Temple Beth Am of Bayonne announces the retirement of Rabbi Gordon Gladstone, who has been the Rabbi at Beth Am for more than 28 years. Since 1984, Rabbi Gladstone has dedicated his life to doing what was best for the Temple, its congregation, and the entire community that he has served in countless ways. He has been a spiritual and communal leader and the face of Temple Beth Am, and has helped set the vision and direction of the Temple during that time. Rabbi Gladstone will be honored at a Dinner Reception and Shabbat Services at Temple Beth Am on Friday, June 21, 2013, beginning at 5pm with cocktails and dinner, followed by services at 8pm, and all are invited to join us to celebrate this momentous event.

Beth Am is also pleased to announce that Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin has been named their new rabbi. Rabbi Salkin will succeed Rabbi Gordon Gladstone on July 1st. Salkin is a noted rabbi, activist, lecturer and writer, an award winning author/editor of nine books, and is one of American Judaism's most quoted rabbis. He has been called "an activist for Jewish ideas" by his colleagues, and is best known for his book the classic Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah. His books have dealt with such subjects as the spirituality of career, masculinity, Israel, biblical topics, and radical views of Jewish history. His most recent book is The Gods are Broken! The Hidden Legacy of Abraham. Rabbi Salkin's articles have appeared in such publications as The Forward, The Wall Street Journal, and Readers' Digest. He has served in leadership positions within the Reform movement, Zionist organizations, and international organizations. He will leave his current job as director of the Anti-Defamation League's New Jersey office to become the Rabbi of Beth Am. "I enjoyed my work at the ADL. Ultimately this was a decision to return to the pulpit, where I can help shape and influence the spiritual direction of a community," Salkin told NJ Jewish News in an April 15 phone interview. Of his new position, Rabbi Salkin has said "The rabbinical position at Temple Beth Am represents a real opportunity to help a Jewish community imagine its future and to deepen itself spiritually, intellectually and communally. It is an honor to be serving and leading this community". He plans to commute to Bayonne from his home in South Orange, NJ.

It is with a great sense of excitement, anticipation, and promise that Temple Beth Am looks forward to Rabbi Salkin leading the congregation. As we move Temple Beth Am forward, we will be building on the legacy of Rabbi Gladstone and his honored predecessors. Please join in wishing Rabbi Gladstone and Rabbi Salkin the very best.

To RSVP for Rabbi Gladstone's retirement dinner reception, please contact the Temple Office at 201-858-2020.

THINK LOCAL, ACT GLOBAL: THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL" AT B'NAI JACOB

Join the B'nai Jacob community in an exhilarating evening of politics and possibilities on Friday, May 3rd, from 8-10pm. First join us for an abbreviated Friday evening Shabbat musical service. Then be sure to stay for our Speakers Forum, featuring Jersey City Mayoral Candidate and City Councilman, Steve Fulop, speaking about the upcoming Jersey City Mayoral election and Zack Metz, of the Consensus Group and the Jewish Dialogue Group, speaking about having civil and useful conversations with our friends, neighbors, relatives, and fellow congregants around hot political issues, such as the post-Israeli election political environment. Refreshments and Q&A. All welcome, free on-site parking. Location: B'nai Jacob 176 West Side Avenue, Jersey City         

Contact: info@bnaijacobjc.org, 201-435-5725. May 3rd, 8-10pm.

UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF HOBOKEN LEARNING CENTER SEEKS HEBREW TEACHERS

USH seeks creative Hebrew after-school program counselors/Hebrew teachers for our Children's Learning Center. This program prioritizes creative and experiential learning and differentiated instruction to our community of engaged and active learners. We are seeking creative counselors and teachers to join our team, and help to share the joy of Judaism and the Hebrew language with them and their families. Program hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-6pm. We are also seeking Saturday/Shabbat teachers from 10:30am - 12pm weekly.

Prospective candidates will be asked to demonstrate a creative lesson (10-15 minutes) that will showcase your unique approach to teaching. Please send resume, cover letter and 2 references to Grace Gurman-Chan, Director, at gracegurmanchan@gmail.com to arrange for an interview. Competitive salary and travel compensation if applicable. Starting at $35/hr commensurate with experience.

