Or Chadash Newsletter
May 2012
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Mitzvah Day is Sunday, May 20!
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Or Chadash's Mitzvah Day is an annual event in May (the third Sunday in May) where volunteers participate in a day of community service. Members of all ages work together to foster a relationship with social service agencies that work to improve the lives of people in need. In keeping with Judaism's teachings of tikkun olam, to repair the world, Mitzvah Day strives to inspire its participants to pursue social justice through social activism.
We hope you will check out our new volunteer opportunities and projects as well as our perennial favorites. We think there is something for everyone (cooking, gardening, donating blood, knitting, playing with live animals, creating stuffed animals, art activities to name a few.)
Thanks in advance for making Mitzvah Day a success.
Click here to register to attend Mitzvah Day!
Blood Drive: 8 AM - 2 PM Other Mitzvah Day Activities: 9 AM - 12 NOON
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Join our list
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Shabbat and Holiday
Service Schedule
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May 4: 7:00 PM Shabbat Family Service with K-2 Participation May 5: 10:00 AM Bat Mitzvah - Rachel Tevere May 11: 7:00 PM Festival of Shavuot and Confirmation Service May 18: 7:30 PM Shabbat Evening Service May 19: 10:00 AM Bar Mitzvah - Jordan Sinoway May 25: Memorial Day Weekend - No Service at Or Chadash. June 1: 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service June 8: No Service at Or Chadash. Service at Zamru in Princeton. June 12: 7:30 PM Annual Meeting
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Donations |
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Click here to make a donation to Or Chadash to commemorate your simcha or memorialize the Yahrzeit of your loved one.
General Contribution
Gerard & Liz Tracey
Sanctuary Chair Fund
Joe Strauss, In honor of Kathy Gohr
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Upcoming Yahrzeits
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| May the memories of the following individuals be for a blessing:
May 4
Doris Lerman
loved one of the Mahalick Family Ruth Moutner
aunt of David Moutner Sheldon Weinick
father of Ross Weinick Rose Weinstein
loved one of the Mahalick Family May 11
David Abrams
father of Larry Abrams Esther Adelman
grandmother of Laura Senator Louis Brodsky
grandfather of Gary Brodsky Lillian Golden
grandmother of Beth Golden Robert Hann
father of Chris Hann Kate Hirsch
great grandmother of Betsy Zalaznick Milton Price
father of Randy Price Reva Rothstein
wife of Gerald Rothstein Deborah Schwartz
loved one of Shelly Weller Charlotte Werstein
grandmother of Leslie Hann May 18
Morris Graff
father in law of Gerald Rothstein Louis Rothstein
father of Gerald Rothstein Larry Seligman
father of Deb Weiss Anna Wolf
grandmother of Leslie Hann May 25
Lillian Friedman
mother of Hilda Suchow Hannah Rachel Sandler
mother of Jeff Sandler Isidore Wolf
grandfather of Leslie Hann June 1
Sheldon Connor
uncle of Ross Weinick Leo Heller
grandfather of Jim & Dave Lewy father of Elizabeth Lewy Richard Levy
father of Bob Levy Bernard Sigel
father of Meredith Sigel-Willey Joseph Tevere
father of Vincent Tevere Shelly Weiss
cousin of Evelyn Hersch Celia Zalaznick
grandmother of Bruce Zalaznick June 8 (will be read on June 15)
Avrum Katcher
husband of Estelle Katcher Catherine Malitoris
mother of Nancy Levine Bessie Sinoway
grandmother of Stephen Sinoway
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Clothing Swap at OC Sunday, May 6
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As you switch out your winter clothes for your summer ones, bring the clothes you no longer want to the first ever
Or Chadash Clothes Swap
Sunday May 6th
10:00-12:30
Classroom #1
It's an easy and fun way to give away what no longer fits your style while finding clothes that are "new to you". Simply bring in women's and children's clothing and accessories (handbags, belts, etc) and lay them out for others to browse through while you look for things you like. More details to come!
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IHN's 2nd Annual Box City June 2-3, 2012
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Be a part of this incredibly rewarding and super fun event!
