Bat Yam provides update on news and activities
The Bat Yam Temple of the Islands on Sanibel reported on its recent news and activities.
The new board was announced at the Annual General Meeting on March 23. It reported that the board is off to a great start, and many of the members attended a myriad of functions held in recent weeks.
Rabbi Stephen Fuchs announced his retirement as senior rabbi and accepted the position of rabbi emeritus. He was Bat Yam’s spiritual leader during the COVID pandemic and impact of Hurricane Ian. It extended its gratitude for Fuchs’ six years of service to its members and the community. He and his wife, Vickie, have chosen to make Sanibel their home and will continue to be members. A Shabbat service on April 28 at 6 p.m. at the Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties in Fort Myers will feature special guests and friends to honor Fuchs.
Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer was welcomed as Bat Yam’s rabbi/cantor. He recently retired as the leader of the Bethesda Jewish Congregation after 21 years and maintains the status of rabbi emeritus. Schnitzer has done work in interfaith relations with the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church, Idara e Jaferia Mosque and Maqam Ibrahim Islamic Community, creating models of cooperation and appreciation that have been studied by communities in Europe and Asia. His wife, Yaffah, is familiar with a meditative practice while chanting sacred texts and is keen to start classes as soon as a space becomes available.
Late in March, Bat Yam members participated in an educational afternoon. They watched a movie, “God On Trial,” which is a documentary about inmates at Auschwitz who held a trial with witnesses, judges, and jury. It reported that the somber discussion afterward was enlightening.
Bat Yam had a booth at the Israel Festival at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers and it helped to celebrate 75 years of Israel’s independence. The event included Israeli singing, dancing and food.
For Passover, 50 congregants held their first gathering on Sanibel since Ian in a home hosted by the owners. Dr. Mark Boyea, senior minister at the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ, attended as a guest of Fuchs. Fuchs led the service, with Schnitzer playing his guitar and leading the singing. A Seder Committee helped make it an evening to remember and catered the entire meal.