Temple Beth Sholom, Cherry Hill

06/12/2026

What a special evening at our Annual Meeting!

Last night, we gathered as a community to celebrate the people who help make Temple Beth Sholom the vibrant, welcoming congregation it is today. We honored our lay leaders, volunteers, contributors, and dedicated staff whose time, talents, and generosity strengthen every aspect of our synagogue.

One of the things that makes TBS special is how many people are willing to give their time and energy to the community. Last night was a chance to recognize and thank those who help make so much happen throughout the year. From serving in leadership roles and volunteering behind the scenes to supporting our programs and initiatives, your commitment helps create the connections, experiences, and sense of community that make TBS feel like home.

We were also proud to recognize staff members celebrating milestone years of service and grateful to begin the evening with Cantor Jen Cohen's beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. It was especially meaningful to have our clergy, leadership, staff, and congregants all together under one roof.

The evening was made even more memorable as we celebrated Rabbi Bryan Wexler and reflected on the impact he has had on our TBS family over the past nine years.

Thank you to everyone who attended, and a special thank you to the staff and volunteers who worked behind the scenes to make the evening such a success.

06/12/2026

Last night at our Annual Meeting, we had the opportunity to celebrate and thank Rabbi Wexler for the incredible impact he has had on our TBS family over the past nine years.

Among the special gifts presented to him were a custom word cloud artwork created in the shape of our TBS tree logo, a memory book filled with photos and heartfelt messages from congregants, and two beautiful creations from our Early Childhood Education Center children, presented alongside Morah Harriet.

And, of course, no Rabbi Wexler celebration would be complete without another photo with the now-famous giant box of tissues from the Men's Club BBQ!

These gifts represent the love, gratitude, laughter, memories, and countless lives Rabbi Wexler has touched during his time at TBS. We are deeply grateful for his leadership, compassion, friendship, and dedication to our community.

Thank you, Rabbi Wexler. You will always be a part of the TBS family.

06/11/2026

Shabbat Shalom. Rabbi Wexler's weekly message, Seeing vs. Understanding: Lessons from Shelakh

This week we are read parashat Shelakh which tells the story of the twelve spies sent to scout the Promised Land. When they return, they bring back facts, figures, and observations. The land is fertile. The cities are fortified. The people are strong. Their report is filled with information. Yet, I don’t think that the real drama of the story is about what they saw. Rather, it is about how they understood what they saw. Ten spies conclude that the obstacles are too great. Joshua and Caleb, on the other hand, see the very same reality and reach a different conclusion. Their disagreement is not about the facts. It is about identity. The spies ask: Can we do this? Joshua and Caleb ask: Who are we?

That distinction feels especially meaningful as we conclude our school and programming year and prepare to gather for our Annual Meeting this evening to reflect on the year that has passed. Annual meetings naturally focus on accomplishments, attendance, programs, and plans. Those things matter. They help us understand where we have been and where we are going. But Judaism reminds us that the most important questions cannot always be measured. In Pirkei Avot we learn: “Do not look at the vessel, but at what is inside it.”

Numbers tell part of the story. But they by no means tell the whole story. As you will hear shared tonight by our President Jill Hammel, our David J. Levy Award recipient, Bonnie Friedman, and about certain staff members for their milestone years of service and our myriad deserving Service Award recipients, the real measure of community is not found in numbers but in people, in actions, and in stories.

It is found in the person who walked through our doors feeling alone and found community.

It is found in the family that discovered comfort during a difficult time.

It is found in the volunteer who consistently and quietly showed up to help.

It is found in the student who felt proud to be Jewish.

It is found in the countless acts of kindness, generosity, learning, and belonging that define our TBS community.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote, “The question is not, what happens to us? The question is, what response do we choose?” The same can be said of communities. The defining story of TBS is not simply what happened during the year. It is how we responded to one another, how we cared for one another, and what kind of community we chose to become.

This year, have we become more welcoming? More compassionate? More courageous? More willing to reach out to someone in need? More committed to ensuring that every person who walks through our doors knows they matter? Thanks to all of you, and especially the staff and volunteers that we honor tonight, the answer is a resounding yes.

And that is what truly makes TBS so special.

This week we are read parashat Shelakh which tells the story of the twelve spies sent to scout the Promised Land. When they return, they bring back facts, figures, and observations. The land is fertile. The cities are fortified. The people are strong. Their report is filled with information. Yet, I....

06/10/2026

What a fabulous evening at the TBS Men's Club BBQ on Sunday!

From the incredible food, prepared and served by our Men's Club volunteers, to the tremendous turnout, the night was a wonderful celebration of community. It was one of those special gatherings that felt warm, welcoming, and like being surrounded by family.

A highlight of the evening was a heartfelt tribute to Rabbi Wexler as we continue to celebrate his nine years of leadership and friendship at TBS. In true fashion, he was presented with a giant box of tissues (which may come in handy this month!), along with an Eagles jersey and a HaMakom t-shirt—gifts that perfectly reflected both his passions and his impact on our community.

The evening also included the presentation of the Oren Klein Award to Neal Herzog, a truly well-deserved honor.

Thank you to everyone who attended, helped cook, volunteered, and made the evening such a special success. Nights like these remind us what makes TBS such a remarkable community.

