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Shabbat Service Schedule
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August 14: Celebrate Shabbat at Home with Friends and Family. No Services at Or Chadash.
August 21: Celebrate Shabbat at Home with Friends and Family. No Services at Or Chadash.
August 28 - 7 PM - Flip Flop Shabbat Services at Or Chadash
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In Our Community
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Welcome to our new members:
Michelle Segall-Rainey & Matthew Rainey and their son Ricky from Annandale, NJ.
Allyse & Paul Vanderwalker and their daughter Molly from Annandale, NJ.
Refuah Sh'leima (Get well) to...
Susan Blaicher
Barbara Sansevere
Dorothy Saks
Beverly Kornstein
Geralyn Ritter
Rabbi Evan Jaffe
Condolences to:
The family of Eileen Berkelhammer on her death.
Caryn Speizer on the death of her mother.
Alexa Parliyan on the death of her mother.
Nancy Kanter on the death of her father.
Mazel Tov to...
Jonatha Berg for receiving the "Distinguished Student Award" at the Clinton Public School Eighth Grade Graduation Ceremony.
Julia MacIsaac a prior Clinton Township Middle School student for winning four awards at her Eighth grade awards show. They were Enthusiastic Reader, a Word Masters award for a perfect score, the CTEA character award, and a Presidential award for having a GPA of 95% or higher in both seventh grade and eighth grade.
Jim Lewy for completing the Pan-Mass Challenge, a 200 mile bike ride on August 6 and 7th. The bike ride raises money for life-saving cancer research and treatment at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
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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Yahrzeit
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May the memories of the following individuals be a blessing:
August 14th: (to be read on August 28)
Barbara Rabiner Betsy Zalaznick's Beloved Mother Stanley D. Weinstein Susan Albert's Beloved Father Sanford Borgman Estelle Breines's Beloved Father Rose Breines Ira Breines's Beloved Mother Sophie Rabiner Betsy Zalaznick's Beloved Grandmother Jessie Mazzocchi Evelyne Hersch's Beloved Granddaughter Sherrie Mazzocchi's Beloved Daughter August 21st: (to be read on August 28) Lily Jacobsen Caryn Speizer's Beloved Grandmother John Stoter Ken Stoter's Beloved Father Eugene Bobnar Sharon Bobnar-Becker's Beloved Father Helen Viola Nancy Beckman's Beloved Mother August 28th: Helen Halper Ruby Halper-Erkkila's Beloved Mother Muriel Sinoway Stephen Sinoway's Beloved Mother Beatrice Suchow Hilda Suchow's Beloved Sister-In-Law Yetta Fettner Bruce Zalaznick's Beloved Grandmother Lawrence Glass Aaron Schwartz's Beloved
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Donations | |
Thank you to all who contributed as of July 31, 2015
Yahrzeit:
Gary & Debbie Weiss: In Memory of Eileen Berkelhammer
Yizkor: John Langer & Annette Ivry Richard Willey & Meridith Sigel-Willey
General Contribution: Jonathan & Nina White: In Memory of Arnold Weiler
High Holy Days: Robert & Shirl Levy
Richard Willey & Meridith Sigel-Willey Rabbi's Discretionary Fund: Glenn & Lydia Sokoloski
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Teaching Assistants for Religious School: | |
Betsy Zalaznick, our Religious School Director, invites all eligible students to be Teaching Assistants. The link below is the application for the 2015-2016 Teaching Assistant program. Please share this with your kids.
Thanks. Any questions? Please call Betsy at 908-310-9247.
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Religious School Opening Days: | |
We look forward to an amazing year of fun and learning.
K-6 Grade Opening Day: Sunday September 27, 2015
7 Grade Opening Day: Thursday October 1, 2015
8/9/10 Grade Opening Day:
Thursday October 1, 2015
If you have any further questions, please call Betsy Zalaznick at 908-310-9247.
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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. We provide our services to a diverse socio-economic client population that includes individuals, children, young adults, families and the elderly.
