By Mark Givarz
When my wife, Alyce, and I retired from our full-time positions and moved from St. Louis to northeast Florida in 2021, we began searching for a spiritual home. We found it at Congregation B’nai Torah in Ormond Beach, a warm and welcoming community of about 100 families led by Rabbi S. David Kane.
One thing was missing: an active Men’s Club. The club had been dormant for years, and when I told the Rabbi that restarting it was one of my “conditions” for joining, his response was supportive but cautious—“good luck.” It had been tried before, but never with any lasting success.
The World Wide Wrap at Congregation B’nai Torah.
Teaching tefillin at Congregation B’nai Torah.
I considered that as a challenge. Soon, we launched programs like Schnapps in the Sukkah, December 25 Movie Night, World Wide Wrap, Yellow Candles and Men’s Club Shabbat. These events were enthusiastically received, and members wondered how I came up with such “innovative” ideas.
Learning about the mitzvah of tefillin at the World Wide Wrap at Congregation B’nai Torah.
The truth was simple: they weren’t mine. These events and programs came from my brothers in FJMC International, whose creativity and camaraderie I had experienced for many years.
At first, our B’nai Torah Men’s Club was purely social, focused on reconnecting men in the congregation. This was especially important as the world was evolving from the isolation of COVID-19. Once that foundation was in place, we established by-laws (using FJMC templates), elected officers, created a dues structure and by 2023 proudly became members of FJMC.
Since then, we have:
Our members are now actively planning the upcoming Central and North Florida Area Shabbaton from February 20-22 in Palm Coast, and the excitement is palpable.
Meanwhile, my brother Jay, has generated similar momentum at Temple Beth Shalom in Palm Coast, where their men’s club is also now an active FJMC member. In fact, Jay is leading the Shabbaton planned next month.
The Lesson
Schnapps in the Sukkah
Smaller synagogues in small towns are fertile ground for FJMC. With fewer competing social activities, FJMC becomes a natural portal for engaging men in Jewish life, strengthening bonds and enriching communities.
The Goal
At the upcoming Shabbaton, we aim to reach out to unaffiliated synagogues across rural Florida. We want their men to experience firsthand the camaraderie, programming ideas and support that FJMC offers — and to see how it can transform their congregations and communities.
See related stories about the Florida Region and Temple Beth Shalom Men’s Club in Palm Coast.
Mark Givarz is honorary president of B’nai Torah Men’s Club in Ormond Beach, Fla.
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