President's Column - November 2024

Dear Friends,

In Judaism, gratitude is a core principle and a way of life, expressed through words, actions, and attitudes. The Hebrew term for gratitude, hakarat ha'tov, translates to "recognizing the good." Jewish teachings emphasize that gratitude can simplify our lives, even in difficult times. Grateful individuals tend to be more optimistic and less affected by jealousy and anxiety over what they lack. As we approach Thanksgiving in a few weeks, I want to share what I am thankful for and express my gratitude.

I am grateful for my family—my loving wife, Alison, and my incredible son, Cooper. They are my pillars of strength, and without them, I would feel lost. I am thankful for my clients who trust me and my team to guide them through their financial journeys. I am also grateful for my TBT friends and family, especially the dedicated Board of Trustees and Leadership Council who support our governance efforts. Our clergy and professional staff—Rabbi Moss, Ira, Kim, Caroline, Jen, and our custodians—are the real heroes who keep TBT running smoothly. And, of course, I am thankful for all our member families; without you, TBT would not exist. Lastly, I appreciate our volunteers, like Alan Friedman and David Sack, who I mentioned during my Rosh Hashanah speech. Their commitment is vital for TBT’s survival.

On that note, I’d like to reiterate two key points from my Rosh Hashanah address. First, David Sack has generously agreed to lead the final phase of TBT’s capital campaign, helping us reach our goal. For those unfamiliar, David is the son of Ed and Gloria Sack, of blessed memory. Ed was deeply involved in our financial matters and always focused on our future. David and his team will be reaching out to you, so I encourage you to engage with them—pick up the phone, respond to emails, and have conversations about our renovations and TBT’s financial future. Your involvement is crucial for the long-term success of our congregation. We are also looking for more volunteers to assist in this effort, so if you're interested, please reach out to me for more information.

Second, I want to address the need to reimagine and modernize TBT’s financial structure, a challenge we've discussed for over a decade. What does reimagining TBT’s finances mean? It involves creating a new model for membership and engagement. This fiscal year, excluding the preschool, our budget is approximately $800,000. The cost to run TBT per paying member household is about $3,000, while the average membership dues are around $2,500, resulting in a $500 deficit per member household. This gap is why we rely on our annual fund and charge for certain events, and it’s why dues have increased in recent years due to rising costs.

Many synagogues across the country have successfully restructured their financial models, and we will explore similar options. For instance, Kol Tikvah, a Reform congregation in Parkland, Florida, has developed a model called "Judaism My Way," allowing members to engage with the synagogue according to their individual needs while upholding shared values and financial flexibility. While I’m not yet sure if this model or another will suit TBT, we will investigate these possibilities in the coming months and years.

Dr. Alan Friedman will lead a special task force to explore how we can modernize TBT’s engagement and membership. This task force will focus on welcoming members of all ages, backgrounds, and family structures, especially as many Jews along the shoreline remain unaffiliated. They will ensure that any new ideas sustain TBT for years to come. If you’re interested in shaping TBT’s future, please reach out to me to join this important initiative.

So, this is my way of recognizing the good. There is so much more I could say, but for now, this is plenty. Have a happy Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, and football, and don’t forget to share your hakarat ha’tov; it might just brighten someone’s day.

As a fun aside, the Hebrew word for turkey is tarnegol Hodu (India chicken). It’s unclear whether this name came from turkeys reaching the Jewish community via India or from some historical confusion. Regardless, it’s often shortened to simply Hodu, which means both "India" and "thanks," as in Hodu L’Adonai ki tov. So, the bird we enjoy on Thanksgiving is literally known in Hebrew as "thanks." How fitting!

Josh Broder,
TBT President

Temple Educator's Column - November 2024

From the Education Center

TBT's Religious School curriculum is built around Jewish values, beginning with those in our temple mission statement. That value is Kehilah – community. We have a wonderful faculty; a few being members of TBT. Half of them are undergraduates who bring a youthful energy that is contagious. We are lucky to have them all. Even so, I would like us to develop a new muscle in our Kehilah Kedoshah – our sacred community. I invite every adult in our congregation to give serious thought to the idea of becoming a teacher or a substitute in our Religious School. Maybe not right away, but soon.

