 Or Chadash Newsletter March 2011 |
| Spaghetti Shabbat at Or Chadash - Friday, March 11, 2011 | | |
Or Chadash is Celebrating Shabbat Across America
on Friday, March 11 at 6:30 PM with a
Spaghetti  Shabbat
~ $4/person! ~ Religious School Kids Eat Free ~
~ All You Can Eat ~
~ Homemade Challah with help from master baker Shelly Weller~
~Tableside Service from our Teens ~
~ BYOB ~
~~~
Following dinner we will have a festive Shabbat Service
~ Shir Chadash (OC Choir) and Student Cantor Rachel Harrison ~
~ Special presentations on Israel ~
~ NFTY in Israel Summer Teen Trip from our member Jeff Erkkila ~
~ Ruby Erkilla shares her December Israel adventure with SSB-JCC ~
Come have fun with us at this special Shabbat!
Shabbat Across America is for everyone: singles, couples, families - all ages!
Bring your friends!
We will be serving up a dinner of spaghetti and tomato sauce or butter, challah baked by our 8/9/10 Grade Students, salad. Since it's Shabbat, you can also feel free to BYOB! We also ask that each family bring a drink (apple juice or white grape juice) or dessert to share. Cost is $4 per person. Children enrolled in Religious School are FREE!
Click here to register! Please register by Wednesday, March 9 by 12 NOON! |
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| Kup* O' Joe | | |
THIS SUNDAY!
Caffeinated Conversations
....with Rabbi Forman. Drop-in for a Kup or two and we think you'll return for a refill. This informal gathering meets on Sunday mornings, from 9:00-10:00AM. No registration required. Sunday:
March 6 - God and The Poetry of Yehuda Amichai April 17 - The 11th commandment May 1 - TBD
Childcare will be provided!
*Kup is Yiddush for Head/Mind
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| Submit Nominations for Board of Trustees | | |
The Nomination Committee is currently accepting nominations for upcoming Board of Trustees openings. If you have an interest in serving on the Board, or know of someone who has in interest,
click here to email Estelle Breines, Secretary of The Board of Directors, those names.
This is an important committee that represents the interests of all of us and we would welcome your participation. The Board meets one evening a month. This is a great opportunity to meet with a group of caring individuals all interested in making Or Chadash a special place for us all. Come join us! |
| New Photos Up on the Web! | | |
Be sure to check out all the new photos we have up on the web from our 5th and 6th Grade Family Programs and OC's Junior Youth Group!
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OCTY Bowl-a-Thon Scores a Strike for Flemington Food Pantry | | |
OCTY held a very successful bowl-a-thon on January 29th at Oakwood Lanes in Washington NJ. Prior to the event, OCTY members collected pledges from the congregation to apply against the average pin per game score for all OCTY participants. Fifteen OCTY members showed up on this snowy Saturday night and averaged 75 pins per game. This yielded $75 in pledges which will be donated to the Flemington Food Pantry. Mitch Blutfield, Erika Lewy, and Zack Hahn, OCTY leaders, remarked that the bowl-a-thon was a big hit. All the kids had a great time hanging out, eating pizza, and getting into the competitive spirit bowling for charity. Our Or Chadash Temple Youth Group looks forward to future events were we'll come up with other creative ways to help those in need.
The next OCTY event, an ice skating party, is tentatively scheduled for March 26th. Keep an eye on the OCTY Facebook page for additional information.
For more info about OCTY, please contact Jon Blutfield, OCTY Advisor. |
| Meals on Wheels | | |
If you or someone you know is over 60, homebound or has a disability, Meals on Wheels in Hunterdon can deliver a hot noontime meal Monday through Friday with weekend coverage if needed. Participants are also invited to join Meals on Wheels at one of its Congregate Dining Nutrition Sites around Hunterdon County. Delicious meals delivered and served by warm and caring neighbors - what could be better?
If you or someone you know would benefit from the security and support of home delivered meals or congregate dining, contact Meals on Wheels today. Call (908) 284-0735 for more information. |
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Yarns and Midrash-- Knit, Crochet, Storytelling Circle | | |
Amara Willey and Rabbi Jonathan Gerard invite Or Chadash members (and their friends) who do needlework (or who would like to learn) to join themfor a knitting/crochet circle.
First Tuesday of each month:
April 5
May 3
June 7
9:00 - 10:30 AM
CitiSpot in Clinton, NJ
Questions? Call Amara at 908-868-4311. |
Hebrew 101 (with a sprinkle of Yiddish)
| | We often hear Hebrew and Yiddish phrases and we are not sure exactly what they mean. We have decided to help demystify some of them. If you have any phrases or terms that you would like help with, please email Rabbi Forman.
