May 8, 2024

Dear Congregants,

Goodbye. Within Judaism, "goodbyes" are offered with peaceful blessings for shalom (peace). “Goodbye” is elemental to living, signaled with even a gentle wave of the hand. Offering a goodbye demonstrates appreciation for places we depart. It also helps us become ready for travel to new expeditions. At last night’s concluding Fairmount Temple annual meeting, appreciation for Fairmount Temple's stature was articulated by Board President Michele Krantz. Among others, Michele offered the public appreciation of Fairmount Temple to:

• Julie Raskind, President’s Award Recipient, 2024, Co-chair of the Cantorial Search Task Force and Chair of the Exploration Committee for the merger with The Temple-Tifereth Israel
• Fairmount Temple Clergy and Executive Director Julianna Johnston Senturia and the dedicated Fairmount Temple Staff.
• Cantor Laureate Sarah Sager, whom Michele Krantz described as “our star” even as she praised the inspirational leadership of Cantor Vladimir Lapin, as our Board of Directors made him the inaugural holder of the Sarah J. Sager Chair in Cantorial Music.
• All Fairmount Temple Past Presidents, Honorary, and Life Trustees. Tributes were read from many of these leaders. Several who were present spoke of the strength of Fairmount Temple being in a position to carry forward our values during what Past President Jim Levine described as our “fifth move” through history, the most recent being in 1957 when saying "goodbye" to the Euclid Avenue Temple enabled the proceeds of selling that building to strengthen our incredible run for 67 years on Fairmount Boulevard! As Honorary and Life Trustee Will Sukenik was honored, he spoke of his affection for every inch of our building, and praised the remarkable connections felt in our temple over many generations.

During the clergy report, Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum offered great enthusiasm for her work with each of her clergy teammates and collaboration with new teammates in Congregation Mishkan Or, planning our future together. Julianna Johnston Senturia referred to TTTI last night as our “sister synagogue," noting how this merger truly "reunites" us with The Temple Tifereth Israel, who were part of Anshe Chesed at its origin. Channel 5 Cleveland recently featured this in-depth report about our “reunification” with TTTI after more than 17 decades. Our Senior Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk, Will & Jan Sukenik Chair in Rabbinics, spoke of "reunification" using lyrics from Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton. He says: “history has its eyes on us!” Rabbi Joshua Caruso also echoed Hamilton, noting at the end of the meeting, that on June 30 we'll depart from 23737 Fairmount Blvd for the last time. He said we "must be taught how to say goodbye" even as we carry our traditions forward!

You can watch the live-stream recording of last night's Annual Meeting here.

Join us over the coming weeks. Help us say "goodbye" to 23737 Fairmount Boulevard, before making our historic July 1 move to 26000 Shaker Blvd. in the Jack & Lilyan Mandel Building. We encourage you to take note of an evolving list of special goodbye events, assisting each of us to say goodbye, so that we can walk into an even brighter future together! Click HERE to see several upcoming “goodbye” events. These will be held: June 7, June 11, June 15, June 27, June 28, and June 29.

One final thought: David Whyte, author of Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words writes: "The courageous life is one that is equal to an unceasing tidal and seasonal becoming…We are so much made of movement that we speak of the destination being both inside us and beyond us; we sense we are the journey along the way, the one who makes it and the one who has already arrived."

We hope in saying "goodbye" before June 30, you'll find personal meaning in offering your appreciation of your history. But we also hope you'll invest your time, your spirit and substance into the community ahead, a movement that will lead us in "becoming" what we are yet to be!

Robert A. Nosanchuk

Senior Rabbi - Will & Jan Sukenik Chair in Rabbinics - Pronouns: he/him

Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple

Julianna Johnston Senturia

Executive Director - Pronouns: she/her

Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple

SHABBAT WORSHIP & ADULT LEARNING

Friday, May 10, 6:15 pm Shabbat Evening Service Join Cantor Lapin, Rabbi Muhlbaum & Rabbi Caruso alongside graduating Religious School seniors Sam Bilsky and Hope Nosanchuk (pictured), and retiring Religious School teaching assistants, Sophie Desatnik and Rachel Stringer, also soon to graduate high school. As the 12th grade recipient of our Rabbi Barnett Brickner leadership Award, Sam Bilsky will deliver the D’var Torah in the Bonda Chapel this Shabbat. Join us in person, live-stream, Facebook, YouTube or the YouTube app on a Smart TV.

Click here for the list of names being read in memoriam  when we recite the Mourner's Kaddish during Shabbat Services this Friday night.

Saturday, May 11, 9:15am - Shabbat Morning Torah Study on Zoom

Join Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum who will lead a virtual discussion of this week's Torah portion, Kedoshim. Fairmount Temple members can email AdultEd@fairmounttemple.org to obtain the zoom link.

Simchat Shabbat Celebration, Saturday, May 11, 11 am

This Shabbat experience is designed for children 0-5 and their loved ones. We welcome older siblings, cousins, and grandparents, too! You will receive challah and juice boxes. Please RSVP by May 9 to Elizabeth Kleckner here so we have enough supplies!