 Throughout my career I have preferred to hire members of the congregation whenever possible. You bring a sense of ownership, of long-term commitment to this community. And you bring something to our kids that is unique. You serve as a special kind of Dugma – a personal example. And that – Dugma – is another one of our values. Dugma sometimes results in one kid saying to another, "Wow, Cooper! It is so cool that your dad is our teacher!"

I have been so grateful and proud that so many temple members joined the faculty. When members become teachers, the village really does raise our children. And it makes us all feel even MORE engaged. I invite you to become even more hands on, my fellow villagers. This is not solely - or even primarily - a request to our members who are educational professionals. Two of the best teachers I ever worked with were not professionally trained teachers.

 Sy Bierman was my Religious School classmate. He was a treasury agent by day, pursuing counterfeiters, among other financial crimes. He was our fifth-grade teacher and he was amazing. He was so amazing that parents began demanding he teach their kids. When I graduated college and joined the faculty, another teacher and I were each assigned one-third of the year with different groups of 8th graders, just so that every 8th grader would have part of the year with Sy. I was proud to call him my teacher and my colleague.

 Mort Wolin was one of the first teachers I worked with as a temple educator. He was in sales. He was a very soft-spoken gentleman whose grandsons were in our school. He was also the sole Jewish survivor of Baronovich, Poland. The leaders of the Jewish community were able to get a single visa from the Nazis in 1940. They chose to give it to him and send him to America because he was the valedictorian – their greatest hope for the future. His experiences in Poland, being a father and grandfather and his career in sales made him a great teacher. He loved

Judaism and transmitting it to the young, and as a good salesperson, he knew to listen as much or more than he spoke, giving his students agency and encouraging their curiosity.

Many years ago, Eric Yoffee, then the President of the Reform Movement (URJ), declared that the path to synagogue leadership should pass through the classroom. Moreover, he said that we all need to take a more direct role in the education of our congregation’s children. There are some synagogues even smaller than ours that require new members to take a turn as a teacher.

Please consider taking yours. And we are still looking for classroom support right now. Call me. Email me. Let’s help our youngest villagers grow and take their places among us.

L’shalom,
Ira Wise
Temple Educator

Rabbi's Column - October 2024

Dear Friends,

This month marks one year since Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel. The hostages are still held captive. As I write these words, it looks as though a full-scale war may erupt in Lebanon. Susan’s friend in Israel’s north has been texting her from a bomb shelter. Any hope of a speedy resolution has long since evaporated. Israel’s suffering is great. The suffering of the Palestinians, too, is great. Our hearts break again and again as we confront the human toll and fading prospects for peace.

It pains us to see a country we love in such straits.
It pains us to witness the suffering of our Jewish siblings.
It pains us to know that our people remain implicated in a cycle of violence and reprisal that Israel’s existence was mean to end forever.

In the words of Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin z”l:

There is a lullaby that says your mother will cry a thousand tears before you grow to be a man.
I have cried a million tears in the last 67 days.
We all have.
And I know that way over there there’s another woman who looks just like me
because we are all so very similar
and she has also been crying.
All those tears, a sea of tears,
they all taste the same…

It didn’t have to be this way. Last Rosh HaShanah, I shared my concern that Israel’s extremist government threatened its Jewish and democratic character, and obstructed the road to peace. Then came October 7th. A systemic failure of Israel’s security apparatus evolved into a war in Gaza that, over time, felt motivated more by vengeance than by any coherent strategy. Prime Minister Netanyahu has clashed publicly with his own defense minister, Yoav Gallant, over that very point. The centrist MK Benny Gantz resigned from the war cabinet earlier this year in protest. He claimed that Netanyahu was more interested in retaining power than reaching a planful resolution and freeing the hostages. And it’s not just Gantz: for months, hundreds of thousands of Israelis — including the families of many hostages — have protested his intransigence. Of course, none of this comes as a surprise: for years, Netanyahu has repeatedly, publicly, opposed peace. His support of violent extremists and immoral settlement policies in the West Bank is a stain on Israel’s conscience, and I believe it makes Jews around the world less safe. Most Israelis want Netanyahu out of office, but his coalition is still hanging on — for now.

