Membership
If you are interested in simply learning about membership or plugging into the Temple Beth El community, fill out this form and a member of our staff will reach out to you shortly: https://meetyouatbethel.shulcloud.com/form/interest.
Our friendly office staff is available to answer your questions during office hours (9:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m M-TH and 9:00 a.m - 3:30 p.m F). You can direct phone inquiries to 205-933-2740 and email inquires to Howard Kaplan at hkaplan@templebeth-el.net.
INSERT 2023-2024 MEMBERSHIP FORM.
Committees at Temple Beth El
The strength of Temple Beth El exists in the hearts and energies of our members. Temple Beth El welcomes all congregants to BE Involved in a way that is meaningful and significant to them personally.
2023-2024 Lay Leaders
Cemetery – Barbara Bonfield & Bernard Stern
Budget/Finance – Steve Altmann
Chevra Kadisha – Abe Schuster
College Connection – Danielle Weintraub & Susan Lapidus
Civil Rights Experience – Margaret Norman and Melissa Young
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Alejandra Colon-Lopez
Gen XYZ (Extra Years of Zest!) – Marsha Asman
House – Ron Froehlich & Marvin Shelsky
Inter-Everything – Rebecca Millsap
Men’s Club – Howard Kaplan & Steve Altmann
Minyan – Joshua Richman
Personnel – Julian Brook & Gary Weintraub
Programming – Esther Schuster
Ritual – Asher & Dani Kahn Krell
Security – Allen Halpern
Sisterhood – Arlene Fisher & Sue Lischkoff
[T]Be Involved Social Action - Toby Siegel & Jenny Allon
Technology – Evan Rhodes
Torah Reading – Naomi Ivker
Sisterhood and Men’s Club at TBE
Sisterhood: Temple Beth El Sisterhood has its own Executive Committee and Board and elects a representative to the TBE Board of Directors. The Sisterhood welcomes Jewish women, regardless of synagogue affiliation, and voted in recent years to make a category of membership available to non-Jewish spouses of members. The Sisterhood has many well known signature programs within the synagogue, such as Gala and the annual Yizkor Book and the Gift Shop, and contributes significant funds to the school, the youth department for travel subsidies, and to the synagogue. The current Temple Beth El Sisterhood co-chairs are Arlene Fisher and Sue Lischkoff.
Men’s Club: The Men’s Club of Temple Beth El has over 150 members, most of whom attend programming regularly. The Men’s Club has its own Executive Committee and is represented on the TBE Board of Directors. Men’s Club membership is available to any male member of TBE who has reached the age of Bar Mitzvah. Major Men’s Club programs include the 5th Grade Tefilin program, World Wide Wrap and the providing of Yom HaShoah candles annually to all synagogue members, among many others. The Men’s Club also has a popular annual kickoff sports event each year. The current Men’s Club President is Allen Halpern.
Additional Temple Beth El Committees/Governance
Finance Committee: This committee develops the operating budget and makes recommendations to the executive committee and Board of Directors regarding management and development of the temple’s financial resources. The Finance Committee evaluates expenses and needs and recommends financial policy as necessary.
Temple Beth El Foundation: The Temple Beth El Foundation was created to protect Temple Beth El’s financial future through endowment and to enhance ongoing programming through a system of grants. The Foundation holds regular meetings and has its own Board and President, elected every two years. The current president is Jacob Halpern. The Executive Director of the Foundation is Cathy Fingerman.
Nominating Committee: chaired by the immediate past president, and its members are selected by the chairperson. The committee is charged with developing a slate of officers and board members to present to the membership for voting at the annual meeting.
