Temple Shalom Celebrates 50th
Front row: Beth Stromberg, Harriett Bell, Kim Kort, and Rabbi Moshe Druin
More than 400 people came together on March 29 to celebrate the beginning of a yearlong celebration of Temple Shalom‘s 50th anniversary.
“Throughout the year, there will be special worship experiences, displays, tikkun olam projects, a concert, and of course our Gala Celebration on Jan. 8, 2016,” said Dennis Eichelbaum, Temple Shalom’s president.
The 50th anniversary opening ceremony chairs were Harriet and Barry Bell, Kim and Jeff Kort, and Beth and Mark Stromberg.
Rabbi Andrew Paley and Rabbi Moshe Druin explained to congregants the importance of creating a Torah for their congregation through the Torah Legacy Project. The original founders of Temple Shalom wrote the first letter of the new Torah during the ceremony. Congregants can sign up to complete other letters throughout the year.
In 1966, the temple received its first Torah from Congregation Shearith Israel. Temple Shalom will gift one of its existing Torahs to another congregation as part of the tradition of L’Dor V’Dor and to recognize Congregation Shearith Israel’s gift.
Temple Shalom held its first service on Friday, Oct. 29, 1965, in SMU’s Perkins Chapel. The first service at its current location on Hillcrest Road and Alpha Road was held on Rosh Hashanah in 1972.
The temple will open its time capsule this year and create another one to open on its 100th anniversary.
