Life Cycle Events
Brit Milah
You are expecting a baby! Mazel tov!
We welcome full participation from the diverse range of families at Temple of Israel who wish to have a Jewish baby naming or bris (Jewish covenantal circumcision). Here at Temple of Israel, we see baby namings and britot (plural of bris) as opportunities to create new Jewish paths for our growing families and can help connect you to blessings and resources for home or for congregational ceremonies.
We hope to join with you and all members of your family to help shape a Jewish ritual for your baby that will mark his or her entry into the world and our community with meaning and purpose. According to the Jewish Reform Movement, children with one Jewish parent (mother or father) are considered fully Jewish if they are raised and educated as Jews. Because we realize that decisions about birth rituals can be complicated, we can connect you to our Rabbi who can guide you in this process. If you have questions, want to know your options, or wonder about the impact of your decisions on the religious identity of your child, please contact Rabbi Rose: 864.906.8412.
Suggested reading: The New Jewish Baby Book by Anita Diamant
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
A Bar Mitzvah, “son of the commandment,” or Bat Mitzvah, “daughter of the commandment,” is a Jewish rite of passage marking an important turning point in a young adolescent’s life. As early as 200 C.E. rabbinic authorities declared that a boy aged thirteen was considered legally binding. It was not until several hundred years later that the first Bar Mitzvah ceremony was celebrated. In the 19th century the first Bat Mitzvah ceremony was celebrated emphasizing the equality between a young man and young woman’s transitional state from child to adult.
To become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Temple of Israel students must learn certain prayers and blessings, study a Torah and Haftarah portion, and write a D’var Torah, or sermon, with the Rabbi.
Wedding
At Temple of Israel, we see each and every Jewish wedding as not only an opportunity to create a vibrant and festive ceremony, but also as a chance to begin a couple’s commitment to a vibrant and festive Jewish home.
Therefore, in helping to shape weddings, we welcome all couples that wish to get married with Jewish ritual and customs and begin the process of having a Jewish home, no matter their religious background or sexual orientation. We recognize the wide variety of Jewish practice that exists and will work with each couple to help them articulate what kind of a Judaism they hope to develop and grow in their marriage and home. If you would like a Jewish wedding, we will help you to create one that is accessible to your whole family, meaningful, and connects you to our Jewish community.
Suggested reading: The New Jewish Wedding Book by Anita Diamant
Funeral
The Beth Israel Cemetery was established in 1938 and is located at Highway 25 & Highway 124. The cemetery is accessed from the Graceland Cemetery entrance at 4814 White Horse Road. Beth Israel provides cemetery plots for the burial of remains of persons of the Jewish faith or their spouses, children, and grandchildren in accordance with Jewish law.
To simplify access into the Beth Israel Cemetery, the Association has installed electronic gates at the Cemetery entrance. The code to the gates is the same as the combination for the lock that was formerly on the manual gates. If you need this code, please contact a Cemetery Association volunteer or the office at either Congregation Beth Israel or Temple of Israel. The new gates are simple to operate and function similarly to those at many gated communities. Once you enter the code, the gate opens and remains open until you pass over a sensor embedded in the driveway. When you are prepared to exit the cemetery, the gate will automatically open when you drive over a sensor embedded in the drive on the inside of the cemetery. The gate will automatically close once you exit the cemetery. The pedestrian gate to the right of the vehicular gate remains unlocked at all times and the cemetery may also be accessed through this gate.
If you have any problem with the operation of the gates or need additional information or assistance, please contact one of the Cemetery Association volunteers as listed below:
Jeff Zaglin 864-419-6840
Dan Einstein 864-483-2999
Dale Goldman 864-915-7273
Jeff Dezen 864-630-7187
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