When I was a kid growing up in Lowell, Massachusetts (when winters were really cold and the snowdrifts were over my head), we had a summer cottage on a very small lake about 15 minutes from home. In the winter, we’d bundle up, get our skates and drive out to the lake and go ice skating.
After the cold got to be too much, we’d sit on shore, rosy cheeked, and sip hot cocoa from an old fashioned thermos.
Funny how it’s the little things that make the most indelible memories. Continue reading
For the first time in almost two years, the Shomrei family gathered after Shabbat services for a communal kiddush..
The sun shone so despite the cold, the atmosphere was warm and friendly as we gathered to celebrate shabbat and welcome our first rabbinic candidate and his family. Continue reading
Join us in welcoming Ehud Klinger! Ehud will serve as Shomrei’s Synagogue Operations Director. He will be in charge of all day-to-day operations and administration.
With a background in political science Ehud has extensive experience in the field of operations. Born in Israel, Ehud also lived in New York and Japan before settling in New Jersey. Ehud has served the Jewish world as a tour educator, teacher and member of various congregations before arriving in South Orange. Most recently he has been planning educational expeditions to the Jewish destinations. Married with 2 young children Ehud loves exploring new places and spending time with friends and family.
Contact:
Ehud Klinger
(973) 746-5031 x101
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The 2021 Annual Meeting of Congregation Shomrei Emunah & The Annual Meeting of the Shomrei Emunah Cemetery Association occurred on Monday, June 28, 2021. Members voted on a number of items including the budget and election of new members of the Board of Trustees.
Results of the meeting:
2021 Annual Meeting Package which includes reports from President Miriam Haimes and Director of Education, Heather Brown and Cemetery Association president Carol Katzman.
One more thank you (an addition to the President’s Report in the 2021 Annual Meeting Package)
While there are so many to thank for everything and everyone that make Shomrei the amazing and vibrant community that we are, especially this past year when we had to constantly change the way we “attended” services and community events, inevitably there is an oversight. I want to take a few minutes to thank Lily Lucy, our rabbinic intern whom I somehow did not mention in my report.
Lily was key in creating our unique High Holiday experience last year and any time Rabbi Greenstein, Geoff Sadow or I tried to figure out how to bring the services to our Shomrei family, Lily was there with more creative ideas. She never said no when we asked her to do something and the outcome was always inspiring. As the rabbinic intern, Lily brought us together for Zoom Kabbalat Shabbat, invited our kids to participate in services, conducted themed Havdalah services and led us for Purim and many other holidays. She provided teaching to us in her By the Light of the Moon Rosh Chodesh discussions and her thoughtful approach and her lively singing makes me smile every time we are together.
Thank you Lily for all you do for Shomrei.
I know we have not fasted yet, nor have we built our Sukkot. But we can definitely use some extra joy these days so why not fast forward to Simchat Torah?
This year Shomrei will be celebrating the holiday virtually on Sunday, October 11 at 7:30 PM. As we mark the completion AND the beginning of reading the Torah, we would like to fill the occasion with live music.
Sounding the shofar is a beloved feature of celebrating the Jewish New Year. Each year we enjoy gathering together in our building to hear the shofar’s piercing, mysterious sounds.
This year we need to be creative. While we will livestream the shofar service from Shomrei, we also want to “think out of the building.” So we are hoping to gather a group of volunteers who will be able to blow shofar at various designated spots in Montclair, so as to make it possible for as many people as possible to hear the real thing. Imagine – you, along with so many of your friends and neighbors – taking a few moments to walk to a spot close by, or to just open your window, and hear the traditional shofar blasts heralding the New Year!
The 2020 Annual Meeting of Congregation Shomrei Emunah occurred on Monday, June 22, 2020. Members voted on a number of items including the budget and election of new members of the Board of Trustees.
Results of the meeting:
2020 Shomrei Annual Meeting Package which includes reports from outgoing President Sara Ann Erichson and Director of Education, Heather Brown.
It is always a pleasure to thank the Purim Band for its contribution to our community celebration. So a huge heartfelt “Yasher Koach” to:
Dr. Josh Kulp – A Seder History
A pre-Passover discussion led by Dr. Josh Kulp:
Aside from the Bible, there might be more different editions of the Passover Haggadah than any other book in history. The Haggadah and Passover seder originated in the land of Israel after the destruction of the Second Temple, and continue to be one of the most observed Jewish rituals throughout the world. This unique visual presentation will show how the Haggadah’s texts and the seder’s customs developed over the centuries and how Jews shaped their traditions in reaction to the places throughout the world in which they lived. Come and learn of the Seder’s fascinating history and pick up some fascinating information to share at your own seders. Continue reading