Photos by: Steve Cummings Photography

06/09/2026

On Friday, the Young Members Group had fun at their annual potluck Shabbat in the Park! We sang and danced together, enjoyed a delicious dinner, and ended with a special treat from Mister Softee.

Thank you to Naomi Baumgarten and Sarah Waxman for co-chairing this amazing event!

06/08/2026

What an unforgettable end-of-year Shabbat for our Infants, Toddlers, 2s, and 3s in our Eric B. Jacobs Early Childhood Education Center on Friday!
We had the best time celebrating with our incredible families, devoted morot, and beloved clergy—our true partners in every step of the ECEC journey. The Beit Midrash was filled with simha as our youngest friends sang, danced, and basked in the glow of kehillah, milestones, and so much ahava, love.
Hine Ma Tov U'Ma Naim Shevet Ahim Gam Yahad !
What a beautiful way to end the year—side by side, as a family.
To many more years of shared joy and sacred community!

06/05/2026

Shabbat Shalom. Rabbi Peltz's weekly message, Education as Our Everlasting Light

Last night I attended the annual Kellman Brown Academy Gala. It was wonderful to celebrate our growing Jewish Community Day School with its amazing Head of School Rachel Zivic (I’m biased, but it’s true!) and their wonderful honorees Judy Love, Elisa Weitzman, Alisa Fox, and members of our TBS Family Shoshana & Gurston Nyquist and former teacher in our Rabbi Albert & Sarah Lewis Religious School Einav Israel. Mazal tov to everyone!

I am so proud that TBS sends the most students to KBA in our community. This speaks to our commitment as a “Community of Lifelong Learners,” as our logo likes to say. Whether at partner institutions like KBA, or in our schools, services, and programs, learning, growing, and celebrating together provide us with much needed strength and perspective.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks makes a powerful observation about this from the opening verses of our Torah portion this week, Be’ha’alotkha. The first instruction Aaron receives at the dedication of the mishkan, the tabernacle, is to light the menorah. Though the Hanukkah story comes centuries after our Torah reading, hearing the about the menorah can remind us about this holiday.

Rabbi Sacks notes how the Hebrew root for Hanukkah is the same as the word Hinukh, which means “education.” He says that this teaches that what we rededicated on Hanukkah was not only the physical building of the Temple, it was also what happens inside of the Temple. And not only the ancient Temple, but any Temple, including our Temple Beth Sholom.

The Temple is one of the places where we teach our history, our traditions, and our values. It is where we learn what it means to be a part of community, and what roots us as individuals.

Rabbi Sacks writes, “To defend a country physically, as the Maccabees did, you need an army, but to defend a civilization you need education, educators, and schools. Those are the things that kept the Jewish spirit alive and the menorah of Jewish values burning in an everlasting Light throughout the centuries. In the hindsight of history, military victory is often secondary to the cultural victory of handing your values on to the next generation, and making sure that your children, and theirs, light up the world.”

That is what I experienced last night celebrating KBA, and what we all have the privilege of experiencing at TBS, whenever we gather together.

Last night I attended the annual Kellman Brown Academy Gala. It was wonderful to celebrate our growing Jewish Community Day School with its amazing Head of School Rachel Zivic (I’m biased, but it’s true!) and their wonderful honorees Judy Love, Elisa Weitzman, Alisa Fox, and members of our TBS F...

06/04/2026

Check out this beautiful article by Rabbi Arie Hasit, Associate Dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary and TBS member, in honor of Pride month and all people being created in God's image:
https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bj7rhi3lfl?fbclid=IwY2xjawSOngVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFqQzNSZzJhdHdUTXRnbXl5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjToX0muRNWTjwlG8Q68CDmqjgRWY6w2fg3jI5s9-UynGVMzK2xEjKGrmalN_aem_dAg8TrrBW69STxjHuhbFBA

As Pride Month begins, Rabbi Arie Hasit, a religious, straight ‘pride rabbi’ who has attended Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Pride for over 20 years, calls on religious leaders to support LGBTQ+ Jews

06/04/2026

This weekend (June 5th-7th) is wear orange weekend, a national observance of National Gun Violence Awareness Day. On this day, allies across the country wear orange to honor the victims of gun violence and show support for the gun safety movement. Wear Orange is supported by Moms Demand Action, a group that our Social Advocacy Committee has been proud to partner with.

Wear Orange was started in 2013 after 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in Chicago just one week after she performed at President Obama’s second inauguration. After her death, her friends and family chose to wear orange on her birthday, June 2, to honor Hadiya and the tens of thousands of lives lost to gun violence every year. They chose orange because it was her favorite color, and because it is the color hunters wear to protect themselves from gunfire.

To honor the weekend, the Social Advocacy Committee is encouraging everyone to wear orange to Shabbat morning service this Saturday, June 6th. There will also be orange ribbons at the synagogue for anyone interested to wear as well. In addition there will be educational materials available in the sanctuary lobby. A special thank you to Susan Anolik, Eileen Wolf, and the Social Advocacy Committee Chairs, Steve Kaufman and Gail Raucher for organizing our participation in Wear Orange Weekend.

https://www.tbsonline.org/socialadvocacy