On a different front, world Jewry has confronted an explosion of antisemitism. (Let's call it what it really is: Jew-hatred.) As you know, the numbers were already trending in the wrong direction before the war, but this year things have reached a new low.

▪ When I read the text messages exchanged among Columbia University deans;

▪ When I studied the Stanford University report detailing not merely discrete incidents, but rather a pernicious culture of hate;

▪ When I have had to console TBT students who have been taunted, followed, and harassed;

▪ When I confronted all this and more, I knew that the floodgates had burst open on both sides.

The rise of antisemitism on the left mirrors its long history on the right. Surely it cannot be out of bounds to criticize a government. But to blame Jews around the world for the actions of that government is unbridled antisemitism. To exclude people from bookstores or restaurants if they support Israel, is hatred. To hurl the word “Zionist” as an epithet, is bigotry.

Many of us feel we must walk an impossible tightrope: we support Israel’s safety, while we may have real qualms about its leaders and policies. Meanwhile the world seems to hate us no matter where we stand. To be sure, this is not a comfortable place to be.

As you might imagine, the High Holy Days will feel different this year. We need to mark this time as a community in solidarity with our Jewish siblings around the world. We need a place to process our grief. We need to draw strength from one another. Throughout the Days of Awe, you will find special sermons, music, and communal rituals. Between the holidays, we will gather at TBT to mark one year since the war began on Sunday October 6th, 12 pm. The following evening, on October 7th, there will be a ceremony of remembrance and solidarity with Israel, for the broader Jewish Community. All are welcome.

Finally, I urge you to please save the date for the weekend of December 6th-8th, when TBT will be privileged to welcome Times of Israel Senior Analyst Haviv Rettig Gur. Haviv is a remarkable thought leader. His visit to our community marks a truly special opportunity to learn and reflect. It is not every day TBT can welcome a speaker of his caliber, let alone for an entire weekend.

When I am feeling distraught, I remember that the pain of the Jewish people has often presaged new growth. Perhaps that is why Rachel Goldberg Polin concludes her poem with a hope that I would like to share with you. And so, I cite her poem again, this time in full:

All those tears, a sea of tears
they all taste the same.
Can we take them/ gather them up,
remove the salt/ and pour them over our desert of despair
and plant one tiny seed.

Shalom,
Rabbi Danny Moss

President's Column - October 2024

Hello TBT Community,

In Jewish tradition, the concept of repentance is known as teshuvah, a Hebrew word meaning “return.” One of the Hebrew terms for sin is chet, which signifies “going astray.” Therefore, in Jewish thought, repentance is viewed as returning to the path of righteousness.

Although teshuvah can be performed at any time, the High Holiday season, particularly Yom Kippur, is regarded as a special period for this process. According to Maimonides, repentance involves three key steps: confession, regret, and a commitment not to repeat the misdeed. A true penitent, Maimonides teaches, is someone who, when faced with the same temptation, refrains from committing the sin again. Additionally, prayer, charity, and fasting are believed to aid in gaining forgiveness.

Jewish tradition distinguishes between two categories of sin: sins against G-d and sins against others. Only sins against G-d can be atoned for through confession, regret, and a vow of change. However, sins against other people require not only personal repentance but also making amends — for example, offering restitution for a financial wrong and seeking the victim's forgiveness. It is up to us, as individuals, to forgive one another for personal wrongs; even G-d cannot force forgiveness between people.

