In his two decades of membership, Ben has dedicated himself to bringing Temple Emanu-El members together. With the Men’s Club, Ben has organized events about artificial intelligence and New York City real estate trends. He also co-produced a staged reading of a musical performed by Equity actors.
Over the past few years, Ben helped launch the Beginner’s Poker Gather Group, a program that brings temple members together to play poker. Over freewheeling conversations about Judaism, baseball, politics, or whatever else comes to mind, Ben and his fellow Beginner’s Poker Gather members have challenged each other as poker players and built friendships. The group does not play for money. Each time they play, there is fierce competition to see who will raise the group’s championship trophy.
“Everyone loves getting their picture taken with the trophy,” Ben said.
The Beginner’s Poker Gather Group has shown up for Ben beyond the poker table. They celebrated Ben’s birthday with him this year and visited Ben while he was sitting shiva, the period of mourning after a loved one dies, after his father passed away.
“The Beginner’s Poker Gather Group has really broadened my community,” he said.
Ben credits Rabbi Amy Ehrlich and the clergy at Temple Emanu-El for inspiring his active involvement in the community, beginning with her encouragement at a Tot Shabbat when his family first joined Emanu-El.
The temple quickly became a place where his family found a sense of belonging; his son and daughter thrived in the religious school program, and Ben is proud that both feel good about their Jewish identity.
When his children first enrolled, Rabbi Ehrlich encouraged parents to incorporate Jewish traditions into their lives—a piece of advice Ben found transformative. He and his family began lighting Shabbat candles and reciting Kiddush and HaMotzi on Friday nights, and he chose to stop eating pork and shellfish. “I feel that had a huge impact on my kids seeing that I was living this Jewish life,” Ben reflects.
Ben’s journey at Temple Emanu-El demonstrates how supportive clergy and a vibrant community can inspire meaningful changes in family traditions and strengthen Jewish identity.
As Temple Emanu-El looks forward to its next 180 years, Ben hopes that the temple will continue to remain a vehicle for Reform Judaism and a form of Judaism that remains adaptive and flexible.
