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Seaboard Region Picks TI for Three Honors.........posted Sep 21, 2006

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism will recognize Tikvat Israel with three awards in the Seaboard Region's 2006 Congregations of Excellence program for outstanding achievements in congregational education, programming and leadership.

TI will receive the Gold Award, the top honor, in the synagogue website category, along with the Silver Award for a family education program and honorable mention for a youth group program.

The synagogue's website was launched in its current form in mid-January by members of the Strategic Communications Committee, chaired by Jay P. Goldman. Janaki Kuruppu serves as the webmaster. Vivian Liebenson led the initial redesign.

The Youth and Family Programming Department captured a Silver Award for its Israel Independence Day Family Program. The program involved the religious school, the adult education committee and the youth department.

The program included workshops for religious school students on Israeli dancing, pita bread making, a visit to a Bedouin Tent, an Israeli music center and arts & crafts. The general program included Israeli dancing, Israeli merchandise tables, music by Eine Kleine Tikvah and the movie "Ten Days in Gaza," followed by a question and answer period led by one of the reporters in the film.

Youth and Family Programming won the honorable mention for the Eruv Thanksgiving Laser Tag program at the TI social hall, which was open to Machar, Kadima and USY members from TI and surrounding synagogues.

"The kids had a chance to see that they are a part of an organization bigger than just our synagogue, to meet new friends and to find out that they can do more than pray and study in the synagogue," said Lynn Berk, who directs youth and family programs.

Only one synagogue, Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, Md., will receive more than TI's three awards in the biennial competition. Congregation Sha'are Shalom in Leesburg, Va. (formerly known as Loudoun Jewish Congregation), which was founded just two years ago, shared the Gold Award in the website category with TI.

Tikvat Israel and the other synagogue award winners will be recognized publicly at the Seaboard Region's convention, Oct. 27-29, in Ocean City, Md.

The Seaboard Region includes synagogues in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and North Carolina.

A complete list of those who will receive honors in the 2006 Congregations of Excellence awards program follows:

• Beth El Congregation, Baltimore:
  • Adult Jewish Education Silver Award
  • Bulletin and Publications Gold Award
  • Nursery School Education Honorable Mention
• Beth Emeth:
  • HAZAK Gold Award
• Beth Israel Congregation:
  • Unique Program Gold Award
• B'nai Israel Congregation:
  • Bulletin and Publications Gold Award
  • HAZAK Silver Award
• Chizuk Amuno:
  • Adult Jewish Education Gold Award
  • Judaica/Fine Arts Gold Award
  • Social Action/Comm. Relations Gold Award
• Congregation Etz Hayim:
  • Unique Programs Silver Award
• Congregation Har Shalom:
  • Adult Jewish Education Honorable Mention
  • Bulletin and Publications Silver Award
  • Congregation Libraries Silver Award
  • HAZAK Gold Award
  • Kadima/USY Silver Award
  • Synagogue Access Gold Award
  • Worship & Ritual Honorable Mention
• Congregation Olam Tikvah:
  • Unique Programs Honorable Mention
• Congregation Sha'are Shalom:
  • Bulletin and Publications Gold Award
  • Website Gold Award
  • Leadership Development Silver Award
• Har Tzeon Agudath Achim:
  • Nursery School Education Gold Award
• Kol Shalom:
  • HAZAK Gold Award
  • Worship & Ritual Gold Award
• Temple Israel:
  • Social Action Gold Award and Community Relations
  • Unique Program Silver Award
• Tikvat Israel Congregation:
  • Family Education Silver Award
  • Kadima/USY Honorable Mention
  • Website Gold Award