Rosh Hashana celebrated at former Kutz Camp property

On Sunday, Sept. 17, family and friends of the Temple Beth Shalom (TBS) celebrated the second day of Rosh Hashana at the Lakeside Pavilion at the former Kutz Camp — now Warwick’s Mountain Lake Park. A TBS spokesperson estimated that the event was attended by at least 85 people, some of which were new to the community.

“When Rabbi Rebecca Shinder initially suggested moving out of the sanctuary and onto the hallowed open air, we hoped it would ignite a spark in the greater community and rekindle attendance at second day Rosh Hashana services,” the temple said in a press release. “The turnout and the ‘ruach’ [spirit] for this Rosh Hashana 5784 celebration without walls exceeded our expectations. So many new faces, so many new connections, so many welcoming stalwarts and regulars to share our joy.”

Rabbi Shinder said it was “just as I imagined,” adding, “people who hadn’t ever crossed the threshold of our sanctuary came in droves to this informal holiday experience.”

The location was significant to many of the attendees, including Rabbi Shinder and Scott Dunn, who participated in the services as cantor. Both reminisced about the significance of the Kutz property in their lives. Co-president Wendy Cedar, whose mother worked at the camp for about 35 years, also shared many memories of her time there.

Rabbi Shinder summed it up thusly: “As a resident of Warwick once put it — ‘there are a lot of hidden Yidden in Orange County.’ These unaffiliated Jews might remember a more formal synagogue of their youth or were disenfranchised because of who they love, but decidedly — that is not who we at Temple Beth Shalom are! We brought our message of inclusivity to the Pavilion at Mountain Lake with music, poetry, shofar blasts, crafts, and community.”

This event was partially funded with a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County, and was made possible by the temple members who cooked, baked, and otherwise managed the program.

Temple Beth Shalom welcomes Interfaith, bi-racial, non-heteronormative families to its community. “We are a family of families based in our small but strong synagogue in Florida, NY.”

For more information, contact Temple Beth Shalom at tbs-ny@optimum.net or 845-651-7817, or visit tbsny.org.