The United Synagogue of Hoboken is an intimate, warm egalitarian Conservative congregation, approximately 15 minutes from New York City, with an informal and progressive spirit and a strong emphasis on education for all adults and children. Seewww.hobokensynagogue.org. Easy access from NYC and NJ suburbs by public transportation.

Openings for Kindergarten through 10th grades for the 2013-2014 school year starting in September through May.

JBN - BUSINESS NETWORKING

WITH "THE TRIBE"

Come out and attend  Hudson County's new Jewish Business Networking event for Jewish professionals at the CASE Russian Art Museum in Downtown Jersey City. Make meaningful contacts with high-impact networking and referrals to help grow your business.

Monthly meetings are held at 80 Grand Street Jersey City, two blocks from Exchange Place Light Rail, PATH and parking lots. Cost is $10/person in advance or at the door includes kosher breakfast. For date/time of the next meeting, please contact email address below.

or more information and for the next meeting, contact Joshua Bernstein at Info@HudsonJewish.org 

Bayonne Jewish Community Center's Summer Lego Camp - summer Lego Camp for all ages, split into two groups for 3 hours each. Classes will be held July 15-19, and spots are still available. Cost is $195 for the week. Don't let your children miss out on this great program. For further information, contact (201) 436-6900

Since 1946, Camp Galil has been providing campers with a unique, fun, kibbutz-style overnight summer camp experience with an emphasis on community and Jewish values. Galil creates an environment that grows leaders, while fostering friendships, personal growth, and a strong connection to Israel that lasts a lifetime. The camp includes sports, swimming, arts and crafts, songs, campfires, and special days just like any other camp, but there is an indefinable element of FUN in everything that happens during the summer. Camp Galil is a kibbutz atmosphere focusing on cooperative living, and is a community of young people from all streams of Jewish life. A large majority of the counselors and staff were former campers, clearly demonstrating how campers return year after year, ultimately becoming staff-members. The camp is set in the beautiful fields and forest of Bucks County, Pennsylvania (a short distance from New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia) and serves campers from ages 8 to 16. They have 2, 3, 4, and 7 week options, plus a four day program for current 2nd grades called "Taste of Galil". 

Registration is currently ongoing for Summer 2013, and it's not too late to still reserve a spot for your child. . Camp Galil participates in the One Happy Camper scholarship program, an organization that promotes Jewish summer overnight camp for first time attendees by providing a significant scholarship to those that qualify. For further information and to inquire about next summer, please contact the Registrar, Ilana Goldfus at Registrar@campgalil.org , (609) 558-1395 or see their website at www.campgalil.org 

Camp Riverbend "Where the Fun Never Ends" - Aclassic day camp for boys and girls ages 3-14 in Warren Township NJ-about 30 minutes west of Hudson County. Daily bus service from stops in Hoboken & downtown Jersey City available. Swimming, sports, crafts, performing arts, nature, adventure, and more. Run by the Breene family for over 50 years. Mention HudsonJewish for for special money saving offers for new campers. Contact us at www.campriverbend.com or call 908-580-CAMP.

Chabad Hebrew School Program - Children's program for ages 4-9 years old, held on Sundays. Program includes the Aleph Champ program for older children to teach them to read fluently at the end of their Hebrew School experience and for younger children the EZ Alef program, a multi-sensory program to give them a foundation in Hebrew letters. Contact Hebrew School Director, Shaindel Schapiro at (201) 386-5222 for costs and registration. 

 

Forever Families Weekend - Weekend for Jewish families touched by adoption will be held at Camp Nah-Jee-Wah and Cedar Lake Camp in Milford, PA, weekend of June 7-9. For more information go to njycamps.org/familiesor e-mail Debbie Schwartz at pr@njycamps.org

Lubavitch on the Palisades School (LPS) - LPS, a preschool through 3^rd grade Jewish elementary school is now offering door-to-door transportation in Hudson County (Hoboken and J. City). LPS is a place where young Jewish children receive an exciting, creative, and nurturing experience that will provide them with the foundation to grow educationally, socially, and spiritually. Classes have excellent student/teacher ratios, a professional staff of early childhood specialists, and a modern facility equipped with the most educationally sound equipment and manipulatives. Your child will receive a well rounded, enriching education, filled with Jewish traditions and customs intertwined with a wide array of academic subjects, personal development, values, socialization, and learning skills. They welcome every Jewish child, regardless of background or affiliation. Some spots still available for September 2012. Location: 11 Harold Street, Tenafly, NJ (transportation available). Contact Sonya Solomon, Asst. Director, 201-871-1152, Ext. 505 or Sonya@chabadlubavitch.org .

Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County - SSDS is a premier Jewish day school that educates children from Pre-K (classes for 3 and 4 year olds) through 8^th grade. They now serve more than 30 communities in the greater Bergen, Hudson, and Rockland County areas, as well as parts of New York City, and now offer transportation from Hudson County. Full nursery and day care facilities are also available on-site. The school is centrally located in New Milford, NJ, just 9 miles from the George Washington Bridge. If you would like more information about the possibility of giving your child a wonderful Jewish and secular education, contact them as some spots are still available for September 2013. Location: 275 McKinley Avenue, New Jersey. Contact 201-262-9898 or online at www.ssdsbergen.org .   

Temple Beth-El's NEW Children's Play Group Havurah. A new weekly program for children ages birth to 3 years, and their mamas, papas, zaydes, bubbys, and caregivers. Weekly on Friday mornings, from 10am to 11:30am. This will be an informal, no-cost unstructured play group facilitated by Barbara Metz, a new resident in Jersey City. The Temple is providing a spacious and easily accessible play space in the synagogue building - just inside the wooden ramp/stairs through the green gate. Bring some pennies as we will have a small tzedakah (charity) box for your child to donate to in order to participate in and learn about giving and sharing. RSVP's are requested, but drop-ins are welcome too. Please check the signs when you park - the block directly in front of the temple building is a street sweep zone on Fridays from 10am-noon. Location: Temple Beth-El, 2419 Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City. Contact: Office@betheljc.org for more information.  

Temple Beth-El of Jersey City Tot Shabbat Program - Monthly Shabbat program for preschool children, includes Shabbat prayers, songs, a story, and snack. For children age 5 and under with their grown-ups.  Meet and make new friends, great way to meet other young families. All are welcome. Contact the Temple for dates/times of the next program. Location: Temple Beth-El, 2419 Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City. Contact: office@betheljc.org for next program date.    

Temple Beth-El of Jersey City and Temple Beth Am of Bayonne Sunday School and Hebrew School - This joint program between the Reform synagogues of Jersey City and Bayonne provides an enriching Hebrew School experience for children in grades K-7. Classes are led by Rabbinic and teaching staff, with a curriculum that complements the Jewish calendar. The Religious School classes meet on Sunday mornings from 9:30am-12 noon at Temple Beth-El in Jersey City. Teachers include Rabbi Debby Hachen, Kay Magilavy, Mazi Ferreira-da Silva, Hara Benjamin-Garritano, Jeniffer Schaeffer, and Eric Schkrutz. The whole family is part of the learning experience in the Hebrew School, and Family Education programs are also offered throughout the year. The students learn Jewish history, holidays, ethics and Jewish values, Torah, as well as Hebrew reading skills and prayer, and Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation. This program is open to any child whose family belongs to either Temple Beth-El or Temple Beth Am. For information or questions about membership and/or registration for the upcoming 2012-2013 year, please contact either Rabbi Hachen of Temple Beth-El at (201) 333-4229 or Rabbi Gladstone of Temple Beth Am at (201) 858-2020.    

Temple Emanu-El of Bayonne "Torah for Tots"- Children's program for ages 3-6 years old, to be held a couple of times each month, and may become weekly in the future. Classes are held on various Sundays from 9:30-11am at Temple Emanu-El in Bayonne.  Program includes holiday projects, crafts, songs, stories, etc. Please contact Charlene Platitzky at (201) 437.7926 for schedule and registration. Cost is $5/class.

United Synagogue of Hoboken's Kaplan Toddler Time 

Shabbat Program - Children's program for 6 months - 2 years old with a caregiver. Sing-a-long with Rabbi Scheinberg, story time, art, movement and play - meet new friends. Toddler I - Ages 6-15 months 10:45 - 11:45am, Toddler II - Ages 16-24 months 9:30 - 11am. Classes are held on Friday mornings weekly. Sign up for the sessions or drop in. Location 115 Park Avenue, Hoboken. Contact ushpreschool@gmail.com for more information.

