Rabbi's Column - September 2026

Dear Friends,

I look forward to connecting with you in the coming weeks as we welcome the new year and celebrate TBT’s Jubilee. In fact, this year is doubly auspicious: Our 50th anniversary coincides with America’s 250th. This confluence invites us to consider both our congregation’s history and our remarkable journeys as American Jews.

I say “American Jews” and not “Jewish Americans.” When I was a young chanich (camper) at wonderful Jewish camp OSRUI in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, one of our educational activities was about Jewish identity. One of the madrichim (counselors) rode in on a horse as George Washington to introduce the lesson. (Washington famously corresponded with an early New England Jewish community to promise their safety and liberty.) The educators posed this question to the children: do you consider yourself a Jewish American, or an American Jew? A vigorous discussion ensued. These days, I don’t think the discussion would be quite so vigorous. I would venture to guess that nine out of ten of our children consider themselves American first, and Jewish second. They care about being Jewish; but for most, it is an important dimension of their identity, rather than the primary one.

In some respects, this is a success. In historical context, the American Jewish experiment has led to unmatched integration, prosperity, and normalcy. That may be changing, but it is still largely true. That is reason enough for us to celebrate and reflect.

 Learning opportunities throughout the year will include:

o   A fall series by Ira Wise: The American Reform Jewish Zionist - What did/does THAT mean?

o   Our Autumn scholar-in-residence, journalist and scholar Mark Oppenheimer

o   Lectures by respected historian – and our very own TBT Member!-- Professor Steven Stoll

o   The revival of the Leather Apron Club, my study group exploring Benjamin Franklin’s ethical aphorisms in the context of Jewish Wisdom

....and much, much more!

A congregational trip to Ragtime: The Musical? A boat journey down the Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty? No idea is too ambitious!

Together with Temple Educator Ira Wise, our program team has concluded that a meaningful dual-anniversary year like this affords us an opportunity to dig into the critical dimensions of the American Jewish Story. To that end, I am excited to announce the “American & Jewish/Jewish & American” engagement series of 5787.

Even in complex times – perhaps especially in such times – we are called to celebrate who we are. Let us lean into this new year with curiosity and open hearts.

Shanah Tovah U’metukah (A Sweet New Year)

Rabbi Moss

President's Column - September 2026

Last year at this time, I sat vigil at the house where I grew up with my extended family and helped usher my mother to her death. For a week, my sister and brothers and I did everything we could to ease my mother’s pain and comfort my father. My life as I knew it was on hold, and together we created a sacred space for my mother to pass from this world. We shared meals together, visited with dear neighbors, and together told stories...lots of them. A particularly poignant moment comes to mind when I was with my mother in the living room and my father, who was just around the corner in the dining room, started playing Embraceable You on the piano. This was their song. I held my mother’s hand and softly sang it for her.

My mother died just a few days after Rosh Hashanah. Because of the timing of her funeral service and the HHD, there wasn’t going to be an opportunity to sit Shiva here with my TBT community until after Yom Kippur. My house was also under significant reconstruction, and barely liveable for us, never mind a shiva minyan.

In my conversations with Rabbi Moss I learned that dear friends, Leslie Powell and Steven Stoll, had offered to open up their home so I had a place to grieve with our community once I returned to CT. To my surprise, several TBT members also drove out to Long Island to attend my mother’s viewing. They drove at least 2 1⁄2 hours to Long Island, right in the middle of the HHD. I was so moved and grateful to be a part of this incredibly generous community.

After Yom Yippur, many of you gathered with me, Stu, Becca and Ellie at Leslie and Steven’s home. Together we prayed, and the four of us told stories about the many ways that my mom/my daughters’ Nonna had touched our lives. You celebrated her life with me and held me as the reality of her loss really began to settle in. I will never forget the physical and spiritual embrace I felt that evening, as my body began to experience a sort of “emotional thaw.” The love I felt was the perfect antidote to the numbness that had set in all those months driving back and forth to Long Island every weekend. Thank you for holding me in my grief and for creating a sacred space for me to mourn. The deep sense of connection and belonging I felt that evening, and every time I received a note or card in the mail helped to ground me and shift me back to my life here in CT. I was reminded that I am not alone.

As I recognize my mother’s yahrzeit this month and recall the incredible communal embrace I felt, I am reminded that so many people never experience this, and either die or grieve alone. While my heartaches for those without a community, it also swells with pride and hope for TBT. We are a thriving community with people who love it as much as I do, and serve on committees like Chesed so no one has to be alone in their grief.

