.On Friday evening, May 14, Beth Judah’s annual Charlotte Kulp Scholar in Residence Weekend, begins its extended weekend of learning with Rabbi Steven C. Wernick, the executive vice-president and CEO of United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism.

Rabbi Wernick, the new head of the Conservative Movement in North America, will begin with a program, “Where is Conservative Judaism if Torah is from Sinai?”

This year’s weekend will mark the eighth in an ongoing learning commitment, begun by the family of the late Charlotte M. Kulp, to foster ongoing strong educational values held by the mother of Cantor Emeritus Ed Kulp and his brothers. Says Rabbi Aaron Gaber, spiritual leader of the synagogue, “Charlotte Kulp liked nothing better than to learn, discuss, enrich and enlighten within the ‘kehillah’ that she was so devoted to in her later years. Rabbi Wernick would have absolutely been someone with whom she would have wanted to share a Shabbat experience.”

On Saturday morning Rabbi Wernick, who is both well respected in American Judaism today and has long and firm roots in the Delaware Valley – he has served as assistant rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom in Cherry Hill and as the rabbi of Adath Israel in suburban Philadelphia – will speak on the topic, “Bemidbar: Conservative Judaism....Stuck in the Wilderness?” and following a luncheon in his honor will address, “USCJ - What it is all about.”

The son of a Conservative rabbi, he is a former USYer and has a long and devoted history at Camp Ramah in the Poconos. Following his undergraduate work at the University of Minnesota, Wernick earned a Masters Degree from the University of Judaism in Los Angeles and graduated from and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary.

In addition to attending the synagogue programs, the community is invited to join both Rabbi Aaron Gaber and wife, Sharon Bromberg, at their home on Shabbat afternoon at 5 p.m. for an informal “Scotch, Schmooze and Martinis, too” gathering at their home.

Marcy Rosenthal, chair of the weekend, has announced that almost all of the events may also include special meals, in addition to his speaking from the bimah, and she asks that those interested in participating in any or all of he weekend’s dinners and special events please call Ethel Levinson at the synagogue office at 822- 7116 for additional information.