Summer ‘24/Fall ‘24

Dear friends,

As summer ends and our thoughts turn to football, school, and the High Holy Days, I’m reminded that fall was always my favorite time of year “back home.” Leaves changing colors, temperatures cooling, and the chopping and stocking of firewood. That smell of woodsmoke in the air is something I miss. In Florida, the season change doesn’t bring cooler temperatures, so much as a startling realization that another summer has passed.

Launching our Annual Magazine, “Chai Times,” as well as a re-imagined website, we enter a new year full of hope and growth opportunities. We glance in the rearview, and reflect…while keeping our eyes on the road ahead. What new programs interest us at TBE? Will the Middle East ever see peace? Will we make new friends or lose loved ones? Each day is a chance to start over, walk in gratitude, and be kind to ourselves and others.

I’m choosing to look at Sundays at TBE as “TBE Sundays!” In addition to our Sunday School, we’ll be working alongside Adult Education’s “Brunch Bunch,” the “LEV” program for neuro-diverse Jewish learners, and the “KESHET” program focusing on Israeli culture, the latter brought to us by the Israeli American Council.

2nd Saturdays/Shabbatstock returns in November with “JewGrass Revival” leading services, underwritten by “The Cecilia Lipton Farris Foundation.” We’ll be sharing a new Hannukah Song with you this year! If you know potential sponsors for “Tot Shabbat,” “Friday Night Music,” or “Livestreaming,” let’s talk.

As our security apparatus continues to evolve, this fall you’ll notice we’ve increased the height of the fence in key areas near the playgrounds, thanks to a grant.

If you’d like to get involved, my door is always open. We can always use more help with this or that.

This year, I pray you receive clarity of vision, guidance to help with those tough decisions, faith that it will “all be ok,” and strength to navigate life’s ups and downs.

See you soon,

Jeff Jacob