Click here for information on additional services.
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The Shimon & Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center |
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The Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center, is a non-sectarian social service agency located on 14 acres on Talamini Road in Bridgewater. The JCC opened its doors to the community in December 1999 after years of planning and fundraising by a passionate group of local families that were driven to bring a JCC to our tri-county area.
Please use this link to find out what is happening at the JCC.
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Meals On Wheels | |
Meals on Wheels needs volunteer drivers in our area. Serve your homebound senior neighbors a hot noontime meal. The commitment to drive is only once a month. It will take only an hour or two once a month to get that good feeling of giving. Call our office at (908)284-0735 to offer your time or for more information (and/or check out our website at mowih.org). Help us, help others. Many thanks.
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Rabbi's Message
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Have you ever not known what to say when you hear someone share with you that they have a serious illness? It is often the case that in such situations we try to identify with the person who is ill, offering anecdotes of people we know who had similar illnesses or sharing our own struggles with lesser maladies. Neither is really helpful.
This summer our community learned from the Flemington Jewish Community Center of Rabbi Evan Jaffe's diagnoses of Stage 4 lung cancer. Evan and I have known each other for nearly a decade, and I too struggled with the right words to offer help and comfort to a colleague and friend. Much appreciative, he assured me he was well taken care of. Days later our congregation's president, Kim Turner, reached out to Jeff Doshna, the president at the FJCC, to let him know that our community was here in support of theirs. Jeff also expressed his thanks.
Sometimes, encountering serious illnesses can lead us to shy away from someone in need. We stumble over not wanting to say the wrong words or feel inadequate to offer meaningful help. But we can hardly go wrong by doing the simplest of acts: letting others know we are here for them and want to help - in whatever way they might need it. A quick trip to the store. Returning a book to the library. A personal note that reminds them others have them in their thoughts. Lisa Boncheck Adams was a noted writer, blogger, and outspoken supporter of and advocate for breast cancer research. She shared the following wisdom with her readers on how we might be a friend to someone with a serious illness:
What would be something ... to say to a [friend]? How about "Please tell me how I can help you during this time. Is there something ... I can do to make it easier for you? I hope you know I would like to help if I can. If you can't think of anything now, that's okay. Just let me know if/when you do. I'll ask again to make sure you're getting the help you might need."
Or Chadash is a caring community, not just for our congregants, but for all who are part of our wider community. I hope that should you find yourself wondering how you might help a friend in need, that you will let those dear to you know that you are there for them. It's appreciated - even if all you can do is let them know you care.
Shalom,
Rabbi Joseph M. Forman
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President's Message
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Shout out to Nancy...
When I was growing up we lived in an area not too different from Hunterdon county - somewhat rural, a hefty but possible commute to the city, not too many Jewish families, and houses that were spread apart with the occasional dirt road around. We were lucky in that we had the Rosens, who were the classic family next door with kids close enough in age to us to become life-long friends. Nancy was the mom. Our two families shared lots of good times, we would eat dinners together, celebrate birthdays together and we went to temple together. Like for many of us here and now, our temple was about a 20 minute drive away from where we lived. I can so distinctly remember my mom and Nancy (it was always the moms) rallying us on a Friday evening to head to temple.
Nancy was the fun mom. She had a way of making the most mundane activities fun and interesting for two tween-aged girls. Need to pick up some groceries? Nancy had us dressed in high heels and make up. Just dropped the chocolate mousse she had spent 3 hours making all over herself and the floor? We were laughing so hard tears were pouring from our eyes. Temple was no exception. Going to a boring Friday night service? Nancy was whispering to us and had us giggling throughout. Nancy was the one who convinced my mom that it was OK for us to go to temple wearing our overall jeans, she even wore them herself to make the point. She was the one who knew when to tell us to excuse ourselves from the service and go out to the Oneg room to "help set up" which invariably meant sitting in a corner gossiping about who liked who at school. One of my fondest memories of Jewish life and temple is sitting a Friday night service next to Nancy and watching as she made the experience, the service and the moment warm, joyful and happy.
