Welcome to Temple Bet Yam!
Our synagogue is more than a building, school or set of programs. Temple Bet Yam is its membership, pure and simple. Our members come from all over the country, and represent every stream of Jewish thought and practice. But with our membership, we commit ourselves to a journey of discovery, where each of us, in our own way, deepens our connection to Judaism and ties to Israel . Some of us will discover greater Jewish meaning in Sisterhood or Men’s Club; some from worship and singing; some through acts of Tikkun Olam; and some from social interaction with others. Temple Bet Yam supports a wide variety of Jewish creativity. Join us and we’ll help you discover your unique path.
Temple Bet Yam is more than a journey; it’s a destination. The Hebrew term for synagogue is Bet Kneset – Home for Gathering. Some refer to a synagogue as a Bet Midrash – a Home of Study or a Bet Tefillah – a Home for prayer. By forging your own Jewish path with us, we can create a home together that honors all of the meaning and hope in our name.
Join us for Shabbat or an event that interests you to meet the members and the Rabbi. If you’d like more information, we can send you a packet of information including a newsletter, calendar of upcoming events, schedule of services and school brochures.
For more information, please call (904) 819-1875
ABOUT THE IMAGE:
The Jerusalem Tapestry
On the north wall of TBY is a beautiful tapestry made up of five panels each depicting an area of the old city of Jerusalem. Although the areas you are looking at actually came from the imagination of artist Bonnie Yales Gibson, the scenes took form from the feelings and daily life that she experienced when living for many years in Israel. She has created over 500 self-designed tapestries for Temples all over the United States and Israel.
The general theme for the Jerusalem Tapestry is “Peace for Israel”. If you look at the top of the first two panels you will see three doves. These represent Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the hope that all three religions can live in harmony. The colors of the bricks in each panel are either pink or off white. These are actually the colors that you will see if you go to the old city and look at the walls surrounding it. Within several of the panels you will see archways. These are the entrances to the homes of the people who live there. In front of many of the homes are people outside dancing. They are dancing because it is Shabbat, and they are filled with joy and peace of mind.
The Jerusalem Tapestry took over two years to complete along with the efforts and labor of almost 70 temple members. The congregants came together at TBY once a month. Two people at a time were able to work on each panel with another congregant coordinating the efforts for that panel. Bonnie Yales Gibson was the coordinator and subject matter expert for the overall project. When the word was sent out for volunteers, those that came demonstrated their skill level and were given assignments commensurate with their abilities. Each participant was given a piece of canvas to practice on before tackling the bigger project.
Bonnie first put her ideas for the Tapestry down on paper. This was transferred to a special canvas and then a detailed painting of the subject matter was applied to the canvas. Only after the painting was completed was the canvas ready to be sewed. If you look closely at the Tapestry, you will see that it is a collage of different colors and styles of stitching that brings out the wonderful feel of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is an incredible and beautiful addition to our temple created through the efforts of people who care. (Author – Bernie Levy)
