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When I (Leslie) relocated to Texas for business reasons in late January 1995, it took me a lot longer than most to feel the connection and sense of belonging that is the hallmark of this great state. In my case, there were People y reasons for this delayed reaction, and the biggest factor was that I was born and raised in Tennessee, where my family has deep roots.
This departure from the only home I had known for nearly 30 years was shocking to say the least. I tend to compare my feelings at that time to how Dorothy must have felt in - The Wizard of Oz . When I arrived in Texas, I only knew one person, a coworker who had relocated only the month before.
I went through the first period of adjustment, finding my way around and making friends fairly easily, but there was something missing. I didnt quite know what it was until I met the People I was going to marry and took him to meet my sister, who was living in North Carolina at the time. During that visit, we happened to have lunch with one of my sisters friends, who happened to be from the Dallas area.
When my sisters friend asked my fianc what part of Dallas he was from, he answered - Duncanville , to which she immediately replied, - You arent Jewish, are you?
This experience really summed up the sense of isolation I had felt since moving to the DFW area. I had lived in various places in the metroplex, attended services at various synagogues, but I had not lived in North Dallas, where the largest part of the Jewish community was and still is concentrated. There was a spiritual void in my life that I had not noticed, and it became apparent at that time.
Because my value system had stemmed from being raised in a strong and loving Jewish community in Tennessee, and the fact that my fianc, Jeff, had similar values, we agreed that our kids would be raised in a Jewish home, understanding and appreciating their Jewish heritage.
After the wedding, it was time for u s to decide which congregation would best support our interfaith family and still be within a reasonable driving distance.
That search brought us to Congregation Beth Shalom in Arlington, Texas. Beth Shalom is a warm, welcoming congregation, with a relatively small size that gives it a more personal appeal. It is made up of a large percentage of interfaith families, where both parents are encouraged to take part in religious education and in worship. Beth Shalom is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), a national organization which strongly supports family involvement.
Rabbi Ned Soltz is a consistent source of strength and comfort, leading the congregation and its members through both good times and bad.
After some experimentation with synagogues in the Forth Worth and its surrounding areas and attending Shabbat services at Beth Shalom for a few years since my move, Jeff and I decided to look into membership.
The Executive Director, Janet Aaron son, was very understanding and supportive, suggesting opportunities for us to get together with other couples. As our family grew, she steered us to other couples with young kids , with whom we turned out to have a lot of in common. To this day, all of us, including our kids , have become close friends.
Our kids , very close in age, attend both Religious School and Tot Shabbat (services designed for very young kids ) together and they really enjoy having close friends to share in their Jewish upbringing.
The Beth Shalom community has become, for us, a wonderful oasis, providing a spiritual home where values such as social responsibility, respect for G-d and the Torah, and Gimilut Chasadim (deeds of loving kindness) are the fabric that binds its members together.
More than twenty five years ago, Beth Shalom held its first service in a small Unitarian Church in Arlington in 1980. Since then, it has moved People y times and made People y changes to its buildings. It has grown to be a respected presence in the Jewish community. However, its constant goal remains unchanged: to bring a Jewish presence to the Mid-Cities and southern Dallas and Tarrant Counties, while providing the best Jewish education to its kids .
After years of countless holiday celebrations, life cycle events, religious educate classes, programs, youth events and a lot of more, the synagogue held a special weekend last November to commemorate this special occasion. Friday night services were led by past presidents of the congregation, with both adult and young adult members who had their Bnai Mitzvah at Beth Shalom leading the Saturday morning services. A fun-filled anniversary party capped the celebration.
During that weekend, members, both new and old, past or present, were asked to share some of their fondest memories of Beth Shalom. A special book, containing reflections on special people, special moments, events, etc, was created to capture examples of how Beth Shalom has af fected so People y lives over the years. This was truly an occasion to remember.
One of the People y sources of pride for our synagogue is its Religious School. My daughter, Rachel, is enrolled in the kindergarten class along with her buddies. I can already see the difference it is making in her as she says her prayers at night as her Dad and I tuck her in.
