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Brotherhood of Temple Israel

Join the Brotherhood of Temple Israel of Sharon on a journey of strengthening Jewish values, fostering communal bonds, and making a meaningful impact. Our mission is clear: to support Temple Israel, nurture fellowship, and uphold the principles of tikkun olam through social engagement, education, and acts of kindness.

Recognized as one of North America’s most celebrated men’s clubs by the International Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, our Brotherhood has earned acclaim for its diverse programming. From the insightful discussions of Hearing Men’s Voices to the health and wellness initiatives of “To Life!” and the impactful efforts of “The Mitzvah Men,” we strive to make a difference in our community and beyond.

Each year, our Mitzvah Men dedicate themselves to meaningful projects, whether it’s walking for hunger, building Habitat for Humanity houses, or delivering meals to those in need. We take pride in our ability to support the community in times of need, all while fostering camaraderie and having a great time together.

Join us in making a difference and building lasting connections within our vibrant community. Together, we can make a meaningful impact and uphold the values that define us.

The Brotherhood of Temple Israel of Sharon is affiliated with the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and the New England Region of the FJMC.

4 men posing from a Brotherhood event
group of men posing ready to work

Membership

Our membership supports and sustains our programming. Brotherhood dues are $36 per year ($10.00 per year for 18-25 years old). First-year membership for anyone, regardless of age, is free!

Click here for an online membership application form (or download a printable form).

Upcoming Programs

Stay tuned for flyers and announcements about our upcoming programs!

Calendar

Click here for a calendar of all the upcoming Brotherhood programs and events throughout the year!

Brotherhood Officers, Directors & Past Presidents

Officers

Gary Keimach
President                                

Morey Waltuck
President Emeritus        

Brian Silver
1st Vice President

Andy Fandel
2nd Vice President       

Alan Kritz
3rd Vice President       

Norm Tabroff
4th Vice President

Steve Rafsky
Treasurer

Jimmy Slovin
Assistant Treasurer      

David Zimbalist
Recording Secretary 

Directors

Rob Carver

Seth Stollman

Matt Zinno

Howard Rothberg

Josh Olshin

Mark Popovsky

Ernie Rotman

Sonny Michelson

Jeff Stoloff

Ron Rogers

Larry Sandberg

Committee Chairs

Alan Kritz
Programming Committee

Irv Kempner
Tikkun Olam

Noah Horowitz
Hesed

David Fixler
Finance Committee

Michael Getz
Marketing Committee

Seth Stollman
Membership Committee

Past Presidents

Robert Zeitsiff z”l      
1978-1980

Al Hoffman z”l   
1980-1982

Edward Morris z”l     
1982-1984

Morey Waltuck, President Emeritus     
1984-1986

Elliot Feldman    
1986-1988

Michael Flatto     
1988-1990

Arthur Spar 
1990-1992

David Grossman    
1992-1993

Paul Abrams  
1993-1995

Steven Bergel  
1995-1997

David Beckman    
1997-1999

Harvey Wolf  
1999-2001

Motti Pupkin  
2001-2003

Neal Fineman    
2003-2005

David Arons 
2005-2007

Henry Katz 
2007-2008

Paul Davidson   
2008-2010

Brian Brenner   
2010-2012

Ron Czik
2012-2014

Noah Horowitz    
2014-2015

Stephen Shrago   
2015-2017

Harold Waisel   
2017-2019

Scott Shikora  
2019-2021

Michael Getz   
2021-2023

Brotherhood Honors & Awards

Keepers of the Flame

Men honored by the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their Men’s Club, Synagogue and Community.

Three men from the Brotherhood group

About our 2023 Temple Israel Brotherhood Keeper of the Flame
Earlier this year, a committee of past Temple Israel Brotherhood Keeper of the Flame honorees chose Harold Waisel as the Brotherhood of Temple Israel’s 2023-2024 Recipient of the New England Region Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) Keeper of the Flame Award.

Harold was recognized for his many years of service, support, and giving to our Brotherhood, to Temple Israel, to the New England Region FJMC, and to the greater Jewish community.

Harold is a past President of our Brotherhood. He has co-chaired our annual auction as has continually stepped up as a leader and volunteer in so many of our programs. Harold was a founder of our annual charity golf tournament, and he has been instrumental in helping our club achieve many of our annual Torch Awards. Harold has worked diligently to document our program playbooks, event menus, and in coordinating our kitchen crews. In addition, Harold has been active at the Regional FJMC level and at International FJMC Convention.

This year’s New England Regional Keeper of the Flame event – celebrating Harold along with all the honorees from the Region’s other men’s clubs – was hosted right here at Temple Israel of Sharon.

