Beth Israel, The Jewish Congregation of Sun City Center, is a lively and energetic community of 285 Congregants and friends, all of whom are committed to maintaining an active Jewish presence in the South County region of Hillsborough County, Florida. We are affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism.
The synagogue has its beginnings in a group that started holding Friday night services back in 1975. Incorporated in 1986, Beth Israel constructed its own building at 1115 East Del Webb Blvd in 1988, adding our Social Hall to it in 2002. We hold weekly Erev Shabbat (evening) services on Fridays at 7:30 pm, plus special services for Festivals and other holidays.
About
Our worship style is egalitarian, with a lot of singing. Our Congregants come from Jewish as well as non-Jewish backgrounds ranging from non-observant to Orthodox. Our practices combine traditional as well as non-traditional observances with contemporary liturgies and music. We use the current prayer books of the Reform movement exclusively.
We also offer classes with varied content periodically. Torah readings are scheduled on the 2nd and 4th Erev Shabbatot. Birthdays and anniversaries are celebrated on the 1st Erev Shabbat and our monthly Congregational Meet and Greet for Congregants and friends occurs before the 3rd Erev Shabbat Service starts. When there is a 5th Shabbat in a month, we try to have a Shabbat dinner before services.
Tikkun Olam, translated as “Repair of the world,” is exemplified by our Social Action efforts in our greater community. Each January, we supports our local Meals On Wheels by picking up and delivering meals to the homebound. Our Caring Committee reaches out to our Congregants on the Mi Shebeirach list to check in on them and on their health. We do food and/or cash collections for our local food banks and those in need due to emergencies, both near and far. We actively participate in the Interfaith Council, whose charity efforts are supported by the “Nearly New Shop,” where we also volunteer. We reach out to other religious institutions and houses of worship to promote interfaith understanding and co-operation.
Our building houses a busy community, with worship services, classes, and programs of all sorts, sponsored by our Sisterhood, Men’s Club, the Program Committee and our Jewish Library.
Most of our members have come here from somewhere else, so we all know what it is like to be new in an area. We work diligently to welcome newcomers and help them to feel at home, both in the community and in our Congregation.
We will celebrate out 50th Anniversary in 2025; please join us for our golden year!
Come and meet us!
Beth Israel, the Jewish Congregation of Sun City Center, is a melting pot of mostly retirees from all over the United States. Beth Israel spans the spectrum of Judaism from Orthodox to Reform. March of 2012 marked the 25th Anniversary of Beth Israel’s groundbreaking ceremony for a permanent home.
Historians say that if you know where you’ve come from, you can appreciate where you are now and understand where you might go in the future. Beth Israel’s archives include a collection of archival scrapbooks. These scrapbooks, shelved amidst the library’s collections, preserve the history of Beth Israel, The Jewish Congregation of Sun City Center.
The stories of our Temple community begin with, Book 1, “In the Beginning” – B’reishit, 1975 – 1982, lovingly compiled by Selma Pellegrino. Through her efforts both as Historian and Shalom News Editor, there are 24 books in all, with newspaper clippings, letters, newsletters, photos, and so on. On the 25th Anniversary of Beth Israel’s groundbreaking for its’ permanent home, Cyrille Cobe prepared a brief synthesis of how the temple community began and what led to the groundbreaking on March, 1987.
Our History
In 1975, a small group in Sun City Center, led by Rabbi Adolph Feinberg, Ph.D., a retired Army Chaplain, led Friday night services using prayer books obtained from Tampa and St. Petersburg rabbis. After Rabbi Feinberg’s death, Reverend Gingery of the United Community Church, encouraged the small group of worshipers (10 – 12) to continue to hold services without a Rabbi and offered the facilities of the United Community Church. The offer was accepted, and lay services continued until 1985. Rabbi Opher and Rabbi Richter each came once a month as visiting Rabbis. Membership had grown to 140 and the size of the congregation was rapidly outgrowing the facility at UCC.