We are not alone. To the contrary, we are entering our Jubilee - 50 years of this amazing Jewish community, our House of Hope, on the shoreline. Our wonderful Suzy Frisch is the Coordinating Chair overseeing all of the events including but not limited to a Shabbat service, Gala, and champagne brunch and events honoring the vision of our founders and early members.

Our devoted David and Nancy Rosen are working to ensure that programs held throughout the year, like the Scholar-in-Residence and Silidker Musical weekend, are infused with the joy of this momentous occasion. Please look for a program of upcoming events which will be available during the HHDs. It will outline many of the events so that you can save the dates and make sure you are here!!

As we approach the High Holy Days and gather as a community, I would be remiss if I didn’t communicate the awe that I feel as your President. Through our capital campaigns, we have received gifts from 70% of the congregation. Since we announced the $1 million Secure the Future match in May, we have raised $540,058 for our match campaign. With an additional $459,942, we will reach the $1 million match. At that time, we will have raised $2 million to pay off all but $300,000 of our construction loan! This is incredible progress in just a few short months. Help us reach our goal to retire the debt. Please dig deep and give with a generous spirit. We want the match donor to know that we all love this congregation and intend for it to be here for generations to come ... so they too can return!

Listen to my September musical message here.

L’shalom,

Jodie M. Ambrosino
TBT President

Temple Educator's Column - September 2026

Do you 10Q?

The High Holy Days cover a lot of thematic ground. Reflection. Repentance. Reconnection. We explore all of the R-words, and many other letters as well including Worship. Peoplehood. Gratitude.

T’shuvah, or repentance, is perhaps the most central idea. The name in Hebrew comes from Lashuv, to return. The idea is that we can return ourselves and our relationships to others and to God to the way things were before we missed the mark, before we did or said something that damaged that relationship. We know we cannot unsay or undo what happened. We can take steps to repair our relationships, to make amends for the ways in which we hurt someone. And the rabbis give us a set of steps to do that.

One of the tasks we are given is something called a Cheshbon Hanefesh – an accounting of the soul. The folks in the recovery programs refer to this as the fourth step: “making a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” The idea is that to repair the damage, we first have to realize what we did. I learned from my teacher Rabbi Mark Borovitz that Cheshbon Hanefesh is not just a list of how we have hurt others or disappointed God. We also need to take stock of what we did that was good and built up relationships. That way we do not wallow in our worst moments.

THEN we can begin the work of setting things right.

A decade ago, the folks at an organization called Reboot developed a web site called 10Q. It was inspired by the traditional ten days of reflection that occur between the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a period of time that’s long been considered an opportunity to look at where you’re at, where you’ve come from, and where you’re heading.

Whether you’re Jewish or not, 10Q is a great way for anyone to look back at the year that’s past, look ahead at the year to come, and take stock. That’s a beautiful thing in any language.

Answer one question per day in your own secret online 10Q space. Make your answers serious. Silly. Salacious. However you like. It’s your 10Q. When you’re finished, hit the magic button and your answers get sent to the secure online 10Q vault for safekeeping. One year later, the vault will open and your answers will land back in your email inbox for private reflection. Want to keep them secret? Perfect. Want to share them, either anonymously or with attribution, with the wider 10Q community? You can do that too.

I have done 10Q most of the past 10 years. I spend some time before Rosh Hashanah reviewing my answers from last year. Then I try to spend time answering anew questions like: “Is there something that you wish you had done differently this past year?” Alternatively, “is there something you’re especially proud of from this past year?” or “How would you like to improve yourself and your life next year? Is there a piece of advice or counsel you received in the past year that could guide you?”

I invite you to try this on your own.

The questions begin on September 11. Visit https://www.doyou10q.com/ to sign up. They will remind you via email.

L’shanah Tovah!

Ira J. Wise, D.J.R.E.
Temple Educator

President's Column - Summer 2026

Dear Temple Beth Tikvah family,

My name is Jodie Ambrosino, and I am honored to write to you as your new President. Many of you know me in my role as cantorial soloist where I co-lead services with my husband Stu Weinzimer (also a former TBT president). We have two daughters, Becca and Ellie, who grew up at TBT. I have been a member of this warm and welcoming community for 24 years; it is where I found my spiritual home.

