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MARCH 29, 2019 FREE
A new leader for Beth Chaim Interim rabbi presides over congregation after retirement of Rabbi Eric Wisnia By MicHElE alPErin
High School North graduate and University of Pennsylvania basketball player Chrissy DiCindio in action against Haverford College at The Palestra on Jan. 27, 2019. Penn won, 81ā46. (Photo courtesy of Penn Athletics.)
On the rebound North graduate back on the hardwood after recovering from herniated disc By JUsTin FEil Chrissy DiCindioās internship last summer connected her to Comron Saifi, the director of Clinical Spine Research at Penn Medicine. DiCindio, a 2017 graduate of West Windsor-Plainsboro High North, wonāt forget the first time
that Saifi invited her into the operating room to observe spinal surgery. Said DiCindio: āI was standing in the corner trying to make myself as small as possible, which was not easy.ā DiCindio doesnāt do small. She is a 6-foot-2 forward for the University of Pennsylvania womenās basketball team, which narrowly missed out on an automatic berth to the NCAA Womenās Basketball Tournament after a 65ā54 loss to Princeton on March 17 in the finals of the Ivy League Tournament.
They played in the National Invitational Tournament on the weekend of March 22, winning against American, 64-45, in the first round, and losing to Providence, 64-54, in the second. Although her playing time on the team was minimal this seasonāshe played a total of 28 minutes in the last 10 gamesā she said that sheās enjoyed being a member of the team. āIām playing with one of the best players, Eleah Parker, whoās second in shot blocks in the country,ā DiCindio said. āI See DICINDIO, Page 6
Following the retirement of Rabbi Eric Wisnia after 42 years with Congregation Beth Chaim, Rabbi Brian Beal has stepped in as interim rabbi until June 30, 2020. āAny time a beloved leader retires, he leaves a hole of some sort in the community and at the same time presents an opportunity to reimagine and create and grow,ā says Beal, who has over 20 years of rabbinic experience under his belt. āMy job is to both fulfill all of the responsibilities that in this congregation a senior rabbi will do, in addition to helping the congregation use this period of transition as an opportunity to address challenges and as an opportunity for reenvisioning and growth,ā Beal says. The interim rabbi plays a unique role. āWhen a newer rabbi arrives, it is an opportunity for the clergy to look at worship and how to engage congregants where they are todayājust by me being me and speaking about topics important to me,ā Beal says. He says he hopes to bring his passion for inclusion of all types of disabilities to expand access at Beth Chaim. Sharing this passion, his sons, for their bar mitzvah projects, installed hearing loops
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that enable people with most hearing aids to connect directly to a microphone in their synagogue and a Jewish Federation building. āIt is as if the person speaking at the microphone is speaking directly into your ear,ā Beal says. He also mentions making large-print prayer books available and making sure students with learning challenges are as fully integrated as possible into the religious school. Beal will also share his business background to help Beth Chaimās leadership to āenvision where they are and where they want to be going forward vis-Ć vis membership outreach and member inreach.ā So how did a senior rabbi with 20 years of experience decide to become an interim rabbiāa position that he now loves? Changes in the broader community in Upper Nyack, New York, where he had served for 13 years, prompted a decision on his part to leave Temple Beth Torah. āWe had a beautiful and warm and respectful relationship with my synagogueāwe loved it there,ā Beal says. āAt the same time the demographics became such that it was important for the synagogue to look for opportunities to merge with other synagogues, and I didnāt want to be an obstacle to that.ā Bealās decision to leave Beth Torah almost immediately opened a door for his wife, Naomi Adler, who was soon See BEAL, Page 10
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