Youth Group News May 2018

From the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

Youth Group News from
Youth Group Advisor
Samantha Rosenbloom:

Our April event was a great success at the Escape Room. Our team escaped the room with over 22 minutes left, breaking the record by 2 minutes!

Our last event for the school year will be on May 6, when we will be doing a favorite activity from last year… a backwards scavenger hunt in the social hall with lunch and snacks.

samantharosenbloom at gmail.com

End of School Year Religious School News

From the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

Religious School News 

     from


Cantor Sandy Horowitz

Religious School Director

In this often-worrisome world, the light of our small school shines ever brightly. Our children get to “be Jewish” and “do Jewish” together in an environment of acceptance and belonging; and as another year comes to a close, I am so proud of our religious school community.

For families and teachers alike, religious school is only one of many commitments that make demands on our time and energy. I’ve watched students arrive in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings looking tired, perhaps not yet fully awake. Fast-forward three hours and they’re energized, talking and laughing as they head out to resume the rest of their lives. They have been learning with their minds and their voices and their creativity. They have been singing and praying. They have donated tzedakah for the benefit of others. They have helped each other when help was needed. They have come up with ideas the rest of us hadn’t thought of. They have been striving to understand and to learn. They have been continually interacting, and wondering, and questioning. All of this is part of developing a Jewish identity, of becoming a mensch, of ensuring a future for our Jewish tradition.

Here’s the thing: the ongoing existence of our religious school depends on continuing as well as new enrollment. We need all of you to help us spread the word! If you know of families with children who might be curious about joining our “being Jewish/doing Jewish” Sundays, please reach out, and encourage them to contact me at adasschool at gmail.com. We are especially looking to re-kindle our K-1 class, as we welcome students of all ages through seventh grade to our religious school.

Thank you’s:

To the parents for all the ways you have volunteered this year–as “parent in charge”–helping with school-wide holiday celebrations, class pot-luck dinners and more. Gratitude abounds especially to the school committee for your leadership and support and incredible hard work.

To each of our amazing teachers for your commitment and creativity. And to the madrichim, our teenage teacher assistants, for your willingness to help with anything that’s needed, and doing it well.

Special thanks to Rabbi Schwartz for his inspired Confirmation class teaching, as they wrap up a year of justice-based learning. To Sabina Albirt and Samantha Rosenbloom who directed this year of socializing and social action with our Youth Group. To Kerri Klein and Jody Pugach who envisioned and implemented the new Mommy/Daddy‘n Me program, led by Reina Stern.

And may I simply add–gratitude to the One, to the very nature of Possibility, and Hope.

Our hearts are full and our spirit is strong! Have a great summer. Cantor Horowitz

Please make a note of these upcoming dates in May and June for our students & families!

Confirmation Class: May 6, 13, 17 (rehearsal)

Friday, May 18: 7:30 PM–Confirmation Service
Sunday, May 20: Last day of school
Saturday, May 26: Bar/Bat Mitzvah of Aaron and Hannah Jacobowitz
Saturday, June 16: Bat Mitzvah of Abigail Boyd

Youth Group News Spring 2018

From the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

Youth Group News from
Youth Group Advisor
Samantha Rosenbloom:

Our next Youth Group event will take place on Sunday March 11 with pottery painting!

April's event will be an “escape room” excursion. As a group, we will be locked into a room, where we will need to solve clues to escape before the time runs out.

samantharosenbloom at gmail.com

Spring 2018 Religious School News

From the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

Religious School News 

     from


Cantor Sandy Horowitz

Religious School Director

The joy and silliness of Purim having just ended, we now look ahead to Passover at the end of this month. As in previous years we will be putting together a school Passover Seder program with student contributions of music, skits and presentations. We need help from parents with food, setup and cleanup—please check out the Parent Volunteer link and sign up if you can help:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0845a9 aa2caafe3-class

The next Family Service on March 23 will be led by our youngest students from Grade 1-2- 3. Come on out and support them as they lead us in songs and prayers, and provide us with their take on the 10 Plagues!

The April 27 Family Service in celebration of Israel’s 70th birthday will include contributions from each class, as they share sets of 7 facts (one for each decade!) on different aspects of Israel’s life and history. This promises to be an inspiring and enjoyable celebration.

But wait, there’s more! Jordana Marcus is celebrating becoming Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, March 10th. B’nei mitzvah services at Adas Emuno are open to everyone. Our students work hard and we are so proud of them—go Jordana!

Please make a note of these upcoming dates in March and April for our students & families!