My thoughts for this Shofar column came to me as I was returning from four amazing days with Stu at Hava Nashira, the premier Jewish song leader conference. We attended it for the first time this spring at OSRUI, the URJ summer camp in Oconomowoc, WI. Who knew that I would be going to Jewish sleepaway camp for the first time at 58!!

Hava Nashira was transformational. At OSRUI, Stu and I moved through rooms that hummed with the unforgettable music of Jewish song leaders like Debbie Friedman (z”l; may her memory be for a blessing), and Jeff Klepper (who roomed across from us). We created swells of harmonies alongside cantors and Jewish music giants like Cantor Rosalie Will, Eliana Light, Batya Levine, Elana Arian, Rabbi Noah Diamondstein, Cantor Natalie Young, Jacob “Spike” Kraus, and Eric Hunker. The resonance of guitars and pianos with hundreds of voices in songful prayer created a sacred space. As your president, I look forward to bringing some of this music to you.

Earlier this spring, I attended the Scheidt Seminar, a URJ led conference for new synagogue presidents. There were profound moments of connection as I talked with other incoming presidents about creating sacred partnerships with our clergy and one another. Unfortunately, there were also reminders of the fragility of our Jewish communities, with many congregations closing their doors or merging due to lack of membership and financial instability. Even Hebrew Union College, the premier educational institution for our clergy, had to close one of its campuses and consolidate its services.

Temple Beth Tikvah, however, is thriving with sacred spaces of connection. Sometimes these connections occur during weekly Shabbat services or Torah study. Other times, during a special event when we welcome a young child to our community, comfort mourners, or open our doors to a new scholar or musician who broadens our thinking and musical experience. I look forward to collaborating with our Leadership Council in creating the diverse programming that makes TBT resonate with the energy that invites people in.

With more than 300 member households, our congregation is also making remarkable financial progress. Our generous congregation has to date donated over 80% of the total cost of our building project. I am hopeful that ALL together we can clear the remaining $2.3 million in debt with the dollar-for-dollar $1 million match that was announced in the spring. Every gift counts toward the match now through just after the High Holy Days.

TBT has its Golden 50th Anniversary this year! The Board of Trustees is creatively planning celebrations for this jubilee that tell our story and honor the founding members who envisioned and established this House of Hope. TBT is OUR community so dream with me and share your ideas for how we can make this a momentous occasion culminating on MAY 8, 2027!

This fall, we will welcome a new and talented cantorial soloist, Amy Maude Helfer, to partner with Rabbi Moss, Walter Stutzman, and the choir for the High Holy Days. A few months later, author and podcast host, Mark Oppenheimer will join us as Scholar-in- Residence. Jen Casillo will open a new toddler program within our Preschool, and Ira Wise will welcome back our Religious School teachers who inspire our youth to love being Jewish. These are just some of the highlights. Keep your eye on the calendar which is regularly updated on our website!

I am truly humbled to have earned the trust to serve as your President, and deeply grateful to the gifted Board of Trustees and Leadership Council for their commitment to serve alongside me. Together, we will work hard to ensure that TBT is safe for the kind of open and honest dialogue that is essential to our being sacred partners and effective stewards of our vibrant Jewish community.

Please note that future president’s columns may be shorter on words. Sometimes, you may only

receive a recorded song and musical message that I feel could be far more moving than anything I can write or just fun to listen to! Forthis, my first Shofar, I share with you Hinei Ma Tov by Elena Arian (listen here), which I learned at Hava Nashira and recorded with Stu, my favorite accompanist!! It underscores how wonderful it is for us to be together. I truly look forward to “gathering with you in peace, in joy,” and as one community.

L’shalom,

Jodie M. Ambrosino
TBT President

Temple Educator's Column - Summer 2026

A TBT member whose children are adults asked me what I did during the summer, since classes were finished until the fall. I gave my usual answer “I recruit new teachers, continue to develop curriculum, hold teacher training, and work with different groups planning adult Jewish learning.” The latter is why we were having lunch.

After I got back to the office, I thought about his question some more. I realized that by listing tasks, I had really not answered him very well at all. What I really do all summer is assess the year just finished and dream about where we are going next. Did we move the dials in the right direction? What are we measuring? And finally, how does knowing those things help us move forward?

My friend and colleague, David Bryfman, is the CEO of the Jewish Education Project and in my opinion, an amazing Jewish Educator. In a recent speech, he said:
”One of the challenges of education is that everyone thinks they understand it because everyone has experienced it. But those of us who have devoted our lives to this work know something different. Helping another human being grow, discover meaning, wrestle with complexity and find belonging is sacred work.”

