Education Center at Temple Beth Israel to host first fundraiser

February marks the first fundraiser for The Education Center on Longboat Key since its opening in 1985.

Kickin’ Karaoke and Dancing Through the Decades will be held 8-10 p.m. Feb. 10 at the center at Temple Beth Israel. Program Director Susan Goldfarb said it will be a fun night to sing hits from beloved singers and groups. All the proceeds will go to The Education Center. Technical Director Carl Kurtyka will be the DJ at the event.

Goldfarb said The Education Center only had one other fundraiser when it first opened but that afterward there were enough donors to support the nonprofit. The COVID-19 pandemic affected donations, prompting The Education Center to merge with the Temple Beth Israel. Goldfarb explained that this fundraiser sounded like a fun way to raise money for both the school and the synagogue.

Photo by Petra Rivera

“I’m excited to see people dance and have fun singing their favorite songs and maybe even dressing up in their favorite (decade's clothing),” said Goldfarb. “It's not just for the community here on Longboat, although basically most of what we do brings Longboaters out in full force, as opposed to people coming from Sarasota and battling the crazy traffic and all that. But they will maybe do that for this because it's a special occasion.”

The fundraiser will be a tribute to Motown and funky soul. People will be able to dance through the decades from swing to today’s top 100. The best decade costume will win a prize.

The Education Center also has a full roster of new classes with something that everyone can enjoy. Goldfarb highlighted courses like "Commemorating Great Composers," "World Politics," French, "Survival for Technology" and various writing programs.

The “Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita: The Divine Song” course covers the spiritual wisdom of the "Bhagavad Gita" and how to apply it in daily life. “Romeo and Juliet: Why does true love have to be tragic to be true” teaches about society’s fascination with Romeo and Juliet and why it's the archetype of romantic love. “The Man I Love: The Story of George Gershwin” is a one-time class about the life of George Gershwin.

“The Oddities of Memory” dives into understanding how human memories work and learning about memory disorders. “Musical Biographies” teaches about everyone’s favorite musicians and how their lives affected their music.

Goldfarb explained that her favorite nights are the different mingling opportunities at The Education Center, such as the monthly Wind Down Wednesdays and the West Coast Black Theatre Troupe performances. New Orleans Jazz Nights provides entertaining concerts by Kid Dutch and guest jazz artists from 8-10 p.m. Jan. 30 and Feb. 27.

Along with the many educational pursuits offered, The Education Center also has different recurring programs such as yoga, meditation and qigong to keep your physical health at its best as well.

“(Laura Taubes) founded the school in 1985, when she came to Longboat Key and her husband was handicapped, and they couldn't do the usual things that people come to Longboat Key for, like golf and tennis and boating,” said Goldfarb. “So she said, ‘What this place really needs is an opportunity to pursue lifelong education.’ She came up with that idea and thought to keep the mind and spirit young, lifelong learning is where it's at. I think that’s what makes us most unique: our educational programs. That's why we call it, ‘College, only better.’”