“Our family moves with the times…Judaism is an evolving way of life. Our values are set but are modified to reflect contemporary times.”
Temple Beth Sholom has been a big influence in my life. Growing up in Miami Beach during World War II and the subsequent creation of the State of Israel in 1948, TBS reinforced my faith in our country and strengthened my love for Israel. All these rich memories would not have been possible if it were not for TBS. My hope is that TBS remains the kind of place that addresses social, religious and contemporary issues for generations to come.
When my brother, Morris, and I were students at North Beach Elementary School, Rabbi Kronish walked onto the playground and asked the physical education teacher to point out the Jewish children. My teacher pointed to my brother and me. Rabbi Kronish invited us to Temple Beth Sholom, which was a store front on 41st Street. Since gas rationing was in effect during the war, it was prudent for my family to attend a Temple close to home. Thus began my family’s 70 year relationship with TBS.
My father, Shepard Broad, was a lawyer, banker and land developer who helped support the establishment of the State of Israel. In 1947, David Ben-Gurion asked a small group of American-Jewish activists to meet at Rudolf Sonneborn’s apartment in New York. The group’s first assignment, called Aliyah Bet, was to help displaced persons who were Holocaust survivors settle in Palestine. My father purchased three of the ten war surplus boats used in project Aliyah Bet. My mother, Ruth, supported these efforts by helping him run the operation out of his law office. I learned from a very young age what it means to help fellow Jews and other people.
My passion for Tikkun Olam spilled over into my teaching career, which began at TBS as an assistant Kindergarten teacher and later as a teacher in the Miami-Dade public schools. Beyond the classroom, I’ve been fortunate enough to support many educational programs and innovative endeavors ranging from elementary and middle school courses, to Hillel programming on college campuses, to parenting programs at the University of Haifa and with TBS’ Open Tent.
I married my late husband, Irving Bussel, in 1959. We have four wonderful children: Daniel, Deborah, Karen, and John, who together blessed us with seven delightful grandchildren.
Five generations of my family are products of TBS, beginning with grandmother Dora Kugel, followed by my parents, Ruth and Shepard Broad (TBS President from 1950-1951). It is incredible to know that my granddaughter Miriam will become a Bat Mitzvah at TBS in the fall of 2015.
TBS has been a significant part of my spiritual upbringing. I want to see these values live on for generations to come, so that TBS can continue to be for others what it has meant to me and my family. We created the Broad Bussel Innovative Educational Fund to provide funding for unbudgeted innovative educational initiatives at TBS.