Category Archives: News & Events

Purim Celebration at Shomrei

by Merrill Silver

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My favorite Jewish holiday is Sukkot. Or is it Passover? After
celebrating Purim tonight with our Shomrei community, my new favorite
holiday has to be Purim.  The spirit, the crowd, the young people, the
not-so-young people, Lily leading us with such “ruach” and teaching us
new melodies, Lily directing the JLC acting troupe with her original
shpiel, Debra Caplan accompanying these incredibly talented singers and
actors at the piano, the overflowing bags of Mishloach Manot, and of
course, the 9th Annual Purim Simcha Band all contributed to a most
joyous Purim. Continue reading →

Book Club: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

by Josie Zeman

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The ImmortalistsShomrei Book Club

We all agreed that our February  choice, “Panther in the Basement” was a top notch book, rich in language and the history of pre-State Israel under the British Mandate.

Our next meeting will be on Monday, March 18 at 7:30 pm to discuss “The Immortalists ” by Chloe Benjamin. The story begins on  the Lower East Side in 1969 when a mysterious woman promises she can predict the day of death for her clients.  Four adolescents in the Gold family sneak away to have their futures predicted. The novel probes the link between reality and illusion, destiny and choice, this world and the next, according to the critics.This book was a best seller and Book of the Year on NPR.

Continue reading →

Journey From Song to Solitude

by Nick Levitin

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Now Showing in The Shomrei Gallery: Journey: From Song to Solitude, The Photographs of Shomrei Congregant Nick Levitin

Dear Friends,

I’d like to invite you to an exhibit of my photographs currently on display at Shomrei.

This exhibit, entitled Journey: From Song to Solitude, is a reflection of my own journey with photography. Although, I started taking pictures when I was a young boy, the 70s was when I began in earnest. It was a volatile and dramatic time that offered up dramatic images of the passions of that decade. That is the first part of the exhibit. Over time, I have been drawn to more serene subjects and those make up the second half of this exhibit.

Net proceeds of any photographs sold goes to Shomrei’s Refugee Assistance Group.

The photos are on display in the gallery on the second floor. I do hope you will stop by and take a look.

Thanks,
Nick

 

Support the Pre-school playground, March 7

by Gerry Blume

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Folks –

As VP of Membership, I’ve recently reached out to the pre-school to see how the synagogue community can work more closely with the pre-school community, with one possible outcome being that more pre-school families become members.

One suggestion has been that the general synagogue community support the March 7 pre-school fundraiser, Art Mazel. The pre-school is getting a new playground this spring; it is a prerequisite to the preschool’s continued certification.  While they playground has been ordered, the pre-school still needs to raise $10,000 more to pay for it.  If you agree with me that the pre-school is an important party of our Shomrei family, we all need to help with this effort. Continue reading →

The Simcha Band is Gearing Up for Purim

by Merrill Silver

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If you play an instrument, join the Simcha Band! We’re always looking for new members to join our troupe!  All ages welcome!

The 6th annual Purim Band will perform on Wednesday evening, March 20 during the Megillah reading and evening service. We hope you can participate as every musician is special to us. Although we’ve been playing the same repertoire (more or less) these past few years, we still need to rehearse. Also, when newcomers join us, they need some practice time with the band. Continue reading →

Book Club: The Panther in the Basement by Amos Oz

by Josie Zeman

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OZ Panther in BasementShomrei Book Club

We had a good discussion about “Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English” at our meeting Jan. 28. The group included two Floridians by phone:  Deanna London and Jo Gorodetzer.  We thought the book was much more than just a “sweet” story as there were some serious aspects to the story.

Our next selection is “The Panther in the Basement” by Amos Oz— the meeting is on Monday, Feb. 18 at the synagogue. It’s a slim volume that tells of the Israeli writer’s years as a young fellow in pre-state Israel under the British occupation.

I hope to see many of you at the meeting, or for out-of-towners, you can call into a conference call. Details will be sent out closer to the meeting date. Continue reading →

Meaningful Work Choices — New Frontiers – @nourish, Sat, Feb 2, 2019, 10:30am

by Shomrei Emunah

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Sat, Feb 2, 10:30 am
Free and open to everyone
Good Coffee and Nosh!

It takes courage to leave the known world for new frontiers. The panel members will share their experiences and open up the discussion to the audience so that we can all explore the journey of finding meaning in work and life.

Our panel, led by Dale Russakoff, who left her longtime job as a reporter at the Washington Post in 2008 to become a freelance writer, will consist of:

Alison Wininger
A public interest lawyer who represented low-income clients in the Bronx, Harlem and London, then chose to become a stay-at-home mom to her two daughters.  She has begun to share her passion for social justice with her older daughter, Abigail, now 3, and together they volunteered with IHN for the first time in December. Continue reading →

Guest Rabbi Ari Perten at Shomrei

by Shomrei Emunah

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Rabbi Ari Perten will be Shomrei’s Guest Rabbi on the following dates:

Fri Jan 18th – Sat 19th
Fri Feb 8th – Sat 9th
Fri Mar 8th – Sat 9th
Fri Mar 22nd – Sat 23rd
Fri Apr 5th – Sat 6th
Fri May 17th – Sat 18th
Continue reading →

Fri, May 10, 2019 – Cantor Galeet Dardashti: Heartfelt and Hypnotic Jewish Liturgical Music

by Shomrei Emunah

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Renowned Cantor, Galeet Dardashti comes to Shomrei for a Firday night Kabbalat Shabbat service, Shabbat dinner and Presentation, Fri, May 10, 2019.

Her dynamic Sephardi/Mizrahi Kabbalat Shabbat service always has participants singing and clapping. Each new melody introduced is taught in nigun form (wordless melodies) first. This service involves prayers with beautiful melodies from a range of Middle Eastern/North African Jewish communities.

At dinner, Dr. Dardashti will offer an interactive presentation on Jewish Middle Eastern and North African (Mizrahi) piyut traditions (piyut: Jewish liturgical poem). Come hear, study, and learn to sing several of these beautiful poetic songs, and gain an understanding of their shifting cultural significance throughout Jewish history and in Israeli pop and rock music today. Continue reading →