Family Promise of Hunterdon County (incorporating Interfaith Hospitality Network) invites you to participate in our 2nd annual BOX CITY!
Join us for a special night under the stars to raise funds and awareness for homelessness. The event kicks off on Saturday, June 2nd, 2012, at 6:00 pm at a field on the Hunterdon Central High School Upper Campus. Everyone is encouraged to solicit multiple sponsor pledges for a total of at least $25 for their "rent" at BOX CITY. Citizens of Box City who raise at least $50.00 will receive a special Box City event t-shirt. We would be very grateful to anyone who can raise $100 or more. There will be great prizes for our top fundraisers and top fundraising teams (average raised per team member). You will spend the night in a cardboard box- designed by you; or in a sleeping bag, lawn chair or other insufficient "housing" to draw attention to the lack of affordable housing in Hunterdon County and the necessary work of IHN which assists families and inviduals who are temporarily displaced. Click here to register and for more information! |
JFS C.A.R.S. Program
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Donate Your Unwanted Car to JFS through the
CARS program

To donate your car, truck or other vehicle
Please call CARS at (877)537-4227
Representatives are available to assist you.
Proceeds from your donated vehicle go directly to support JFS programs including Senior Services, Holocaust Survivors Support, Career Services, Volunteer Services and Special Needs Programs.
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Volunteer with JFS |
Senior Friendly Visitors Needed
JFS is looking for male and female volunteers to visit frail elderly persons to provide socialization and cognitive stimulation. Our program allows choices in assignment. Volunteers report personal benefits in this meaningful activity. We offer orientation and training and ongoing support. Visit our website to meet a volunteer and a senior who has benefitted.
www.jewishfamilysvc.org
Next Orientation and Training May 2012
Call to register:
908 725-7799
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NFTY in Israel
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Teen summer programs in Israel are recognized not only as spectacular opportunities for fun and friendship but as defining and transforming Jewish growth experiences as well. All those who care deeply about ensuring a vibrant Jewish future appreciate the impact of a substantive Israel program on young people.
What can you expect your children to accomplish during their summer in Israel? What are the benefits of this wonderful opportunity?
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You're Invited to our Festival of Shavuot and Confirmation Service - Friday, May 11 at 7:00 PM |
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Rabbi's Message
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Dear Members of Or Chadash: It is written in the book of Joel (3:2-3): "The old shall dream dreams, and the youth shall see visions." Next week we have a wonderful opportunity to gather as a community to reflect on life, to share in the joy of family and friends, and to celebrate the youth of our synagogue. It is my pleasure to invite the entire Or Chadash community to the Festival of Shavuot and Service of Confirmation on Friday, May 11th at 7:00 PM. Confirmation marks not only the culmination of a decade of religious education, but the development of a more mature understanding of one's religious identity. Our 14 Confirmands will each be sharing with us how they perceive their Jewish identity.
As I state in the Confirmation program for the evening: Reform Judaism presents both the opportunity for creative expression and the challenge of discovering an authentic path to Jewish living. This year's Confirmation class learned about one of the core values in Jewish living: Tzeddakah. We studied familiar topics and unfamiliar lessons about them. We traveled to the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C., lobbying on Capitol Hill to try to change the world; we visited Brooklyn to experience the Hassidic Jewish world and to eat some amazing challah; we spent time in Philadelphia at the national Museum of American Jewish History to learn about the communities of earlier generations of Jews who shaped the foundations of American Judaism and watched a play about racism; we made and ate hamantaschen - complete with fortunes; we listened in horror as an Auschwitz survivor shared her story of the Holocaust; and we piloted the Reform Movement's Teen Philanthropy program which enabled our students to explore with professionals and with one another the diversity of needs in our local and global communities and together understand the challenges of smart giving. We continued a journey of Jewish learning and living that we hope will endure a life-time.
I often remark that Judaism speaks with many voices. On May 11th we take pleasure in celebrating the many voices of Reform Judaism, voices of our Confirmation class.
We invite you to get a glimpse of our Confirmands' visions and hear their rich and diverse voices.
