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Worship

Monday – Thursday, May 20 – 23
7:15 a.m. Minyan
5:45 p.m. Mincha/Ma’ariv

Friday, May 24
7:15 a.m - Minyan
5:45 p.m. – Kabbalat Shabbat
7:08 p.m. – Candle Lighting

Saturday, May 25
9:00 a.m. Service
6:45 p.m. Mincha/Ma’ariv

Sunday & Monday, May 26 & 27
8:15 a.m. Minyan
5:45 p.m. Mincha/Ma’ariv

Tuesday – Thursday, May 28 – 30
7:15 a.m. Minyan
5:45 p.m. Mincha/Ma’ariv

Friday, May 31
7:15 a.m - Minyan
5:45 p.m. - Kabbalat Shabbat
7:13 p.m. – Candle Lighting

Dr. Janette Silverman

Dr. Janette Silverman is Beth El’s Education and Youth Director

Janette is a native New Yorker with an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Anthroplogy from Valdosta State University in Georgia, a Masters in Public Administration from Florida State University in Tallahassee, and a second Masters in Jewish Studies at Spertus College in Chicago, where she is currently working on a Doctorate in Jewish Studies.

For 15 years Janette taught 6th and 7th graders at conservative and reform congregations in Fl, NY and NJ and for 13 years was Director of Education at reform & conservative congregations in NJ, FL, NC and AZ. Janette also worked with college students as Hillel Director, at six campuses in FL. In TN she served as the Community Educator for the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. In that position, she developed adult and teen educational opportunities including serving as Director of the Florence Mellton Adult Mini-School. Most recently she served for three years as the Director of Education at Temple Solel before resigning to accept the position of Director of Education and Youth Programming at Beth El Congregation where she has been a member for several years. She has served on the Conference Board of CAJE (Conference for Alternatives in Jewish Education) and is a member of the professional Education Directors organizations from both the reform and conservative movements, National Association of Temple Educators (NATE) and Jewish Educators Assembly (JEA). She holds a Principals License as well as Teaching Licenses from the National Board of Jewish Education.

Janette is the Chair of the Phoenix Jewish Genealogy Society and will be teaching a beginners’ genealogy course at Scottsdale Community College’s adult programs in the fall. She is a volunteer with jewishgen.org and other genealogy organizations. Janette is currently working on programming for the January 25 afternoon “family fun day” component of the national JEA conference to be held in Scottsdale this year. She is also on the steering committee of the B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Fund.

Her partner Robert N. Clinton serves as the Foundation Professor of Law at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and is a renowned expert in American Indian Law. Previously, Robert was a law professor at the University of Iowa College of Law. Since moving to the Valley of the Sun, Robert also has served as the webmaster for Beth El. Janette’s two grown children live in Los Angeles and New York. Robert has three grown children in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Last, but definitely not least, is the adorable grandson.

Janette says her love of Jewish education is a legacy from her grandparents and parents, who through their examples, firmly instilled in her a deep commitment to Judaism. A favorite story of Janette’s, often repeated by her father (her parents still live in NYC), is that her father now (fifty+ years later) goes to shul daily because of her! When she was first enrolled in Hebrew School at Bayswater Jewish Center in Far Rockaway (still her parents’ shul) there was a Junior Congregation attendance requirement. He would take her on Shabbat mornings so that she could fulfill the requirement. He did not feel right leaving her at the shul and going home, so he started attending Shabbat services weekly. This grew into a lifetime habit and expanded to include daily minyanim. In Judaism, teaching always involves leading by example. So her teaching of Judaism apparently started at age 8 and had continued ever since!