CSK would like to recognize outstanding members of our kehillah through a new Volunteer Recognition Program, Mitnadev. This program is designed for our chaverim to recognize a member who has led a project that has had a significant impact on the synagogue or a member who has gone above and beyond expectations for CSK. The Mitnadev Committee will review all nominees. Selected honorees will be notified of their recognition and interviewed by a Mitnadev committee member. The honoree will be recognized via our CSK Social Media.
*Whosoever is of a willing heart (nadiv libo) -- Because the heart prompts one to generosity, that person is called ‘one who is prompted to generosity by the heart’.” Exodus 35:5
Meet our February 2023 Mitnadev Recipient!
Nan Berkowitz
Written with love by Byrna Klur
Nan Berkowitz is truly a product of her loving, familial home in Philadelphia, where she observed her parents’ participation in synagogue life in Brit Shalom, their support of Jewish causes and the Jewish War Veterans, and where volunteering was an integral part of one’s life. Synagogue has continued to be an important part of Nan’s adult life. Having moved full time to West Boca in 1985, Nan’s husband Mike was a lay cantor & rabbi at Beth Tikvah, of which they were founding members. He loved sharing his sermons with Nan on their drive to synagogue. At Beth Tikvah, Nan became a Bat Torah, and, not surprisingly, became very active in all areas of the synagogue, eventually becoming its President. CSK was blessed with Nan’s membership from the merger, or as Nan calls it, the marriage of Beth Tikvah, bringing their mature congregation and physical “things” to Congregation Shaarei Kodesh, a new, younger congregation. There was no stopping Nan, as she quickly became involved in CSK; as a Trustee, a member on numerous committees - Membership, Fundraising, Spiritual Life, to name a few, an instrumental force in the preparation and shopping for our Kiddushes (every week), helping out in the office, attending almost every CSK program, and she is now undertaking CSK’s most important Life & Legacy campaign. Nans love for the Life & Legacy campaign truly originated in her familial home where there wasn’t a lot of money, but where she understood the obligation of every Jew to support and secure the existence of a synagogue and the importance of a Jewish education for every Jewish child. Thus, she created CSK’s Myer Rappaport Youth Education Fund, in memory of her dad (a synagogue attendee) & her mom (an educator), which supports many of our religious school and USY youth programming. Contributions to this important fund directly support our CSK children. All who know Nan, know that her family of 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 1 great grandson are extremely important to her basic foundation as a loving person.