It is without any doubt in my mind that when I had my own children and thought about their Jewish life this is one the critical memories in my mind. When I watch my two boys (now tweens themselves) sit at a service at Or Chadash and see them dancing with an Israeli dancer or receiving a pencil for their birthday and experience their joy and think of how Nancy was a role model for the warmth and joy that should come with a Jewish experience.
I imagine you each have your own Nancy, someone who made Jewish life warm and happy for you. Nancy passed away several years ago, way too early at the age of 57. We miss her greatly, and I think of her often, especially when I am at Or Chadash. I think she would have like our temple, appreciated our spirit, and embraced our joy. Nancy's birthday was August 17. If you have a moment, sometime this month, give a thought to the "Nancy" in your life. Who brought to you the joy and happiness of Jewish life? If you have the chance, thank them for doing this for you. I never had the chance to have this conversation with Nancy, but I know I will be thinking of her this August.
Kim Turner
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Religious School Director's Message
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The days between Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur are called the Days of Awe. It is a dedicated time for reflection, introspection and the seeking and offering of forgiveness
This summer the Religious Education Committee spent some time reflecting on our school, program, curriculum and schedule as part of our annual review process. We looked at supplementary programs and schedules across the country as well as some well regarded local programs. We were interested in seeing how we could optimize and leverage our resources to better meet the needs of our families and our community.
After completing our comprehensive review process, we decided to implement a few programmatic and scheduling changes. Our goal is that these changes will be positive ones for our students and families. These changes (directly below) were already shared with all impacted families earlier in the summer.
Instead of our previous Thursday afternoon program, beginning in September 2015, our 5th Grade and 6th Grade students will be attending Religious School on Sunday mornings from 9AM to 12PM.
- 9:00 AM - Hebrew Studies
- 10:15 - Tefilla/Assembly period
- 10:45 till noon - Jewish Studies
The advantages of this schedule change are:
1) Consolidating classes to Sunday enables us to leverage the resources of our Hebrew faculty. We are so fortunate to have an abundance of dedicated Teaching Assistants on Sundays (post Bar/Bat mitzvah students) available to assist our younger students.
2) We also know that mid-week afternoons are not the best time for many of our families who are repeatedly challenged by other commitments.
3) Lastly, we are excited to bring our community together for the enhanced strength we experience when more of us are together.
We are also pleased to share with you two changes for our 7th Grade students in the coming fall:
This year there will be a slight time change in the schedule for 7th grade class will begin class on Thursdays at 4:30 PM (15 minutes later than in previous years) and conclude at the same time as previous years - 6:30 PM. Hebrew Studies will be 1st period and Jewish Studies will be 2nd period. Assembly activities will be integrated into the class time.
We will also have a programmatic change that will occur approximately once a month when the 7th grade students will meet at 6:30 - 8:00 PM. On these days the 7th grade will join and participate in our 8th/9th/10th grade program, beginning with dinner at 6:30 PM (typically pizza). Our goal with this change is multi-fold: an opportunity to socialize during dinner, meet our older students, engage in age- appropriate teen discussions, and, of course, familiarize the 7th graders with our very successful 8th/9th/10th grade program. Thursday evening 8th/9th/10th grade classes include activities such as an All Chocolate Seder, meeting Holocaust survivors, understanding Jewish views on tattoos, baking challah and rugelach, and explorations on Jewish ethics and Israel.
Or Chadash is a community that is dedicated to helping our families strengthen their Jewish learning and living. We look forward to 5776, are excited about all of these changes, and look forward to delivering another successful school year for our Or Chadash community.
Shalom,
Betsy Zalaznick
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"Welcome Back to OC" BBQ Sponsored by The Sisterhood
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To register, please use this link, thank you.
