Congregation B’nai Torah (CBT) or Ormond Beach is a community that will touch your heart, engage your mind and expand your Jewish soul; a friendly congregation that celebrates Shabbat and holidays as a community and shares their love of Judaism and enrich each other’s lives.
Congregation B’nai Torah 2023-2025 Men’s Club President Mark Givarz describes his Men’s Club as an active group of men committed to creating programs which appeal to a wide array of interests while promoting camaraderie, friendship, community service, and study. “The CBT Men’s Club strives to create family friendly events while making Judaism more meaningful to our members through promoting religious, cultural and social activities, ensuring Tzedakah is at the core of what we do”, said Mark Givarz. “Everyone is welcome to join us for fun times, learning and performing mitzvot.“
Recent CBT Men’s Club programs and events included participation in the 5785 FJMC World Wide Wrap, hosting the FJMC Sefer Haftarah and distribution of FJMC Shoah Yellow Candles™. In addition, the Men’s Clubs of Congregation B’nai Torah Ormond Beach, Temple Beth Shalom Palm Coast, Temple Beth-El and Temple Israel Deland hosted a joint, Family Friendly night out for an evening of professional Baseball to see the Daytona Tortugas play against the Tampa Tarpons.
Other CBT Men’s Club programs of note included a a joint Men’s Club & Sisterhood Shabbat, a successful Superbowl Squares fundraiser, a “Lunch and Learn” program featuring retired Oil industry executive and CBT congregant, Ray Leonard on the topic “Climate Change from an Oil Man’s Perspective” and introduction of the FJMC Hearing Men’s Voices (HMV) initiative to Congregation B’nai Torah. CBT Congregational President Howard Silverstein described CBT’s first “Hearing Men’s Voices” session as “an opportunity for men to truly share”. Mark (Givarz) facilitated the session on the topic, “Meet My Father”. Men’s Club also hosted several joint programs with the CBT Sisterhood Men’s Club including a trip to The Cinematique to see “Musically Opposites Attract,” followed by dinner at Stavros as well as a Men’s Club & Sisterhood dinner at The Starlite Diner followed by a concert at The Bandshell and fireworks.
Summer 2025 started on a high note when the Congregation B’nai Torah Men’s Club was honored at the 2025 FJMC International Biennial Convention in Chicago to receive a GOLD FJMC Torch Award for outstanding programming. Kol HaKavod and Yasher Koach to Mark Givarz for an outstanding job as the 2025 FJMC Convention Chair.
Summer 2025 also brought the beginning of a new era as Mark Giverz engaged in strategic succession planning as he passed the baton of leadership to incoming 5785-5787 CBT Men’s Club President Ken Haberman.
In the August 2025 issue of B’nai Torah’s monthly newsletter Torah Times, incoming CBT Men’s Club President Ken Haberman reported:
“The Men’s Club had a great year. Thank you to our outgoing President Mark Givarz, for all his innovative ideas, enthusiasm, and tireless work for our club. He recently attended the FJMC (Federation of Jewish Men’s Club) Convention in Chicago, where he did an excellent job, not only for our individual club representation, but he was very busy due to his essential involvement in many aspects of the whole convention itself. We also won an award for our Brunch and Shoot event at the gun range in Bunnell. I will be taking over as President of the Men’s Club for this upcoming year and turning over my Treasurer function to Jerry Leibman. Mark’s shoes will be hard to fill, but I will do my best! What I would like to share, is that men in general are not programmed to proactively make friends easily with other men. If it happens, it happens. But what the Men’s Club of Congregation B’nai Torah brings, is the opportunity to overcome that first hurdle of making new friends, by providing activities and gatherings to foster camaraderie and relationships between the men in our synagogue. A goal for this year is to plan more joint activities with the Congregation B’nai Torah Sisterhood. On Thursday, July 24, a couple of men (including me) attended Game Day (board games), put on by the Sisterhood, at Pictona in Holly Hill. The food is great there, and a good time was had by all! Netta Weiner was a fantastic planner and hostess. Please consider joining our Men’s Club. Dues are only $36 per year. That’s right, per year! Look for upcoming events in the bulletin and in emails. We always enjoy our time together!
Looking ahead, on September 14, 2025 the CBT Sisterhood and Men’s Club invite you to join them at Daytona Playhouse for a performance of All Shook Up featuring the music of Elvis Presley. “It’s 1955, and into a square little town rides a guitar-playing young man who changes everything and everyone he meets in this hip-swiveling, lip-curling musical fantasy that’ll have you jumpin’ out of your blue suede shoes with such classics as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Don’t Be Cruel.” So grab your blue suede shoes and purchase your ticket at:
https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/daytonaplayhouse/4498/event/1425032
Looking ahead, Men’s Club is in the process of finalizing it’s 5786 program calendar, more information coming soon.
Join the Congregation B’nai Torah Men’s Club of Ormond Beach and make new friends that will last a lifetime. For more information about the Congregation B’nai Torah Men’s Club, please visit: https://mybnaitorah.org/mensclub.html or the CBT Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/cbtormondbeach/ or email incoming 5785/5786 CBT Men’s Club President Ken Haberman at: cbtobmensclub@gmail.com.
The Congregation B’nai Torah Men’s Club is a proud member of the Florida Region of FJMC International (FJMC) . We serve the needs of affiliated Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods throughout the State of Florida. Learn more about the FJMC Florida Region and our growing network of Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods at: www.floridaregionfjmc.org and please visit & LIKE our Facebook Group at: www.facebook.com/FloridaRegionFJMC.
The FJMC is a confederation of over 200 Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods representing members throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, and beyond. Learn how YOUR Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood can affiliate with the FJMC at: https://fjmc.org/for-clubs/affiliating-with-the-fjmc/.
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