Now that the snows are melting, we can look forward to spring and the flowers. Before the deer get to them....
Perachim - פרחים
Flowers |
| New Jersey Environmental Advocacy Day - March 14 | | |
Join Reform Jewish leaders and advocates of other faiths from across the state for an exciting and inspiring Environmental Advocacy Day on March 14. This day of learning and action will focus on environmental issues and is co-sponsored by GreenFaith, a leading interfaith environmental organization that is currently working with several New Jersey synagogues as part of the Greening Reform Judaism Pilot Program.
Register today to meet fellow members of the Reform Movement who care about greening our synagogues, homes and communities; receive advocacy training; and speak with your elected officials on important environmental and energy issues.
What: New Jersey Environmental Advocacy Day
When: Monday, March 14,
Time: 10AM - 3PM
Where: New Jersey Statehouse, Room 12, Trenton, NJ
How: Space is limited, so register online today. The cost of the program is $10, and a Kosher lunch will be provided.
We highly recommend registering by March 7 in order to ensure your spot.
Topics to be covered:
- Protection of New Jersey's waterways
- The impacts of hydraulic fracture natural gas drilling techniques ("fracking")
- Sustainability measures at the State House
Environmental permitting issues
For more information, contact Liz Cohen or Paul Kaufman of the URJ East District Social Action Committee. |
| Interfaith Hospitality Network | | |
 A time to help our neighbors...
As you all know,
Or Chadash is a sponsor Temple in the Interfaith Hospitality Network.
This means that twice a year we host the families who are homeless from our county and staying in Church for shelter. We partner with the Flemington Presbyterian Church and for two nights we stay at that church, visit with the families, provide and share dinner with them and spend the night.
Our next opportunity to help is Monday, March 28th and Wednesday, March 30th.
We have the following time slots that need to be filled by at least 2 members for each shift:
6 PM - 8 PM Monday, March 28th - this is the dinner time and as hosts provide dinner, drinks and dessert for the families and share it with them. Many of the guests are currently following Weight Watchers and we are being asked to try to make healthy dinner choices.
8 PM - 7 AM Monday, March 28th - there are 2 single platform beds
available for our use.
6 PM - 8 PM Wednesday, March 30th - same as dinner on the 28th.
8 PM - 7 AM Wednesday, March 30th - overnight stay.
This is a great chance to help people from our community in need. Children are allowed to participate, although it is preferred that each overnight session has 2 people of driving age in case of emergencies. Also, for any students looking for service hours this is a great way to earn them.
Please contact Carol Coriell at ccoriell@att.com or 908-234-5288 if you would like to help. Thank You!
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Shabbat and Holiday Service Schedule
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March 4: 7:30 PM Shabbat Service
March 11: 6:30 PM - Shabbat Across America Spaghetti Dinner/Service
March 18: 7:00 PM Shabbat Experience
March 25: 7:30 PM Shabbat Evening Service with author Sharon Katzman |
Upcoming Yahrzeits
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May the memories of the following individuals be for a blessing:
March 4
Peppy Kluft
aunt of Betsy Zalaznick
Fay Sacks
grandmother of Jodi Brodsky
March 11
Abraham Samuel Lasher
grandfather of Gary Peckman
Dale Moutner
sister-in-law of Dave Moutner
Rochelle Ringel
mother of Robin Lewy
Seymour Zwerling
father of Eric Zwerling
March 18
Murray Bacal
father of Jane Stein
Anna Gelb
mother of Shirl Levy
Lee J. Kenyon
grandfather of Susan Albert
Dora Meltzer
aunt of Evelyne Hersch
Elsie Strauss
mother of Joe Strauss
March 25
Ben Charek
grandfather of Ronni Silver
Irving Falk
stepfather of Ross Weinick
Stanley Gold
father of Harvey Gold
Irving Mencher
father of Arthur Mencher
Bernard Woir
father of Caryn Speizer
April 1
Joseph Ettinger
father of Shelly Weller
Pearl Holzberg
mother of Roni Holzberg
Louis Eli Werstein
grandfather of Leslie Werstein Hann |
| Donations | | |
Yahrzeit
Evelyn Hersch, In memory of Faye Alpert
General Contribution
Evelyne Hersch, In Memory of Gloria Sherman
Renee Post
Oneg Fund
Walter Schorsch & Sue Lobel, In Honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Michael Brodsky |
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| Rabbi's Message | | |
One of the great challenges of being a rabbi is the mystery of uncertainty that one's efforts in teaching, shaping, guiding, and encouraging our teenagers have actually made a difference. For one weekend each year that mystery is solved. I kvell. Actually, I'm brought to tears as I watch our teenagers demonstrate that in the brief span of a four-day weekend they have managed to morph into politically savvy lobbyists on matters that stir the passions of their hearts. Who knew?
