Shabbos in Boynton Beach

The highest traffic post on this blog is this first time I wrote about Shabbos in Boynton Beach. It's time for an update!

The stat is not that surprising, considering that a lot of people have connections to Boynton Beach, either through a friend or, quite often, an elderly parent who lives in the area, and they are looking to find the Orthodox Jewish Boynton Beach, so they can find the services that will help them have the kind of Shabbos they are looking for.

Things have changed mightily since that October 2009 blog post, as the neighborhood has undergone a tremendous upheaval - in a good way.

Since those days, the shul where I was a visiting rabbi, Anshei Chesed, has moved, has built a new building, has a full-website, a full calendar of activities, and, just last month, installed me as the first full-time rabbi!

COMMUNITY GROWTH
The community has grown exponentially. So many people have moved in - both to "snowbird" homes, and as full-time residents. There are a few more families with children, and many many more retired and semi-retired couples who have found their way to this hovel of Orthodoxy in the middle of Palm Beach County.

Kosher stats: One kosher restaurant; a significantly kosher variety, including a completely kosher bakery, at the local BJ's; ditto for Costco, which is about a 12-15 minute drive away; a fully kosher supermarket with a prepared foods counter, under the ORB, in Delray Beach - which is a 10 minute drive away. And, of course, all the local supermarkets (several Publix within 4 minutes from the shul, two Targets, etc) carry kosher products.

Eruv: The community Eruv is very large, encompassing a large area in Boynton Beach, from the turnpike to the I-95, 1.5 miles north of the shul, and 2.5 miles south of the shul. Kudos to Rabbi Ciment of Chabad for seeing to the construction of the Eruv, under the guidance of Eruv experts from Miami.

Anshei Chesed features daily minyan, morning and evening, all year round. Thank God, we have not had trouble getting a minyan, even in the "slow season" during the summer.

SHABBOS
Every Shabbos has an increasingly larger crowd - especially during December and January, and Pesach time, the busiest seasons of the year.  We also have a teen minyan which meets several times a month, and we'll hopefully soon be starting a hashkama minyan on Shabbos morning.

I still speak 5 times on a typical Shabbos:
1. Friday night - before Bameh Madlikin, 2. Shabbos morning - Chumash class before davening, 3. Morning sermon, 4. Afternoon class - halakha or some timely subject, 5. Seudah Shlishit - short dvar Torah.

With God's help we will continue to grow. If you're planning to spend Shabbos in Boynton Beach, come by our shul! You will love our quiet, respectful davening and our friendly crowd at kiddush. Hopefully you'll also enjoy the other features of our shul, community, members and guests that make our shul a uniquely special place.