In the spirit of this tradition, I want to ask forgiveness from anyone I may have wronged over the past year, whether knowingly or unintentionally. I also offer forgiveness to those who may have wronged me, hoping that in this new year of 5785, we can all strive, as Maimonides suggests, to be the kind of person who chooses not to repeat past mistakes.

On a personal level, I want to focus on becoming a better person in this new year. I hope to listen more and speak less, to be more patient and less impulsive, to think more deeply and assume less. I aim to be a better son, father, husband, brother, friend, colleague, and leader (especially here at TBT). Most of all, I want to begin the journey toward being the best version of myself.

In these challenging and uncertain times, I encourage each of you to reflect on ways you can grow in the coming year. I also hope that part of this growth involves becoming more engaged with TBT and the broader Jewish community. With antisemitism on the rise and hatred surrounding us, we need each other more than ever. Our TBT community is here to share in the joys and sorrows, to support each other through it all.

As we approach the High Holidays, the holiest time of the Jewish year, I wish all of you a happy, healthy, and sweet New Year. I look forward to celebrating and praying with you, and to connecting with each of you during these Days of Awe. May you be inscribed in the Book of Life this year, 5785.

Shana Tovah,
Josh Broder
President, Temple Beth Tikvah

Temple Educator's Column - October 2024

From the Education Center

This month we will all spend a lot of time thinking about (and hopefully doing) T’shuvah - repentance. The High Holy liturgy and all of the practice surrounding the Days of Awe demands that we atone, we change our hurtful behaviors and seek to make restitution with those we have wronged. Remember this for a moment while I digress, please.

When I started working in the religious school as a ninth grader in Chicago, they called me an aide. By the time I became a teacher eight years later, we were calling teens doing this work Madrikhim. (A boy was a madrikh and a girl was a madrikhah.) It means “leader or one who shows the way.” It was a good name. And that was what we were calling them here at TBT through last May.

Hebrew, like French and Spanish, is a gendered language. It is simply how it developed from ancient times. And I am sure you are aware that the language surrounding gender in our society has become very fluid and somewhat complicated. When we get it wrong – in the eyes of the person about whom we are speaking – we may cause pain, harm, and even alienation. It does not matter that we did not intend to do so. The impact of our words matter.

This past spring the Education Committee had a discussion about this and came to the conclusion that we need to do a bit of T’shuvah. It is entirely possible that we have not had a single madrikh or madrikhah who identified as non-binary. It is also possible that we might have, but the titles we used for teens who just wanted to connect and help teach kept someone away who did not identify as male or female. We may be lucky and can fix the language before someone feels that their temple does not have a place for them in this role.

So, the committee has changed the name of the group to the Hadrakhah Team. Hadrakhah means “leadership,” so the basic intent is the same. These teens are still showing our younger learners the way to go forward. And we will call them Hadrakhahniks – a word that is a bit of mixed language salad, but a word pioneered by the Kibbutzniks! It will take time to wrap our tongues around this change, but it gives us the opportunity to be as welcoming as we have always tried to be.

L’shanah tova u’metukah and G’mar Chatimah Tovah,

Ira Wise
Temple Educator

Rabbi's Column - September 2024

Dear Friends,

In 1727, Benjamin Franklin assembled a small group of friends to form the Leather Apron Club. They would gather weekly to discuss the great quandaries of human nature with an eye toward mutual self-improvement. Franklin's vision was to pursue character refinement through 13 virtues such as temperance, justice, and humility. He believed that personal growth was a dimension of civic responsibility and that building an ethical populace was a prerequisite for a more perfect Union.

In his autobiography, Franklin later reflected that these weekly "debates" were … "to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth…" without any desire to win. In fact, Franklin describes how, wanting to keep things calm, the group rejected expressions of absolute certainty, which they "prohibited under small pecuniary penalties." [!!]

