Honoring
Guests of Honor
Todd and Diane first came to Adat in 1987 as UCSD graduate students. They were blown away by the welcoming community, the Rabbi’s Divrei Torah, and the warmth of the Wohlgelernter home.
They became frum at Adat. Got married at Adat. Raised their kids at Adat. Adat has been at the center of their lives for the past 35 years.
Diane worked as Adat’s office manager in the early years. She was known as ‘The voice of Adat’ and helped organize countless shul events and Yomim Tovim. She has served as one of Adat’s mikvah attendants for the past 13+ years. Todd has been a gabbai since the mid-1990s and served on Adat’s Board of Directors for many years (Diane wishes he would stop already!). Todd was honored to be Bertie Woolf’s chavruta (study partner) for close to 30 years.
Todd and Diane have chaired two previous Adat Galas and agreed to be co-honorees so they would not have to chair a third. When asked his favorite part of being Gabbai, Todd sang “Aliyah. I just want to give an Aliyah…”
Reviewing Todd’s first professional play, The Dybbuk, the San Diego Union Tribune theatre critic said, “The theatre is not a synagogue.” The Saloveys love Adat because “The synagogue is not a theatre.”
They are grateful for all the love, support, friendship, Torah, tefillot, inspiration, and yummy food they have gained through the shul.
Guests of Honor
Horn Family: Gavin and Cheryl, Jacob, Ilan and GilaGavin arrived in San Diego with Cheryl and Jacob in April 2003 to take a job at Qualcomm. They immediately joined the shul and have been a part of the Adat family ever since. Ilan and Gila were born shortly thereafter and Gila walked to shul just in time for the new eruv to be installed. All three kids- Jacob, Illan and Gila have been coming to shul regularly since they were old enough to walk.
Gavin volunteered to become Gabbi Sheni because he felt guilty that Cheryl had helped our previous Gabbi Sheni buy a house in the College Area. The position played to his strengths of not being good with names and not being able to speak Hebrew. He enjoys standing by the Torah during leining and making hand signals. He also no longer has nightmares when Todd goes on vacation.
Gavin started his learning in Rabbi Jeff’s Pirkei Avos class Monday nights and soon started learning Mishna one-on-one in the evenings. After realizing he could not stay awake that late, he switched to Beginner’s Talmud in the morning. Now he has graduated to his favorite shul activity which is Talmud in Depth with Rabbi Jeff on the elliptical followed by Torah and Cholent on Thursday night. He also enjoys his 30 minute walk to shul with the kids and discussing the important stuff.
Cheryl's favorite shul activity is coming to hear Ilan read the parsha. Otherwise, she is occupied in making sure she has the same number of dishes as she has guests for Shabbos. Sometimes that means there are a lot of different homemade cookies for dessert or even better, more kinds of meat. Cheryl also has worked many times on the shul and school galas particularly on the silent auction.