Past Keepers of the Flame

Bob Zeitsiff z”l
2001

Art Spar
2002

Motti Pupkin
2003

Morey Waltuck 
2004

Elliot Feldman
2005

Sam Hurvitz z”l 
2006

Harvey Wolf
2007

Neal Fineman
2008

David Arons
2009

Larry Lencz
2010

Irv Kempner
2011

Paul Davidson
2012

Alan Kritz
2013

Michael Getz
2014

Noah Horowitz
2015

Andy Fandel
2016

Ron Czik
2017

Stephen Shrago
2018

Mark Popovsky
2019

Aaron Kischel
2020

Larry Sandberg
2021

Sonny Michelson
2022

Harold Waisel
2023

Man of the Year

Men honored by the Brotherhood in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Brotherhood and Temple Israel

About our 2023 Temple Israel Brotherhood Man of the Year

Past Temple Israel Brotherhood Men of the Year

Bob Zeitsiff z”l
Founder

Sidney Smith z”l
1982

Al Rudner z”l
1983

George Small z”l
1984

Edward Morris z”l
985

Sam Natansohn z”l
1985

Joseph Walter z”l
1986

Al Hoffman z”l
1987

Motti Pupkin
1988

Elliot Feldman
1989

Morey Waltuck
1990

Sidney Hentoff z”l
1991

Phill Chapman z”l
1992

Michael Flatto
1993

Arthur Spar
1994

Sam Hurvitz z”l
1995

Paul Abrams
1996

Henry Katz
1997

Jay Schwab z”l
1998

David Beckman
1999

Steve Bergel
2000

Paul Bettan
2001

Roy Klein z”l
2002

Harvey Wolf
2003

Larry Lencz
2004

Hy Lamb z”l
2005

Neal Fineman
2006

Marty Grandberg
2007

David Arons
2008

Rob Carver
2009

Irv Kempner
2010

Paul Davidson
2011

Jerry Wine
2012

Brian Brenner
2013

Ron Czik
2015

Cantor Steven Dress
2016

Gary Keimach
2017

Jimmy Slovin
2018

Michael Getz
2019

Harold Waisel
2020-2021

Scott Shikora
2022

Howard Rothberg
2023

Stephen Shrago
2024

Awards

The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, FJMC, has honored our Brotherhood with the title of Quality Club at the highest level, Super Club! Only one other club has achieved this level worldwide!

Temple Israel Brotherhood Wins 7 Torch Awards at the 2023 FJMC International Convention

At the 2023 Biennial FJMC Brotherhood Convention in Philadelphia, we were awarded five Gold Torch Awards for Hearing Men’s Voices (Yasher Koach Norm & Matt), Education (Routes with Rabbi Fineberg), ‘Other’ (Cause Without Applause), Overall Club Administration, and BEST Overall Activities. We earned a Silver Award for Brotherhood Shabbat and a Bronze award for Fundraising (The Combined Charities Golf Tournament).

And of course, we also received the Quality Club award.

These awards reflect the passion of so many in our Brotherhood who continually step up as volunteers to help run these programs as well as administer our activities and finances. I want to particularly call out our immediate Past President Michael Getz. His tireless dedication and determination was clearly evident to the committee who evaluated all of the submissions from across the U.S. and Canada and selected Temple Israel’s Brotherhood as The Best!

Yasher Koach!!

– Gary Keimach, President

Torch Awards 2022-2023 plaque

Temple Israel Brotherhood Wins 2 Torch Awards at the 2021 FJMC International Convention

  • Bronze Award  Best Overall Programming
  • Silver Award Best Program “Paid Up Movie Night 2020”
Torch Awards 2022-2023 plaque

Temple Israel Brotherhood wins 6 Quality Awards at the 2019 FJMC International Convention

  • Gold Award Best Overall Programming, “Celebrity Speaker Series”
  • Gold Award Other Programs, “Improv Brotherhood – A Night of Laughter”
  • Silver Award Youth Programming, “March of the Living”
  • Bronze Award Best Overall Programming, “Overall Programming 2017-2019”
  • Bronze Award Hearing Men’s Voices, “Hearing Men’s Voices”
  • Bronze Award Israel / Masorti Programs, “Peace of Mind”
Temple Israel Brotherhood
Torch Award 2019 plaque

Temple Israel Brotherhood Wins 8 Quality Awards at the 2017 FJMC Convention, including Silver Award for Best Overall Club

13 Brotherhood members attended the FJMC Convention in July in the Washington DC area.  We came home with our luggage a little heavier thanks to the recognition our club received.

  • Gold Award Club Administration – Strategic Planning Offsite
  • Gold Award Joint Programming – The Combined Temples Charity Golf Tournament
  • Gold Award        Programming for Younger Men – Dad’s Day Out
  • Gold Award        Fundraising – Comedy Night / Auction Kickoff
  • Silver Award Best Overall Club
  • Silver Award Fundraising – Lift Your Spirits
  • Silver Award Hearing Men’s Voices
  • Bronze Award Israel/Masorti – Search for D’or Hadash Rabbi
Torch Award 2019 plaque