There was a little purring, some excited barking, some energetic wrestling, and a little bit of growling. On a brisk Sunday afternoon, some of Shomrei’s 4-legged members and their 2-legged friends showed up for Shomrei’s “Pets Are a Blessing” event on the lawn. Conducted and organized by Morah Lily and Rabbi Greenstein, activities included photos in front of a “step and repeat” wall, art projects, cookies, juice and some discussions about the way in which our pets are a blessing in our lives.
The Shomrei Preschool PTO (Parent/Teacher Organization) ran a fundraiser at Cyclebar as part of a series of upcoming events in support of the new playground. Cyclebar, a cycling studio in Montclair, let us fill a private class with our fundraising parents, alumni and staff. We also sold 60 custom t-shirts prior to the ride that raised additional funds.
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Our friends at Bnai Keshet (Reconstructionist Synagogue in Montclair) will host a weekend of activities, for National Refugee Shabbat, part of a nationwide effort by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, (HIAS), to educate and train participants on issues and ways to help detained immigrants and asylum seekers. All events will be held at Bnai Keshet, 99 So. Fullerton Ave. in Montclair.
Friday, October 19: Shabbat Dinner and Educational Forum on Refugee Issues Continue reading
On a beautiful day of sunshine, our synagogue hosted a luncheon in our Sukkah. We invited as our guests Pastor David Noble and his congregation at the Central Presbyterian Church to thank them for hosting us during our time of need when our synagogue was flooded. Approximately 20 of his congregation family joined 50 of ours sharing a heartfelt afternoon of prayers, singing, food, and friendship. Continue reading
Montclair Chamber Brass: (L-R) Kyle Turner, Don Batchelder, Jeff Scott, Chuck Bumcrot, Anthony Mazzocchi
Concert
Sunday, November 4, 4pm
Congregation Shomrei Emunah
67 Park Street, Montclair (map)
Tickets:
Tickets $15 general.
Children under 18 and students with valid student ID, free.
purchase online
or Call (800)838-3006
Sponsored by the Eric Singer Charitable Fund and Congregation Shomrei Emunah
The Montclair Chamber Brass, a quintet of prominent brass musicians from the faculty of Montclair State University’s John J. Cali School of Music, will present a recital on Sunday, November 4 at 4pm at Shomrei Emunah, 67 Park Street in Montclair. This concert is the second annual Eric Singer (z”l) Memorial Concert, a series presented by the Eric Singer Charitable Fund and Shomrei Emunah to honor the longtime Shomrei Emunah member and music lover.
The program, titled “Bountiful Brass from Bach to Bernstein,” demonstrates the eclectic strengths of the modern brass quintet, which consists of two trumpets, French horn, trombone, and tuba. On the first half, the ensemble will play “classical” music from a 500 year span of history, including composers such as John Dowland, Thomas Morley, Giovanni Gabrieli, J.S. Bach, and Johannes Brahms. Audience members will experience the warm ambience of brass timbre from all sides, as the quintet uses the concert space in innovative ways to surround listeners.
Shomrei Book Club
We often hear that America is a nation of immigrants. The novel “We Were Strangers Once” by Betsy Carter is the story of a determined Jewish family who cope with an unfamiliar society and loss of previous status as they re-establish their lives in the U.S. after escaping from Hitler’s net. At a time when immigrants are a national issue, it would be good to revisit the difficulties our own people encountered as strangers in a strange land. Continue reading
(L-R) Rabbi David Greenstein, Mike Byrnes, Fern Heinig and Pastor Dr. David Noble
Rabbi David Greenstein & President Fern Heinig of Congregation Shomrei Emunah present a plaque to Mike Byrnes (Building Manager) and Pastor Dr. David Noble of Central Presbyterian Church of Montclair.
The plaque gives lasting expression to our feelings of thanks. It reads:
Congregation Shomrei Emunah Gathered Here – January-April 2018 – With Gratitude; “For My home shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7).
Shomrei has been blessed to have such wonderful neighbors. The plaque will join other plaques that grace the walls of Central, given by other groups who have benefited from the gracious generosity of Central Presbyterian Church throughout the years. We look forward to building a continuing relationship between our two communities in the future.
Editor’s Note: For many weeks after the burst pipe and ensuing reconstruction, Central Presbyterian hosted Shomrei’s services and other events without charge.
The Family of Carol Starr z”l, has made a generous donation to our MESH Cafe which will help sustain the effort. The program has been renamed the Carol Starr MESH Cafe at Shomrei in her memory.
The MESH Cafe (Montclair Emergency Services for the Homeless) is a cooperative effort between the MESH organization and local synagogues and churches. Volunteers at each institution cook and serve hearty, nutritious meals for the hungry. Continue reading
We are very pleased to announce that our Rabbi, David Greenstein, has received the Daniel Jeremy Silver Fellowship at the Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University. This fellowship is awarded to an active congregational rabbi who has demonstrated exceptional intellectual and academic ability and interest, originality, and energy in the pursuit of Jewish scholarship. The fellowship runs from January 1 through May 31, 2019. During this time Rabbi Greenstein will be on sabbatical from Shomrei to concentrate on his studies in Cambridge, MA.
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Shomrei Book Club
For May, the book is “If All the Seas Were Ink” by Ilana Kurshan, a 2017 finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in Women’s Studies. We will meet on Monday, May 21 at 7:30 at the synagogue.
“In this deeply personal and often hilarious story, Kurshan shows us how the Talmud’s thousands of strange and demanding pages become a conversation about how best to live one’s life in an imperfect world. Kurshan awakens us to our imperfect world’s hidden magnificence―and to the power of literature to inspire human resilience. A stunning, gorgeous memoir.” ―Dara Horn, author ofThe World to Come
“With this memoir, Ilana Kurshan enters the exclusive club of daf yomi learners, a club that was, for generations, restricted to men. Hers is a stunningly original voice in the world of Torah and the world of literature. Go run and read this book.” ―Ruth Calderon, author of A Bride for One Night
All are welcome to join us. Contact Josie Zeman at email hidden; JavaScript is required for more information if you are interested.