Wednesday, May 15, 9:15 am - Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple: A Retrospective

Join in this virtual adult learning series with Rabbi Caruso looking back at the origins of our beloved synagogue, dating back from 1839 to the present day. We'll travel back in time, exploring the 19th century migration of German Jewry to the United States, examining the growth of American Reform Judaism, and study the role Anshe Chesed played in the evolution of Jewish Cleveland. To receive the Zoom link, Fairmount Temple members can email AdultEd@fairmounttemple.org.

Please note, if you missed this morning's first session, you can watch the recorded session here.

Friday, May 17, 6:15 pm Shabbat Evening Service

Join Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum and Cantor Vladimir Lapin for a beautiful celebration of Shabbat together with the community in the Bogomolny Faigin Activity Center. We welcome you and your friends to worship with us in person or via live-stream, Facebook, or YouTube.

Saturday, May 18

10 am Shabbat Morning Service led by our Confirmation Class of 5784. Join us in person in the Bonda Chapel or via live-stream. Our Shabbat morning worship honors and includes blessings for the concluding Confirmation Class of Fairmount Temple, our marvelous tenth grade students sharing the meaning of Judaism they've discovered and can confirm within their Jewish identity.

6 pm Havdalah and Song Session

Havdalah is ritual that concludes Shabbat. Cantor Vladimir Lapin will be joined by other song leaders, at this special opportunity to connect in person in the Hilda Bogomolny Faigin Activity Center and you may also participate by enjoying the singing and Havdalah by live-stream.

Sunday, June 2, 10:30-11:45 am New Program

Join in a special Sunday morning adult discussion in the Spiegle-Sukenik Atrium Foyer with David L. Bern­stein, founder of the Jew­ish Insti­tute for Lib­er­al Val­ues. Our Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk will interview Mr. Bernstein and learn more about the work of JILV that focuses on strengthening view­point diver­si­ty within the Jewish community, oppos­ing nov­el forms of anti­semitism emerg­ing from woke ide­ol­o­gy, and more. David Bern­stein previously served as Pres­i­dent and CEO of the Jew­ish Coun­cil for Pub­lic Affairs. He recently published the book Woke Anti-Semitism: How A Progressive Ideology Can Harm Jews. For security purposes, an RSVP will be required to attend the June 2 event at 10:30 am at Fairmount Temple. Contact us at AdultEd@fairmounttemple.org to RSVP.

ANSHE CHESED FAIRMOUNT TEMPLE LEGACY PROJECTS

MEMORIAL PLAQUES

As we continue steps in the upcoming merger, and the founding of our new Congregation Mishkan Or, our leaders have given great consideration to the question of how to handle our perpetual yahrzeit program’s physical memorial plaques and our desire to incorporate the plaques in our new home. As we prepare for next steps, we ask those to whom the memorial plaques have personal meaning, to let us know what your wishes for the memorial plaques bearing the name(s) of your loved ones.

Letters were recently mailed with options regarding memorial plaques to those we have annually to notified when the yarhzeit is read. More details are in the mailing about these options: You may:

• Have your loved one's memorial plaque displayed in Congregation Mishkan Or
• Have your loved one's memorial plaque ritually buried at Mayfield Cemetery
• Have your loved one's memorial plaque returned to designated members of the family 

Please us know which option you choose by our deadline which is Wednesday, May 22.

Questions about Memorial Plaques and options? Contact Barb Smith here.

TIME CAPSULE

At this time of transition, we are launching an exciting legacy project, sponsored by our Friends of Fairmount annual campaign. With your help, we'll fill a time capsule with congregants’ personal stories and memories of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple. Sharing these special insights will help ensure the legacy of our synagogue will be carried with honor by us into Congregation Mishkan Or.  

We are soliciting your poignant memories of Fairmount Temple! 2 weeks ago, we mailed you with special acid-free paper where you could share your memories for preservation. You may also send us memories for the time capsule via this online form. Your tributes will be added to the Fairmount Temple time capsule and the Fairmount Temple archives at the Western Reserve Historical Society. 

Please send time capsule contributions by mail or online by our deadline: June 30, 2024.

Questions about the Time Capsule project? Contact Yael Casselberry here. 

Yom Ha'atzmaut and Yom Hazikaron

Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration, May 14

Join in Jewish Cleveland’s annual community-wide gathering for Israel’s 76th Independence Day! The Yom Ha'atzmaut commemoration will be held on Tuesday, May 14, from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation (27501 Fairmount Blvd., Pepper Pike). This annual program will begin with a meaningful opening flag ceremony honoring the heroes of Israel today, followed by unique crafting activities for all ages. Guests are encouraged to wear blue and white to show their Israeli pride.

Yom Hazikaron, Sunday, May 12

Two days before Yom Ha'atzmaut, the Federation will also host its annual Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) that honors the legacy and sacrifice of Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. This meaningful program will feature music and prayers to honor the lives of the ones we have lost. Guests are encouraged to follow Israeli tradition of wearing a white shirt. This ceremony will be held on May 12 at 7 pm, at Green Road Synagogue.

Registration is required to attend both events. Visit www.jewishcleveland.org.

NEW CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE

Click here for the MAY printed Connections Newsletter mailed last week.

For saved recordings, click below for:

• Shabbat Evening Worship on May 3, 2024 with Rabbi Nosanchuk speaking about Rabbi Leylyveld's difficult annual homework assignment to our students.
• Our concluding Annual Meeting of Fairmount Temple - May 7, 2024.