Dear Friends,
Welcome to Congregation Ohev Beth Sholom.
As we merge our buildings and sacred artifacts, most importantly we join our members into one unified family of congregants.
Many changes lie ahead including our anticipation of a settled Rabbi to lead us on this journey.
The Clergy Search Committee made up of members from both former congregations has filed an application with the CCAR for a Reform Rabbi who will lead both Reform services on Friday nights and Conservative services on Saturday mornings. The new Rabbi will be in place July 1, 2022; until that time, Rabbi Winnig and Sandy Kessler will conduct services and perform life-cycle events. Resumes are being received and scrutinized by the committee which will then make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees and the congregation.
Modifications are being made to our Elm Street building to accommodate the memorial plaques and the beautiful stained glass windows. The kitchens are being prepared for both kosher and non-kosher meals. The Main Office is being re-configured to incorporate the addition of part-time employees, and an office on the main hallway is being prepared for Sandy Kessler, spiritual leader.
Opportunities to become involved abound as the working committees welcome new members. An infusion of new ideas and projects is eagerly anticipated.
Change is always difficult; it takes time and a concentrated effort to envision the future of our community. Working together we will lay the foundation for future generations of a strong Jewish presence in the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys.
We are the visionaries- one inclusive congregation with shared values and a shared vision to become “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” - creating a society built upon principles of justice and human dignity. As we blend our historic experiences, we become those true visionaries combining those formative experiences into a collective spiritual journey.
In Congregation Ohev Beth Sholom we find a spiritual home for all of us- new friends, new relationships, and a new and bright future.
Please join us on this journey of unification as we become truly one Congregation Ohev Beth Sholom congregation.
Sincerely,
Nancy Burnett and Mark Huberman
Co-Presidents,
Congregation Ohev Beth Sholom
