WCT Leadership Through the Years
A listing of our presidents, rabbis, cantors, educators, youth directors and rabbinic interns.
PRESIDENTS
Alan Horowitz 1966-1968
Robert Stone 1968-1970
Jack Safirstein, z"l 1970-1972
Carol Panzer 1972-1973
Ed Kleban 1973-1974
Carol Panzer 1974-1975
Joel Leifer 1975-1977
Alan Mitelman 1977-1979
Larry Gralla, z"l 1979-1981
Bob Rosen 1981-1983
Renee...Read more...
WCT Siddurim
Begun in 1966, the founders of Woodlands Community Temple sought to create a different kind of congregation. Focusing on the word “community,” they instilled in our members a feeling of belonging and involvement which has often been referred to as “the Woodlands Way.”
Very soon, the members of Woodlands began writing their own siddurim (prayer books). We'd thought our first one had been put together in 1973 but then Rabbi...Read more...
WCT Oral History with Jack Safirstein
On December 4, 2022, current temple president Jenna Lebowich sat down with Woodlands' third president, Jack Safirstein z"l, and his daughter Julie Massey to talk about the early days of WCT and the Safirstein family's role in the founding of our temple. The walls of Jack's study were hung with numerous certificates commemorating the lifelong connection that he and his wife Sue z"l had with...Read more...
WCT: A Brief History
On July 28, 1966, at 9:02 p.m., in the Conference Room of the Chase Manhattan Bank, Woodlands Community Temple was born. Committees for constitution and bylaws, finances, education, membership and publicity, social activities, building, and ritual and ceremonies were developed.
In August 1966, publicity was developed, a church site was searched to temporarily house the congregation, financial policies were...Read more...