The Religious Action Center (of the Union for Reform Judaism), located in Washington, D.C., brings together hundreds of Jewish teenagers from across the country to learn about the myriad issues our nations politicos grapple with every day in a program called L'Taken, the Hebrew word which means to repair or fix. With real conversations with real people affected by the issues of homelessness, hunger, poverty, discrimination, gun control, reproductive rights, energy, and GLBT - just to name a few - our teenagers learn about the actual bills sent to congress that our representatives will be voting on. Armed with the necessary skills and wisdom to successfully lobby our political leaders, and possessing an understanding that they can actually take part in repairing our world by encouraging our representatives to shape our nation in accordance with the vision our prophets articulated millennia ago, our young people are learning to speak with conviction to those in power -- a challenge demanded by our tradition to each one of us.
I am encouraged each time I see our kids set off to D.C. for L'Taken. I am blessed each time I see them deliver their message of Tikkun Olam. And in those moments I am reassured that Jewish values and Jewish living have been assured for a new generation.
This past weekend nine of our teenagers and several hunderd teenagers from across the country learned together, prayed together, socialized, and helped change the world. And yes, those tears of pride and affirmation flowed again.
Rabbi Joseph M. Forman |
| President's Message | | |
Unrest throughout the Middle East and North Africa has been contagious since the recent protests that led to the fall of the government in Tunisia. The revolt in Egypt seems benign by what we are seeing now. Beyond these borders there are protests in the Far East as well; though somewhat covert, protestors are gathering at meeting points in China, where there is only a one party system.
Libya is a hotbed, as their leader, Moammar Gadhafi, and his government, are about to topple...but apparently not without a fight. History has a way of repeating itself; Gadhafi led a military coup against King Idris in 1969, and now some of his top military leaders are doing the same with the help of the tribes that make up the small country.
The spin off effect picks up momentum quickly and threatens Israel's stability. While Shimon Peres believes economic growth is a main ingredient to Israel's future, he is "full of hope" for the Middle East; "the moderate, the young, those who want democracy will win, and not the tyrants, the dictators, the corrupt". I see this as our hope for Israel too, and though relationships with their neighbors were tenuous, you knew what you had.
Here we celebrate freedom, and though economic times may be tough, one can still prosper. We can sit back, go to a ball game, the movies, or watch the Academy Awards, on a 52". There is reality TV; none of which rarely if ever occurs in our lives, but we are captivated by it; it may have to do with cupcakes, motorcycles, or the lives of princesses from faraway lands, such as New York, Atlanta, or Los Angeles. We can be removed, because we are removed...or are we?
Recently Israel itself saw demonstrations for democracy and social justice within its own borders; according to Rabbi Eric Yoffe of the URJ, during his most recent visit, twenty thousand gathered at a square in Tel Aviv for just that purpose, as the Reform movement struggles with Orthodox ideology.
We tend to see things from the vantage point of how and where we live. The world, to many of us, is removed by large bodies of water; and we ask what say do we have in all this. Who will hear me? We do have a voice though, and we can use it. One place to express that voice is Or Chadash, where we can connect with one another, and Reform Jews around the world.
We may be just trying to make ends meet, to provide better lives for our children. Somewhere along the way, we may have lost our Jewish identity; we may feel isolated amidst the stream of information that virtually grabs us from all different directions, but we have a home. We can start here, where we can have both a unique and a collective voice. Come join us at Or Chadash, as there are many opportunities from which one can grow, recapture or find something that may be missing.
You may attend one of our "Shabbat Experience" services, where we gather around to discuss both ancient and contemporary themes, participate in Shabbat Across America, come to a family service; all of which are available and posted on our website. We have opportunities within our committees for new faces, with new ideas and visions. You can sign up for one of our adult education opportunities, express your opinions at a "Kup O' Joe"; from a casual conversation in our hallway between parents during religious school, to swinging a hammer for Habitat For Humanity, there is always something for one to partake.
