Wishing Mazel Tov to Past President Barbara Haworth

By Emily Jennewein, President

I’d like to wish Mazel Tov to Past President Barbara Haworth and her husband Gordon, who have moved to Chicago, where Barbara has become Executive Director of the historic Anshe Emet Synagogue, a large Conservative, egalitarian synagogue. Beth Israel bid a fond farewell to the Haworths with a warm Shabbat blessing in late March.

As president from 2005-07, Barbara established a period of Shalom Bayit, peace in the house, when she presided over the engagement of Rabbi Michael Berk, renewed Beth Israel’s relationship with Rabbi/Cantor Arlene Bernstein and enhanced the high level of professionalism. Barbara presided over Beth Israel’s first long-range strategic plan and conceived of our leadership development institute which trains a pipeline of future lay leaders. To my knowledge, she is the first past president to leave our community and the first to leave for employment at a synagogue. I send the Haworths my very best wishes on behalf of the Beth Israel community.