Meet Our May Family of the Month: The Huynhs

Tam (a proud 1970s kid) and Mac (truly ageless), along with Felix ( 11) and Gemma ( 6), began their Beth Sholom story in the Fall of 2017, when Felix started in Kitah Aleph at the preschool. What began as a first school experience slowly grew into something much larger — a whole family finding its place within the CBS universe.

Over the years, preschool drop-offs turned into friendships, holiday celebrations, and meaningful connections. Last summer, they said a tearful goodbye to their Preschool Era when Gemma finished her own adventures there. And with that milestone, they stepped fully into congregational life as official, card-carrying members.

At the heart of it all is their CBS mishpacha. Building new friendships and deepening relationships within such a warm, welcoming community has been one of the greatest gifts of their journey.

Preschool Shabbat was their gateway into Jewish practice, gently opening the door to ritual and rhythm. Today, Shabbat remains the family practice they cherish most — a steady anchor in busy weeks. (Though if you ask the kids, they’ll tell you Purim wins every time.)

The Huynh’s super power is a healthy dose of playfulness — including family Mahjongg games (which some of them play without following the rules).

Their path hasn’t followed a traditional route. As Jews by choice, they have embraced Judaism with intention and heart, and they’re excited to keep growing, learning, and becoming even more Jewish. Finding this path — and this community — has made all the difference.