What to Expect on the High Holidays

shofar1Shalom, friends!

I’m excited to bring you an update of what we have in store for our virtual High Holiday experience.  Thanks to the participation of so many of our members, this experience will be a rich and heartwarming reflection of the Shomrei community.  Here’s a little taste of what to expect during the month of Elul (the preparatory month leading up to the High Holidays) and what to expect during our High Holiday services. Continue reading

Shomrei Community: Send us your High Holiday videos!

2020-08-17

The deadline for sending videos has been extended until 9am this Sunday Aug 23.

The videos sent by congregants so far are terrific! Please join in and send us your video(s).

Super Easy
Please don’t be deterred by the technology, see the list of tech helpers below. We can set you up in a zoom session with a helper who will do all the technical part. Or you can make a short video on your phone OR your computer, either is fine. See these recording_tips.

Upload Videos Here:
http://shomrei.org/upload

Two Videos:

1. Hallways Hugs and Greetings:
Make a brief video of yourself or your family as if you were greeting your Shomrei community in the synagogue on the holidays. Make it 10 or 15 seconds at most. (Don’t forget: record with phone in “wide” orientation”) Examples:

  • Shanah Tovah!
  • Happy new year from our family to yours!
  • May you have a sweet new year!
  • Share a personal joy/simcha (“It’s going to be a great year…My son is getting married!”)
  • Share a new year’s wish or blessing for your community
  • Feel free to keep it simple or to be creative.

2. “Virtual Choir” Song:

Listen to this audio recording in your earphones or air pods and record a video of yourself singing along. The best way is to listen to the file on headphones on your phone or device and then record yourself on your computer or vice versa. Remember you can contact one of our helpers to assist you. The only audio we should hear in the video is your voice. So make sure the music is ONLY in the earphones you are wearing. Don’t worry if you don’t feel like you have a great singing voice!!! When we blend together it will sound great, just as it does when we are able to sing together in person. (Don’t forget: record with phone in “wide” orientation)

Technical Help
Don’t panic! We’ll talk you through it. Call one of our volunteer tech crew!

Eric Feldman
John Lasiter
Michael Legman
Geoff Sadow

Consult your community directory for numbers or call the office at (973) 746-5031

 

The Gift of Hinei Mah Tov

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One of the greatest gifts I was given when I came to the Shomrei community over three years ago was the opportunity to lead our family service, Hinei Mah Tov. Befitting the name of the service, we always open with the song “Hinei Mah Tov,” a song that is known by many melodies but lyrically highlights the importance of being together with our brothers and sisters; the version that we open with says, “How good it is, how sweet it is, to be with my sisters and brothers/ How good it is, how sweet it is in peace with one another.”

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Noah and the JLC

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We had a fun and lively Shabbat morning here in the JLC last weekend for Parashat Noach!  In response to the needs of our community, we made a schedule change and held Hinei Mah Tov services for the first hour of JLC.  With near-perfect attendance from our JLC students, plus young families and congregants, we were able to come together in prayer, song, and learning.

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The New JLC – A Test Drive

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On Monday night, the JLC leadership team had the pleasure of taking a test run with (just a taste of) our new school materials. We staged a photo shoot with a handful of our adorable JLC students, and the room was abuzz with excitement. We believe that when provided with meaningful materials and caring facilitators, children can be trusted to explore, invent, create, and learn. That’s why we are invested in providing our community with a child-centered learning environment and a thoughtfully-crafted school space.

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