Franklin’s legacy of statesmanship and self-improvement are worthy of emulation. In anxious times like these, his idea may strike us as more than a little quaint; his rules of discourse, a tad naïve. But if we’re honest, the dramatic national political issues inflated with urgency and outrage by an apoplectic media culture do not always reflect our day-to-day lives. Rather, most of us stand to make the greatest impact locally: in our congregation, our community, and our homes.

Judaism believes (and I suspect Franklin would agree) that the most important level is to start with the person in the mirror. That’s why we have the Hebrew month of Elul, a penitential period of personal reflection leading up to the High Holy Days. That’s what the High Holy Days are all about.

Given that this is an election year, I thought I’d try something new.

On four Wednesdays after Labor Day, we will revive Benjamin Franklin’s Leather Apron Club. Together we will immerse ourselves in Franklin’s teachings — and here’s the twist — through a Jewish lens. As we enter the contemplative month of Elul and navigate a crucial election year, we will place Franklin’s virtues in conversation with the timeless wisdom of Pirkei Avot, an ancient collection of ethical wisdom from the Mishnah. Together we will discover how these principles can coalesce into our fully American, fully Jewish lives. I hope that our time together will give us renewed optimism and hope about what we can accomplish in the year ahead.

Simply RSVP to Caroline in the office (office@tbtshoreline.org) to sign up. You’ll find more information in the following pages.

Oh, and I promise there will be no pecuniary penalties.

Shalom,
Rabbi Danny Moss

President's Column - September 2024

Hello TBT Community,

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer filled with sun, fun, family, friends, and relaxation. It’s hard to believe how quickly the summer has flown by, but now it's time for football, cool evenings, and the start of a new school year—both secular and religious. The Jewish High Holidays are also just around the corner.

At TBT, we’re gearing up for a busy fall season. You might notice that our front offices have been refreshed with new paint and furniture, and we’re thrilled to welcome a new team member, Caroline Sereyko, our new Communications and Administrative Coordinator, who joined TBT on July 1st. If you haven’t had the chance to meet Caroline yet, please introduce yourself next time you’re at the synagogue.

This fall is packed with activities! We kick off on Friday, September 6th, with the installation service for our Temple Educator, Ira Wise. The service begins at 6 PM and will include some special guests, followed by a community dinner. We also have two Bar Mitzvahs coming up on September 7th and 14th. The TBT Religious School will start on Sunday, September 8th. Selichot services are scheduled for Saturday, September 28th, and the High Holidays will begin with Erev Rosh Hashanah services on October 2nd. We are excited to welcome back our amazing soloist from last year, Rachel Policar, who will be joining us for the holidays and on several other occasions throughout the year.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, brings back fond memories from my childhood. Every year, my grandmother would send my brother and me a check with the instruction to buy new clothes for shul. She always wanted us to look and feel our best as we stood before G-d, seeking forgiveness and starting fresh for the new year. Just as the secular New Year is synonymous with resolutions, Rosh Hashanah should be no different. As we approach the year 5785, let’s all make resolutions to better ourselves, our families, our community, and the world.

Consider making a resolution to get more involved at TBT in whatever way makes the most sense for you. Volunteer your time by joining a committee, a task force, a Kesher group, or helping with a program. If you’re able, please contribute financially by donating to the capital campaign (to help pay down our debt from the recent renovation project), the annual fund, or any other TBT need. You can also offer a special skill that could benefit our community.

Years ago, I decided to join the TBT board to help make our small community a welcoming place for all Jews on the shoreline. We’re heading in the right direction, but we need your help to continue this journey. We’re looking for feedback and solutions from the entire congregation. Whether you’ve been a TBT member since the 1970s or just joined last week, we need you and we want to hear from you! If we all resolve to get involved in ways that work for us, I can only imagine the incredible progress our already amazing community will achieve.

I look forward to seeing everyone this fall and to continuing our work together to fulfill the vision of this community.

