Movie Night at Or Chadash

 Sunday, February 20, 2011

4:00 PM

Featuring The Critically Acclaimed Movie:

James' Journey to Jerusalem

Join us as Or Chadash presents movie night! We will be making fresh popcorn with our popcorn machine and watching the movie "James' Journey to Jerusalem." After the movie, we will have a brief discussion about the movie for those who wish to stay and participate. Bring friends! This comedy is not rated (NR), is 87 minutes long and is for audiences ages 10 and up.

Click here to RSVP!

About the movie: In the imaginary village of Entshongweni, far from western civilization, young James is chosen to undertake a mission -- a pilgrimage to holy Jerusalem. But Israel is no longer the Holy Land that James and his people imagined. When he's suspected of trying to infiltrate the country to work illegally, James's journey takes him through the cruel heart of our economic system, as he learns the tricks of the game and plays it toward an inevitable end.

Review of the movie: "There is no violence or sex in this movie and it is still great! Filmed completely in Israel in about seven different languages, this is a must see film of spirituality that comes in a decidedly different package. Very Highly Recommended."

In December, our 7th Grade

class wrote letters to 7th

Graders in Israel to let the

Israeli students know they were

in our thoughts while dealing with the forest fires that were

happening there.  We sent these letters to our sister congregation, Or Hadash, along with origami paper cranes made by our 5th Grade students.  We recently received the following thank you letter from Or Hadash:

Shalom Rabbi Forman,

I hope this finds you well.

We received the envelope you

sent us with your 7th grade

letters. They are beautiful and

heartwarming!
 

I wanted to personally thank you from the bottom of my heart and tell you we will deliver the letters to 7th grade in Haifa,

especially to children who

suffered most from the Carmel

fire, those who lost homes, were evacuated and are in the

process of rebuilding now.

I would like to extend an open

invitation to you, your family,

friends and to all of Or Chadash

congregation to come visit us in

Haifa when you are visiting

Israel. We would absolutely love

to host you!!

Wishing you a wonderful day
and a very happy Tu B`Shavt!

In Friendship,

Edgar

Rabbi Dr. Edgar Nof
Or-Hadash Congregation

Yarns and Midrash-- Knit, Crochet, Storytelling Circle

Yahrzeit

Evelyn Hersch, In memory of Samuel Alpert

Dear Members of Or Chadash,
 

As the deeply piled snow and glistening ice begin to melt from nearly every surface outside, the cold month of February is sure to surprise us with more winter, despite what Punxatawny Phil has predicted for this spring.  One of the marvelous benefits of challenging weather is that it unites all of us in a common cause - be it shoveling, scraping or simply complaining.  It is sad but all too true that other than when severe weather forces us together, we often focus on our differences rather than what unites all of us. 

February is African-American History Month.  It's also the birth month of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  These men united our nation at times when our differences were matters to be fought over.  The formation of a Union that honored both state and federal rights loomed large for Washington - not to mention fighting a Revolution and gaining independence from Britain.  When slavery threatened to tear our nation apart,  Lincoln, too, brought the force of the military to keep us together.  Today we watch as Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan and a host of other nations struggle in violent conflict to discover how they shall live in harmony - respecting differences, celebrating the common threads that bind them.  

At Or Chadash we have taken the words from the Mishna in Pirkei Avot to heart.  Rabbi Tarfon, who lived between 70 and 135 C.E. said: "You are not obliged to complete the work, but neither are you free to evade it."  Our work is Tikkun Olam - repairing whatever brokenness we see in the world.  Racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and myriad other forms of prejudice still blind us from seeing what binds us together.  

This month we are showing a film about religious and racial prejudice in Israel with a discussion to follow.  We will be learning to bake pita with our friends from the ICHC and teaching them to bake challah.  We will be inviting those of other faiths into our congregation to teach us about the richness of our community - that we can learn to see beyond the particulars of difference to the humanity within all of us.  I invite you to be a part of this task.  The opportunities for Tikkun Olam abound.  No, we will not complete it; that's a given.  But we will keep at it.  We cannot do otherwise.

And by the way, enjoy the promise of an early spring!

Shalom,

Rabbi Joseph M. Forman

Click on the above photo to see more pictures from this special program.

This past Sunday, January 30, our Religious School students once again had the privilege of attending a joint program with the Islamic Center of Hunterdon County (ICHC). 40 students from Or Chadash and the ICHC participated in a shared day of learning about the Five Pillars of Islam--Testimony of Faith/Shahada, Prayer/Salat, Fasting/Sawm, Charity/Zakat, and Pilgrimage/Hajj.  Working in teams, the students traveled through the five stations, and "reported" on their learnings. We then joined together for lunch and prayers.   For our next activity we will be joining together to bake challah, pita and naan breads.  
 

