TBEMC/Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim

TBEMC/Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim We're a unique Conservative Jewish congregation in Cranford, NJ serving Union County for 100+ years.

Our Sisterhood celebrated another year of community with their annual Spring Fling! A sushi lunch followed by a thrilli...
06/03/2026

Our Sisterhood celebrated another year of community with their annual Spring Fling! A sushi lunch followed by a thrilling performance of Fiddler on the Roof... what an amazing afternoon!

Happy Pride Month from everyone at TBEMC! Join us for Pride Shabbat this Friday evening. Open to the community; rsvp at...
06/01/2026

Happy Pride Month from everyone at TBEMC! Join us for Pride Shabbat this Friday evening.

Open to the community; rsvp at http://tbemc.org/rsvp.

This week we celebrate our Volunteers of the Year, Gail and David Salomon! These leaders inspire us every day with thei...
05/31/2026

This week we celebrate our Volunteers of the Year, Gail and David Salomon! These leaders inspire us every day with their incredible dedication to TBEMC!

When Gail and David Salomon moved to Cranford with their young son, they began their 47-year connection to the temple.

Gail’s leadership journey began with Hadassah and evolved into her long-standing role as Co-President of the Sisterhood, a position she has held for a decade to foster a vibrant congregational community. David has been equally active, serving as President of the Men’s Club and Co-Chair of the House Committee. In these roles, David oversaw the maintenance of temple facilities and led major renovation projects for the Rabbi’s and Cantor’s homes, as well as a full renovation of the temple kitchen to meet health standards. Together, the couple have chaired countless fundraisers and social events, ranging from murder mystery dinners to holiday celebrations, and they’ve played a central role in Simcha Services by preparing food for kiddushes and life-cycle events.

Their commitment to service took a deeply personal turn after David received a life-saving kidney transplant in 2017. Inspired by this gift, Gail donated a kidney just six months later. Following these experiences, David revitalized the "We Care" Committee, which established Senior Monthly Gatherings and an accessibility library for equipment loans. This initiative also provides meals and transportation to congregants in need, leading to a partnership with Jewish Family Service.

For their tireless dedication, David and Gail were honored by Jewish Family Service with the Miriam S. Karch Award in 2019. They have also been recognized as Men’s Club Man of the Year and as Bride and Groom of the Torah. They are the proud parents of Daniel and Rebecca, and grandparents to Zach, Natalie, and Nathan. Today, they are deeply honored to be named Volunteers of the Year, continuing a legacy of generosity and compassion that has spanned nearly half a century.

Congrats to all our students for another amazing year at TBEMC's Religious School, especially to the 7th grade class. W...
05/27/2026

Congrats to all our students for another amazing year at TBEMC's Religious School, especially to the 7th grade class. What a year we had, filled with so many fun events, friendships and learning.

Mazel tov to Linda Leifer, winner of this year's Tikkun Olam Award!!Linda has spent more than 50 years shaping the Cranf...
05/24/2026

Mazel tov to Linda Leifer, winner of this year's Tikkun Olam Award!!

Linda has spent more than 50 years shaping the Cranford community through her unwavering commitment to education, leadership, and mentorship.

Originally from New Haven, she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in reading education from Boston University. She began her career as an elementary school teacher, evolving into a 17-year tenure at Union County College as the Executive Director of Development and Alumni Affairs, alongside a distinguished coaching career. Between 1977 and 1982, Linda led the women’s tennis team to multiple State Championships, earning Coach of the Year honors twice and subsequently being inducted into the Union County College Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

Linda’s impact on Cranford’s civic life is characterized by her extensive volunteerism and advocacy for youth. She held leadership roles across the school system, as PTA president for Brookside Place, Orange Avenue, and Cranford High School, as well as president of the Cranford PTC. Her commitment to justice and rehabilitation is evidenced by nearly five decades of service on the Cranford Juvenile Conference Committee, an arm of Union County Family Court, where she helps divert young offenders toward more positive paths. In recognition of her significant contributions to advancing human rights and community service, Linda was honored with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award in 1990.

