Park City’s Jewish Community celebrates its 25th Anniversary

Park City's Temple Har Shalom painting by congregant, Dr. Richard Pohl. The artwork was prominantly displayed at the Stein Erikson Lodge at Deer Valley during the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Jewish Community. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — On Saturday night at The Stein Eriksen Lodge, more than 200 people from the community-at-large celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Temple Har Shalom.

In preliminary planning phases since 2017 to originally be held in the Spring of 2020, attendees were glad to finally gather after the global pandemic paused the festivities. 

Rabbi David Levinsky told me, “This event is more than a celebration of 25 years of Temple Har Shalom in Park City. We are celebrating that we will be here in 100 years as well.”

As old and new friends dined and danced to the singing and playing of Park City’s Rich Wyman and Lisa Needham, they laughed and chatted about fond memories like the Torah Trek. That was when the Torah was walked, in a snowstorm, from the Prospector neighborhood, one of many small spaces rented by the Community, to the newly-built Temple. There were stories from those who were there to the newer members about how, at the dining table of a past president, the name Temple Har Shalom came to be, evolving from the first name, Park City Jewish Community Center.

There were giggles and high-fives at the tales of the who’s who that presided over the continued Friday afternoon Ski Shul at Deer Valley. Also, pride of how the Women of Har Shalom has been formed including the Hinienu Caring Committee providing outreach throughout the pandemic. The creation of the closely-associated Lebwohl Food Pantry in Salt Lake City had people feeling the philanthropy. Lastly, becoming a Sundance Film Festival venue was a popular topic.

Luckily, if not everyone heard those accounts, they were all recounted in a commemorative coffee table book, one of which everybody took home.

Deb Sheldon, Executive Director, said to me, “We’re celebrating the vision of our founding members, gathering to celebrate 25 years of the Temple Har Shalom Community. It’s a community that’s welcoming and dedicated to keeping a Jewish presence in Park City.”

In the coming weeks, a Time Capsule will be buried on the grounds of the Temple so the spirit and story of Judaism in Park City can be equally enjoyed 25 years from now.