Recently we have shared programming with the Islamic Center of Hunterdon County; our attempt to bring joy and hope to our future, our children. If we can do it, it can be done elsewhere, abroad and at home. Here at Or Chadash, we can express ourselves, roll up our sleeves and dig in or relax, sit back and take a breath, while we listen and learn.
Wishing you Shalom Bayit (peace at home),
Ross Weinick
President |
| Upcoming Special Events | | |
Friday, March 11, 6:30 PM: Shabbat Across America - with special presentation on Israel.
Thursday, March 17, 5:30 PM: Speaker/Program with Tova Friedman, Auschwitz survivor
Sunday, March 20, 11:00 AM: Purim Carnival
Friday, March 25, 7:30 PM: Shabbat Service - Book Reading, Signing and Discussion with Sharon Katzman
Saturday, March 26, 6:00 PM: OCTY Skating/Pizza Event, Bridgewater Sports Arena
Check out the OC Calendar for all upcoming events.
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| Purim is This Month! | | |
Volunteers Needed to Bake or Buy Hamantashen!
We need volunteers to bake hamantashen! If you would like to help by baking or buying 3 dozen hamantashen, please click here and let us know! We will need these delivered to OC beginning Thursday, March 17.
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. You will receive a letter containing your unique username and password in the mail within the next week. Use these to log onto the website and make your selections, or use the form included with the mailing. We will be taking orders until March 6.
The Purim Project bags will be available for pick up Thursday, March 17 through Sunday, March 20.
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! |
| Tova Friedman is Coming to OC on March 17th! | | |
 
Tova Friedman, a Holocaust survivor, shares her experiences as the youngest survivor of Auschwitz with many schools and organizations. She will be speaking at Or Chadash on Thursday, March 17 at 5:30 PM. Our 5th-7th graders will be sharing in this program and we invite everyone to be a part of this remarkable event. Tova hopes that her stories will emphasize that prejudice and violence will destroy both the victim and the victor. Her story and that of two of her friends appears in the book, Kinderlager.
For 10 years, she and her family lived in Israel where she taught at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is the former Executive Director of Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties and has over 20 years of experience providing psychotherapy services and managing programs and agencies.
This program is free and is open to the community. Please bring your friends.
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| Tearing Down the Wall - Book Reading, Signing and Discussion with our member Sharon Katzman on March 25 | | |
 After a near-fatal car accident left her with a traumatic brain injury and a multitude of internal injuries, Sharon found - once she came out of her coma - that at the age of twenty-three, she needed to learn to walk, to speak, to listen, even to think...all over again. Already an acknowledged social introvert before her accident, Sharon soon discovered that it was too hard for people to look at her and hear her stumbling speech - reminders of the horrible difficulties she was enduring. As a result, people starting avoiding her. Sharon was never willing, though, to use her accident or its devastating effects on her as a crutch. She continued, for twenty years, with determination and will power, to learn to overcome her difficulties of what was often an exasperating road of rehabilitation and life-learning lessons. She finally was able to earn her master's degree in technical communication, a symbolic end to her decades-long struggle to overcome what for most of us would have been insurmountable cognitive difficulties. Tearing Down the Wall is the moving and remarkable story of Sharon's re-learning every detail of how to live her life from day to day and of her relentless journey to once again find her place in the world, both socially and professionally.
From Sharon Katzman: I felt it was important to finally bring my story forward and bring further understanding of brain injury and the rehabilitation process. Another important idea I wanted to communicate was that even given what may seem to be impossible odds, goals can absolutely be achieved.
Developing my communication overall and being able to communicate my injuries in a clear and understandable way has always been a goal of mine - one that I proudly feel that I have accomplished with this book.
I am also very proud that the book has been recognized and was a finalist (Self Help: Motivational category) in the USA Book News National Best Books 2010 Awards!
Enjoy my interviews!
Page One Lit
NJIT Alumni Interview
Othello Club
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| Introducing our newest member: Renee Post | | |
 Or Chadash welcomes our newest member, Renee Post.
Renee lives in Whitehouse Station, NJ with her boyfriend, Neil. She was born in the Bronx and raised in Long Island. She completed her undergrad at Stonybrook University in Long Island then went on to get her Masters in Art at Montclair State for Teaching. She has also attended the School of Visual Arts and the New School.
Renee likes to travel and has been all over the world. She loves to canoe, kayak and fish. She also enjoys the theater and LOVES movies (she used to work in the movie industry). She loves to read and is in two book clubs. She has a studio set up at the 92nd Street Y in New York City and has painted there for 35 years. She also does private art lessons and loves painting, drawing and many other forms of art.