Today, Linda remains a cornerstone of the community. She is a key organizer of the annual Cranford Community Holocaust Day of Remembrance, a program reflecting her dedication to interfaith understanding, as well as a member of the Cranford Chamber of Commerce, the Interfaith Human Relations Committee, and various school advisory committees.

A devoted member of Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim since 1976, she continues to support the congregation through board service and education. Linda treasures her 57-year marriage to Jonas Leifer z”l and takes immense pride in her daughters Michelle and Stephanie z”l, her son-in-law Jonathan, and her grandchildren Amelia and Noah.

Mazel tov Jules!! You were fantastic on the bimah, and we can't wait to see what's next!
05/21/2026

Mazel tov Jules!! You were fantastic on the bimah, and we can't wait to see what's next!

Save the date for our 4th Annual Pride Shabbat! It’s on Friday, June 5th at 6:30 pm. You must RSVP at tbemc.org/rsvp
05/19/2026

Save the date for our 4th Annual Pride Shabbat!
It’s on Friday, June 5th at 6:30 pm. You must RSVP at tbemc.org/rsvp

Mazel tov to Mindy, this year's recipient of the Past President Award at TBEMC!Chemda "Mindy" Shreter Kipness has woven ...
05/17/2026

Mazel tov to Mindy, this year's recipient of the Past President Award at TBEMC!

Chemda "Mindy" Shreter Kipness has woven a deep love for Israel and Jewish tradition into the very fabric of Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim. Her parents had fled European persecution in 1938 and 1939 and made Aliya to Israel, where they became pioneers and soldiers. Mindy’s "Sabra spark" has guided her transition from a high-level corporate career to become a cornerstone of Temple leadership.

Mindy brought her professional expertise to the TBEMC Board of Trustees. Her tenure as Treasurer began in 2018 as she worked with leadership on transitioning the membership model from dues to sustaining pledge and moving bookkeeping services to an outside vendor. Mindy helped establish new workflow processes, reports, and controls to manage these changes.

In 2021, Mindy ascended to the role of Co-President, serving a three-year term alongside Bruce Solomon. Together, they guided the congregation through the delicate process of re-opening the Temple after the pandemic. Mindy has been a steadfast voice for Israel throughout all these years but especially following the October 7th attacks. She helped form the Israel Action Committee to provide memorials and educational programming for our community. As Co-President Mindy rolled up her sleeves and pitched in with many committees including Fundraising, House, High Holiday, Security, and the post Covid re-opening of the Temple’s kitchen.

Today, as Immediate Past President, Mindy continues to volunteer her time with the finance team. She serves as Chair of the Sustaining Pledge Model Committee, Co-Chair of the Israel Action Committee, and is a member of the Etz Chayim and Pulpit committees. She plans to continue to dedicate her time and energy to the Temple for years to come. She can usually be found at Shabbat services, where she often reads Torah portions.

Stop by the Cranford Street Fair today and learn what makes our community so special. We will be there all day!
05/17/2026

Stop by the Cranford Street Fair today and learn what makes our community so special. We will be there all day!

Last night at our annual congregational meeting, we voted in a new executive team to run our synagogue for the next term...
05/14/2026

Last night at our annual congregational meeting, we voted in a new executive team to run our synagogue for the next term. But before we introduce our new leadership, we want to thank Craig Schwartz and Andrew Feldman for two incredible years as co-Presidents of our community (pictured here with Rabbi Kerbel).

During their tenure we honored our love of Judaism with the Year of the Torah, held some fantastic events, and grew both our community and religious school with many new members joining. We thank you both so much for everything you have done for TBEMC these last two years.

Address

338 Walnut Avenue
Cranford, NJ
07016

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 3pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm
Sunday 9am - 12:30pm

Telephone

+19082769231

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when TBEMC/Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Place Of Worship

Send a message to TBEMC/Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim:

Shortcuts

Share

Category