Chadash to honor local Jewish leader Shelley Schweitzer

CANTON − On Feb. 24, Chadash, the Jewish religious school on the campus of Beit Ha'Am, will honor a woman who has dedicated her life to teaching and serving Jewish children and young adults.

Shelley Schweitzer, a lifelong member of Temple Israel, also located at Beit Ha'Am, has been involved in Jewish education since she was a 10-year-old Sunday School assistant to art teacher Betty Minkin.

As a teenager, Schweitzer was active in the Temple Youth Group as its religious vice president and president, and spent many years teaching at Reform Jewish summer camps.

"From the time I was a child, I knew I wanted to be the youth adviser here at Temple Israel," she said. "I loved Sunday school."

A dinner in Schweitzer's honor will be hosted by Chadash students at 5 p.m., followed by their Chadash Shabbat service 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel at 432 30th St. NW.

Chadash director Julie Zorn said Schweitzer's service goes beyond Temple Israel; she's also a been a community leader, and serves in leadership on a national scale.

'She's been my go-to'

"There are several people in the community who've done extraordinary things for our Canton and Jewish communities." she said. "But when we sat around and started talking about those names, Shelley's name came up, and there was a collective, 'Oh yeah,' because she's dedicated. Shelly has her hand in so many different pots in the community but when it comes down the Jewish youth, it's her heart and she rarely says no, even though there are times when I'm sure she has wanted to because her plate is full. She's been my go-to."

Zorn calls Schweitzer her mentor.

"When I need creative programs and ideas, I've picked up the phone and called Shelley," she said. "She's the best mentor to have. I'm so blessed. She's just a phenomenal woman."

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Schweitzer worked for 16 years in the youth division of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism) in Cincinnati.

She and her husband, Rob, returned to Stark County in 1987. The couple has been married 45 years. They have an adult son, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren who live in Toronto.

Schweitzer credits her family for being role models, including her grandmothers, her parents, Estelle and the late Alan Blau, and her late maternal uncle, Raymond Wilkof.

"I don't know when the seeds for my love for my Judaism and for Jewish education took root, except for my experiences at Temple Israel," she said. "As a child with my family, these gatherings were always wonderful. We were always together at holidays, and the temple did lots of fun things like the mother-daughter lunches that the Sisterhood would have ... so much of my life centered around temple activities., and when I was finally old enough to be in Youth Group because I had watched all those wonderful experiences, I couldn't wait."

She also lauds Rabbi Emeritus John Spitzer for his guidance.

"He was an incredible partner in all things," she said.

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"The very first meeting was the rabbi's contract, so there I am listening to these numbers and I didn't understand a thing, and all they kept saying is ''We're so worried about confidentiality.' I didn't even understand it to repeat," she said laughing.

After Temple Israel sent Schweitzer to a leadership academy at the URJ Kutz camp in Warwick, New York, it was the spark that led to decades of her involvement in Jewish youth camps.

"They just closed the camp a couple of years ago, and Shelley, because of who she is, went to the camp to help close it," Zorn said. "When Shelly works with someone, they become family."

Schweitzer said her favorite group is middle schoolers and teens, "Because you can have real conversations and you can honor the different perspectives and understand their origins."

She met Temple Israel's current rabbi, David Komerofsky, when he was a 14-year-old Youth Group member at Temple Israel in Akron.

Education and relationship

Like many, Schweitzer said she is deeply concerned by the rise in antisemitism.

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"I go back and forth if it was better underground," she said. "I think the answer to everything is education and relationship. Everything I do is about building relationships. The difference that I see now from 40 years ago is, people aren't looking for common ground. They're not looking to bring everyone to the table. There's no openness to dialogue.

"I'm frustrated that I feel like I can't affect the change I want to see, but I don't quit trying."

The dinner is $15 per person with a limit of $60 per family. Reservations are required by Feb. 13 at www.templeisraelcanton.org/chadashshabbat.

The Chadash Shabbat will be livestreamed on Temple Israel's YouTube channel.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Chadash to honor Jewish leader Shelley Schweitzer