United Synagogue of Hoboken's Kaplan Twos Program - Children's program for 2 year olds. Caregiveer & me program includes circle time, music, art, story time, movement activities, outside play, and snack. Early learning literacy, math and science. Thursday includes a Shabbat sing-a-long. Held Tuesday and/or Thursday mornings, 9:30 - 11am. A great introduction to preschool. Sign up for the sessions or drop in. Location 115 Park Avenue, Hoboken. Contact ushpreschool@gmail.com for more information.

United Synagogue of Hoboken's Kaplan Cooperative Preschool Summer Day Camp - June 17-August 2, 2013. Summers at Kaplan are joyful, energetic and creative. Themes, sprinklers, outside play. For children 2 1/2 - 5 years old. Some openings still remain. Contact Rachelle Grossman at 201 653-8666 or ushpreschool@gmail.com for more information. 

United Synagogue of Hoboken, Kaplan Cooperative Preschool - Kaplan Preschool is still accepting applications for September 2013 enrollment. Some spaces are available for 2.5 to 5 year olds. Part time and full time flexible scheduling; morning and afternoon classes. This nurturing and enriched program combines the joy of Judaism and the love of learning. Contact Rachelle Grossman, Director at 201-653-8666 or ushpreschool@gmail.com for more information and to schedule a tour.    

United Synagogue USY Program - USH hosts a monthly USY program for middle school and high school students. Monthly events include games, ice breakers, food, music, and other activities and are open to boys and girls in grades 5^th grade and on. For further information, contact the USH office at 201-659-4000. 

Family Foundations and Donations Sought for PJ Library Program

HudsonJewish in partnership with United Synagogue of Hoboken, and Temple Beth-El of Jersey City is seeking information/introductions to Family Foundations and/or individuals who have a special interest in supporting Jewish education, literacy, and children's programs in Hudson County, to help fund the PJ Library program. Currently this program provides free books to over 210 children in our area, with a waiting list pending. We now distribute a PJ Library monthly e-newsletter for participating and interested families. While we have made significant progress in growing this program in our area, the program does not charge the participating families and relies on outside donations and funding to pay the nominal cost per child for the books to be distributed. Partial funding is also sponsoredc by the UJA of Hoboken, but more funds are needed. For further information on this worthwhile program, please visit their website at www.PJLibrary.org . If you or anyone you know is interested in making a contribution and sponsoring this wonderful and important project, please contact Raylie@HudsonJewish.org .

Singles Group Forming, Ages 40s/50s 

In response to inquires about singles events for people in the 40s and 50s, HudsonJewish is launching an exploratory effort.  If you are interested in attending such events OR if you are willing to co-chair this Group, please contact Michelle@HudsonJewish.org if you are interested.

Hudson County Kosher Update

The number of kosher restaurants and food resources in Hudson County is increasing. The following establishments are kosher under rabbinic supervision:

-       Sapthagiri - 804 Newark Avenue, Jersey City - South and North Indian restaurant; under supervision of Rabbi Shlomo Marks of Cong. Mt. Sinai. www.sapthagiri.biz

-       Crumbs Bake Shop - 409 Washington Street, Hoboken; under supervision of Orthodox Kashrut Services (OKS). www.crumbs.com

-       Edible Arrangements - 84 Washington Street, Hoboken; under supervision of Rabbi Isaiah Hertzberg. www.ediblearrangements.com 

-  Grow & Behold - This site sells yummy kosher pastured meat/chicken, etc., which is better for you than the factory farmed stuff. They will deliver to Jersey City on Tuesdays for a flat fee of $5/$15 depending on how much you order. Select the delivery option of Essec County (they are aware that Jersey City is in Hudson County). www.growandbehold.com   

Do you or someone you know have Yiddish books, sheet music, newspapers or other non-religious printed materials but don't know what to do with them? In conjunction with the Yiddish Book Center, there will be a collection point in Jersey City for these materials to be donated to the Yiddish Book Center, a renowned museum of Yiddish literature, books, and documents. Your books will be shipped to the Yiddish Book Center, where they will be catalogued and evaluated for the permanent collection. Information about the center and the wonderful work that they are doing to preserve our very rich tradition of literature and music may be found at www.yiddishbookcenter.org . To arrange for someone to pick up your Yiddish materials for donation to the center, please contact Raylie Dunkel at Raylie@HudsonJewish.org . What a Mehaye!

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