May 31, 2003

Rabbi marks 25th anniversary

SENTINEL STAFF REPORT

"I feel he is as much my friend as he is my Rabbi," says Temple Beth El member Diane Grunes when asked about Rabbi Rick Litvak.

"I am constantly amazed by just how much he does. One minute a wedding, then counseling a couple having marital problems. Or performing a funeral for a temple member and then participating in an interfaith service out in the community."

Grunes is not alone in her appreciation of the Rabbi. Friday evening, June 6, there will be a special Shabbat honoring Rabbi Litvak at Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos. The service will be led by his assistant Rabbi Beth Janus.

On the evening of June 8, a fund-raising dinner dance benefiting Temple Beth El, will be held at the Cocoanut Grove. A no-host bar opens at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and dancing to tunes from the ’50s and ’60s at 6 p.m. The community is welcome to attend. Tickets are $110 per person and can be obtained by calling 479-3444.

Gail Ow, who joined the Temple in 1977 also has praise for Rabbi Litvak.

"I was newly working, just finished with college, when we first met," Ow says of how warmly Rabbi Litvak welcomed her to the Temple.

"My kids, Ben and Andrew, began going to the preschool when they were so little, it was a second home to them," Ow continues.

And when her father passed away, Rabbi Litvak was there to help her.

"I didn’t know all of the traditions, he came right over and walked me through, told me everything I needed to know," she says.

When Rabbi Litvak first came to Santa Cruz, Temple Beth El was located in a small building over on Bay Street. The congregation included no more than 80 families. In the years since, the congregation has grown to more than 500 families and services are now held in the beautiful temple in Aptos.

Rabbi Litvak graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College and was a Hubbard Graduate fellow. He was ordained by the Hebrew Union College, received a graduate degree in counseling and psychology from Santa Clara University and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He is also known for his support of social justice causes.

"It is so wonderful to be connected to a Rabbi who puts so much emphasis on social action." says Grunes.

Drew Miller, a member of the Temple for 25 years, agrees.

"I marvel at how the Rabbi has been able to serve the diverse needs of our community," says Miller.

From welcoming gay and lesbian Jews into the congregation and performing same-sex unions before the idea was accepted by his peers in the Reform movement, to helping manage the Temple Mazon Project, which has provided Sunday dinners to the River Street Shelter for the homeless for years, Rabbi Litvak is there with full support and dedication.

But he is not alone. His wife, Nancy, a high school librarian, along with their two daughters, Jessica and Gwen, are also fully involved with Temple activities.

Now the Temple Beth El community will honor Rabbi Rick with a celebration to thank him for his 25 years of spiritual leadership. Norma Sacks has been coordinating a group of volunteers who are organizing the dinner dance at the Cocoanut Grove on June 8.

"One of his greatest strengths is how he is always there for the kids," says Sacks. "He is in constant contact with them. He is also there for the elderly."