Temple Beth El of Boca Raton

Israel's Path Forward: A Call to Action with Rabbi Lindsey Danziger
2025-03-20 19:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
The ultra-Orthodox and ultra-Nationalist movements are using the levers provided through the World Zionist Congress to advance their agenda in Israel and squash progressive values and Reform Judaism in Israel.
We can’t let that happen.
Learn from Rabbi Lindsey Danziger from the Religious Action Center (the Social Justice arm of the Union for Reform Judaism) and Director of Youth and Family Education and Engagement Heather Erez how we can have an impact on preserving our rights as Reform Jews and advancing our Reform Jewish values in Israel. That night, we will cast our votes in the World Zionist Congress election.
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Torah Study with Rabbi Nir Barkin and Rabbi David Azoulay
2025-03-22 09:30 - 10:30 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
We are joined for Torah Study by special Guests Rabbi Nir Barkin and Rabbi David Azoulay from our sister congregation Kehillat YOZMA in Modiin, Israel.
In person and Virtual at the links below.
Zoom Link Livestream

Senior Circle Connects with Yoga
2025-03-25 10:45 - 11:45, 2025-04-08 10:45 - 11:45 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Join fellow member and yoga instructor, Amy Appel for a session of Chair Yoga. This gentle form of yoga is great for balance, mobility and flexibility. It’s also a marvelous way to meet and get to know other members!
No mat needed. Chairs will be provided.
For Temple Beth El members only. No fee, but registration is required.

Lunch & Learn: Poetry of Israel, Post-October 7th with Rachel Korazim
2025-03-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Taught by Rachel Korazim
The calamity of October 7 and the war that followed had left Israel and the Jewish world in shock and despair. The unimaginable became our reality. As more details of the horror unfold, we are facing the painful daily losses in battle and the plight of the hostages and their families. Not less troubling, are the terrible losses and devastation in Gaza. We find ourselves less and less able to talk about it. The expression most commonly used is אין מילים ein milim – No Words.
Yet, there are those who struggle and find words to express pain and anger, despair and abandonment. The poems are often raw and painful, while at the same time full of love and even hope. They reflect a variety of Israeli voices and echo the impact of daily events. Our four sessions will each highlight one of the many aspects of this amazing body of literature.

Session 1: Shock and Bewilderment
Session 2: As Days Go By
Session 3: Poems of October 7
Session 4: In Every Generation

Join us in person at the Schaefer Family Campus or online.
Zoom Link Livestream YouTube

Rachel Korazim is a Jewish education consultant in curriculum development for Israel and Holocaust education. Rachel opens for her audiences a window to Israeli society through literature; through stories, poems and songs of the best of Israel’s writers, she invites listeners to engage with Israel in an innovative way. She Rachel teaches at Israel’s well known learning centers such as Pardes and the Shalom Hartman Institutes as well as numerous world Jewish communities.

Judaism and AI with Scholar in Residence Rabbi Danny Schiff
2025-03-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Suddenly, AI is everywhere. Its promise is enormous. But does it represent an unmitigated good? In this presentation, Rabbi Schiff will explore Jewish thinking on AI, and what Jewish tradition has to say about the ethical and human challenges that lie ahead.
Rabbi Dr. Danny Schiff is the Foundation Scholar at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the founder and president of MOJI, the Museum of Jewish Ideas. He is also a noted teacher, author of Abortion in Judaism, published by Cambridge University Press and has written a substantial number of articles, particularly in the field of Jewish law and ethics. Schiff is a former Board member of the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Board and of the Society of Jewish Ethics.
Temple Beth El members only
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Israel Update and the Ethics of War in Judaism with Rabbi Danny Schiff
2025-03-28 11:00 - 12:30 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
In this session, Rabbi Schiff will provide an update on the war from his vantage-point as a resident of Jerusalem. He will take a look at the conduct of the war from the perspective of Jewish ethics, with a particular focus on the plight of the hostages.
Rabbi Dr. Danny Schiff is the Foundation Scholar at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the founder and president of MOJI, the Museum of Jewish Ideas. He is also a noted teacher, author of Abortion in Judaism, published by Cambridge University Press and has written a substantial number of articles, particularly in the field of Jewish law and ethics. Schiff is a former Board member of the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Board and of the Society of Jewish Ethics.
No registration required.
Join us in person at the Schaefer Family Campus or on Zoom.
Zoom Link Livestream

