Temple Avodah to honor three at golf outing

Dan and Rita Henick and Caryle Katz will be honored for their contributions to Temple Avodah during its annual Bob Harwood Memorial Golf Classic on June 10 at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club.

To register as a player it will cost $275, and $80 to register as a non player with dinner included

The event will begin with a 10 a.m. breakfast, followed by a simultaneous tee off at noon. The day will culminate with a celebration of the golf outing’s honorees, as well as a catered dinner at Temple Avodah, scheduled for 6 p.m. The Henicks were selected as the outing’s honorees, and Katz will be presented with the temple’s 2024 Person of the Year award.

The Henicks have been active members of Temple Avodah for 35 years, spending a majority of that time volunteering and giving back.

“It’s a somewhat humbling experience,” Dan Henick said. “But it feels nice to be recognized after being a member of the temple for a number of years.”

The Henicks originally moved to Oceanside in 1988, and their two children Maggie, 42, and Adam, 38, were practically raised in the congregation, since the couple believed it was important to instill a sense of Judaism in their kids and open them up to the Jewish community.

“We want to belong to that community and see that it flourishes, so we do what we can to help the temple function and thrive in the Oceanside community,” Dan Henick said.

He served as temple president from 2002-04, and spent a combined 25 years on its Board of Trustees beginning in 1995.

In 2023 Dan was chairperson of the rabbi search committee. This group sought to find a new rabbi for the temple, and eventually hired Shai Beloosesky for the position.

“It was satisfying to me, knowing I took part in what I think is a very important task at temple, and that people seem to be pleased with the selection,” Dan Henick said.

Rita Henick has made contributions as a member of both the Temple Avodah Parent Teacher Organization and the temple’s sisterhood. She served as president of the organization from 1994-96 and president of the sisterhood from 2000-02, being recognized with the sisterhood’s Woman of Valor award in early 2000.

She has spent a combined 15 years on the Board of Trustees and more than 20 years on the annual sisterhood fashion show’s planning committee. The fashion show, which she has described as one of her favorite events, draws between 150 and 200 women for a night of entertainment, camaraderie, dinner and raffle prizes. The models in the show are women from the congregation who volunteer to walk the ballroom floor, showing off the clothing chosen for the event.

Rita Henick added that the fashion show is not only a night of fun for temple members, but also acts as a way members of the congregation can deepen their bonds and expand their sense of community with one another.

“It’s a really relaxing night, where people can get together and unwind,” she said. “I like working with groups of people, meeting new people and working together to run something successful.”

The Henicks said that over the years, they have met many of their closest friends through their association with Temple Avodah, which they agreed is one of the best things about being members of the congregation.

Katz has spent her time with the congregation teaching, volunteering and advocating for the less fortunate. Katz joined the congregation in 1964 and has maintained an active role in the temple community. A regular at temple services, Katz is also a member of the Torah study group that meets every Sabbath morning.

“One of my favorite activities is learning with the rabbi and with the congregants,” Katz said. “The community of Temple Avodah is an extension of my family. The synagogue is my second home.”

One of her major accomplishments was the establishment of the Alan M. Katz Memorial Library, after her husband died in 1987.

“I held a gala dinner dance at the temple to raise money to establish (it) in memory of my husband, who was beloved in the congregation,” Katz said.

In the past, she has also enjoyed tutoring bar mitzvah students, citing the gratification in being able to help educate the next generation.

Katz has presented two seminars on behalf of the congregation — one in June 2022 on climate change and the other last Oct. 16 on antisemitism in the wake of the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7. The Oct. 16 seminar drew a large crowd and presented speakers such as Israel Nitzan, former Israeli consul general.

“It was a crowded sanctuary for that seminar, but you could hear a pin drop when he spoke,” Katz said of Nitzan.

Katz maintained that the community and friends she has made at Temple Avodah are what truly make the congregation special.

“They set the standard for being good people,” Katz said. “All I can say is, ‘Wow.’ To be celebrated like this is an enormous honor.”