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Nosh Fest was developed by a group of volunteers as a community service project at Temple Beth Emet. Its success in 2009 prompted a bigger effort to assist our friends and neighbors in 2010. Last year, a Nosh Fest Committee of more than thirty (30) Temple members helped prepare for the event. Another fifty (50) volunteers contributed their time and effort toward the event itself.
We are dedicated to increase the size and scope of our 10th Annual Food Festival in order to attract more attendees, which will result in a greater bounty of food for Jewish and non-Jewish residents who are in need.
The 2019 Nosh Fest Committee
Co-Chairs: Patty Kopelman and Joyce Payenson
Renee Bouer Beth Herzbrun
Vivian McCord Donna Ruhl
About Temple Beth Emet
From humble beginnings to a realization of a dream.
In the fall of 1976, fifteen families seeking a link to Judaism gathered to discuss their dreams and goals. They began holding Shabbat services in their homes. All of the teachers and staff were volunteers who generously gave of their time. The congregations' first High Holiday services were held at Pines Middle School. In the summer of 1978, Rabbi Bennett Greenspon joined the congregation as its spiritual leader and has been guiding Temple Beth Emet ever since. Cantor Jan Sheer soon joined and added depth and warmth to Shabbat and holiday services, mentored Bar and Bat Mitzvah students, and conducted the choir. In 2011, Rabbi Frank DeWoskin joined the congregation to enable them to better serve all the members and to partner with the staff to offer more opportunities for service and relationships.
Over the next several years, services were held at Pines Middle School, Pembroke Pines Hospital Annex and at Miramar High School. It soon became clear that it was time for a permanent home. In 1986, Temple Beth Emet opened its doors in Pembroke Pines. This enabled the expansion of many programs, the Religious School continued to grow, an Early Childhood Center started and a Summer Camp program was begun. A few years later, when the congregation had outgrown its home in Pembroke Pines, the Temple located property in Cooper City, where it built a state of the art facility.
Our current home on Flamingo Road in Cooper City opened in late 2000. It allowed for further growth of our Early Childhood Center and our Religious School, and enabled us to open our Elementary School. We now have a large, innovative and creative Religious School, a nationally accredited, award winning Early Childhood Center and our Elementary School is accredited through AISF and has been recognized for its excellence by the Central Agency for Jewish Education. Our summer camp is second to none.
Temple Beth Emet is an open and caring House of Worship. It provides a variety of enriching programs and services for its members, and for the greater Jewish community. Religious services include traditional prayers as well as contemporary melodies. Services observe Jewish life cycle events such as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a baby being welcomed into the covenant, weddings and confirmation classes. At times our Religious School students lead our Service, and occasionally we'll host a guest speaker, a vocalist or even a performance by an Israeli dance troop.
The members of Temple Beth Emet are proud of our collective commitment of community service. Each year, the Temple coordinates Mitzvah Day, when nearly one thousand members of the Congregation perform acts of kindness at the Temple and throughout Broward County. In September, we conduct food drives during the High Holidays to provide for those in need. Our newest tradition is to host thousands of attendees from Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties at Nosh Fest: South Florida's Jewish Food Festival, to benefit Feeding South Florida, WECARE Food Pantry, and the Food Bank operated by the Jewish Family Service of Broward County.
For more information, visit the Temple's website at www.templebethemet.org.