10-03 21:57Hairman69.206.222.402023I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.Temple Sinai Men's Club - Middletown, NY (1858)test programDr. Jeff ShoreTorchtesterhairman@hairman.netsomeomeElsesomeoneelse@email.comother ersonotherperson@email.comCommunity Outreachthis is a program to do stuff for an awardwe planned stuf and did stuffwe did stuff and people lked itwe got Jewish men doing Jewish thingswe did more stuffOriginal ProgramYesGold

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