Torah Study with Scholar in Residence Rabbi Danny Schiff
2025-03-29 09:30 - 10:30 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Scholar in Residence Rabbi Danny Schiff will join us for Torah Study.
Rabbi Dr. Danny Schiff is the Foundation Scholar at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the founder and president of MOJI, the Museum of Jewish Ideas. He is also a noted teacher, author of Abortion in Judaism, published by Cambridge University Press and has written a substantial number of articles, particularly in the field of Jewish law and ethics. Schiff is a former Board member of the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Board and of the Society of Jewish Ethics.
In person and Virtual at the links below.
Zoom Link Livestream

Rosh Chodesh: Sisterhood Connections and Conversations
2025-03-30 09:15 - 11:00, 2025-04-20 09:15 - 11:00 | FL
Rosh Chodesh, literally translated as, “the new month,” has long been considered a holiday gifted to women – when we take time to focus on our own personal growth.
Come to connect with other women, to grow and reflect on the month that has passed, breathe, and give yourself the gift of time to focus your intentions for the month ahead.
This year, through text study, speakers and inspiring conversations, we will focus on what it means to connect with your intuition, and how to listen and learn from the “still quiet voice” within.
All women are welcome and refreshments will be served.
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Lunch & Learn: Jewish Wisdom from Benjamin Franklin
2025-04-01 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-04-08 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-04-15 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-04-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Taught by Rabbi Greg Weisman
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was famous for his aphorisms and his pursuit of a life of purpose. In The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, he identified 13 virtues that are necessary for a person of morally good character. Inspired by Franklin and informed by Jewish tradition, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Lefin of Podolia wrote Cheshbon HaNefesh [Accounting of the Soul], a collection of Mussar writings that framed the 13 virtues in Jewish terms.
Join Rabbi Greg Weisman for a comparative exploration of these two writings, bringing to life how our Jewish and American identities weave together into one.
Join us in person at the Schaefer Family Campus or online.
Zoom Link Livestream YouTube

Beyond the Narrow Bridge - The Road to Redemption: Sisterhood & Brotherhood Passover Experience
2025-04-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Join us for a powerful and inspiring Passover experience as we explore the theme of redemption in modern times. Through personal stories of Israeli hostage survivors, immersive experiences and music, we will delve into the struggles and triumphs of our people who have currently lived through unimaginable horrors and were redeemed.
Members: $25 per person
Guests: $36 per person
Prices increase by $5 per person as of Friday, March 21.
Registration closes at 12:00 pm on Monday, March 31.
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Lunch & Learn: Jewish Leadership, Power, and Influence in a Complex World - Preparing Minds and Souls for Passover with Rabbi Jonathan Cohen
2025-04-04 11:00 - 12:30 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Cohen is an Israeli-born scholar with expertise in Talmud and Halakhic Literature. He served as the Director of the Hebrew Union College-University of Cincinnati Center for the Study of Ethics and Contemporary Moral Problems and as the Dean of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He served as senior rabbi of a large congregation in Cleveland, Ohio from 2018 to 2024.
No registration required.
Join us in person at the Schaefer Family Campus or on Zoom.
Zoom Link Livestream

Torah Study with Rabbi Dan Levin
2025-04-05 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-12 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-19 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-26 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-05-03 09:30 - 10:30 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Join Rabbi Dan for Saturday morning Torah study.
In person and Virtual at the links below.
Zoom Link Livestream

Bereavement Group
2025-04-07 10:00 - 12:30, 2025-04-14 10:00 - 12:30, 2025-04-21 10:00 - 12:30, 2025-04-28 10:00 - 12:30, 2025-05-05 10:00 - 12:30 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Temple Beth El and Ruth & Norman Rales JFS are proud partners and continue to meet the needs of community members by offering a bereavement group facilitated by Andrea Pittell, MSW, LCSW.
The group will be for those who have lost a spouse in the last year and are looking for support in their grief. This group will be meeting at Temple Beth El’s Schaefer Family Campus once a week.
For those who have lost someone other than a spouse, life partner or parent; JFS has other groups in the area. Please fill out the form and someone from JFS will get in touch with you.
Two times: 10:00 am and 11:15 am. The leaders of the group will tell you which time has space available when you sign up.
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Israel @ 77: Looking Back to Look Forward with Dr. Ken Stein of the Center for Israel Education
2025-05-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
October 7, 2023 stunned Israelis, American Jews and others across the world. Could the heinous Hamas attacks on Israelis been avoided?
In February and March 2025, the Israel Defense Forces released a series of findings that pointed to wrong-headed thinking and preparations prior to October 7. What mindsets and miscalculations were in fact deeply held in the months and years before the attacks? Underestimation of the enemy, domestic complacency, and overconfidence in one’s own superiority were the mistakes that Israeli intelligence made fifty years earlier prior to the outbreak of the October 1973 War!