In other words, we need to look beyond what stage of Hebrew proficiency each child has reached. We need to look beyond the Jewish facts and information they know and can access. Make no mistake, we absolutely look at their reading skills and Judaic knowledge, but we need to reach deeper and further.

What we do in our classrooms needs to be about creating experiences that prepare them for the kind of wrestling Bryfman talks about. The world we are handing to them (and for that matter the one that was handed to us) requires more than knowing about Shabbat and holidays, life cycle events, stories, traditions and Jewish law. Again, those are part and parcel of the experience, but the totality is greater than all of those things. The world they are growing into is, as Bryfman says, very complex.

I could spend a dozen Shofar pages exploring the complexity of Israel, its trials and conflicts and the many different ways in which both Jews and the rest of the world have chosen to relate (or not relate) to it. I could do the same exploring issues around gender and sexuality, interfaith relations, antisemitism, race relations, politics both in the US and abroad and -- I think you understand where I am going. SO much of life is complex. Nuance and context are challenging things for any of us to take into account on almost any issue. My expounding is at best irrelevant.

We are trying – in 27 bursts of 60, 90 or 150 minutes per year – to prepare our students to wrestle those and other issues for themselves. We are helping them to build a toolkit of Jewish values. When they encounter almost anything – including issues we cannot imagine – they can reach in and find some ideas and resources to help them decide what is right for them, and hopefully for the Jewish people. They may choose differently than I, but it will be from a position of knowledge.

That is the point. We need to help them grow and develop their own pathways. Our brief is to help them choose a route that takes their essential Jewish identity as a main guidepost.

That’s what I do in the summer – figure out ways to do that better. One of those ways is to find people who are passionate about the growth and development of Judaism and Jewish peoplehood to become teachers in our school. As of today, June 11, 2026, I need one more teacher. It would be amazing if it was a TBT member! What wonderful modelling! Please email me at rsdirector@tbtshoreline.org. Or go to https://bit.ly/MeetwithIra and set up an appointment with me! I am around most of the summer! Let’s get coffee, tea or something cool to drink while we talk.

In the meantime, have an amazing summer!
L’shalom,
Ira J. Wise, D.J.R.E.
Temple Educator

President's Column - June 2026

Dear Friends,

As I write this final column as President of Temple Beth Tikvah, I find myself returning to a teaching that has guided me more times than I can count: “It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Those words from Pirkei Avot have been a steady companion throughout these past two years, a reminder that leadership is never about finishing everything, but about moving the community forward with purpose, integrity, and heart.

Looking back, I am filled with gratitude for what we have accomplished together. We embraced a new era of governance, operating for the first time under our streamlined Board of Trustees. We strengthened our membership, growing to more than 300 households, a milestone that speaks to the warmth and meaning people find here. We expanded our programming, deepened our learning, celebrated Jewish life in all its forms, and launched new initiatives like our Israel Committee and our first-ever Israel Day.

Our schools continued to thrive, with nearly 100 students in our religious school and a preschool so vibrant it often has a waiting list. And after years of uncertainty, we settled our construction lawsuit and made real progress toward financial stability.

And then came the moment I announced at our Annual Meeting, a moment that still takes my breath away: a $1,000,000 matching campaign that gives us the chance to enter our 50th anniversary year nearly debt free. It is a generational opportunity, and one that will shape the next half century of Jewish life at TBT. I hope each of you will participate in whatever way you can. Every gift matters. Every gift is doubled. Every gift moves us closer to a future defined not by what we owe, but by what we can build.

But beyond the milestones, what I will remember most are the people. Our extraordinary staff, Kim, Shari, Rabbi Moss, Ira, Jen Casillo, Chris, and Herman, who bring this building to life every single day. Our teachers who nurture our children with such devotion. Our volunteers. Our Board of Trustees, who embraced change with courage and led with wisdom. And all of you, the members of this community, who show up, give generously of yourselves, and make TBT the sacred home that it is.

Leadership is never a solo act. It is a partnership, a privilege, and, at its best, an expression of love. Serving as your president has been all of those things for me.

As I prepare to pass the torch on June 30, I do so with deep pride and even deeper optimism. TBT is strong. TBT is growing. TBT is ready for its 50th year, and for the next 50 after that.

Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for believing in what this community can be.

May we continue, together, to build a future worthy of the generations who will follow.

