WBTT performs at Education Center at Temple Beth Israel

There was no mountain high enough and no space big enough to contain the joy at a West Coast Black Theatre Troupe performance at the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel on Feb. 7. About 200 people filled in sanctuary for a special performance. 

This was far from the first time WBTT has been involved with Program Director Susan Goldfarb or the temple. When Goldfarb was in charge of the Longboat Key Education Center, there would be an annual performance. The evening was sponsored in part by Sy Goldblatt, who used to sponsor the event at the old version of the education center with his late wife, Shelley. On the temple’s side, the men’s club had sponsored the evening in the past, so President Lou Moyer helped put the event on too. 

But Goldfarb was responsible for the jovial mood of the evening. She said she dreamed up the concept of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” one night and pitched it to Founder Nate Jacobs and Executive Director Julie Leach at WBTT. 

“It’s been more than a year since we’ve been able to see them perform and I feel like everyone is down in the dumps and finally leaving their homes and laptops, so I wanted this to be a really extraordinarily uplifting night,” Goldfarb said. “Let’s make this music make us feel how we want to feel.” 

Performers Raleigh Mosely II, Michael Mendez, Syreeta Banks and Ariel Blue put on a rollicking show of 1960s and 1970s music and encouraged the audience to sing along to songs by the Temptations. Soon, the sanctuary was full of tapping feet, bobbing heads and clapping hands. 

After the performance, guests gathered in the adjoining room for a champagne reception.