Schaefer Family Campus | Temple Beth El
Temple Beth El’s Schaefer Family Campus in East Boca Raton is the spiritual and historical center of the synagogue. Temple Beth El was founded in 1967, built in 1977, and holds the proud designation of being the first synagogue in Boca Raton. Since then, the Schaefer Family Campus in East Boca has undergone multiple renovations and additions, including adding the Beth El Mausoleum in 2005 (the only Mausoleum in the United States on synagogue grounds), renovating the worship, learning, social and office spaces in 2018-2019, and expanding the Beth El Mausoleum with an additional building that is expected to open in 2027.
Shabbat services on Friday evenings provide an uplifting and joyful end to the week, typically drawing between 300-500 people. People vacationing in or relocating to Boca Raton often seek out Temple Beth El as a place to learn, pray, make friends, or have a Shabbat meal in a welcoming, modern, and festive Jewish environment.
Features of Temple Beth El
Schaefer Family Campus in East Boca Raton
Welcome Center & Judaic Art
Artwork with messages of Love, Social Justice and Tzedakah, and Community greets each person as they walk through the door, reflecting the Jewish values that mean the most to our congregation. The spectacular artwork throughout the campus was commissioned specifically for Temple Beth El.
The three tapestries in the Minkoff Family Welcome Center were created around the themes of Love The Stranger, Love Your Neighbor, and Love Adonai Your God. These fundamental values expressed in the Torah make up the foundation of Jewish ethical and spiritual life, and represent the core of the culture we seek to foster at Temple Beth El.
Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary
The Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary’s most iconic structure is the ark. Freestanding, created plank-by-plank, on-site by a shipbuilder when the synagogue was first built in 1977, and reaching toward the sky, our ark symbolizes nature reflecting the essence of a flower and a tree. As light nourishes a tree, we by our practice of Judaism, keep the Torah alive, which is the Living Word of God. The ark branches up to meet the rays that stream in through the skylight above it. The ark’s doors may be seen as the petals of a flower; each time they open they reveal the Torah symbolizing the renewal of life. Or, the ark may be seen as a Tree of Life, in the heart of which thrives the Torah, a living document.
Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary
The Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary’s most iconic structure is the ark. Freestanding, created plank-by-plank, on-site by a shipbuilder when the synagogue was first built in 1977, and reaching toward the sky, our ark symbolizes nature reflecting the essence of a flower and a tree. As light nourishes a tree, we by our practice of Judaism, keep the Torah alive, which is the Living Word of God. The ark branches up to meet the rays that stream in through the skylight above it. The ark’s doors may be seen as the petals of a flower; each time they open they reveal the Torah symbolizing the renewal of life. Or, the ark may be seen as a Tree of Life, in the heart of which thrives the Torah, a living document.
Beck Family Chapel
The Beck Family Chapel at the Schaefer Family Campus is a peaceful oasis highlighted by natural wood surroundings, tall ceilings that reach toward the sky, and six large windows behind the ark that illuminate the space with natural light. The chapel creates a beautiful, more intimate worship setting than the Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary, seating at its maximum about 250 people.
The walls of the Beck Family Chapel are each adorned with sculptured wood trees. Each wall has seven trees stylized as a menorah, representing the nature of God’s light in the Tabernacle. In the Talmud, the orchard represents the depth of Torah study and drawing nearer to God’s presence, and the walls of the trees invite worshippers to join that procession into the orchard of Torah and discovery of God’s presence.
Beck Family Chapel
The Beck Family Chapel at the Schaefer Family Campus is a peaceful oasis highlighted by natural wood surroundings, tall ceilings that reach toward the sky, and six large windows behind the ark that illuminate the space with natural light. The chapel creates a beautiful, more intimate worship setting than the Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary, seating at its maximum about 250 people.
The walls of the Beck Family Chapel are each adorned with sculptured wood trees. Each wall has seven trees stylized as a menorah, representing the nature of God’s light in the Tabernacle. In the Talmud, the orchard represents the depth of Torah study and drawing nearer to God’s presence, and the walls of the trees invite worshippers to join that procession into the orchard of Torah and discovery of God’s presence.