Please help us extend a very warm welcome to Renee. Her email is rpostart@aol.com. |
| OC in the News | | |
Or Chadash and the Islamic Center of Hunterdon County's latest joint program was featured in the Hunterdon Democrat's February 10th edition.
Keep an eye out for OC in the news! |
| OC Chesed (Caring) Community | | |
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 |
| PJ Library Program | |
What is PJ Library?
The PJ Library program is a non-profit, community enriching program that supports Jewish culture to grow within families' own homes. Founded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and now supported by our Bridgewater Community, this program is open to all children ages 0 to 7. Families receive free monthly mailings of books and music focusing on growing love of Judiasm and faith to God with creative educational materials.. Together families can share in teaching pride and commitment to Jewish living to our children.
Our eager, growing Bridgewater PJ Library Community also hosts early education activities and events to strengthen friendships in a purposeful and engaging environment. We welcome any and all ideas for exciting age-appropriate field trips, singers, local visitors, authors, and holiday celebrations.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN PJ LIBRARY!
So Easy...and it's Free!
(Click on communities*nj* bridgewater when joining!)  |
| In Our Community | |
Refuah Sh'leima (Get well) to...
Dan Mitchell
Zachary Hann
Kathy Moutner
Todah Rabbah (Thank You) to ...
Jacob Berg, Samantha Tracey and their families for ushering at the Friday, March 4 service.
Caitlan Griffith, Michael Brodky and their families for ushering the Saturday morning, March 12 service.
Benjamin Weil and Rachel Tevere their families for ushering the Saturday afternoon, March 12 service.
Jenna Lifshitz and her family for ushering at the Friday, March 18 service.
Samantha Tracey and her family for ushering at the Friday, March 25 service.
Alexa Parliyan and Deb Weiss for organizing the pizza lunch and swimming activity for the Junior Youth Group.
Mazel Tov...
Hannah Sandler, 2011 NJ Junior High Honors Choir for 8th Grade Soprano ll
Alex Carr 2011 NJ Junior High Honors Choir for 8th grade Tenor
Estelle Breines on the publishing of her new book: Brooklyn Roots: A Tale of Pickles and Egg Creams, a memoir of her childhood in Borough Park, Brooklyn during the 1940's and 50's . Click here for more information!
B'ruchim HaBa'im...We welcome our newest members Renee Post: Renee joins us from Whitehouse Station where she lives with her boyfriend, Neil.
In order to help us be a more caring community, please share your lifecycle events with Rabbi Forman. Feel free to click on a hyperlink to send a note and let someone know you are thinking about them. |
Lifelong Learning
| | JEWISH LIFE
Jewish LIFE www.ssbjcc.org Click on the Jewish LIFE page or call the JCC 908-725-6994
Kids' Corner Program: Leslie Kimmelman, author of The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah, Sunday, April 3 at noon at SSBJCC, 775 Talamini Road, Bridgewater.
Rabbi and Professor Michael J. Cook, author of Modern Jews Engage the New Testament: Enhancing Jewish Well-Being in a Christian Environment, speaks Sunday, April 10, 7 p.m. at Temple Beth-El in Hillsborough.
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| Bar Mitzvah - Josh Blutfield | |  Josh Blutfield will become a Bar Mitzvah on March 12. He is the son of Lori and Jon Blutfield and the brother of Mitch (15) and Ben (9). Josh is a 7th grader at the Readington Middle School (RMS) where he plays on the baseball and soccer teams and has been on the Distinguished Honor Roll every marking period. His Torah portion, Vayikra, focuses on sacrifices as a way to get closer to God. For his mitzvah project, Josh has enjoyed applying the lessons learned from Vayikra by sacrificing his time and helping disabled children play sports through the Hunterdon Outreach Program. Josh is looking forward to celebrating his Bar Mitzvah with his family and friends. |
| Bar Mitzvah - Parker Hughes | |  Parker Hughes will become a Bar Mitzvah on March 12. He is the son of Maxine and Chip Hughes and brother to Rachel. Parker is a seventh grader at the Round Valley School. His favorite activity is soccer. He also plays the piano and trumpet. Parker's Torah portion, Tzav, focuses on sacrifice, rituals and food preparations. Parker has enjoyed his Mitzvah project: collecting gently worn soccer shoes that will be distributed to kids in need around the world by Peacepassers.org. He is also enjoying volunteering at Common Sense for Animals doing whatever is needed at the animal shelter. Parker is looking forward to celebrating his Bar Mitzvah with his friends and family. |
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