An Honor to Serve

from the pages of Kadima, the newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

A Message from our President

Dr. Alan Spector

It has been an honor to serve our congregation as President of Adas Emuno for these past two years. I have tried my best to serve with my heart and I do wish to thank the entire Board for putting your left-handed president of Adas Emuno onto the ”right” path. All of us aim for the betterment of our modest congregation. What can I say except, “Toda raba!” 

We have had a great year and are thriving. We began in July with our new Rabbi, and a new Student Cantor joined us soon after. One would never know that Rabbi Barry Schwartz is our “part-time Rabbi” with all that he has given of himself to our congregation. Cantor Hawley’s voice is mesmerizing at every service, and we thank him also for representing us at many jointly-held off-site holiday services throughout Bergen County. Mazel tov to Cantor Hawley on his recent ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music! 

The bequest of a Holocaust scroll from Congregation Beth Am in Teaneck has since been used at every one of our b’nai mitzvah services. This Torah scroll is being passed from generation to generation and finally, to our bar or bat mitzvahs. As Tevye sang, “Tradition, tradition…” and we have started a new one of our own. Fittingly, the scroll is being housed in an ark with beautiful doors which were donated to us from Congregation Sons of Israel in Leonia. 

Despite yet another difficult economic year, our modest congregation has managed to stay in the “black”. Mostly, this is due to the recent bequests made to Adas Emuno from neighboring congregations that have sadly closed their doors. The generous donation from Sons of Israel in Leonia came with a commitment to seeing a continued “Jewish presence” in the town of Leonia. 

We have succeeded in our short term goal, but we need to begin to think long term. It is time for all of us to step on board for our future and for that of the Jewish community surrounding the town of Leonia. 

You can do so with your ideas, with putting your particular professional and social talents to use in regards to our congregation and yes, with Board involvement. 

 Please SAVE THESE DATES: 

May 25 at 7:30PM: Shabbat service with Confirmation Ceremony where you can bid farewell to our Religious School Director, Jennifer Katz-Goldstein. 

June 20 at 7:30PM: our Annual Congregational Meeting. This is where we would like to hear from you, and you will have the opportunity to approve the slate of your new Executive Board and Trustees. If you are interested in recommending yourself (now is not the time to be bashful!) or someone else to the Board, please contact our immediate past-president, Beth Ziff at bdziff at aol.com as soon as possible. Feel free also to share your productive ideas with Beth. 

Shalom, 

Alan