Shalom,
Rabbi Joseph M. Forman
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President's Message
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Dear members of Or Chadash,
Or Chadash's mission statement encourages us to "build Jewish community through acts of Tikkun Olam". Our upcoming Mitzvah Day on May 20th is a perfect opportunity for everyone to lend a hand to begin again to fulfill this ongoing obligation.
Mitzvah Day is our minhag - our custom or tradition - where activities to help are so diverse that it is always hard to choose. Between giving blood, making lunches for children in need, trail clean up or simply beautifying your temple, as well as many other to-dos, I'm sure there is something for every one of us.
This annual event, coinciding with Spring's renewal, rekindles this desire in me "to act" like a mensch and I hope it does the same for you. Sign up's are now open on the Or Chadash web site. I hope to see you there.
Shalom, Jeff Berg
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Student Cantor's Message
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Counting the Omer.
On the second night of Passover some Jews begin a practice known as counting the Omer. This practice, which lasts for 49 days, cumulates in the celebration known as Shavuot.
You might ask, what is an Omer, and where does this practice come from? We find our answer in the book of Leviticus chapter 23, where there is listed all of the feasts of the Lord. In this chapter we find descriptions of Passover, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah as well as Sukkot; and in verses 9-16, Shavuot.
An Omer is a sheaf of grain, in this case barley. On the second day of Passover we offered up the first grain offering of the year to God in the Temple. In verse 16 we read that this counting should continue for 7 Sabbaths, after which there is to be a new sacrifice.
So you might ask, what is the significance today, and how can we as Jews in the new millennium make sense out of this piece of Torah? The Rabbis have been asking this same question since the Temple was destroyed, adding layers of significance to this practice of counting. It has been suggested that this period of counting also coincides with our coming out of Egypt and arriving at Mount Sinai where God gives Moses the Torah, or at least the 10 commandments. This counting coincides with us counting down the days until we receive the Torah.
It is a time of preparation for and anticipation of receiving of the holy text that will unite us and set us apart as the people of Israel forever. The mystics also suggested that this time of counting is a period in which we can look deep within ourselves, examining our hearts to see if we are ready to receive this timeless treasure. Each day that we count we are to focus on attributes of ourselves that if refined within our hearts will make us capable of receiving Torah on a more profound level.
On the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, also known as "Lag B'Omer," is a minor holiday, often celebrated with bonfires and with singing, not unlike our own campfires. All over the land of Israel you can see many such fires on the hilltops surrounded with dancing and song. This year Lag B'Omer will take place from Sunset May 9th to sunset May 10.
It has also been said that not only did God choose us to receive the Torah, but we also chose to receive it ourselves. It is in this capacity that we often use this holiday as a time to welcome converts into the community and to celebrate the confirmation of our young adults. Shavuot is significant in the lives of Reform Jews as we welcome both blended families and their children into our community, as well as those who have embraced Judaism as adults as I have. We confirm everyone's choice to follow God and Torah for no other reason than the desires of their hearts. So, as we celebrate Shavuot and the confirmation of our class of 2012, may we also reconnect with them on that mountain where long ago we stood with our community and received the gift of Torah. As we applaud their efforts may we renew our own.
Chag Sameach, Mazel Tov!
Bles-sings,
Kathy Gohr
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Important Dates to Remember |
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Sunday, May 6: 10:00 AM - Clothing Swap at Or Chadash
Thursday, May 10: 6:30 PM - Funding Your Students' College Education Workshop
Friday, May 11: 7:00 PM - Confirmation Service
Saturday, May 12: 10:00 AM - URJ East District Spring Kallah
Sunday, May 20: 9:00 AM - Mitzvah Day
Tuesday, June 12: 7:30 PM - Annual Meeting
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In Our Community
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Refuah Sh'leima (Get well) to...
