Our Story
Temple Beit HaYam was founded September 1993 by a group of dedicated Jewish families who wanted their children to have a Jewish education and a place to worship as a congregation.
We are large enough to offer a variety of educational and community programs, yet small enough to maintain a feeling of intimacy. All religious services, social programs and school classes take place in our beautiful Temple located in the Monterey Commons Professional Park. We offer Hebrew and religious training for youngsters from kindergarten through confirmation ages. Currently, there are more than 130 students enrolled in our programs. Our active Sisterhood and Mens Club plan activities and events designed to encourage social interaction and support of our Temple. Concerts, lectures and other events are offered to the Treasure Coast community at large. In addition, our Caring Community and Social Action Committee embody our commitment to tzedakah (justice and giving). Our active Junior and Senior Youth Groups provide important social and informal learning experiences for our teens.
We invite you to visit our congregation and meet our Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser, Cantorial Soloist and Religious Education Director Beth Pennamacoor, Director of Early Childhood Learning Amy Blechman, and Administrator Stephanie Rozansky. We look forward to welcoming you into our caring community.
We are large enough to offer a variety of educational and community programs, yet small enough to maintain a feeling of intimacy. All religious services, social programs and school classes take place in our beautiful Temple located in the Monterey Commons Professional Park. We offer Hebrew and religious training for youngsters from kindergarten through confirmation ages. Currently, there are more than 130 students enrolled in our programs. Our active Sisterhood and Mens Club plan activities and events designed to encourage social interaction and support of our Temple. Concerts, lectures and other events are offered to the Treasure Coast community at large. In addition, our Caring Community and Social Action Committee embody our commitment to tzedakah (justice and giving). Our active Junior and Senior Youth Groups provide important social and informal learning experiences for our teens.
We invite you to visit our congregation and meet our Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser, Cantorial Soloist and Religious Education Director Beth Pennamacoor, Director of Early Childhood Learning Amy Blechman, and Administrator Stephanie Rozansky. We look forward to welcoming you into our caring community.
Our Mission
Temple Beit HaYam is a family of families connected by a noble history and an inspiring value system with Jews on the Treasure Coast and throughout the world. We stand together as a Reform Jewish Congregation committed to Torah (life-long Jewish education), avodah (worship through prayer and observance) and gemilut chasadim (the pursuit of justice, peace and deeds of loving kindness). We aim to provide meaningful religious, educational, cultural and social activities for all our members in a warm and inclusive manner. Through these ideals as well as those of social action and tzedakah, we look to add meaning to our lives and the lives of others.
Mission Statement Adopted by the Board of Trustees September 20, 2006
Mission Statement Adopted by the Board of Trustees September 20, 2006
Our Clergy
Rabbi Jeffrey W. Goldwasser
In July 2011, Rabbi Jeffrey W. Goldwasser became the new spiritual leader of Temple Beit HaYam. Rabbi Goldwasser came to the Treasure Coast after eleven years as the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel in North Adams, Massachusetts. At his former congregation, Rabbi Goldwasser created innovative family education programs in which parents and children learn together to celebrate Judaism joyfully in their homes. He developed prayerbooks to bring new spiritual meaning to Shabbat and holiday celebrations. Rabbi Goldwasser formed partnerships in the congregation and with other clergy to provide pastoral care for those most in need. He also launched a social action program that won national recognition for bringing meals and dignity to homebound seniors.
Rabbi Goldwasser was one of twenty rabbis distinguished as "America's Real Top Rabbis 2012" by My Jewish Learning. He is the author of the website, Reb Jeff, a voice for fostering a more joyful approach to Judaism in synagogues and Jewish homes. He is a chaver (fellow) of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, which cultivates mindful leadership for revitalizing Jewish life. He is a member of one of the committees gathering material for the Reform Movement's new prayerbook for the High Holy Days, and he is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism's Joint Commission on Worship, Music and Religious Living.
Rabbi Goldwasser comes to Temple Beit HaYam with a special interest in making services more participatory, spiritual and musical. He also has expanded and developed Temple Beit HaYam's adult education offerings with classes that challenge and engage students at all levels of Jewish learning.
Temple Beit HaYam attracted Rabbi Goldwasser because of his deep love of small Jewish communities where people truly care about, and care for, each other. Rabbi Goldwasser was also attracted by the chance to live just a short distance from his parent's home in Palm Beach County. He is married to Jonquil Wolfson. Together they have two children.
