Wed, Dec 11, 7:30pm
Free, Light Refreshments Served
Shomrei Emunah, 67 Park St. Montclair
Rabbi Nathalie Lastreger, one of the leading voices in Masorti (Traditionial) Judaism, is an activist for religious pluralism and human rights in Israel today. She will speak at Congregation Shomrei Emunah and looks forward to an honest and provocative adult discussion about “The Challenges Facing Israel Today as a Jewish State and a Democratic, Open Society.”
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photo courtesy Temple Ner Tamid, Bloomfield, NJ
Aileen Grossberg sends us this poem written by her friend Norman S. Pollack. On Monday, October 21, 2019, Four synagogues joined up on Montclair’s Church Street to celebrate Simhat Torah, B’nai Keshet, Congregation Shomrei Emunah, Temple Ner Tamid and Temple Sholom of West Essex.
The Miracle on Church Street
It happened beneath commercial lights,
On the corner was “Anthropologie:”
Twelve musicians in the diasporax
‘neath a Fullerton sign, “Pure Energy.”
A transformative prayer leader and musician, Deborah Sacks Mintz has served innovative institutions around the country as a teacher of Torah and communal Jewish music. As a member of the Hadar Ensemble and the Community Singing Consultant of Hadar’s Rising Song Institute, Deborah serves as a resource to those seeking to cultivate the grassroots musical and spiritual creativity of the Jewish people.
In addition to composing new Jewish music, Deborah can be found regularly performing and recording with a myriad of musicians and ensembles. A Wexner Graduate Fellow, Deborah is pursuing rabbinical ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
As an experienced ba’al tefilah and leader of communal prayer, Deborah seeks to support communities in unlocking their own abilities to lead and empower their spiritual selves. Through composing and sharing new liturgical music, Deborah offers a fresh take on a deeply traditional sound.
All events Free and open to the public
(see schedule below)
tickets on sale now: Shomrei.org/concert
Laurence Juber is a solo performer, recording artist, composer and arranger. His playing fuses folk, jazz, blues, pop and classical styles, creating a multi-faceted performance that belies the use of only one instrument.
First internationally recognized as lead guitarist in Paul McCartney’s Wings, with whom he won a Grammy. Juber has since established himself as world-renowned guitar virtuoso and entertainer.
Sunday, November 3, 2019, 4pm
Adults $15 in advance ($18 at the door)
Kids (when accompanied by an adult) – FREE
Tickets: Shomrei.org/concert
Sponsored by the Eric Singer Charitable Fund and Shomrei Emunah. Continue reading
Selichot Program
In the spirit of forgiveness and renewal, the speaker for Shomrei’s Selichot program is Huwe Burton, who was exonerated in the Bronx 30 years after he was wrongfully convicted of his mother’s murder. Huwe’s conviction was overturned after the Bronx Conviction Integrity Unit determined that Huwe gave a false confession that was the product of psychologically coercive techniques used by detectives. Additionally, the same detectives who elicited Huwe’s false confession also obtained false confessions from two other individuals three months earlier. The reinvestigation also uncovered new evidence that strongly pointed toward an alternative suspect. Today Huwe is rebuilding his life and is dedicated to helping others who have experienced grave injustice.
Shomrei Book Club
Next Meeting: Monday, July 1, 7:30pm
Our next selection is “The Library Book” by Susan Orlean. It’s a non-fiction account of the huge fire that destroyed the main library in Los Angeles in 1986. Nearly 400,000 books were lost in the 7-hour blaze. How did it start? It’s a mystery.
Because we are “the People of the Book” Merrill thinks it will be an interesting change of pace for us. There are many copies available in the inter-library system. Continue reading
Congregation Shomrei Emunah and the Shomrei Preschool celebrated the opening of its new playground with a ribbon cutting ceremony and community event on Sunday, May 19th. The new playground features all new, state-of-the-art equipment amid a larger footprint. Continue reading
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
Shomrei 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.
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