Gloria Bein was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived there for the first 18 years of her life. At 19, she married her husband, Irving, and moved to Willimantic, Connecticut. Throughout her childhood, Gloria had been raised in an Orthodox community, but when she moved to Willimantic, she found herself as a religious minority in a community where 85% of the residents were Catholic. She encountered Anti-Semitism upon moving to Willimantic, but soon became a beloved member of the community. Because of her work with senior citizens, she received the key to the city.

After she lived in Willimantic, Gloria moved to South Carolina, but soon returned back in Connecticut, The Beins settled in West Hartford, and she has been there ever since. Gloria is an extremely active part of the West Hartford Jewish community.

According to Gloria, "I think that I really became so zestful about it [Judaism] because it was missing to me and because of the fact that I had earlier in my life. It was a void… And the first thing my husband did, when we moved to West Hartford, he went to the Judaica store and bought me a Jewish star because then I could wear it without any worry, any anxiety or any resentment. And that was very important."

She is very involved with Temple Emmanuel in West Hartford. Gloria is a member of the Sisterhood and makes presentation to young b'not mitzvah about the importance of women within Judaism. On Friday nights, Gloria often helps to lead Shabbos services at the Hebrew Home for the Aged. She also runs an active Chavera study group that concentrates on education and building Jewish communal bonds. In Hebrew, "Chaver" means friend.

Please click here to listen to Gloria's experience with her Chavera.