Jewish holidays are celebrated with a lot of fun and excitement, especially among my daughters kindergarten set.
Carnivals and workshops are used as learning tools. For example, on Purim, the students get a chance to hit the HaPeople ata (a piñata in the shape of HaPeople , the - bad guy in the book of Esther). Passover is celebrated with a seder workshop, which teaches students about the seder meal while the kids learn the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Chanukah is also very a lot of fun with a workshop for making candles, menorot (menorahs), and a Chanukah play.
Along with pure fun, the mitzvah (good deed) of - Tikkun Olam or - repair of the world , a basic tenet in Judaism, is a staple of Jewish education. It is an obligation for each student to bring change and canned goods for the local food bank each week. The change, collected throughout the year, is donated to a charity chosen by the students. In the past, funds were donated to the Red Cross for Hurricane Relief, to the Tsunami Relief Fund, guide dogs for the blind as well as for the planting of trees in Israel.
Bar and Bat Mitzvah students are required to fulfill a tzedakah (charity and kindness) project. They have volunteered at pet shelters, collected educate supplies for underprivileged kids , tutored new immigrants in English and Math, volunteered at Habitat for HuPeople ity and Mission Arlington.
Adult Education is also a mainstay at Beth Shalom. Basic Judaism classes as well as Torah Study led by the Rabbi are central to the overall education programming.
The Brotherhood and Sisterhood are also vital to B eths Shaloms success in fostering a sense of community for Jewish families. They offer the opportunity for men and women to get together to develop lifelong friendships while making a difference within the congregation and the surrounding community.
Beth Shalom also has a fantastic and vibrant source of activities for its older members, called 50s forward. This group enjoys a wide range of social activities.
Of all of the wonderful organizations within the Beth Shalom community, its members are most proud of its youth organization, ARFTY. The Arlington Federation of Temple Youth is a part of a larger organization which works to instill a Jewish identity, increase involvement in synagogue activity among Jewish youth and to foster long-term commitment to Jewish ideals and values.
This award winning youths groups most recent honor came in the form of the Fain Award, which is presented by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. ARFTY won this prestigious award for the entire congregation for its hard work in creating a Tikkun Olam project, Camp Impact, from the ground up.
Camp Impacts mission is to provide five days of summer camp to 70 homeless and/or battered kids . Campers are referred from homeless shelters by educate workers in impoverished areas. The camp program includes three meals a day for campers, along with arts and crafts projects, athletic activities, guest speakers and a carnival on the last day of camp.
ARFTYs goal in continuing this project is two-fold. It hopes to help break the cycles of violence and despair perpetuated by child neglect and to help promote social responsibility not only within the group itself but in the community at large.
These activities promote the individual growth of the campers while providing a safe environment where they can build healthy relationships and learn good habits. The camp illuminates each childs unique abilities and talents, giving kids an esca pe from painfully adult situations and the opportunity to briefly reclaim their childhood.
Planning Camp Impact is a yearlong project. Youth groupers search for grants, develop programs, and encourage congregants to donate their time and services.
The entire congregation helps with this project by donating coins to the camp through a special T-shirt fundraiser. Adult volunteers assist with programs, kitchen duties and transportation for the campers. Youth participants plan camp, develop programs, procure supplies and act as counselors.
Rabbi Ned Soltz has captured the wonderful quality of this program in a video that he made available through youtube.com. If you would like to experience this fantastic program, log onto www.youtube.com.
I am truly looking forward to watching my kids grow up in this wonderful environment. It is every parents goal to give his/her kids the very best, spiritually and otherwise.
As Dorothy summed up at the end of the Wizard of Oz, there is no place like home. Now I truly feel that way.
Beth Shalom is supported by a very active and involved Rabbi and Board of Trustees, who meet regularly to advance the needs of the congregation. The Board is working continuously to bring out the best that Beth Shalom has to offer and People y new and interesting projects are underway.
----Leslie Smith is a member of Beth Shalom and an involved board member. If you would like to learn more about our synagogue and what it has to offer, please visit our website at www.bethshalom.org
or contact Janet Aaronson in the synagogue office at 817-860-5448