Words from our Temple President, Ricki Bauman
March 2025
It takes a village to make Jews.
When Rabbi Carla Freedman passed away in September, we all felt the incredible loss. What you may or may not know is that we had four people that were in the process of converting to Judaism with Rabbi Carla. Although the Union for Reform Judaism has qualified me on the many rabbinic ceremonies and actions, conversion and marriage are not. So, now what?
At our last meeting, Rabbi Carla had asked me to make sure that Jacob Babbin was formally
converted as he had met all of the requirements to go to the mikveh, the ritual immersion or bath, for the conversion ceremony. With the joyful cooperation of Rabbi Joel Simon and Rabbi Michael Weiss of Shaarei Zedek, my wife, Diane, and I were present for this on November 21st (my own birthday) when Jacob became a Jew.
However, I had no idea of where the others were in the conversion spectrum. Again, Shaarei Zedek helped us out. So now, Carol Wilson, Walter Gormley, and Denise Gormley were deemed ready to join the tribe. Denise was actually the real surprise, as she hadn’t been in Rabbi Carla’s classes – but as she had been married to an Orthodox Jew, kept a kosher home, and raised Jewish sons – it was a natural! So, as it was written, so it was done on January 6th as Diane and I were there again to be part of this simcha for Carol, Denise, and Walter.
And now we have Vicki Noggle, the last of the class, ready, willing, and able. Vicki is scheduled to take the plunge on February 27th, and Diane and I will be there, representing Beth Israel and the spirit of Rabbi Carla. Although Rabbi Carla did not specifically ask me to, I’m very, very sure that she would be very, very happy that we now have five new additions to the Jewish people.
L’shalom,
Ricki