Rabbi Goldwasser was one of twenty rabbis distinguished as "America's Real Top Rabbis 2012" by My Jewish Learning. He is the author of the website, Reb Jeff, a voice for fostering a more joyful approach to Judaism in synagogues and Jewish homes. He is a chaver (fellow) of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, which cultivates mindful leadership for revitalizing Jewish life. He is a member of one of the committees gathering material for the Reform Movement's new prayerbook for the High Holy Days, and he is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism's Joint Commission on Worship, Music and Religious Living.
Rabbi Goldwasser comes to Temple Beit HaYam with a special interest in making services more participatory, spiritual and musical. He also has expanded and developed Temple Beit HaYam's adult education offerings with classes that challenge and engage students at all levels of Jewish learning.
Temple Beit HaYam attracted Rabbi Goldwasser because of his deep love of small Jewish communities where people truly care about, and care for, each other. Rabbi Goldwasser was also attracted by the chance to live just a short distance from his parent's home in Palm Beach County. He is married to Jonquil Wolfson. Together they have two children.
Cantorial Soloist Beth Penamacoor
Beth has served the Congregation as Cantorial Soloist since 1997. Originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, she participated in her Temple's choir from 2nd grade until graduating high school in 1974. She was the president of her Temple youth group chapter and participated in regional activities throughout high school. Beth recently attended the Beutel Seminar for Leadership for ten days in Israel with 25 other people from all over the world. She can’t wait to go back.
Beth has two daughters, Jessica, who is in Restaurant Management and resides in Delray Beach, Florida, and Rebecca who is married to Evan Beery. They have a 2 ½ year old son, Draven and newborn baby girl, Rayla. Beth loves being a Bubbe. Thank goodness for Skype!
Beth has been Temple Beit HaYam's Director of Education since 2009. She is having a great time in that position. She loves working with all of the teachers and students in the Religious School. She also does one-on-one tutoring with students preparing to become B'nei Mitzvah. She feels that this is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.
Beth is currently enrolled in Hebrew College’s online dual Bachelors/Masters program for Jewish Education. This has been a long time goal for her to complete her education. Beth is an active member of the Commission for Jewish Education in Palm Beach as a member of the Educators’ Council and the Cantorial Representative on the General Board for The Commission for Jewish Education. She is also a member of the National Association of Temple Educators (NATE). Beth is looking forward to her new position as Vice President of Membership for the Guild of Temple Musicians.
Beth has two daughters, Jessica, who is in Restaurant Management and resides in Delray Beach, Florida, and Rebecca who is married to Evan Beery. They have a 2 ½ year old son, Draven and newborn baby girl, Rayla. Beth loves being a Bubbe. Thank goodness for Skype!
Beth has been Temple Beit HaYam's Director of Education since 2009. She is having a great time in that position. She loves working with all of the teachers and students in the Religious School. She also does one-on-one tutoring with students preparing to become B'nei Mitzvah. She feels that this is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.
Beth is currently enrolled in Hebrew College’s online dual Bachelors/Masters program for Jewish Education. This has been a long time goal for her to complete her education. Beth is an active member of the Commission for Jewish Education in Palm Beach as a member of the Educators’ Council and the Cantorial Representative on the General Board for The Commission for Jewish Education. She is also a member of the National Association of Temple Educators (NATE). Beth is looking forward to her new position as Vice President of Membership for the Guild of Temple Musicians.
Rabbi Emeritus Jonathan P. Kendall
Jonathan Kendall, the founding Rabbi of Temple Beit HaYam became Rabbi Emeritus (Retired) on June 30, 2011.
Rabbi Kendall was elected to the Beit HaYam pulpit as our congregation’s first full-time Rabbi in the summer of 1995. Previously, he had served pulpits in Miami, Santa Barbara, California and Los Angeles.
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Rabbi Kendall is a graduate of Ohio State University (a double major in Philosophy and Linguistics) and was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 1975. At HUC-JIR he also received a Bachelor of Hebrew Letters and Master of Hebrew Letters degree and was recently awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree in recognition of his contributions to the community and the American Reform Rabbinate.
Rabbi Kendall served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Religious Studies Department of the University of California at Santa Barbara. He was a discussant at the Robert M. Hutchins Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions which was connected to UCSB. During his California tenure, the Rabbi served on a number of community boards including Hospice and United Way; he chaired the Allocations Committee for United Way of Santa Barbara County and was the chairperson in Santa Barbara County for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He and three other clergy established Transition House, a homeless shelter in Santa Barbara which still flourishes today. Rabbi Kendall also served as the West Coast Chair of UJA’s Rabbinic Cabinet and in that capacity, was the "Rabbi-in-Residence" for more than ten missions to Israel under the aegis of the United Jewish Appeal (now, United Jewish Communities).
