The Charlotte Jewish News -October 2007 - Page 8
Rabbi Micah Streiffer To Be Installed at Temple Beth El
By Jo Minchew
Sometimes, it only takes a
moment. For Rabbi Micah
Streiffer, who will be installed as
Temple Beth El’s newest clergy
member at 8 PM, October 19, that
moment came during an 11th
grade trip to Israel.
“Through the Eisendrath
International Exchange, the
Reform Movement’s semester
abroad program for high school
students, I had the opportunity to
live and study in Israel, to learn
Hebrew and to study Jewish histo
ry where Jewish history hap
pened,” he says. “For me, that
was very powerful; very meaning
ful.”
At the end of the semester, he
remembers the program head say
ing something that the serious-
minded boy from southernmost
Louisiana took straight to heart. It
set him on the path, he notes, that
eventually led him to Charlotte.
“His words left me with a sense
of responsibility towards the
Jewish community,” Rabbi
Streiffer recalls. “He told us that
having studied Jewish history and
religion so intensely, we were now
among the most educated Jews in
America and that we needed to do
something with that; to go back
and teach others.”
Rabbi Streiffer went on to earn
his Bachelors in Judaic Studies
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from George Washington
University and was ordained at
Hebrew Union College, Jewish
Institute of Religion, in Cincinnati
earlier this year. At his October
installation, words of blessing will
be offered by one of Rabbi
Streiffer’s former teachers, Rabbi
Mark Washofsky, Professor of
Jewish Law and Practice, Hebrew
Union College, with whom he
studied nearly every semester.
His early discovery of the rele
vance of Judaism in his own life is
something Rabbi Streiffer looks
forward to sharing with the
younger members of Temple Beth
El. “During my years here, and I
hope there will be many, I’m look
ing to working with the youth and
helping them connect with
Judaism in many ways, because,”
he asserts, “there are many ways
to make this connection through
prayer, through ritual, and
(wanted) a place that was vibrant,
a place that had a lot going on, a
place where 1 could learn. I was
really attracted to Temple Beth El
because of the breadth and depth
of the type of programming that
goes on here, the amount of excit
ing things that go on here, and the
depth of both the learning and the
engagement of the congregation.
“We’re a large congrega
tion...but it feels like a family,”
Rabbi Streiffer concludes. “I’m
enjoying meeting a lot of people
and getting to know them as I
begin this exciting endeavor.” ^
Rabbi Micah Streiffer
through...getting together with
other Jewish people.”
Rabbi Streiffer feels that
Temple Beth El is an exciting
place to begin his rabbinate. “In
looking for a congregation, I
TEmPLE BETH EL
New Jewish Congregation Reaches Many
Milestones
Carolinas Metro Realty
Roni l-st.iw 10838 Kings Rd, Suite 14
i;fcha«,“ S277
Phone:800-611-7210 lnfo@CarolinasMetro.com Fax:866-357-5331
The Lake Norman Jewish
Congregation is entering its sec
ond year with a long list of
accomplishments. “We initially
hoped for about 30 families to join
last year, and we doubled that
number very quickly,” stated
Slade Goldstein, President of the
local lake-area Jewish congrega
tion. “The LNJC Religion School
also exceeded our expectations,
with double the enrollment antici
pated. ... We are also very excited
to announce that we changed our
Religious School schedule to
Sunday mornings, instead of
Sunday afternoons. Most parents
prefer the morning classes for
their children so they can enjoy
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the rest of the day together,” said
Goldstein. The congregation is
approaching 80 members, includ
ing mostly family memberships,
with over 40 children enrolled in
the religion school.
A recent donation by Amy and
Walt McNulty has helped LNJC
start its first fund that will provide
for the congregation’s immediate
and long term needs. The
McNulty’s made their donation to
honor the memory of Amy’s
father, Maurice E. Smith. After a
recent request for donations to
help the congregation acquire 150
copies of the prayer book, “Gates
of Repentance,” the McNultys
stepped up to the plate. “This High
Holiday Prayer Book will be used
for many years to come,” said
Amy McNulty. “My husband and
I saw this as an opportunity to
honor the memory of my father
and add an important link in the
legacy of the Lake Norman Jewish
Congregation.” A mission state
ment was created for the special
fund: The Maurice E. Smith
Memorial Torah/Book Fund has
been established to provide for
written material needs of the Lake
Norman Jewish Congregation.
Maurice was a leader in providing
for and encouraging Jewish learn
ing and study in the Boston, MA,
area. This fund will be used exclu
sively to purchase, care for and
provide any published materials
that the congregation owns or the
Sarah Wolf, 5th-year Reform rabbinic
student, is leading services for LNJC.
Photo courtesy of Bill Hooker.
Pictured above are the newly acquired
Torah and Ark. The Torah is believed
to be 100 years old and originate from
Eastern Europe or Russia. The
portable Ark was custom made to
house and transport the Torah safely.
Photo courtesy of Bill Hooker.
Board of Directors deems it needs
for the congregation’s use.
Other milestones reached in
2007 include the acquisition of a
Torah, the recent donation of a
portable Torah Ark, and the first
Bat Mitzvah in the lake area.
Thanks to a donation by Arlene
and Steven Simms, and the help of
Florence and Louis Goldbrum,
LNJC purchased a Torah from a
congregation in Florida. “This
particular Torah is believed to be
100 years old, originating in
Eastern Europe or Russia,” said
Rich Cooper, past president of
LNJC. The congregation also
recently received the donation of a
Torah Ark. “I searched the internet
for a portable Torah Ark without
any success,” stated Jack
Grossman, a member of LNJC. “I
realized that we would need to
make one, and since my former
employer was a custom cabinet
shop, I approached them to see if
they would work with me in the
fabrication of the Ark.” Hands-On
Woodworking willingly fabricated
the Ark from detailed designs that
Grossman created. “I wanted it to
look very clean, yet display
unique details,” said Grossman.
(Continued on page 10 )