Judson Family
Beit Midrash
The Beit Midrash is a warm, welcoming space at the heart of our adult learning community. It is where many of our smaller, discussion-based classes take place—Torah Study, Lunch & Learn, Parsha Perspectives, and more—creating opportunities for meaningful conversation, connection, and growth.
Surrounded by shelves of Jewish texts and resources, and featuring a subtly tucked-away ark, the room invites both study and reflection. Here, members of our congregation come together to deepen relationships, explore ideas, and engage with Jewish learning in a thoughtful, personal way.
Judson Family Beit Midrash
The Beit Midrash is a warm, welcoming space at the heart of our adult learning community. It is where many of our smaller, discussion-based classes take place—Torah Study, Lunch & Learn, Parsha Perspectives, and more—creating opportunities for meaningful conversation, connection, and growth.
Surrounded by shelves of Jewish texts and resources, and featuring a subtly tucked-away ark, the room invites both study and reflection. Here, members of our congregation come together to deepen relationships, explore ideas, and engage with Jewish learning in a thoughtful, personal way.
Freyda and Edward Burns Social Justice Center
A core value of Temple Beth El since its founding has been a deep commitment to social justice. Our clergy, educators, board members, committees, task forces, and students of all ages came together to select the values reflected in the word cloud artwork displayed in the Social Justice Center. Presented in both Hebrew and English, these words serve as a daily reminder of what matters most in our Jewish tradition—Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), practicing kindness, and caring for one another.
Today, the Social Justice Center serves as a dynamic space for action and impact. It functions as a collection site for food and clothing drives, a gathering place during community initiatives, and a central hub for advancing our ongoing commitment to making a difference.
Freyda and Edward Burns Social Justice Center
A core value of Temple Beth El since its founding has been a deep commitment to social justice. Our clergy, educators, board members, committees, task forces, and students of all ages came together to select the values reflected in the word cloud artwork displayed in the Social Justice Center. Presented in both Hebrew and English, these words serve as a daily reminder of what matters most in our Jewish tradition—Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), practicing kindness, and caring for one another.
Today, the Social Justice Center serves as a dynamic space for action and impact. It functions as a collection site for food and clothing drives, a gathering place during community initiatives, and a central hub for advancing our ongoing commitment to making a difference.
Asher Family
Milestone Hall
Asher Family Milestone Hall
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Schmier Family Center
Located across the hall from both Milestone Hall and the Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary, the Schmier Family Center is a flexible, multi-purpose space used for both celebrations and everyday programming. It regularly hosts Bar/Bat Mitzvah receptions, baby namings, meetings, classes, and smaller community events. The room is well-suited for more intimate gatherings and can be configured in a variety of ways depending on the event.
The five open folios on the ceiling represent the Five Books of Moses, and are shaped like wings, showing how we soar to God’s heights on the wings of Torah.
Schmier Family Center
Located across the hall from both Milestone Hall and the Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary, the Schmier Family Center is a flexible, multi-purpose space used for both celebrations and everyday programming. It regularly hosts Bar/Bat Mitzvah receptions, baby namings, meetings, classes, and smaller community events. The room is well-suited for more intimate gatherings and can be configured in a variety of ways depending on the event.
The five open folios on the ceiling represent the Five Books of Moses, and are shaped like wings, showing how we soar to God’s heights on the wings of Torah.
Entrance and Covered Drop Off Area
Welcome Center and Judaic Art
Artwork with messages of Love, Social Justice and Tzedakah, and Community greets each person as they walk through the door, reflecting the Jewish values that mean the most to our congregation. The spectacular artwork throughout the campus was commissioned specifically for Temple Beth El.
Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary
The Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary’s most iconic structure is the ark. Freestanding, created plank-by-plank, on-site by a shipbuilder when the synagogue was first built in 1977, and reaching toward the sky, our ark symbolizes nature reflecting the essence of a flower and a tree. As light nourishes a tree, we by our practice of Judaism, keep the Torah alive, which is the Living Word of God. The ark branches up to meet the rays that stream in through the skylight above it. The ark’s doors may be seen as the petals of a flower; each time they open they reveal the Torah symbolizing the renewal of life. Or, the ark may be seen as a Tree of Life, in the heart of which thrives the Torah, a living document.