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Kids at School Outreach | | As fall approaches, the Student Outreach Program of Or Chadash is about to swing into full gear. The purpose of this program is to maintain a Jewish connection for our students away from home at preparatory, college or graduate schools. Students will be mailed a treat symbolic for some of the Jewish holidays. Students tell us each year how much they look forward to these packages and how comforting it is to know that they are still important to our Or Chadash Family.
We create a new "Student Address List" each year, so all interested parents should send in their child's address for the coming year as soon as possible. You must submit this each year, even if there has not been a change. You will notice that there is space for an email address.
Don't let your child miss out on the first mailing! In order for your student to receive our fall High Holyday package, we will need to have their address by August 25.
Click here to fill out the form, thank you. |
Chesed (Caring Committee) | | Five years ago, Or Chadash established a Chesed Caring Community dedicated to helping members of Or Chadash through life's challenging times with acts of compassion.
We have provided food and visits to elderly homebound congregants and to families with new babies; attended shiva services after a death in the family; helped with grocery trips, doctor visits and farm chores; and written notes of sympathy and congratulations. Early on, we held a resume writing workshop run by experts in our congregation, and we brought in a social worker to provide practical suggestions for helping with aging parents.
Rabbi Forman can be reached at Or Chadash or on his mobile phone: 908-894-9336 or e-mail: rabbi@orchadash-nj.org. You can also reach me at chesed@orchadash-nj.org. We also encourage anyone interested in helping to let me know, and I will add you to our email list and make you aware of current needs.
You can volunteer as much or as little time as you are able, even just a few minutes to write a get-well or sympathy note or to make a comforting phone call. Very often, the people who help with Chesed activities get the same uplifting feeling as those who receive assistance. By helping others and allowing ourselves to receive help, we forge meaningful connections with other members of the OrChadash temple community.
Shalom, Leslie Werstein Hann Chair, Chesed Caring Community
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Rutgers Jewish Film Festival | |
The 16th Annual Rutgers Jewish Film Festival
October 28 - November 8, 2015
The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival, sponsored by the Bildner Center, screens award winning international films over the ten-day festival. A broad approach is taken when choosing the films for the Rutgers Festival, offering a slate of critically acclaimed titles that explore the multi-layered, global Jewish experience. Some films tackle uniquely Jewish issues, while others address universal themes through a Jewish lens. With such a diverse selection, the festival draws a wide audience, reaching the region's Jewish population as well as the Rutgers University community and the general film-going public.
The Bildner Center makes each screening a multidimensional experience by inviting a guest speaker - either the director, a featured actor or a noted expert in the field - to preface each film and then engage in a dialogue with the audience at its conclusion. Year after year, attendees remark that this opportunity to ask the questions raised by these thought-provoking films makes the issues more personally relevant and their film festival participation more meaningful.
Unique, too, is the way the festival not only reaches out to the community, but also gives back to the university by exposing the general student body to these distinctive films. Professors of Jewish Studies and other academic departments at Rutgers are among the speakers invited to introduce the films, and they will often assign related films to their classes. Students also have the opportunity to meet visiting film directors and scholars.
Contact: 848-932-4166 or rujff@rci.rutgers.edu
BEST DRAMATIC FILM BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
24 Days Above and Beyond
Director: Alexandre Arcady Director:Roberta Grossman
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS: | |
EREV ROSH HASHANAH - Sunday, September 13
Services at 8 PM
ROSH HASHANAH - Monday, September 14
Services at 10 AM
Children's Services at 3 PM
KOL NIDRE - Tuesday, September 22
Services at 8 PM
YOM KIPPUR - Wednesday, September 23
Services at 10 AM
Children's Services at 2 PM
Study Session at 3 PM
Yizkor/Neila at 4 PM
Break the Fast at 5:30 PM
SUKKOT DINNER - Friday, October 2
Bring Your Own Dinner at 6:30 PM
EREV SIMCHAT TORAH & CONSECRATION - Friday, October 9
Services at 7 PM
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Legacy Circle
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For more information or further details, please click on this link.
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What you might have missed:
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Sisterhood Book Club:
Peach Festival at Manoff Farms:
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