Rabbi Kendall was among the first appointees (by Governor Lawton Chiles) to the newly created oversight committee that led to the localization of Heath and Human Services in the State of Florida and also served on the local boards of HRS in Miami and the Treasure Coast.
Rabbi Kendall arrived at Temple Beit HaYam when we had no building. His efforts over the next five years in everything from interior design to fund-raising made a major impact on our building plans and construction. The Temple grew from 115 families upon his arrival to just under 300 families; from 37 children in our Religious School to more than 100.
He is the author of My Name is Rachamim (a children’s book on the Ethiopian aliyah) and contributed a chapter to That You May Live Long (both through the URJ press). He has had articles published in the Miami Herald, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and Reform Judaism.
Rabbi Kendall is the proud father of Jessica and Rivkah. He enjoys travel, golf, boating and wind-surfing. He is a master teacher, an outstanding preacher, a caring pastor, a scintillating interpreter of our tradition, a committed Zionist, a civil libertarian and constantly seeks to enlarge and enrich Jewish life along the Treasure Coast.
Rabbi Kendall was elected to the Beit HaYam pulpit as our congregation’s first full-time Rabbi in the summer of 1995. Previously, he had served pulpits in Miami, Santa Barbara, California and Los Angeles.
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Rabbi Kendall is a graduate of Ohio State University (a double major in Philosophy and Linguistics) and was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 1975. At HUC-JIR he also received a Bachelor of Hebrew Letters and Master of Hebrew Letters degree and was recently awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree in recognition of his contributions to the community and the American Reform Rabbinate.
Rabbi Kendall served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Religious Studies Department of the University of California at Santa Barbara. He was a discussant at the Robert M. Hutchins Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions which was connected to UCSB. During his California tenure, the Rabbi served on a number of community boards including Hospice and United Way; he chaired the Allocations Committee for United Way of Santa Barbara County and was the chairperson in Santa Barbara County for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He and three other clergy established Transition House, a homeless shelter in Santa Barbara which still flourishes today. Rabbi Kendall also served as the West Coast Chair of UJA’s Rabbinic Cabinet and in that capacity, was the "Rabbi-in-Residence" for more than ten missions to Israel under the aegis of the United Jewish Appeal (now, United Jewish Communities).
Rabbi Kendall was among the first appointees (by Governor Lawton Chiles) to the newly created oversight committee that led to the localization of Heath and Human Services in the State of Florida and also served on the local boards of HRS in Miami and the Treasure Coast.
Rabbi Kendall arrived at Temple Beit HaYam when we had no building. His efforts over the next five years in everything from interior design to fund-raising made a major impact on our building plans and construction. The Temple grew from 115 families upon his arrival to just under 300 families; from 37 children in our Religious School to more than 100.
He is the author of My Name is Rachamim (a children’s book on the Ethiopian aliyah) and contributed a chapter to That You May Live Long (both through the URJ press). He has had articles published in the Miami Herald, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and Reform Judaism.
Rabbi Kendall is the proud father of Jessica and Rivkah. He enjoys travel, golf, boating and wind-surfing. He is a master teacher, an outstanding preacher, a caring pastor, a scintillating interpreter of our tradition, a committed Zionist, a civil libertarian and constantly seeks to enlarge and enrich Jewish life along the Treasure Coast.
Our Staff
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Our Board of Trustees
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EXECUTIVE BOARD
President Vice President—Ritual Vice President—Education Chairperson-ECLC Co-Vice President—Membership Co-Vice President—Membership Secretary, Fundraising Co-Chair Treasurer Immediate Past President, Fundraising Co-Chair REPRESENTATIVE TRUSTEES Sisterhood President Brotherhood President Youth Committee Chair Social Action Committee Co-Chair Social Action Committee Co-Chair Caring Committee Co-Chair Caring Committee Co-Chair CONTINUING TRUSTEES (remaining one-year term) Trustee Trustee Trustee NEW TRUSTEES (two-year term) Trustee Trustee |
Karen Weisberg Amy Alpert Jill Kantrowitz Karl Drehobl, M.D. Steve Ziskinder Jami Chaban Gene Zweben Howard Levy Steve Rozansky Tara Zweben Ronn Schuman Wendy Benoit Debbie Maunus Amy Smith Jesse Katz Lauren Ram Barry Berhoff Joan Burton Susan Wertheim Shana Kayton Joni Winnick |
