Temple Beth El Bradenton moves out east to meet continued growth

With the largest growth area of Manatee County being out east, a local temple wanted to follow that growth even if meant relocating inside a church.

For a little more than two months, Temple Beth El Bradenton, which was previously located near Cortez Road in West Bradenton, has been calling the Braden River Presbyterian Church, 5150 Peridia Blvd. E., Bradenton, home.

“We made this move and it’s really going to be a lovely partnership I believe,” Rabbi Michael Sternfield said. “They’ve really rolled out the red carpet to us. More and more, it feels like a synagogue and a church.”

As a “compact” congregation of less than 100 households, Temple Beth El Bradenton was no longer located in an area that had any possibility for growth, especially with younger families, Sternfield said.

“Today the largest growth area is in the Lakewood Ranch community, so we felt that we still had a commitment to Bradenton but we wanted to be somewhere that was equal distance between the two,” he said. “It is much better located, but not only for Lakewood Ranch but Parrish. It is much more accessible.”

When the temple first moved into the church in February, there was some initial reluctance, Sternfield said.

“It is always difficult to make changes,” he said. “I think within a short time everybody has come to recognize what we have here is something really special and beautiful and they’ve embraced it.”

The church building itself is rather neutral but when the temple is using the space for services Friday night and Saturday morning, it is “dressed up as a synagogue,” Sternfield said.

“You would be convinced that it’s totally a synagogue,” he said.

For the last decade, the temple has been in rented facilities so there’s nothing new with being tenants in the church, Sternfield said, adding that they hope to be there for the long term.

“I think this suits our needs very well,” he said. “Religious buildings of all kinds are really very greatly underutilized. There is a great deal of economic sense that goes with this both for the church and us. We have virtually no times when we are in conflict. It just doesn’t happen.”

With Passover beginning on Monday, the temple will have its annual First Night Passover Seder at 6 p.m. at IMG Academy Golf and Country Club, 4350 El Conquistador Parkway, Bradenton. Sternfield will conduct the traditional Seder.

Since Passover Seder traditionally belongs in a home, the temple’s Seder will “create a feeling that it is still kind of a family event,” Sternfield said.

“When you have a community or synagogue Seder, you are essentially providing a Seder for people who one reason or another are not in a home environment,” he said. “So many people here are away from family, so the temple community becomes a nice substitute family for many people. It really has a family feeling.”

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Temple Beth El Bradenton moves out east to meet continued growth."