#barbaraostfeld — Public Fediverse posts

"In its heyday, #BethEl was the spiritual home to as many as 1,800 families. Its spiritual leaders have been distinguished leaders of #Reform #Judaism. They engaged the first ordained woman #cantor, #BarbaraOstfeld, to offer prayers in its magnificent sanctuary, which had been designed by #LouiseNevelson.

But things change. Recently, an #Iranian/#Sephardic #yeshiva purchased Temple Beth-El.

Many of my friends who grew up at Beth-El experience this as a kind of a loss. I see it as a story of #Jewish transformation.

The #Persian/Iranian Jewish community is among the oldest continuous Jewish communities in the world, going back even further than Cyrus the Great. The #Hebrew Bible ends with him inviting the Jews of his realm to return to #Jerusalem, while those who stayed behind in #Persia built a rich culture, literature and traditions.

Then came the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and we are still living with its aftermath."

https://religionnews.com/2026/04/22/an-iranian-yeshiva-bought-a-major-reform-temple-its-exactly-the-jewish-innovation-we-need/

"In its heyday, #BethEl was the spiritual home to as many as 1,800 families. Its spiritual leaders have been distinguished leaders of #Reform #Judaism. They engaged the first ordained woman #cantor, #BarbaraOstfeld, to offer prayers in its magnificent sanctuary, which had been designed by #LouiseNevelson.

But things change. Recently, an #Iranian/#Sephardic #yeshiva purchased Temple Beth-El.

Many of my friends who grew up at Beth-El experience this as a kind of a loss. I see it as a story of #Jewish transformation.

The #Persian/Iranian Jewish community is among the oldest continuous Jewish communities in the world, going back even further than Cyrus the Great. The #Hebrew Bible ends with him inviting the Jews of his realm to return to #Jerusalem, while those who stayed behind in #Persia built a rich culture, literature and traditions.

Then came the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and we are still living with its aftermath."

https://religionnews.com/2026/04/22/an-iranian-yeshiva-bought-a-major-reform-temple-its-exactly-the-jewish-innovation-we-need/

"In its heyday, #BethEl was the spiritual home to as many as 1,800 families. Its spiritual leaders have been distinguished leaders of #Reform #Judaism. They engaged the first ordained woman #cantor, #BarbaraOstfeld, to offer prayers in its magnificent sanctuary, which had been designed by #LouiseNevelson.

But things change. Recently, an #Iranian/#Sephardic #yeshiva purchased Temple Beth-El.

Many of my friends who grew up at Beth-El experience this as a kind of a loss. I see it as a story of #Jewish transformation.

The #Persian/Iranian Jewish community is among the oldest continuous Jewish communities in the world, going back even further than Cyrus the Great. The #Hebrew Bible ends with him inviting the Jews of his realm to return to #Jerusalem, while those who stayed behind in #Persia built a rich culture, literature and traditions.

Then came the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and we are still living with its aftermath."

https://religionnews.com/2026/04/22/an-iranian-yeshiva-bought-a-major-reform-temple-its-exactly-the-jewish-innovation-we-need/

"In its heyday, #BethEl was the spiritual home to as many as 1,800 families. Its spiritual leaders have been distinguished leaders of #Reform #Judaism. They engaged the first ordained woman #cantor, #BarbaraOstfeld, to offer prayers in its magnificent sanctuary, which had been designed by #LouiseNevelson.

But things change. Recently, an #Iranian/#Sephardic #yeshiva purchased Temple Beth-El.

Many of my friends who grew up at Beth-El experience this as a kind of a loss. I see it as a story of #Jewish transformation.

The #Persian/Iranian Jewish community is among the oldest continuous Jewish communities in the world, going back even further than Cyrus the Great. The #Hebrew Bible ends with him inviting the Jews of his realm to return to #Jerusalem, while those who stayed behind in #Persia built a rich culture, literature and traditions.

Then came the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and we are still living with its aftermath."

https://religionnews.com/2026/04/22/an-iranian-yeshiva-bought-a-major-reform-temple-its-exactly-the-jewish-innovation-we-need/

"In its heyday, #BethEl was the spiritual home to as many as 1,800 families. Its spiritual leaders have been distinguished leaders of #Reform #Judaism. They engaged the first ordained woman #cantor, #BarbaraOstfeld, to offer prayers in its magnificent sanctuary, which had been designed by #LouiseNevelson.

But things change. Recently, an #Iranian/#Sephardic #yeshiva purchased Temple Beth-El.

Many of my friends who grew up at Beth-El experience this as a kind of a loss. I see it as a story of #Jewish transformation.

The #Persian/Iranian Jewish community is among the oldest continuous Jewish communities in the world, going back even further than Cyrus the Great. The #Hebrew Bible ends with him inviting the Jews of his realm to return to #Jerusalem, while those who stayed behind in #Persia built a rich culture, literature and traditions.

Then came the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and we are still living with its aftermath."

https://religionnews.com/2026/04/22/an-iranian-yeshiva-bought-a-major-reform-temple-its-exactly-the-jewish-innovation-we-need/