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Copyright © Congregation Ahavas Sholom

145 Broadway, Newark, NJ 07104  (973) 485 - 2609  Fax: (973) 485 - 2609
Text Box: www.jewishmuseumnj.org

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Text Box: www.uscj.org Text Box: www.citybloom.org Text Box: Text Box: www.hudsonjewish.org Text Box: www.njjewishnews.com Text Box: www.shamash.org Text Box: August 27, 2012 Dear Members and Friends: As we begin to prepare for the High Holidays, let’s look back at year 5722. The Congregation continued to grow in members old and young, with weekly services attracting a growing and diverse constituency. We celebrated the b’nai mitzvot of Daniel Abelow, Casey Hersh, and Shomer El Ben-Yisrael (for which father, Nasi, returned on leave from service in Afghanistan). Jeff Haveson spearheaded the “Ahavas Sholom Israel Forum,” which included monthly discussion around films provided by the Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest’s “Step Up for Israel” advocacy series and “Budrus,” about joint Jewish/Palestinian peaceful protest, produced by “Just Vision,” a non-profit in which two of our congregants, Brad Abelow and Michael Hirschhorn, are trustees. Adult education continued with Eliyahu Lotzar’s series of six classes on psalms viewed from a Kabalistic approach. The Congregation’s commitment to tikkun olam achieved new heights. Not content to rest on our laurels for having built a playground at the Newton Street School, president Eric Freedman has moved our second playground project--this one expanded to include anti-obesity education at the Sussex Street School--one step closer to fruition: in addition to our NJ Green Acres matching grant of $375,000 and the Healthcare Foundation grant of 75,000, Eric has now brought in the national non-profit Trust for Public Land as a partner pledged to help raise the remaining money and oversee construction. The synagogue served as a training site and provided recycled computers donated by congregant Eliot Sash for the Institute for Social Justice’s program to train women to work as licensed environmental technicians for brownfields cleanup. Joining an initiative of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, in June the synagogue housed a group of Chicagoans led by Pastor Corey Brooks, Sr., who are marching across the country to end urban violence. The Newark Arts Council’s “Open Doors 2012” program of three weeks of arts events and exhibits in the City from Oct 5-21 will again feature an exhibition in the Jewish Museum of New Jersey’s balcony space. Under Museum president Professor Max Herman, that space housed a program on Jewish genealogy kicked off with a lecture by congregant Mark Gordon, as well as an exhibition of Claire Wagner Kosterlitz’s Bauhaus-inspired art, and a Newark Public School elementary school show of children’s work about spring and summer. On October 14, “Assisi and the Jews 1943-44,” an exhibition focused on righteous gentiles and curated by St. Bonaventure University, will open. While we are outward in our efforts, we also have advanced synagogue restoration, the next phase of which will be bringing an entirely new electrical conduit into the building, which is the first step toward future air conditioning. The electrical infrastructure project requires a new basement wall and therefore slightly relocated, redesigned and reconstructed restrooms. While we deal with infrastructure, we also look to the heavens through our new skylight. In a perfect melding of our own needs with our commitment to community involvement, Eric has arranged with the Newark Arts Council to administer a juried competition among stained glass artisans, with prize money for the winning design of a religiously-themed stained glass lay light. Our hope is that the winning design will inspire a benefactor to step forward to achieve its construction and installation. Before we turn to the High Holidays, we say yasher koach to three congregants: Nick Scott-Hern, valedictorian of Newark’s Robert Treat Academy’s middle school, now leaves for prep school at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, having been awarded an all-expense paid four-year high school education. Eric, Isabela and Akiva Freedman have just moved into their own house, which they renovated in a lovely neighborhood near the Turtle Back Zoo. And doyenne Ciel Arons, G-d willing, will celebrate her 102nd birthday at the synagogue with a kiddush on September 22. Services will be led by Rabbi Simon Rosenbach with cantorial portions provided by Fred Grabiner, Dubra Shenker, Eliyahu Lotzar, Hooshmand Delshad, Bernie Beck, Michael Gershowitz, and Eric will blow the shofar. Even if you attend another synagogue, consider joining us for one or more of our services. Selihot will begin the season on Saturday, September 8, at 8:00 p.m. Services on Sunday, September 16 will begin at 7:00 p.m., with dinner to follow. If you are interested in dinner, please sign up ($25 per person) on the enclosed form. Morning services on Monday and Tuesday, September 17 and 18, begin at 8:30 a.m, with Taschlich following services on the first day. Kol Nidre will start at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, September 25. Yom Kippur services begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, with Yizkor at about noon and then resume at 4:30 p.m. Following Neilah, all congregants are invited to the renowned annual break fast. If you are interested in Junior Congregation holiday services, contact the Synagogue.   Each adult is responsible for purchasing a High Holiday ticket, which is $100 for a member and $125 for a non-member (students free). Since our annual membership dues remain low--$250 for a family or $150 for an individual (plus an additional recommended building maintenance fund contribution of $100)--it makes sense to join as a member to achieve the High Holiday ticket savings. Under the practice begun last year, when you send in the enclosed form, Clara Macedo will send you the tickets you have ordered. As you contemplate the New Year, it is a good time to think about your own life cycle. We can offer the good counsel of the Metrowest Jewish Community Foundation (which now invests the lion’s share of the Congregation’s capital funds) to assist you with planned giving appropriate to your situation. Or think about adding Ahavas Sholom to your will. The Congregation also has a block of reasonably-priced burial plots at King Solomon Memorial Park in Clifton. This vibrant congregation depends upon the support of the individual members of the larger Jewish community. We appreciate every gift. If you can afford as much as $1,000, including tickets, dues and other contributions (as did a record 28 families last year), we will inscribe your name on the plaque in the sanctuary. Please use the enclosed form to make your contribution. PRINT FORM L'shanah tovah, Robert S. Steinbaum Vice President Text Box:

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