Sarasota is a city south of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast that was once the winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus. Today, Sarasota hosts a number of cultural institutes, notably the Ringling Museum of Art which showcases old masters and modern art, as well as miles of beaches with fine sand and shallow waters such as Lido Beach and Siesta Key Beach. Sarasota is also the home of the Temple Beth Sholom Men’s Club.
Temple Beth Sholom (TBS) is a vibrant, full-service egalitarian congregation; a kehillah (community) that values congregational diversity and encourages a mix of innovation and tradition by providing uplifting experiences. They welcome those who have a multi-generational history at our congregation, those new to the city or Temple Beth Sholom, people of all ages and backgrounds who are seeking a Jewish community, a place to call home.
The Men’s Club of Temple Beth Sholom is dedicated to involving men of all ages in Jewish life through social, educational, religious and civic activities. The Men’s Club organizes and sponsors many events, but one of their most popular is their yearly movie and dinner on Christmas Eve. They also have a breakfast lecture series.
The TBS Men’s Club provides quality and relevant programming to help develop and enhance our knowledge and understanding of Judaism and provide needed service and help with fundraising for the synagogue. They offer a full calendar of events, ranging from breakfasts with thought-provoking speakers and social action events, to tzedakah for the congregation. Men’s Club also co-sponsors some events with the Sisterhood, such as the Annual Passover Barbecue and we maintain the Judaica Museum and the Holocaust Memorial Garden, which fronts the entryway to the Temple.
The current and future leaders of the synagogue are trained through Beth Sholom Men’s Club programs and activities. Members of the Men’s Club participate in and contribute to the daily minyan and provide the Wednesday morning breakfast after the minyan; they are gabbais, helpers and ushers for shul services and advisors for how to put on Tefillin. Men’s Club also has an active outreach program; they interface, participate, and contribute to all areas and groups on the Temple Beth Sholom campus, seeding new programs and encouraging intergenerational activities. All male temple members are welcome to join and help us fulfill our goal of service to the Temple.
TBS Men’s Club President Joel Servetz reports, “One of our signature programs is our Passport to Israel which provides grants to synagogue youth in the form of a “Passport” that is presented to our youth on the day of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah and represents a financial commitment to help fund a trip of educational value to Israel.
The Temple Beth Sholom Men’s Club gathered on Superbowl Sunday morning for the FJMC World Wide Wrap – an international, coordinated minyan encouraging Jewish men and women to learn about and participate in one of the basic commandments in the Torah; the wrapping of tefillin. As part of the program, all youth 6th grade and up were invited to join the Minyan for the Wrap and attend the Men’s Club breakfast and speaker program that followed, featuring “Chuck Chucko the Clown Sidlow – Behind the Big Top“.
During March, the Men’s Club hosted an informative breakfast program featuring Joel Kamph on “Diversity and Jewish Cadets at the US Military Academy West Point”.
The highlight of the Temple Beth Sholom Men’s Club programming year was 5784 Men’s Club Shabbat, with Shabbat services passionately led by Men’s Club members and honoring our 2024 Men’s Club Man of the Year, Jeff Cohen. Yasher Koach Jeff!
In the June/July 2024 edition of “The Messenger”, the Official Newsletter of Temple Beth Sholom, Men’s Club President Joel Servetz reports, “We’re in the “dog days” of Summer, and there isn’t much going on, so this is as good a time as any to remind all of the men at TBS that your support is critical to the ongoing mission of your Men’s Club to support TBS in a variety of ways, financial and otherwise. The best way to do this is to make sure you have sent in your membership payment to ensure we always have the funds to fulfill our commitments. Beyond that, being an active member brings numerous benefits to the community. We encourage you to attend our events and programs and participate in projects such as putting up the sukkah or any other efforts that require active, in-person participation. We also need your ideas, your creativity. And if you’re willing to take a leadership role, we welcome your active service on our Board of Directors. Join us and join in brotherhood with more than 25,000 men in over 270 Conservative synagogues around the world from New York to Sarasota to New Delhi, India.”
The Temple Beth Sholom Men’s Club Board meets monthly via zoom and there is always room for fresh faces and new ideas; please email Men’s Club President Joel Servetz at VideoByJoel@aol.com or info@tbssrq.org for information how to connect.
Men’s Club is Brotherhood. Men’s Club President Joel Servetz invites you to learn more about the Temple Beth Sholom Men’s Club of Sarasota at https://templebethsholomfl.org/Mens-Club and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/templebethsholomfl/. For more information about the Temple Beth Sholom Men’s Club, please email Joel Servetz at VideoByJoel@aol.com or info@tbssrq.org.
The Temple Beth Sholom Men’s Club of Sarasota, Florida is a proud member of the Florida Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC). We are part of a confederation of over 200 Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods representing over 20,000 members across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and beyond. Learn more about how your Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood can affiliate with the FJMC at: https://fjmc.org/for-clubs/affiliating-with-the-fjmc/.
The Florida Region of FJMC serves the needs of affiliated Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods throughout the State of Florida. Get to know more about the FJMC Florida Region and our growing network of Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods at www.floridaregionfjmc.org and please visit and LIKE our Florida Region FJMC Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/FloridaRegionFJMC.
About Post Author
