Shomrei will be marching with MetroWest in the Salute to Israel Parade on Sunday June 2nd.
To attend, all you need to do is register directly with MetroWest at the following link: https://www.jfedgmw.org/event/celebrate-israel-parade/#register
Category Archives: News & Events
A Fun Event — and a Great Shomrei Cause
Hello, Shomrei friends,
I’m writing to tell you about a fundraiser (and fun-raiser) in support of a wonderful organization called Family Promise, which helps families with young children in Essex County who are facing homelessness. (Some of you may remember it by its previous name, the Interfaith Hospitality Network, through which we housed hundreds of homeless families and children at Shomrei for 30 years — before Covid intervened). I’m now president of the board of Family Promise of Essex and have been inspired to watch the organization expand to serve more and more families in the face of an alarming housing crisis that has hobbled young families in particular. Last year we served over 550 families in crisis. With your help, we’ll serve more this year. Continue reading
Lets Talk About Noa Tishby’s Book: Israel – A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth
One of the privileges of living in the United States of America, is being able to have conversations about politics and/or religion without the fear of one’s life being at risk. Continue reading
Kiddush with a Southern Flair
The kiddush luncheon for MLK Shabbat (1/13/2024) was sponsored by participants from the November Civil Rights trip. In keeping with that experience, kiddush coordinator Dale Russakoff (who herself grew up in Alabama) planned a Southern-themed menu. The kiddush crew prepared these recipes: Southern Cajun Salmon, Soul Food Mac & Cheese, Southern-style BBQ Tofu (for a vegan option) and Sweet Potato Pie. There was also a chopped salad, “Sweet Cole Slaw” from Shoprite with bagged cole slaw and shredded carrots mixed in, and cornbread from a mix.
Thank you to Dale and to these other volunteers for preparing the kiddush luncheon: Lou Hammerman, Lynne Tapper, Gerry Blume, Linda Blume, Vicki Compter, Risa Bernstein, Fern Hening, Alex Kent, and Aileen Grossberg. Continue reading
Shabbat – Our Way In Verona
On October 7th, when the war in Israel started, I began to feel vulnerable as a Jew. I started to consider where in my life I could find support as a Jewish person and where I might need to reconsider my personal safety. I quickly realized that, as a resident in Verona, I didn’t know more than a few Jewish neighbors. That made me feel vulnerable. What if something antisemitic were to happen to my family? Where could I find support in my own town? Continue reading
We Exceeded the Israel Medicycle Goal, Together!
Dear Shomrei Community,
It is with gratitude that we share that we exceeded our ambitious fundraising goal of $36,000 to send a Medicycle to Israel, which enables first responders to arrive within minutes of an emergency. With the continued conflict in Israel, we know that efforts to support the IDF and first responders will be much needed and appreciated. We look forward to ‘sending off’ the Shomrei-branded Medicycle to Israel in the new year.
Seeing the Other
The Montclair clergy who organized what they called “A Sacred Space for Lament and Love During a Time of War” feared that their best-laid plans could go awry. After several public disputes in town between Palestinians and Jews, the religious leaders believed that the community badly needed an interfaith gathering—a setting where Muslims and Jews, a Palestinian and an Israeli, could share their truths from the same stage. Continue reading
TGIS (Thank God it’s Shabbat)
Shabbat provides a change from the rest of the week, a time to disconnect from the day-to-day and reconnect with our friends and family. Starting in October we will introduce a Friday night rotation to provide a range of ways to experience Shabbat.
We’ve Been Busy
Shalom,
As summer is winding down and everyone enjoys the last few weeks of vacation, we wanted to share with you what to expect when you return to Shomrei.
Our preschool teachers completed another successful camp season and are now preparing their classes for the first day of school. The entire staff and all of our volunteers are hard at work preparing for the High Holidays and fall season filled with a number of activities. Continue reading
A Glorious Evening
With approximately forty-five other Shomrei members, Bruce and I attended the Musical Taste of Shabbat hosted by Ken Bannerman and Judy Wildman last Friday evening at their beautiful home.
The Service was glorious and memorable. Judy led the service, while Ken played the bass and Merrill Silver played the piano. We all sang the wonderful Kabbalat Shabbat songs, led by Judy, including Mizmor Shir, Lechu Neranina, etc. The music was so very wonderful! Continue reading