Why did so many in 2023 believe that a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was possible if only Israel made the necessary overtures, or if the Israeli leadership were different?
Did Israelis and her supporters worldwide truly understand that Hamas’ motivations and those elsewhere in the Muslim world were singularly interested in killing Jews and eradicating Israel?
How will October 7 and its aftermath be remembered and taught to generations to come?
Will it only be remembered as just another tragic event in Jewish history or, in addition are there valuable lessons to be gleaned about ourselves and our neighbors that must be taught to our children.
Are we prepared to change our collective mindsets to avoid more miscalculations?

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This program is graciously underwritten by Friends of Music and the Arts and Temple Beth El Adult Education.

Dr. Kenneth Stein is Emory University Emeritus Professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern History, Political Science, and Israel Studies. From 1977 to 2024 he taught some 5800 students, earning university and national recognition for his excellence in teaching, life-long mentoring of students, internationalizing the curriculum. He was awarded ADL recognition for his intellectual integrity for refuting the inaccuracies and inventions in Jimmy Carter’s controversial 2006 book, Palestine Peace Not Apartheid. Ken also took issue with Carter’s full throated embrace of Hamas. He authored six books and since 1977 became the key scholarly link between Emory and the Atlanta community in teaching about Israel, US foreign policy toward the region and the modern Arab world. Ken’s record as a superb scholar and valued public intellectual has been recognized world-wide. Ken and his family support several scholarships at Israeli universities that promote the study of modern Israel.
Ken was the first director of the Carter Center 1983-1986; he founded and directed at Emory the first permanent Institute for the Study of modern Israel (1998- 2024) in the U.S, and he remains the founding President the Center for Israel Education, which started in 2008. The Center for Israel Education – CIE is unique world-wide; it has evolved to be the largest visited English website globally for access to timely and reliable content on Israeli history, politics and society. 2.4 million users visited the website in 2024. CIE targets young adults, the general public, and Spanish readers. In fifteen years it has enriched Israel knowledge for 400,000 educators, Jewish and non-Jewish clergy. In an age of Instagram, Facebook, ‘X” and multiple blogging all across the political spectrum, the CIE website stays true to the provision of trustworthy information about modern Israel and its quest to remain the nation-state of the Jewish people

The Sounds of Music! Concert Featuring the Musical Ensembles of Temple Beth El
2025-05-04 15:00 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Concert featuring the Musical Ensembles of Temple Beth El
From Gershwin to Bernstein to Sondheim and more, enjoy an uplifting afternoon of inspiring songs and showtunes by beloved Jewish composers in a multi-generational performance by the music ensembles of Temple Beth El!
Free, but registration is required to attend.
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Momentum Women's Spirituality Trip to Israel - Informational Meeting
2025-05-05 19:00 - 20:00 | FL
Learn about this trip to Israel that seeks to inspire women to transform themselves, their families, their communities and the world.
Join this informational Zoom meeting for women members of Temple Beth El with children ages 18 and younger, who are interested in the Momentum Trip, a 7-day immersive experience to the heart of Israel. It’s a special educational journey that leads participants not only through Israel but also to a more meaningful Jewish identity. The Momentum Journey is the inspiration to connect to Jewish values, engage more deeply with Israel, and gain the confidence to take action by standing up and speaking out.
TRIP DATES: November 17 – 23, 2025
INFORMATIONAL MEETING: Monday, May 5 at 7:00 pm on Zoom
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Lunch & Learn: Beyond the Pages - Making Meaning of the Shabbat Evening Prayer Service
2025-05-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Temple Beth El – Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432, United States
Taught by Rabbi Laila Haas
Whether you attend Shabbat services routinely or new to Shabbat services, this course will transform your experience by illuminating the history, poetry, and spiritual significance behind the words of our Shabbat evening service. We will explore how the liturgy has sustained Jewish communities through centuries and continues to offer wisdom for our modern lives.
Join us in person at the Schaefer Family Campus or online.
Zoom Link Livestream YouTube
