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145 Broadway, Newark, NJ 07104 (973) 485 - 2609 Fax: (973) 485 - 2609

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Text Box: August 17, 2010 Dear Members and Friends: Dancing on Broadway? That’s what you’ll see, and hopefully join in, as our Congregation receives a restored Torah scroll from Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael (TBAY) of Springfield, on September 5, at 2:00 p.m. Rabbi Mark Mallach of TBAY conceived this gift as TBAY merged with Temple Israel of Union. Our congregations are close, as our spiritual leader, Simon Rosenbach, is a former TBAY president and April and Bob Modlinger belong to both congregations. Some of our congregants donated to the TBAY project to restore four of the Torahs. So come, dance in the street to the music of Israeli musician Tuvia Zimber and eat and drink in the shul’s social hall as part of the celebration April has planned. Continue the festivities on Labor Day, when Zachary and Morgan Hersh, children of Lora and Jeffrey Hersh, celebrate their b’nai mitzvot by being the first of our congregation to read from the restored Torah. And there will be other b’nai mitzvot this coming year: Nick Scott-Hearn in October, Mikhael Ben Yisrael next July, and a second bar mitzvah for Robert Latzar in October. Much more is planned. First and foremost are the High Holidays—the schedule is laid out on the second page of this letter. Later in September Ciel Arons will lead the Congregation in skipping around the room for her 100th birthday. Years ago Ciel introduced this practice as our regular birthday celebration, and who could be more important than she and her late husband, Ben, who saved our shul from being sold and then planted the seeds of its current thriving life? Ciel has long prepared and now oversees our Shabbat oneg, and this celebration will be a fitting tribute to our Grande Dame. President Eric Freedman has planned an exceptional Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend this coming January. Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Jr., Rabbi of Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopean Congregation of Chicago, will be the keynote speaker at a community-wide service to be held on Sunday, January 16, at the Synagogue. Rabbi Funnye, an ordained Conservative rabbi, is Michelle Obama’s cousin and was the subject of a major article, “Obama’s Rabbi,” in the New York Times Magazine in April, 2009. Contact committee chairman Zadikim Yisrael-Lewi at Zadikim.Yisrael@wilmerhale.com if you would like to assist with this event, for which we expect 300 people from ecumenical communities in Newark and the suburbs. People often ask, “How many members does your shul have?” The answer is that in the past two years we have grown from 148 contributing “units” (in synagogue phraseology) to 189, an increase of 28%. Any synagogue would be proud to maintain its membership in this economic environment, not to mention increase it by this magnitude. Participation in services, too, has grown, with 20-35 people (including 2-8 children) attending a typical Shabbat service. For these High Holidays we will be acquiring additional machzorim to accommodate the more than 150 expected attendees. Growth and participation are not surprising given our inclusive congregation and our unusual programming throughout the year. In conjunction with our affiliated organization, the Jewish Museum of New Jersey, two exhibits were mounted in our upstairs gallery: “Hard Times, Good Times: The Art of Michael Lenson,” the first retrospective of the late director of the Works Progress Administration’s Newark mural project and creator of the Weequahic High School murals. Also on display was “Signs & Wonders,” photographs by trustee Eliyahu Lotzar, who also led our adult education series on Jewish mystical life. Last January’s Martin Luther King Community Memorial Program saw us partnering with the African-American Jewish Coalition, the First Tabernacle of Newark and the Jewish Museum in a program featuring the Newark Boys Chorus, First Tabernacle’s choir and a keynote address by Robert Curvin, director of the Newark chapter of the Urban League in the 1960’s, and a distinguished educator and foundation executive in ensuing years. In May, the Congregation hosted a group of MetroWest’s “Operation Atzmaut” delegation of Ethiopian Israeli community leaders from MetroWest Federation’s sister city, Rishon LeZion. The Synagogue also served as a customer service center for the U.S. Census last spring. The Congregation undertook several renovation projects thanks to the direction of Len Sanders and Alan Zweibel—the bimah is undergoing electrical rewiring, the ladies’ room has been upgraded and a wall of the social hall rebuilt. One healthy future minyan member was added: Akiva Dias Freedman, son of our President and First Lady Eric and Isabela, born June 21, celebrated his Brit Milah in the sanctuary. The High Holidays are a good time to look ahead and to think of your family’s future needs. The Congregation has a block of reasonably-priced burial plots at King Solomon Memorial Park in Clifton thanks to the generosity of Tammy and Harvey Applebaum. Contact President Eric Freedman for further details. Also, please consider including a capital gift to Ahavas Sholom as you review your will or estate plan. We have proven that this institution is viable—even thriving—and will be for the long term, but we need major gifts to accomplish our renovation and build our endowment. Rabbi Simon Rosenbach and Cantor David Greenbaum will again lead High Holiday services, which begin with Selihot on Saturday, September 4, at 8:00 p.m. Even if you attend another synagogue, consider joining us for one or more of our services. Services on Wednesday, September 8 will begin at 8:00 p.m., with dinner to follow, thanks again to Jeff Haveson's good work. If you are interested in dinner, please sign up ($25 per person) on the enclosed form. Morning services on Thursday and Friday, September 9 and 10, begin at 8:30. Kol Nidre will start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, September 17. Yom Kippur services begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and resume at 4:45 p.m. Following Neilah, all congregants are invited to the renowned annual break fast hosted by Ciel Arons. We plan to build on the success of last year’s Junior Congregation holiday services led by Dubra Shenker—contact the Synagogue for details. Whether or not you can attend the High Holiday services, please consider joining Ahavas Sholom. Annual dues are $250 for a family or $150 for an individual, with an additional recommended building maintenance fund contribution of $100. 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, we will inscribe your name on the plaque in the sanctuary. Please use the enclosed form to make your contribution. PRINT L'Shanah Tovah, Robert S. Steinbaum—Vice President

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