L'shalom,
Josh Broder

Temple Educator's Column - September 2024

From the Education Center - Let’s Play Two…

The summer of 2016 was amazing for me. In our family we had new jobs, a high school graduation and the last child was off to college. Special for us, but most of you have those things happening as well. If not that summer, then another. Those of you that know me are aware that summer was amazing for me in particular for one other reason: The Chicago Cubs.

My Red Sox fan friends chortled “Now that we’ve had a few World Series, it might as well be your turn.” And I remind them that Red Sox have NEVER been the longest suffering team in baseball. They missed that honor by ten years. And in 1918, they beat…the Cubs. But I digress.

My beloved team was in first place the entire season. They last did that in 1969, and Mets fans know how that turned out. I digress again. I mention this here because I need to explain the baseball bat I have hung in my office. It is a metaphor for Jewish learning.

The bat is signed by Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, one of the heroes of my childhood and was a gift to me from my previous congregation on the occasion of my 10th anniversary as educator. Whenever someone said “Hey Ernie! It’s a beautiful day for a ball game!” he would respond: “Let’s play two!”

I would tell this story whenever teaching about the Yotzer or Ma'ariv prayers. These are prayers we say as part of our regular worship service, praising God for creating the world in which we live. (We say Yotzer in the morning and Ma'ariv at night.) I would explain that Ernie believed that when it is a beautiful day, we need to show God our appreciation by doing the things we love best and by sharing it with others we love. For Ernie it was playing baseball and sharing it with all of Chicago. I was fortunate enough to meet him in the 80’s and confirm that is what he meant.

So what does the bat have to do with Jewish learning? Jewish learning – doing it myself or facilitating it for others – is the thing I love doing best. Ernie’s bat reminds me that no matter the weather outside, it is ALWAYS a beautiful day for Jewish learning.

Whatever your age it is a beautiful day for Jewish learning.

Our Preschool gets fully underway on September 3rd.

Religious School begins on Sunday the 8th.

The Curriculum Working Group and the Education Committee have been working through the summer to imagine what that will look and feel like.

Torah Study has been continuous, and the Program Committee just arranged for our wonderful Scholar-in Residence who will be coming the first weekend of December.

When it comes to Jewish learning, let’s play two!

L’shalom!
Ira Wise

Rabbi's Column - Summer 2024

Dear Friends,

In these days of division and strife, I’d like to share with you something that gives me tremendous hope: our young people.

Many of you joined us recently for a conversation with Yale Hillel’s executive director Uri Cohen. Uri is professional, insightful, and strategic. He reflected on this spring’s tumult on college campuses, explaining his journey to being a trusted partner and voice for Yale’s Jewish students in the highest levels of the university’s administration.

But most impressive of all were our college students (who attend schools around the country). They spoke with honesty and passion about experiencing a challenging year on campus. Each of these six young people eloquently conveyed their Jewish pride and their standing up to antisemitism. Like many Jews in their generational cohort, they do not believe that they have to choose between safety for Israelis and justice for Palestinians. This is all the more impressive given that campus culture so often screams the opposite message in their faces. Their ability to hold many difficult emotions and truths while still being confident in who they are is a total inspiration. Kol HaKavod — well done. Thank you to Kulanu for organizing this deeply meaningful evening.

Just a few days later came Shavuot, and we celebrated the confirmation of three special 10th-graders. They were called to the Torah to read the ten commandments, and each of them shared reflections on the year of learning. Unsurprisingly, they all spoke about the Israel-Hamas war, since Israel’s history has been the main focus of our year of study. They, too, conveyed their Jewish pride and their commitment to proceed into the next chapter of their lives with critical thought, conscience, and confidence and who they are. They spoke about BBYO, the international youth movement of which SALTY is part. They spoke about their special experience in our religious school. They are positioned to be leaders and builders of the Jewish future. As a rabbi, there’s nothing that makes me prouder.

