A Joyous 71st Celebration at Westchester Reform Temple

A joyous celebration of community and faith was hosted at Westchester Reform Temple on Thursday May 8, 2025. Over 300 supporters contributed $295,000 to support the synagogue and American Friends of NATAL who provides assistance to Israelis suffering from trauma due to terrorism and war.

Guests enjoyed an elegant dinner buffet catered by Matt Miller Culinary Productions in the social hall which was decorated like a library to echo the event theme, “Writing Our Next Chapter.” After dinner the group gathered in the sanctuary where they were greeted by event co-chairs Alisson Friedland and Abby Sroka who called the gala a celebration of spirit, resilience and commitment to Jewish life.

Before conducting a live auction, congregant member, MC and comedian Peter Wang had the room in stiches. He posed the question of why Rabbi Blake still looks like he is 13. How does he stay so young? He aired a short video of himself with Bruce Beck and Rabbi Blake at the synagogue water fountain, also known as “the fountain of youth,” and surmised that the water was responsible for the Rabbi’s eternal youth.

This cleverly lead into an auction where audience members could contribute $36 to drink from the fountain of youth. Other silent auction items included tickets for a Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Wilco Concert at Jones Beach Theater, a private Cantor’s concert and cocktail party in your home and a reserved parking space at the synagogue for one year.

Next up was a live musical performance from "This is Your Life." The professionally trained actors and musicians perform an improvisational act based on their audience. Their clever revue was a riff on everything from Truck Day at the Early Childhood Center to canasta night, the blood drive, the temple endowment and Rabbi Blake’s wife Kelly.

As congregant Audrey Weinberg said, “Westchester Reform is not your grandmother’s temple. There’s something here for every life stage, from nursery schoolers to empty nesters. It’s a wonderful community.”

Photos by Silvana DeFrancis Photography