I Did Not Know

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Editor’s Note: Fern gave this talk on the first day of Rosh Hashanah 5778/2017.

There is a member I speak to weekly.  He is not a new member, but not necessarily one of the more seasoned members.  Her name is I Did Not Know.

Despite articles e-mailed and in Kol Emunah.  Despite announcements in the Shabbat Bulletin; Despite one-click links on the home page of our website;  Despite events posted on the calendar;  Despite e-mails from Marge, the Rabbi, myself, or other members;  I Did Not Know, our most popular member, is perplexed about all that is going on at Shomrei.

Let me begin by some highlights that I Did Not Know may not have known:

  • There were 19 New Families last year and seven new families so far this year (starting in July)
  • Last year we came in ahead of budget, which is great since we needed to replace two AC compressors
  • Every Pre School class is full
  • There are 7 B’nai Mitvahs scheduled this year
  • There’s a new teaching staff and curriculum for JLC, building on the Shabbat School started last year

I Did Not Know did not know that there was Torah Study every Shabbat morning.  It is a little early at 8:30am on Saturday but what a fun discussion.  The people in the group do not actually always agree with what is happening in the Torah and have pretty lively discussions.

I Did Not Know also did not know about these other ritual opportunities to meet the needs of the community include:

  • Wednesday night minyan on the first Wed of the month at 7:30pm in the home of Andy and Merrill Silver.
  • The Healing Service which is the last Monday of the month for a half hour to give support to those in need of comfort, for whatever the reason.
  • Avodah SheBalev, also known as the Alternative Service, was started many years ago and offers a different kind of Shabbat Service, focusing on a different aspect of prayer each month.
  • My personal favorite, Hinei MaTov, our family service led by Lily Lucey and followed by a Tot Shabbat for very little people and their parents/grandparents.

And I almost forgot to tell I Did Not Know about Taste of Shabbat, a Friday night service and dairy Pot Luck dinner in one of our member’s homes.  This is a way for the community to welcome Shabbat together in a casual setting. I Did Not Know  is looking forward to attending his first Taste of Shabbat on October 6th at the home of Lou Hammerman and Sarita Eisenberg.

I Did Not Know also did not know about our very popular @nourish, which is having its one year anniversary. This is a speakers  program once or twice a month at 10:30am on Shabbat mornings.

I Did Not Know did not know how much happens at Shomrei on Sundays.  There is a minyan every week followed by Mitzvah of the week. There are adult Hebrew Classes and Talmud Study.  And don’t forget our monthly Israel Cinema Café.

I Did Not Know did not know about all the social action programs Shomrei sponsors.  There’s MESH, the soup kitchen for the homeless we have every Tuesday night. There’s IHN Week, when we host 4-5 homeless families twice a year (in August and December) here in the synagogue.  I Did Not Know did not know about the Shomrei Refugee Committee, but has now donated some items to support the Syrian refugee families that the committee is helping out.  And the MENSCH Squad was a mystery to her.  I Did Not Know did not know that Shomrei members cook shiva meals for members of the Shomrei community who have experienced a loss or drive ill members to the doctor or hospital.

Some upcoming important events that I Did not Know did not know about but is now planning on attending:

  • Shomrei is hosting a Syrian Supper Club in our Sukkah on Sunday Oct 8. Syrian Refugee families cook traditional foods as a way of educating guests as well as providing financial support for their families.
  • There is a newly created Montclair Orchestra that will be debuting at Shomrei on Nov 5. This is the first event being sponsored by the Eric Singer Memorial Fund
  • In January, we will once again have Shabbat Across Shomrei. Once a year we try to get as many people as possible to have a Shabbat dinner with each other. Some members host and some members attend an informal Shabbat dinner at various people’s homes. A great way of meeting new people and celebrating Shabbat, especially if you do not have a regular Shabbat dinner.

And finally, I Did not Know had not known that we want to organize another Shomrei Congregation trip to Israel and really wants to go. Anyone else who may be interested in joining I Did not Know, please contact me or Ayla Winter.  Before we can plan it, we need to gauge if there is enough interest.

Though we are financially stable again this year, that does not mean we have abundant cash flow.  I Did Not Know did not know that some of our programs – in particular the Mensch Squad, IHN, and MESH – are subsidized by Tzedakah (monetary donations) given in honor of a person or lifecycle event. Think about making a small donation, $18 or $36, to one of the many funds Shomrei supports so we can continue our good works.

I Did Not Know, welcome to the Shomrei Community.  Please read your e-mails.

 

image:  “faceless” © Andrii Khomiuk used with permission via Creative Commons License

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