Condolences to... Naomi, Eric, Samantha and Matthew Zwerling on the death of their father and grandfather, Sheldon Rotter
Todah Rabbah (Thank You to)... Yevette Hendler, Rebekah Lazarek and Jacob Lazarek for helping set up for the Passover Seder. Rachel Tevere and her family for ushering at the Saturday morning, April 21 service. Jared Belkin, Sam Johnson and their families for ushering at the Saturday morning, April 28 service. Emily Christensen, Thuy Blumenfeld, Michele Fishbeyn and their families for ushering the Saturday afternoon, April 28 service. Mazel Tov... Jared Belkin and his team for coming in First Place in their division at the State Championships for the Destination Imagination Program. The team will travel to compete at the Global competition in Knoxville, TN at the end of May. 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.
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Matzah and Pita Baking at Bobolink
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Under the supervision of Nina and Jonathan White, owners of Boblink Dairy and Bakehouse, in Milford, NJ, children and adults from the Islamic Center of Hunterdon County and Or Chadash, both of Flemington, were once again treated to a tour of the Bobolink farm and joined together to bake pita bread and matzah bread (in preparation for the holiday of Passover) in Bobolink's wood-fired oven. Thank you to Mark Drabich, owner of Metropolitan Seafood, for providing assorted zataar, homemade lebneh, and local honey for us to taste with our freshly baked pita bread.
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Bat Mitzvah - Rachel Tevere |
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Rachel Tevere will become a Bat Mitzvah on May 5th, 2012. She is the daughter of Roni Holzberg and Vincent Tevere and the younger sister of Erica Tevere. Rachel is currently a 7th grade student at J.P Case Middle School. She enjoys all subjects but her favorites are math and science. Rachel has played travel soccer since the second grade and currently plays for NJ Fusion. In her free time she plays in the school band and symphony orchestra. Rachel's torah portion is K'doshim which focusses on how to live a holy life, and how important it is to love others as yourself. Rachel volunteered at the Hunterdon County YMCA teaching kids all kinds of sports and volunteered at the Copper Hill Summer Camp as a junior counselor for her mitzvah project. Rachel is looking forward to sharing this special day with all of her friends and family.
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Bar Mitzvah - Jordan Sinoway
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 Jordan Sinoway will become a Bar Mitzvah on May 19. He is a seventh grader at Union Township Middle School. He enjoys tennis, basketball, and plays the saxophone. Jordan is a Second Class Boy Scout in Troop 200, Annandale. His Mitzvah project included weekly trips over the course of six months to the Hunterdon Humane Animal Shelter to walk and play with the dogs. He also collected and donated needed items and monetary donations for the shelter. Jordan's Torah portion is B'har in Leviticus. In this portion, God is speaking to Moses and describing farming and slavery laws, sabbatical, and jubilee years.
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Funding Your Students' College Education Workshop Thursday, May 10 - 6:30 PM |
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Questions or need more information?
Email Paul Beers.
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Save the Date for the URJ East District Spring Kallah |
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A Leadership Workshop on the Challenges
Facing Today's Congregations
Saturday/ Shabbat May, 12, 2012 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Temple Shir Ami Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Registration information to follow.
Worship in Shabbat Morning Services led by Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, Union Rabbi - East District Learn about the Campaign for Youth Engagement with Joy Friedman, Campaign for Youth Engagement Organizer Learn what Judaism says about aging and how congregations can attract and retain their baby boomer membership with Rabbi Richard Address, Congregation M'kor Shalom, Cherry Hills, New Jersey Meet and consult with your URJ Congregational Representative Celebrate in a musical havdallah service |
Jewish Family Services Walk for Families Sunday, June 3rd at 10:00 AM
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Jewish Family Services | |

JFS is a non-profit, non-sectarian social service agency whose mission is to preserve and strengthen the quality of individual, family and community life based on Jewish values.
Betty and Arthur Roswell
Mental Health Counseling Center
Holocaust Survivors Assistance Refugee Assistance
Special Needs Programs Family Mentoring
Senior Support Services Family Life Education
Information and Referral Emergency Assistance
AmeriCorps Ohr Tikvah Career Services
For more information contact:
Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties
150-A West High Street, Somerville, NJ 08876
908-725-7799 Admin@JewishFamilySvc.Org www.JewishFamilySvc.Org
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