Email: President@tbsofs.org

President’s Message

The Synagogue in my Life.

    The synagogue has always been a special place for me. I was born in Tel Aviv and raised in a religious family. As a child, the synagogue played an intrinsic role in shaping my identity and my values. As a parent, Temple Beth Sholom (TBS) was the synagogue where my wife, Rae, and I raised our two sons who are today very proud of their Judaism and continue to attend services years after their Bar Mitzvahs.

   The synagogue reflects my life cycle. It bridges me to my childhood, my adolescence and adulthood. It was a place where I recall sitting with my Dad as a child in those rare precious quality moments praying and sharing life stories. It was a place my mother walked with me for miles to bring me to Hebrew School and a place where I clowned around with my siblings and friends. In adulthood it was a place where I sought the guidance of Hashem (our G-d) to help me cope with difficult and enriching times. It was a place where I celebrated many simchas and mourned the loss of the people that I loved.  Today, it is a place where my spirit feels alive and at home.

   Similar to myself, I am sure most of us have reflected on the significance of the Synagogue in our lives. We all come to synagogue to connect spitually, emotionally and socially. We come to learn about our Judaic past, we become inspired and motivated to face life’s challenges, teach our children to live Judicially, remember the loss of our beloved, feel part of a community and feel optimistic about our future.  It answers our ontology.

    There are obvious moments in life that makes us question the synagogue. We always seem busy. Busy with work, children having to be at sporting events, etc. The synagogue sometimes becomes a secondary priority. In other words, why bother?  Outside of our family system, the synagogue is one of the most important institutions in our lives. It has a lifetime of presence in our life cycle events.  It energizes our faith and unless we, as Jews, provide its sustenance, it will vanish as a critical institution in our community. It will deprive our children of having a Judaic home to share with their children.

      Make Temple Beth Sholom of Smithtown a part of your lifestyle. A Jewish community is about people coming together with a common history sharing times of happiness, gathering for celebrations and seeking emotional support in times of pain.

      Temple Beth Sholom is emerging with a new spirit. We welcome a new Board of directors who are committed to reviving the energy and spirituality of TBS. We want to rebuild our home.  As the new Temple President, I have been entrusted by the congregation to inspire the Temple’s growth and well-being. This objective is one of the greatest Mitzvahs in life.

      At TBS we offer meaningful and inspirational worship services and the highest quality of Hebrew education for children and adults.  We encourage to have after school and weekend teen trips and social programs, we promote gatherings and Jewish workshops for adults, we honor our seniors and offer a place for them to have get together, such as lunch and learn programs. The seniors built our Synagogue and we always need to recognize their contribution at TBS.

     Remember this is your spiritual home. We want you. We need you.   We need your input and creativity. We need your friends, neighbors; business associates to also help us so their contribution can only add to our common experience. Contact a board member and tell them you are there to help all of us. Lets not miss the opportunity.

    Thus, please come with your musical instruments, your songs, your poems, your paint canvass, your cheers, your stories, your blessings, your cheers and your tears.  The synagogue is there for you.

  We Live and learn at TBS.

      Welcome to your Judaic Home,

      Dr. Shafer H. Zysman, President