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SOUTH ORANGE, N.J., July 16, 2019 – When Beth Blackman walked into Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI) in South Orange for her job interview, she immediately felt the warmth of the community. And from the moment she sat down with the search committee, she knew she’d found the right fit.
“Everyone on the search committee was so welcoming and just walking into the building made my heart sing,” said Blackman, who joined the Reform synagogue as the new executive director effective June 1. She was most recently the administrator at Temple Beth Or in the Township of Washington in Bergen County, where, as a long-time member, she’d also served as temple president in the early-2000s. She succeeds Leslie Sporn, who retired this spring after 18 years as TSTI’s executive director.
Blackman, who resides in Englewood, left Temple Beth Or as that synagogue prepares to merge with Temple Beth El of Northern Valley in Closter. “One chapter is closing and another is beginning,” she said.
Blackman said she has found great reward in her synagogue work, supporting the clergy and helping members with both their happy and sad occasions. “I really found my niche as administrator and ran with it. I love making things happen in the background so that what you see and experience as a congregant is special.”
Aside from the wonderful feeling she got from TSTI’s historic mansion and the search committee, Blackman noted how impressed she was with the breadth and quality of programming at TSTI. “It’s evident that the staff and volunteers work hard to put on great programs for members of all ages.”
Temple president Max Weisenfeld said that, “TSTI is a special place, and it is important that our executive director be able to recognize and contribute meaningfully to that spirit. What struck me about Beth, beyond her calm competence and experience, was her dedication to Judaism, community, and synagogue life. I could tell immediately that she got us, and to me, that is everything.”
Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel is a dynamic, inclusive Reform congregation that offers numerous ways for members to connect with and celebrate being part of the Jewish community and the world. Welcoming Jews by birth or by choice, interfaith, traditional and non-traditional families, and children of all abilities, TSTI provides lifelong learning and enriching programs for all members through a full complement of religious services, early childhood and religious school education, cultural programs, and activities that foster connection, engagement and community outreach in a joyful, judgment-free environment. TSTI is located at 432 Scotland Road in South Orange, drawing members from Maplewood, South Orange, West Orange, Short Hills, Millburn, Livingston and surrounding areas. For more information, visit www.tsti.org.
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About Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel
432 Scotland Road, South Orange, NJ 07079
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Media Contact:
Caryn Starr-Gates
Caryl Communications
(201) 796-7788
Email: caryn@caryl.com