In March of 1986 consideration was given to what to do if our present home at UCC was no longer available. In December of 1986 two acres were purchased with funds contributed by the entire congregation (1.5 acres) and a generous donation by the Biancos’ for the remaining .5-acre. Dues were increased to $100.00 a year.
In 1983 the first newsletter, handwritten, mentioned a membership booklet, tribute cards, and an Oneg Shabbat committee. Then, Gates of Prayer was adopted for services, a Torah committee was appointed and Mr. Benjamin Greenbaum, a Tampa philanthropist, expressed interest in donating a Torah. The building of an ark was undertaken by our local, Kings Point Woodshop Club. Membership rose to 83.
On February 10, 1984 a Torah Dedication service was held with guest speakers USF Rabbi Steven J. Kaplan and Aaron Iskewitch. A month later, the portable ark was dedicated. The ark was built by Dan Klotchkoff in the Kings Point woodworking shop according to the specifications in Chapter 25, the Book of Exodus, out of wood and without any nails. Shalom News was launched and issued every other month. Typically about 30 people attended Friday night services then. Publicity appeared in The Sun, The East Hillsborough Tribune, and the Jewish Floridian of Tampa.
Groundbreaking for a new building designed to accommodate 250 congregants took place on March 27, 1987 and our building was completed and dedicated on February 26, 1988.
Continued growth was marked by lectures on topics of interest, presentations of Jewish music, courses to learn Hebrew, the formation of a choir, the formation of Sisterhood in 1999, Men’s Club in 2005, an expanded Judaica Shop and a Library. A Scholar-in-Residence Program was instituted in 2005 and became an annual event.
Initially, services continued to be led by members of the congregation. In 1996, two guest Rabbis alternated leading services once a month followed by the addition of Cantor Sam Isaacs leading services once a month and the guest Rabbis continuing to alternate. Eventually, Dr. Sam led services twice a month. Beth Israel welcomed Rabbi David Susskind in September of 2001 and he led the congregation until his retirement in June of 2003.
2001 was a year marked by numerous additions. Built in loving memory of Henry Gibson, the Henry Gibson Social Hall was dedicated on December 2, 2001, through the generosity of wife Annette, and Tobee and Leonard Caplan, his daughter and son-in-law. This welcome extension provided the congregation with the facility to handle expanded programming, parties, dinners and meetings. In October of 2001, a new façade was added to the front of the building. Inside, a central staircase was added to the Bimah. At that time Rabbi Philip Aaronson assumed the position of spiritual leader and served until his retirement in October of 2012.
We welcomed our new spiritual leader, Rabbi Carla Freedman, in July of 2013. Rabbi Carla transformed our congregation as our first full-time Rabbi. She not only transformed our services but brought continuing Jewish education to Beth Israel. She provided classes in Continuing Hebrew, Adult B’nai Mitzvah, Conversion, Biblical Hebrew Grammar, Jewish History and Jewish Ethics, in person. She excelled pastorally and made regular sick visits to our congregants and created a compassionate congregation. To our great dismay, Rabbi Carla passed away in September, 2024 as our active and beloved Rabbi.
During her tenure, to keep our community together during the COVID pandemic, we moved ahead with the technology of the 21st Century. Starting with Zoom, we kept our congregation together with online classes as well as Erev Shabbat services. We then installed a Technology Control Room in the building and now live stream services every Friday night. Due to Hurricane Milton, with damage to the building (now being repaired) and no power, we were still able to fulfill the mitzvah by having our Yom Kippur service via Zoom. Beth Israel has our website hosted by URJ, filled with information about Beth Israel. The building has wi-fi and a significantly upgraded sound system.
2025 will be our 50th Anniversary of our founding by the small group with Rabbi Feinberg in 1975. Surely that small group would never have imagined our vibrant community of 285 members today. We are looking forward to our 50th Year with celebrations all year long, culminating in our 50th Anniversary Gala! Stay tuned!
