A Swiss Shomrei Shabbat

We didn’t have to ski in the Alps nor did we have to brave the cold to enjoy host Fern’s favorite Swiss food – raclette – for Shabbat dinner. Although this melted cheese dish, with roasted vegetables, boiled potatoes and gherkins may have originated in medieval convents in Switzerland and is enjoyed après ski in the Alps, it translated very well onto Fern’s beautiful Shabbat table. 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

The Greening of Shomrei, Parts 2 and 3

Shomrei Emunah took one of its first steps toward becoming a greener community earlier this year, when four small metal compost buckets were purchased for the Shomrei kitchen (See The Greening of Shomrei Part 1). The compost buckets are used as waste containers for vegetable and fruit scraps resulting from Kiddush and MESH meal preparation. Initially, when the metal buckets were full, they were emptied at the outdoor compost bins maintained by Linda Ariel and me on our respective properties. Continue reading

MESH Report November 14 2023

Chef Lynne Kurzweil planned a simple, nutritious and tasty meal for 50 with the able assistance of Shirley Grill, Susan Rosenthal and Carole Rothman.  Main course was panko crusted tilapia served with sweet potato fries and semi-homemade coleslaw.  Accompaniments were Italian bread, bananas and a water bottle.  Dessert was provided by Collin Brooks which included a yummy Oreo Cakester and cookies.  Our team worked seamlessly and happily, prepping and packing in three hours.  That’s pretty good for 50 home cooked takeaway meals, including cleanup!  Best part was we chatted away the entire time.  Lynne and Susan transported the meals to The Office where they were happily received.

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MESH Report June 6, 2023

As announced, Chef Fern Heinig prepared her fabulous, tasty and healthy Mediterranean Salmon Feast for 30.  In order to accommodate the 50 guests that have been frequenting the Office location at 619 Bloomfield Ave in Montclair, the Girls Club of Glen Ridge, a new MESH Partner, provided 20 additional meals. Continue reading

MESH Report Dec 13, 2022

It was a busy, busy day in Shomrei’s kitchen as Aileen Grossberg and Rhonda Silver prepared 25 hearty takeaway meals for MESH’s new indoor site at the former Office Restaurant.

Aileen was able to fill in for Shirley Grill, who was sidelined by COVID. But we MESHIES are always ready to do a quick pivot.

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Project Isaiah Food Drive a Success!

Thank you to everyone who donated to this year’s High Holiday food drive. With your support, we were able to provide food to Family Promise, Toni’s KItchen and the Human Needs Food Pantry. We were also able to set aside some of the food to help keep for our LIttle Pantry stocked.

Thank you to Ehud Klinger for reminding us that it was time to start the food drive. Thank you to Shirley Grill for organizing the food drive and to Linda Ariel for assisting with the food delivery. Thank you also to Carlos Alegre and Ehud for helping to load up our cars. Continue reading