By now it should be abundantly clear that we have some special young people here at TBT, and of course that is because we have special families. Families who choose to opt-in to Judaism in spite of the societal forces that challenge that decision. Families who choose learning and dialogue over the need to ‘be right.’ I love about our congregation that we can listen to one another and engage in difficult decisions with civility and curiosity. Throughout the last several years of my serving TBT, I have seen our teens model this time and time again.

My year serving as teacher to our teens is also a reminder that what’s going on in the news is not necessarily all that’s going on in the world. Headlines, whether about events in the middle east or on domestic college campuses, tend to be driven by all that is ugly. This is the most basic way that bias can creep into news coverage. But behind the headlines, there is a lot of unreported goodness and basic decency. There are the actions of rodfei shalom (Psalms 43.15) — pursuers of peace. Our young people are pursuers of peace. We should listen to them. They are leading us.

Shalom,
Rabbi Moss

President's Column - Summer 2024

Dear TBT Family,

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Josh Broder, and I am deeply humbled and honored to begin my tenure as your President of Temple Beth Tikvah. Allow me to share a bit about myself and my journey to this momentous role.

I grew up in Waterbury, Connecticut, where my entire family has roots. My mother attended Temple Israel (Reform), and my father was a member of Beth El (Conservative), which is where I spent my formative years. Although Beth El no longer exists and has since been replaced by a Yeshivah, the memories and values instilled in me there remain vibrant.

My brother and I attended Ezra Academy, a Schechter day school in Woodbridge, CT (K-8), which profoundly shaped us both religiously and secularly. Our 8th grade class trips to Israel in the 1990s were particularly transformative. Inspired by seeing her sons receive a strong Jewish education, my mother, who grew up in the Reform Movement in the 1950s and early 1960s, had an adult Bat Mitzvah in her 40s. Remarkably, her tutor was Cantor Irving Pinsky, the same person who helped me prepare for my Bar Mitzvah in 1993.

After graduating from Ezra Academy, I attended Holy Cross High School in Waterbury. It was a stark contrast, as I was the only Jewish student there. This experience broadened my perspective, preparing me for the diverse world beyond the sheltered environment of Ezra.

I then pursued my studies at UConn, majoring in accounting. During my time there, I became an active member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity (AEPi). In my final year, I served as an undergraduate supreme governor on the international board of directors, visiting chapters nationwide and advocating for Jewish students' rights on college campuses. My involvement with AEPi continues to this day, and many of my closest friends are brothers from those memorable years in Storrs, CT.

In 2003, I began my career as a financial advisor with what was then American Express Financial Advisors, now Ameriprise Financial. Today, I own and run a large franchise called Centurion Wealth Management, with offices in Cheshire, North Haven, and Dayton, OH. Our team of 11 is dedicated to helping clients achieve their financial dreams.

On a personal note, my wife Alison and I were members of CBSRZ for five years before joining TBT in 2016, as our son Cooper prepared to start religious school. Cooper will become a Bar Mitzvah on September 7, later this year. We love traveling the world, and I enjoy sports, fast cars, and cooking for friends and family.

In Karen Goldberg’s last column as President of TBT, she mentioned Al Goldberg’s wise words: you don’t have to know how to do everything in this position; you just need to surround yourself with others who do and are willing to help. This philosophy guided me in assembling our new Board of Trustees for the next two years. We have a diverse and talented group—new to the board, new to the shul, younger, older, male, female—who will work together to make our community the best it can be.

TBT is a place where everyone feels welcome, without constraints to joining, where all are treated as equals, and our shared bond of Judaism unites us in faith, prayer, community, and love. I pledge to uphold these values and traditions and encourage everyone to get involved in ways that resonate with you—whether through committees, special events, religious school, preschool, adult education, Kesher groups. If there is something you feel is missing, please let me know so we can work together to make it a reality.

Thank you for your confidence in me. Please do not hesitate to reach out for anything you need moving forward.

Todah rabah meod (thank you very much)!

Warm regards,

Josh Broder, President, Temple Beth Tikvah