Welcome to the Home Page of Temple Solael! Welcome to the Home Page of Temple Solael!
We are a congregation of:
Temple Information - What do we do
Vision Statement - What our goals are
Why Join This Temple - Reflections by board members
Directions - How to get to us, map
Bet you're expecting information on their theologic prowess? Our expectations are high based on our board committee observations and their references, but since you're surfing the net, let's get to what's important to cyberfolk in spreading the Torah's messages.
Both are seriously computer literate, with the rabbi up to speed on pentium motherboard replacements and helping congregants frustrated with Windows 95.
We mustn't forget all the others who applied for these two positions. In both cases there were many qualified candidates, and multiple finalists for each position. It wasn't easy making final choices, which is a way of saying to the other finalists that our board search committees were presented with really well qualified, well referenced, and top notch peers! Thanks to all of the applicants!
Also, both positions come to us from Reconstructionist congregations, totally by coincidence. In the world-wide organization for Progressive Judiaism, both U.S. Reform and U.S. Reconstructionists are lumped together. Their education sources are linked and sometimes combined. We couldn't detect a theologic difference in Rabbi Herstik's services to his San Diego congregation, nor in Susan's multi-factional (dare we call it that) experience. In our search it was important for each position to be committed to Reform Judiaism.
Rabbi Ron Herstik comes to us
from a congregation in San Diego.
He's a native born Israeli, who was
raised and schooled in the San
Fernando Valley (does that make
him a double-Sabra?). HUC
ordained, experienced at several
west-coast congregations, we liked
his interactions with congregants,
his personality, and the quality of
his references.
As to his "better half", wife Sylvia hails from Mexico City, from a family of holocaust-escapees, with a pair of 2 1/2 yr. old twin girls. You'll notice the "proud father" effect as Rabbi Herstik can't keep his eyes off same-aged kids in a crowd.
Susan Neubauer comes to us from the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue. She's has background in every faction of Jewish education, and knows the reform movement. She has 25 years of experience in Jewish education. She's active in CAJE and a member of NATE, the UAHC association for educators. She is very creative, excited, and looking forward to helping our school grow. And married to a software design engineer.
Our search committee was impressed with her programatic experience and her plans to enhance our school. We look forward to our kids "wanting" to be at the school.
Please mark your calendar for Saturday, June 13 1998, at 8pm.
We're featuring highlights from "Phantom of the Opera"!
.
Friday March 20 was this year's Shabbat Across America, with dinner at the temple for community members, including kosher food, kosher wine tasting, abridged service, and Israeli Dancing; for last year's pictures please visit our reflections page
.
You can get more information about Temple Solael by calling us at 1-818-348-3885 or by using our on-line form.
Here are a few of our other favorite sites on the web.
Read torah, practice for your Ba*-mitzvah: Audio ".wav" clips chanting phrase by phrase, Hebrew in roman letters, English, real Torah and Haftorah bitmaps with and without vowels. Don't tell our cantor about this one! (unless you are after Genesis, only it is complete now, sigh...). Navigating the Bible. Or, listen to the entire set of 1st aliyahs to the Torah with Real Audio 28k modem or 14k modem. Other Torah-related Real Audio index.
Kashrut Theory, Law, and Practice. Many of us grew up in (or yet keep) Kosher homes, or, how to fix up your oven, utensils, and sink for when your Kosher-keeping buddies stay for the weekend. Impress them with the details. Cheddar cheese aged less than 6 months is okay for an appetizer before your meat course, but watch out for the special requirements for those grapes you saw at the supermarket. Oh, and those fresh veggies are not okay until the insect life is removed...
Rules of Order: Parliamentary Procedure. Thought we could get by with the Torah and maybe some Kosher laws? Attend one of our open board meetings. Here's a good reference to get prepared.
Search the Web or Usenet yourself using Digital's AltaVista:
Temple Solael
A West-Valley Reform Jewish Congregation
6601 Valey Circle Boulevard
West Hills, CA 91307
Phone: (818) 348-3885 Fax: (818) 340-0109
E-mail comments and inquiries to us: solael-info@solael.org
We are a member of UAHC - the Union of American Hebrew Congregations 
Copyright © 1997, Temple Solael, West Hills CA, Most recent update April 18, 1997