Meet our Prayer Leaders for the High Holy Days: Rabbi Julie Roth, Talia Lakritz, Jacob Lipkin, Rabbi Justus Baird, Dr. Craig Eicher, Sarah Kamenetsky, and Shira Farbman Lipkin. Continue reading
Category Archives: People of Shomrei
Shomrei Welcomes Jacob Kaplan-Lipkin, 4th Year JTS Student
Jacob Kaplan-Lipkin is a rising 4th year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he is also pursuing a masters degree in Hebrew Bible. He is returning from an emotional and enriching year in Israel as a visiting student at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem. He enjoyed mentoring and learning with gap year students this past year as the Rabbinic Intern/Spiritual Advisor for the 43rd cohort of Nativ. While in Israel, Jacob also was privileged to participate in a variety of programs with Pardes, the Shalom Hartman Institute, and Hadar Israel. During his first two years of JTS rabbinical school, Jacob worked at Cornell Hillel as the Rabbinic Intern. Continue reading
Meet Mustafa Laboo, Kitchen Coordinator
One of five children born in Newark, Mustafa Laboo has joined the Shomrei staff as our Kitchen Coordinator. Having lived in multiple NJ cities, he participated in a wide range of sports activities and was introduced to several different cultures. Over the years, Mustafa has worked for several NJ & NY area caterers in a variety of roles. Continue reading
Introducing Jenn Harvey, Operations Administrator
Jenn Harvey, Operations Administrator
Jenn started at Shomrei in January 2024. Originally from Chicago, Jenn grew up in Morris County, NJ, and graduated from UCONN with her BS in Marketing and Communications. After working in Hartford for a year, she returned to the tri-state area to work in the NYC headquarters of a global beauty company. Her background is in PR, media relations, communications, marketing, strategic alliances, and event management.
After the arrival of her 3rd child, Jenn took a step back from the corporate sector to focus on her family and play a more active role in her community. In that time, she coached multiple soccer teams, managed several sports teams, sat on the Board at her children’s elementary school and chaired numerous programs and fundraising events. She thoroughly enjoys volunteering and is currently the Booster Club President of the High School Girls Soccer Program, while also continuing to coach soccer
Jenn and her husband, a native New Yorker, have been married for 22 years and have a son and two daughters.
Herbs R Us
Shomrei’s herb garden is in full bloom, so it’s time to start harvesting! Here is what is in each of the containers by the driveway. Container 1 is closest to the building; container 7 is farthest away, at the far edge of the tent. Continue reading
Welcome to the Board of Trustees 2024
Yasher koach to the 2023-24 Board of Trustees. Special thanks to outgoing board members – past president Miriam Korn Haimes, VP-Legal Gordon Braverman and trustees Audrey Levitin, Lynn Rubin, and Debra Caplan – and to outgoing president Michael Sag (who will continue on the board as immediate past president).
Welcome to these new board members – Shirley Grill, Risa Bernstein, Josh Kline and Suzanne Grobman.
June Garden Update
Everyone who enters our building must have noticed the greening and flowering of our outdoor landscape. This beautiful lifecycle fuels itself, with one season of plants providing nourishment for the next as its foliage decomposes. In the meantime, our flowers provide beautiful decorations for kiddush tables on Shabbat, and the compost from vegetables and fruit used in kiddush prep helps enrich the soil for all of our plants. Continue reading
Remembrances of Dr. Michael Kogan
Michael Kogan passed away on April 6th at age 81. He was living in Charleston South Carolina, to him The Holy City, in his retirement. He was for forty-one years professor of Philosophy and Religion at Montclair State and an expert in fields of Jewish-Christian theology and dialogue, Existentialism, and Old and New Testaments.
Michael was a member of Congregation Shomrei Emunah for forty years. He served two terms as president; founded and taught in the Adult Education program; spearheaded the Scholar-In-Residence program; sponsored and preached at the congregation’s annual July 4th service and celebration; and served as a Torah and Haftorah reader. Michael was a major financial supporter of the synagogue. Continue reading
Parashat Yitro & Metrowest Centennial Shabbat (2/3/24)
Toby Stein: In Memoriam
Editor’s Note: Rabbi Greenstein emailed these remarks to Rabbi Julie, who read them at Toby’s funeral on Sunday, February 4.
This past Shabbat our Torah portion, Yitro, tells, among other things, of the advice that Yitro, Moses’ wise and big-hearted father-in-law, offers to Moses. He tells him to find special people who will be able to support Moses in guiding the community. Yitro says: “You should look out, from among the entire people, people of valor, who revere the Almighty, people of truth, who shun selling out.” (Ex. 18:21) Continue reading