Bruce and I attended the “ We Stand With Israel “ talk Sunday, 9/29 at Temple Shalom in Cedar Grove. Adele Raemer, a resident of Kibbutz Nirim, one mile from Gaza, told us how life at Kibbutz Nirim was 95 percent heaven until October 7th, 2023. Continue reading
The poet, T.S. Eliot, wrote that April is the cruelest month, a quote often taken out of context.
But I think that in the cycle of the year, September may be the cruelest month. Although it is a month of beginning for those who never seem to shake the shackles of a school schedule, it often coincides with Tishrei which marks the beginning of our religious year, and is beautiful with full greening of the trees and bursts of color from the dahlias, marigolds and mums, the month is the last gasp before the slow decline to winter. Continue reading
How do you cope with the stress and anxiety brought on by global events that seem far away yet hit close to home? The wars in Israel and Ukraine have had profound global implications, and their impact is felt acutely in the United States.
For many, the emotional toll of these conflicts leads to heightened anxiety as we grapple with the uncertainty and fear that such global instability generates. Whether due to personal or cultural ties to these regions, or the intensified divisions within American society election, this sense of unease is growing. Continue reading
Editor Note: Carol is a former president of Nutley Hebrew Congregation
Time flies when you are where you belong!
On July 1, 2024, the Nutley Hebrew Congregation will have been part of Congregation Shomrei Emunah for 30 years, a milestone worthy of a history lesson in how our merger came about. I am sure everyone knows the phrase: It is not what you know but who you know. This was very true in our case. Continue reading
Editor Note: Kelli shared her conversion story at Shabbat services on June 15, as part of our tradition where a different congregant will share their conversion story each year when we read from the Book of Ruth on Shavuot.
Good morning, everyone. It is a privilege to stand before you today to share the story of my conversion, at long last, to Judaism.
It started with Shehechiyanu. Continue reading
We spent the last four Shabbatot doing it “my way” surrounded by the side of our family that we rarely see, our younger daughter and her family who live in the northern French city of Lille.
We arrived early Friday morning jet lagged and wanting nothing more than a shower and a nap. But it was already mid-afternoon when we walked into the house. While my daughter is not observant, when I am visiting we always do Shabbat, lighting candles and eating hopefully homebaked hallah.
Dear Shomrei Community,
The last Shabbat Shabbat Your Way before the summer is on May 31.
I want to thank everyone who participated in Shabbat Your Way this year and especially everyone who opened up their homes. We hope you’ll continue to host people over the summer and we’ll officially pick up in the fall.
And please share your Shabbat story with us at email hidden; JavaScript is required.
We were a small group of Jews traveling in Uzbekistan, a predominantly Muslim country. Our tour group had originally included nine others who dropped out of the trip after war started between Israel and Hamas, because they did not feel comfortable being in a Muslim country. However we felt safe and entirely welcome. (All these people wanted to take picture with us!)
These reflections were written by participants in Rabbi Julie’s Pre-Passover workshop, Seder During Wartime, in April 2024. Continue reading
We spent two Shabbatot in Uzbekistan.
The first Shabbat was in Bukhara. The men in our group attended Friday services (we had been told earlier in the day by the Rabbi that women do not attend services on Friday).
Afterwards we all made our way for Shabbat dinner to the home of a Muslim family who specializes in cooking kosher meals for Israeli tour groups. Continue reading