B’shalom,
Josh Broder, TBT President

Temple Educator's Column - June 2026

Have you ever wondered where we got the idea of having a Religious School? Let me tell you about one of my heroes - Yehoshua ben Gamla, who was the High Priest in Jerusalem almost 2,100 years ago. Back then, children would learn Torah from their dads. (This was thousands of years ago. Sorry moms.) If there was no father, or dads were not up to the task, the kids didn’t learn Torah. The rabbis then had the idea to have the dads bring all of the kids to Jerusalem – which for some was a journey of many days. As you can imagine, that was not very effective either.

They tried regional schools for teenagers and apparently that was a HUGE failure – as these kids had no formal learning when they were younger. Finally, Yehoshua ben Gamla ruled that teachers of children should be established in each and every community and kids should start learning around the age we start today. Skip a bit and that is how we come to have a Religious School at TBT!

I share this story to demonstrate how our very-modern-striving-to-be-cutting-edge-TBT-Religious-School is deeply rooted in the traditions of the Jewish people. We take Gamla’s instruction to have teachers where the children are, and we take it further. We had a number of new teachers this past year, and I am grateful that we have found so many that have connected deeply with our children. This connection is further demonstrated by the fact that nearly all of our teachers are returning to us this fall!

Ben Gamla’s advice is not only about putting teachers where the kids are physically. It is about teachers understanding where each child is intellectually, socially, emotionally and spiritually. Each child brings a distinct set of strengths, struggles, and ways of learning. One student may come bursting with questions— we need to make space for their curiosity and, at times, help them find paths to keep exploring. Another may feel hesitant with Hebrew or even English reading. Our job is to help them move forward at a pace that feels possible, building confidence step by step.

Another student may arrive carrying frustration from other parts of their life; they need patience, consistency, and the sense that they truly matter. This is what our teachers do every day—meeting students where they are while guiding them into meaningful engagement with Jewish values. It’s why students feel comfortable here, and their parents tell us so.

Many of our wonderful teachers are undergraduate students at Yale. This is a coin with two sides. On one side, they are young, energetic and full of ideas. The kids bond easily with them for all of those reasons. On the other side of the coin, they will only be with us for a short period – at most three more years. I have always believed that having members of the congregation serve as teachers is critical.

You bring something the undergrads cannot. You are part of the fabric of the congregation and the communities in which our students live. It makes a tremendous difference to the kids to see their teachers on a Friday night at temple or at Stop and Shop. And it is the only way one of our students might say to another “It is so cool that your dad/mom/grandma/grampy/aunt or uncle is our teacher.” I invite you to think about becoming a teacher. Talk with me. Let’s have a cup of coffee or tea chat about teaching and maybe try subbing on a Sunday or a Wednesday. You can make a difference!

L’shalom,
Ira J. Wise, D.J.R.E.
Temple Educator

Rabbi's Column - May 2026

Dear Friends,

The Torah teaches that two master artisans, Betzalal and Oholieb, completed the ancient Mishkan (sanctuary) with beauty and breathtaking skill. They were not liturgists, or priests, or rabbis. Rather, they worked with their hands, and their hearts. From this we learn that every member of our congregation brings different gifts to bear, regardless of our backgrounds. And we are all learners, too!

This premise led us to design Kesher, our small groups initiative at TBT. It’s open to anyone who is a member of our congregation.

Do you have a special passion, a particular expertise, or simply a topic you’d love to explore more deeply with others in our community? Consider forming a Kesher group. Kesher, which means “connection” in Hebrew, is TBT’s umbrella for small groups that bring congregants together around shared interests. Our current Keshers cover a wide range of subjects—including cooking, woodworking, spirituality, hiking, young families, and mussar (practical Jewish ethics)—and we’re eager to add more.

Recent ideas include photography, Israeli Folk Dancing, and Jewish literature. If any of those are up your alley, please let us know!

As a Kesher leader, you would:
Choose the focus of your group
Set goals and agendas
Schedule meetings at a pace that works for you and your participants

TBT will provide logistical support and periodic gatherings for Kesher leaders to share ideas, resources, and solutions to common challenges. Whether you’re an artist at heart, a craftsperson, a philosopher, or something else altogether – Kesher is for you!

If you’re interested in starting a new Kesher group, please contact the Kesher Leaders group Chairperson Michael Feldman at michael@mafeldman.com.

Shalom,
Rabbi Danny Moss
Michael Feldman