Committee List -- Get Involved!

Aid for Friends

Jill Aschkenasy and Lizabeth Raynes, Co-Chairs

Aid for Friends is a non-profit organization in Philadelphia that delivers free meals to elderly shut-ins who would otherwise have very limited access to hot meals. Aid for Friends falls under the auspices of the Social Action Committee.

Beth David Men

Neil Sukonik, President
Beth David Men — We Are Mensch provides social activities for men; service to Beth David and to the larger community; and sponsors the Beth David Bruins softball team. Visit the Beth David Men page for more information.

B'nai Mitzvah/Confirmation Committee

Morjorie Ochroch and Laura Hutner, Co-Chairs

The B'nai Mitzvah Committee assists the professional staff in making bar and bat mitzvah a positive, meaningful experience for all families. It works to encourage students to remain in religious school and to facilitate Confirmation.

Bulletin

Ed Hoffman, Chair
The Bulletin committee oversees production of a monthly newsletter to keep members informed about the news of the congregation.

Caring Community

June Appel and Roberta Ruvin, Co-chairs
The Caring Community arranges meals, rides, and other assistance to members in need due to trying life circumstances, such as illness or death in the family. This committee falls under the auspices of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ).

Cemetery

Albert Mendel, Chair
The cemetery committee oversees purchase of gravesites in the Haym Solomon Memorial Park, Frazer, PA, which are held by Beth David at a reduced rate for members.

College-Age Connection

Tracy Silverman, Kim Gongol Co-chairs
The purpose of the College Age Committee (CAC) is to help our young adults stay connected to Judaism and to the Beth David community.

CORE People Coordinator

Elise Grover, Chair
This committee manages a database of volunteers as a resource to the Board and Committee chairs to be utilized on an as-needed basis.

Development

Steve Saltzman, Chair
The committee's mission is to increase awareness of and expectation for voluntary gifts, to develop additional opportunities for such gifts, and to ensure that gifts are appropriately acknowledged.

Finance

Ilene McCaffrey and Howard Sklaroff, Co chairs
The Finance Committee monitors Beth David's financial healthy and makes decisions about special financial arrangements.

Gladwyne Jewish Cemetery

Steve Finkelman and Neil Sukonik, Co-chairs
Organizes and oversees clean-up of the historic nearby Gladwyne Jewish Cemetery. This committee falls under the auspices of Beth David Men.

High Holy Days

Judy Grinspan, Jeff Saltz, Roberta Ruvin, Co-Chairs
This Committee coordinates member participation for the entire Days of Awe. The committee's work is done in coordination with the Rabbi and Arlene Smuckler, administrative assistant to clergy.

Home and School Association

Andrea Troxel

Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)

Karen Wilson, IHN of the Main Line Board President
Ed Weiss, Nancy Benowitz, Co-Chairs
Beth David is part of a consortium of religious organizations that comprise the IHN of the Main Line, which is committed to helping homeless families achieve independence. Volunteers provide food and hospitality to IHN guests, usually four times per year.

Israel

Michael Yecies, Co-Chair
The Israel committee keeps up with current events in Israel and holds events to inform and educate the congregation on that topic.

Kehillat Lower Merion

Richard Lynn, Representative
The committee serves as Beth David's liaison to the Kehillat of Lower Merion, an organization devoted to building connections among synagogues in Lower Merion.

Leheyot

Elaine Ecker, Miriam Barksy, Co-Chairs

The committee coordinates a dinner and service for Shabbat Leheyot, which serves to include people with disabilities and honor those who care for them.

Library

Fanchon Apfel and Roberta Ruvin, Co-chairs
The library committee controls the entire inventory of the library and maintains the catalogue of books, magazines, newspapers, etc. The library is funded by the Library Fund.

Life Long Learning/ Koffee Kallah

The Life Long Learning committee promotes Jewish education beyond the Hebrew School level by providing educational experiences relevant to Jewish life. Under its auspices is Koffee Kallah, a Sunday morning educational forum.

Membership

Ilene Rosen, Steve Berens, Toby Gang, Co-chairs
The membership committee works to attract prospective members to Beth David, to welcome and acclimate new members, and to acknowledge the dedication of long-term members and long-time volunteers.

Retention

Elise Grover  Chair
A subcommittee of Membership, this committee works to acknowledge and retain Beth David members.

Marketing

Ilene Rosen, Chair
A subcommittee of membership, this committee works to bring Beth David to the attention of prospective members.

Music

The Music Committee works in tandem with the Cantor and Worship Committee to bring special musical programs to Beth David, such as Russian music, the dance and song ensemble Barynya, and Friday Night Live.

Pre-School

Deborah Ledley, Chair

The Preschool Committee works independently and with the Religious School to provide opportunities for young families to meet, to promote Beth David to prospective families, and to increase young children's comfort in the synagogue.

Social Action

Beth David's Social Action Committee is committed to raising awareness of significant political and social issues and to encouraging tikkun olam in an effort to fulfill our role as Jews. See also Aid for Friends and IHN.

Synaplex™

Mark Rosen, Chair
SYNAPLEX™ is a creative way to involve congregants in the synagogue for Friday nights Shabbat services, involving music, food, art, singing, education, and social service as well as prayer.

Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ/Sisterhood)

Lois Burack and Anita Lichtenberg, Co-chairs
Beth David WRJ fulfills a wide variety of obligations to the National WRJ, to Beth David Reform Congregation, and to causes we espouse; and at the same time provides social, educational, and physical, and professional opportunities to our membership.

Worship Committee

The Beth David Worship Committee supports and partners with clergy to create an environment that encourages the ongoing growth of worship practices, and fosters relationships among the board, the clergy, the committee, and worshippers.