cutline: Artist’s rendering of the new Temple Beth Am Shalom.

With the High Holidays fast approaching, people are beginning to look for a temple to celebrate and worship with that is best suited for their needs. Many temples are accommodating in return, with many congregations in the Ocean County area hosting open houses for prospective members.
Beth Am Shalom describes itself as a “new beginning to an old tradition,” a reference to the merger of Lakewood’s Temple Beth Am with Temple Beth Shalom in Toms River. Rabbi Stephen Gold is very excited to begin services under one roof this year and unite the two congregations as one big family. A new building is underway “a little north of Toms River and a little south of Lakewood, right in between the two constituencies,” Rabbi Gold said. “The final step in merging will be making the Temple accessible from both [towns].... We don’t say ‘both groups’ anymore; we merge to become one.”
Beth Am Shalom recently elected a new president, Lee Krislow, and instituted a new board to officially join the two congregations.
Beth Am Shalom is associated with the Reform movement and has lively and colorful services every Friday night and Saturday. There are special Tot Shabbats as well as many clubs, including the Sisterhood and the Men’s Club. There are youth groups, an adult choir, and events for seniors as well.
Beth Am Shalom is having their open house on Aug. 24, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. “There will be refreshments, members of the board and religious school students there in order to show people around and showcase our temple,” president Lee Krislow said. “We’ll have pictures of what the new building is going to look like. We’re looking to attract as many families as possible.”
Beth Am Shalom is having a special selichot service to usher in the High Holiday season. Dr. Fred A. Lazin from Ben Gurion University, Israel, will be the featured guest speaker. He will be speaking on “Jews and American Politics.” All are welcome to attend.
Beth Am Shalom extends a hand to any prospective members to come join their warm and welcoming family.
Temple Beth Or, Brick, is looking forward to a year of exciting programs and strong ties to tradition.
“Temple Beth Or is a traditional Conservative synagogue,” president Phil Correll said about his congregation. Beth Or has a Hebrew school, a Hebrew High school, and adult education classes. A lecture is given every Friday night before services. USY and Kadima youth movements have award-winning chapters based out of the synagogue. Every year, the Beth Or High Holiday services feature Cantor Gil Polp, who comes in especially for the high holidays.
Beth Or is excited to announce that their new rabbi, Royi Shaffin, is starting in August.
“The new rabbi is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary,” Correll said. “He has been a rabbi in Nebraska and North Carolina prior to coming here. We are expecting new and exciting programs over the next year with him.”
Temple Beth Or’s open house is on Aug. 24, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Correll extends an invitation to anyone who is interested in joining the temple.
“Please come visit a service and you’ll find out how nice a congregation it is,” Correll said. “You’ll want to stay!”
Eabb Ellen Wolintz-Fields ensures that Congregation B’nai Israel is a very friendly and family oriented place. Its open house is on Aug. 24 from 10 a.m to 12:30  p.m., with Rabbi Wolintz-Fields, new cantor Steven Walnick, education director Renee Wallach Dean, president Steve Pardes, and board members in attendance.
Wolintz-Fields said the new cantor is very exciting and brings a new approach to prayer.
“He manages to get everyone involved in the temple, whether it’s in Hebrew or in the English if you can’t follow in the Hebrew,” Wolintz-Fields said.
There will be a tour of the temple for all prospective members and activities throughout the day for children to participate in, Wolintz-Fields said.
The feeling of community and support is strong at Congregation B’nai Israel, evident at Rabbi Wolintz-Fields’ son’s recent bris.
“I recently just gave birth to my son, Samuel, and there were over 300 people at my son’s bris to support us and to celebrate his life,” the rabbi said.
Temple secretary Christine Greenwood said there is an advantage for prospective members to join this year.
“If families and singles that are under 35 years old join they receive the first year of membership free, and if families and singles that are over 35 years old join their first year is half price,” Greenwood said.
Additionally, the temple has USY, Kadima, Men’s Club, and Sisterhood. For children, there is “First Step,” “Baby Step,” and nursery school, Greenwood said.
“It should really be a fun-filled year,” Greenwood said.
The Jewish Community Center of Long Beach Island is out to “add something to your life of play here in LBI,” President Rose Valentine said. “This is the center for Jewish life in southern Ocean County. We offer so much spirit here.”
Although there are members who live in Long Beach Island all year long, the bulk of the JCC’s activity occurs during the summer months, when families come to their beach houses for vacation or to spend a weekend by the shore. Every week, the JCC offers activities and special services for these members in order to put something spiritual into someone’s vacation.
“There aren’t that many people living here in the wintertime, so this is a place where they can be together,” Valentine said. “The special services are an opportunity for the year round people and an extra special experience for the people who are here just for the summer.”
Examples of special services are Kabbalat Shabbat on the beach, the dedication of a Torah rescued from the Holocaust, and Shabbat dinner. Last Shabbat, day services were followed by an art show, which featured 65 different vendors.
“There was a couple who just joined who came to the activities for the weekend who said, ‘thank you for making this weekend so special.’ These months that we are in full strength have something going on every week. Most synagogues go into quiet mode for the summer, but about 75 percent of our members aren’t here except for the summer months.”
The High Holiday services this year are instituting a children’s service on the first day of Rosh Hashana for the first time. Each year, there is a family service and tashlich by the bay.
“There are people who live here all year long and they have their community. For a lot of people, this is really a second home,” Valentine said. “We provide the chance for people to socialize and meet other people who are on the island. We keep on trying to tell people who are just lounging to do a little more!”
For more information of the JCC of LBI, visit their Web site at www.jccoflbi.org or call the office at (609) 492-4090