Join us for A Taste of Judaism...Are You Curious?™, a FREE series of classes throughout North America

Enjoy three weekly classes on the modern Jewish take on spirituality, values, and community. Our classes are dynamic and interactive; our teachers are accessible, fun, and can answer any and all of your questions.

Everyone is welcome, these classes are free to all members of the Community. You don't have to be Jewish to be curious!  It is for anyone who wants to learn about the foundations of Jewish tradition and in seeking an entry into Jewish Life. Open to anyone who is interested in learning about Judaism- Jewish or Not!! 

Choice of three locations:

Tuesdays March 1, 8, and 15th at 8:00pm at Temple Beth El - Hillsborough with Rabbi Arnold Gluck

Wednesdays March 2, 9, and 16th at 7:00pm at Or Chadash, Flemington with Rabbi Joe Forman

Mondays March 7, 14 and 21st at 7:15pm at the JCC in Bridgewater with Rabbi Ron Isaacs of Temple Sholom

Register at 908-725-6994 X-213

Volunteers Needed to Bake Hamantashen!

We need volunteers to bake hamantashen!  If you would like to help by baking 3 dozen hamantashen, please click here and let us know!  We will need these delivered during the second week of March. 

Misloach Manot - Purim Project

We don't want you to miss out on Or Chadash's custom of sending Purim goodies to all of our fellow Or Chadash families.  This custom, called Mishloach Manot, has become a beloved tradition at Or Chadash.  It is also our NUMBER ONE fundraiser. On top of that, Or Chadash has the highest per cent participation of ANY of the 400 other Temples participating in the Mishloach Manot program (according to Purim Project, the company that manages this program for us).  We are very proud of this distinction and want to surpass our previous participation percentage.  

If you have any questions, please contact Sue Parilis.

Purim Carnival - Sunday, March 20, 2011 at 11:00 AM

Mark your calendars and please join in!  The Purim Carnival is scheduled to entertain the congregation and beyond on Sunday, March 20th.  If you and your family and friends enjoy games, crafts, carnival food, and great entertainment, then this is the party for you!

Passover is just around the corner. Wouldn't it be nice to sweeten your Passover seder with Bartons candy for dessert? Or Chadash is currently selling Kosher for Passover chocolate and candy from Bartons. 

Click here to view the brochure or place an order online!

For online orders, please use the student id code 701778. 

Alternatively, please bring or mail your orders with payment to the Or Chadash office, 149 Foothill Road, Flemington, NJ 08822. Checks are payable to: Or Chadash. 

Orders will be accepted through Monday, February 28, 2011.

The Or Chadash Chesed (Caring) Community is seeking volunteers to prepare frozen meals to help a family in our congregation. If you are able to help, please contact Leslie Hann or call (908) 574-5041.

The meal can be a simple casserole or stew fully cooked in a disposable container, tightly wrapped and frozen. Please include a label that says what the meal is, the date it was made, and any specific reheating instructions. It may be left in the Or Chadash freezer. Formed in recent months, the Or Chadash Chesed (Caring) Community is a small and loosely organized group of congregants dedicated to helping members of our temple community through life transitions. Through this effort, volunteers make meaningful connections with other congregants while helping others.

Our most recent program was a résumé workshop, during which participants received valuable one-on-one assistance from congregants with extensive experience in human resources and career coaching.  Sandra Gong, Andrea Harvey and Cindy Lehrer have graciously offered to help congregants who were unable to attend the workshop. Feel free to contact them for assistance writing or updating your résumé.

What else does the OC Chesed (Caring) Community do?

- We make phone calls, send emails and/or visit when a congregant is ill or injured, and we call to ask how things are going when a relative is sick.

- We send notes of congratulations to welcome newborn and newly adopted children.

- We send sympathy notes and attend shiva services when someone experiences a death in the family.

- We keep in touch with homebound congregants and offer rides to services.

- We are also planning a future workshop for adult children caring for aging parents (whether local or long distance).

At this time, we are seeking members who are willing to help in whatever way possible. No contribution of your time is too small.Please contact Leslie Hann if you are willing to share your kindness and warmth.

In order to help us be a more caring community, please share your lifecycle events with Rabbi Forman.

Thank you for making Or Chadash a truly caring community.

 --Leslie Hann, OC Chesed (Caring) Community Chairperson

Saturday, February 12, 10:00 AM: 6th Grade Family Workshop - Click here to register!

Sunday, February 20, 4:00 PM: Movie Night at Or Chadash. Click here to RSVP!

Saturday, February 26, 4:00 PM: 5th Grade Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program Meeting - Click here to register!

Friday, March 11, 6:30 PM: Shabbat Across America - with special presentation on Israel.

Sunday, March 20, 11:00 AM: Purim Carnival

Check out the OC Calendar for all upcoming events.