In her sermon, Rabbi Julie spoke about IVF, in light of the ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court.
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MESH Report February 27, 2024
A most efficient crew prepared and packed Chef Sarita’s hearty, tasty and nutritious BBQ Chicken Feast for 50 in a repeat record time of 2 hours. The A+ Team included Captain Sarita Eisenberg, #1 First Mate Lou Hammerman, and First Class crew members Linda Ariel, Susan Rosenblatt and Lynne Kurzweil.
Parashat Terumah (2/17/24)
Quick-ish Soups
We love soup in the winter. However, many soups take 2-3 hours to cook and I don’t always leave myself enough time to make the soup to have for dinner the same day. These are a few soups that take an hour or less to prepare.
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Parashat Mishpatim & Repro Shabbat (2/10/24)
Guest Speakers: Phoebe Pollinger, Chair Reproductive Rights Committee NCJW Essex County, & Daniela Nogueira, Senior Counsel to the NJ Attorney General
Featured Talk: After Dobbs: The impact of the Dobbs decision and what NJ has done, and is doing, to provide reproductive freedom and health care
watch the video Continue reading
What are you doing for Shabbat?
The weekend in Israel (Friday and Saturday) is approaching and as a visitor, the number one question I always get, What are you doing for Shabbat? Friends ask. People I just met casually, ask. The nine-year-old daughter of a friend of mine texted to ask me, What I was doing for Shabbat?
At one time, my American Jewish perspective interpreted this question to mean, was I Shomer Shabbos? Since I am not, I always answered this question vaguely. Continue reading
Welcoming Shabbat at Brighton Gardens
Each week, I help a small but exceptional minyan welcome Shabbat in what might be the most diverse and innovative “congregation” in the area. The wheelchairs and age-worn bodies throw obstacles easily met with innovative spirit by the group, residents of Brighton Gardens, an assisted living and memory care facility in West Orange. That collective willingness to navigate limitations creates an inclusive, ruach (spirit) filled Kabbalat experience that is a joy to experience for anyone lucky enough to visit (Shomrei’s young Joshua and Benjamin Gold were a big hit this week with their upbeat version of L’kha Dodi)!
Yes, It Counts – Shabbat Your Way
Dear Beloved Shomrei Community –
We did it! Last month 56 individuals and families from Shomrei either had or hosted Shabbat dinner. We’re hoping to have 50+ again for Shabbat Your Way this month, February 23, 2024. Our goal is to become a community where at least 100 out of our 225 individual and family members have or host Shabbat dinner at least once a month. Continue reading
Winter Recipes
Even though we have been teased by the weather recently, it is still winter as the recent snowstorm reminded us. ’Tis the season of soups and stews; chopping and long-simmering. Maybe add a salad and some good bread for a complete meal.
But who has the time for that? Continue reading
Update from the Shomrei Refugee Assistance Group
As many of you know, our group has been assisting two brothers who escaped from Afghanistan during the American-led evacuation in the summer of 2021. The brothers were separated from their parents and four siblings, who were left behind in Afghanistan.
We now have fantastic news to report! Those six other family members have finally joined Sediq and Masih in New Jersey. To top it off, the family (including Sediq and Masih) has now found two apartments in Montclair (with the help of Shirley Grill and HomeCorp).
This past weekend, the family moved into their two new apartments in Montclair with the assistance of Shomrei volunteers. Continue reading