PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – September 2026
I mentioned a couple of months ago a trip to Louisville, Kentucky Diane and I were making for a conference Diane was attending. I promised to regale you with our experiences of the Bourbon City, and so I’ll make good on that promise now.
When I visit someplace new, I always want to experience things unique to that place. There are many things unique about Louisville. Some of those things include bourbon, of course, Churchill Downs, Louisville Slugger bats, and the Hot Brown.
We took the tour of Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, which included a guided visit to the track itself to watch a race. When we watch the Kentucky Derby at home on television, Diane has a pretty good track record picking the winner from the post parade. At the track, there was a horse named Kenwood. Diane picked him to win for no other reason than that was the street next to the one she grew up on. Kenwood broke badly and not only finished last, he finished so last that Diane was able to take a nice clear picture of him going by all by himself without all those other horses getting in the way of him.
After the race we stopped in to the café at the museum just before it closed, and being at Churchill Downs I ordered a mint julip. The bartender made it with a pretty good bourbon, a premixed sugar/mint syrup and a large sprig of mint. It was served in a souvenir glass. A neat experience. Very fancy, but not extraordinary.
Another day, Diane and I met with a group from the conference in the restaurant on the top floor of the conference hotel. The restaurant rotated so you got a view of the Ohio River, then the city. I ordered an old fashioned cocktail. Unexpectedly, it was presented by the server in a wooden box that when opened revealed a cloud of smoke infusing the drink. Very impressive, but all I wanted was a drink. It was well made, but I didn’t need the flashy show.
The last day of the conference a group of us went out to dinner at a well know barbeque restaurant. I ordered a bourbon and ginger ale with dinner. (It is Bourbon City after all!) It was OK, but the mixer was flat. The service was great, the ambiance polished and honest to the theme of the establishment, but the barbeque itself was only fair. I’ve had better, in fact I’ve made better myself.
Which brings me to the Hot Brown. Created in 1926 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, it is an extravagant hot turkey sandwich smothered in mornay sauce with tomatoes and a meat that shall remain nameless in a Jewish publication. A little research led us to a place called Rubbies Southside Grill outside of downtown. When we drove up, the place looked well-worn. The parking lot was a little chunky. The furnishings were nothing spectacular, and the décor was eclectic. But it was comfortable and welcoming, and the server had a smile and a personality as wide as the Ohio River. She chatted with all her customers like she had known them for years. Some she did as they were regulars, some were out-of-towners like us. Diane and I split a Hot Brown, because the dish tends to be enormous. It was the best thing we ate the entire trip. The whole visit was wonderful.
Thinking of these various experiences I am reminded that Temple Beth Emet is not a fancy place, we don’t do flashy things, you might describe our building as “well-worn.” But our people are friendly, warm, and welcoming to all who come through our door, whether you are a regular or a first-time visitor. At our last open house someone rang the doorbell at the front door. When I let them in I explained that the front door was for “company” and we and our friends (old and new) come in the side door and make ourselves at home.
Vickie recently made a short film asking some of us what makes Temple Beth Emet special. Almost universally the answer was “the people.” That is something we can be very proud of, cherish, and share.
On behalf of myself, my family, the Board, and the staff of Temple Beth Emet of Burbank, L’shana tova tikateivu. May we all be inscribed for a good year.
— IRA L. GOLDSTEIN, President.
