BT Brotherhood Honors Cherie Brownstein

On March 21, nearly 500 BT extended family members -- congregants, staff members, alumni, and faculty – gathered at the Beth Tfiloh Brotherhood's 70th Annual Donor Dinner to honor Cherie Brownstein, BT's Youth Director and Director of Co-Curricular Programs, for her 25-plus years of devoted service. The evening was a testament to Cherie’s devotion to the BT community, and of its gratitude for her outstanding leadership.
 

“We have one of the finest Youth Programs in our country,” said Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg, in tribute to Cherie, whose “greatest impact has been on the lives of the countless children with whom she has come in contact.” Rabbi Wohlberg praised Cherie as “an active role model for these children; giving our children the love and devotion that she has given to her own children,” and celebrated Cherie as “a role model of what being a good Jew, a good American, and a lover of Israel really is.”

Accepting her award, Cherie reflected on her first day at BT in 1986, when Eric Levi, the former School principal, saw her and called out, “Cherie Seidman, how are you and how’s your father Herb?”

“Nearly 20 years had passed since the last time I had seen him, yet he not only remembered me but my parents. And he was still there!” said Cherie. “How many years had he been at Beth Tfiloh? I am sure for well past 30 years. This set the tone for me.”

 
Cherie explained the source of her devotion to BT: knowing that each day, she had the good fortune to contribute to a cause she truly believes in.
 

“If you could wake up each day knowing that you are doing something that you believe in wouldn’t you want to stay? And if you knew that the work that you did was in a place you believe in, wouldn’t you want to stay? To be able to work in the Jewish community for a modern orthodox synagogue that is so committed to reaching the broadest cross section of Jews possible with the most dynamic group of professionals and lay people, wouldn’t you want to be here?”

Read Cherie's inspiring acceptance speech.