Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue

Our Visit to Shul in Florida

Rob & I were in Florida for the High Holydays and we went to a Reform service for Erev Rosh Hashanah to Temple Beit HaYam in a small town called Stuart. They are affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism. The synagogue is situated in a most impressive part of town next door to the investment banks. The shul is relatively new and the building is approximately 9 years old, being most lavish and impressive. The community has been going for about 12 years and they were very friendly and welcoming. They only have about 200 members, but they are hoping to expand as there is only the Chabad in the nearby vicinity.

The service was taken by Rabbi Jonathan Kendall, Florida’s equivalent of Jackie Mason, and Cantor Beth Leslie, who had a delightful voice. The accompanists were a woman on the piano and two flutists. The flutists really added something special to the service and made it unique. So do we have any flutists in our community?

When it came to the Shema the community held hands, which we have never come across before. Unusually, when they sang the songs, many of which we were familiar with, they started the first line in Hebrew and then continued in English. It was certainly a service with a difference, with much of the reading in English, but by the end of the evening we had really enjoyed our experience.

Interestingly on Yom Kippur in between the morning and afternoon services the Rabbi was leading a seminar with the topic being “Take two aspirin and pray…. a look at Jewish tradition’s view of health and healthcare”. In America at the moment healthcare is one of the hot topics of conversation.

Should you visit this shul remember to wear something warm because the air conditioning is freezing. Thank goodness we weren’t there all day for Yom Kippur!

Sue Barnett