Saturday, March 10 
10:00 AM–Bat Mitzvah of Jordana Marcus

Sunday, March 11
Confirmation Class followed by Youth Group activity

Friday, March 23 
7:30 PM—Shabbat Family Service featuring Grades 1-2-3

Sunday, March 25— Religious School Passover Seder

Sunday, April 1 No School

Friday, April 27 
7:30 PM—Shabbat Family Service in celebration of Israel’s 70th Birthday

Sunday, April 8
10:30-12 Confirmation Class with Guest Author Joan Arnay Halperin who will discuss her book, My Sister’s Eyes: A Family Chronicle of Rescue and Loss During World War II. Open to the Congregation.


 School Sundays at 9:15 AM Mommy/Daddy ‘n Me!

Youth Group News

From the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

Youth Group News from Samantha Rosenbloom:

Plans for January and February include a game day in the social hall and a movie at IPIC! 

Thank you to all who donated gifts during the holiday season; they will be given to the Bergen County Chapter of CASA, to be distributed throughout the year to children who need some extra love during holidays and birthdays!

Religious School at the Start of 2018

From the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

Religious School News 

     from


Cantor Sandy Horowitz

Religious School Director

Happy 2018… a new (secular) year begins! As of January 7th the Religious School will be back in session and in full swing. With lively discussion, through music and prayer and creative projects, our students share in the opportunity of being together with other Jewish students every week, to learn and celebrate our values and traditions.

Please note that our weekly Tefilah—the school-wide Sunday morning prayer service—is open to all ages, whether or not you are part of the school. Feel free to drop by on Sundays between 9:00 and 9:40 and join in the participatory experience of prayer, song and learning.

A new program has begun for tots and toddlers from ages 1½ to 4 and their parents. Organized by Jody Pugach, with able assistance from Kerri Klein, and led by teacher Reina Stern, there have been two sessions so far and we look forward to seeing this program continue and grow. Families need not be members of Adas Emuno, so please help us spread the word!

At the opening of our December Shabbat Family Service, the Grade 5-6 class sang the song “Bring in the Light” in two-part harmony, as we lit the Chanukah and Shabbat candles. It was a beautiful, inspiring moment.

As we head through the winter and beyond, may we shine the light that is within each of us.

Please make a note of these upcoming dates in January and February for our students & families!

*Sundays, January 14 and February 11 
Confirmation Class 
Youth Group

*Friday, January 26 
7:30 PM—Shabbat Family Service led by Grade 4

*Friday, February 23 
7:30 PM—Shabbat Family Service with special oneg!

*Sunday, February 18—No School

AND SAVE THE DATE!  
*Thursday, March 1 
6 PM Pizza Dinner 
7 PM Purim Service & Spiel 

 *Sunday, March 4 
School Purim Carnival

Rabbi Schwartz's Report at our Annual Congregational Meeting

Delivered at our annual congregational meeting on June 22nd:

Rabbi's Report for the Year 5777

Each year I submit brief remarks based on the three basic functions of the synagogue as reflected in its Hebrew names: Beit Tefilah (House of Prayer), Beit Midrash (House of Study) and Beit K’nesset (House of Gathering).

Beit Tefilah: Our High Holiday services were full and joyful; the same can be said for our holiday celebrations, especially Hanukkah, Purim and the Pesach congregational Seder. The exception is Simchat Torah, which would benefit from some creative rethinking. I want to once again applaud the parents and students of our school who have made monthly Family Services so invigorating.

Beit Midrash: Our year-long study of the history of Reform Judaism was one of our best Torah study experiences to date. I am grateful for the remarkably strong support given Torah study week-in, week-out, and the vibrant discussion that takes place on a consistent basis. Our religious school, though diminished in numbers, concluded another excellent year, under the able leadership of the Cantor, the faculty, and the education committee. A new youth group was successfully launched in connection with a revised Confirmation program. Special thanks to our youth advisors Sabina Albrech and Samantha Rosenbloom, and to our b’nai mitzvah coordinator Marilyn Katz. Despite these positive developments, it is clear that we will have to grapple in the coming year with the consequences of our declining demographics.

Beit K’nesset: I am especially proud of our interfaith and social justice work this year, including hosting the Leonia Community Thanksgiving Service, our Community Interfaith Sanctuary City Resolution, Western Wall Resolution, and Mitzvah Mall program. Two greatly generous contributions to the synagogue will permit a new enhanced sound system, special youth programming, and other good works granted by the rabbi’s discretionary fund. I conclude, as always, with my sincere gratitude to the Temple Board, to the Cantor, and to our “family of families” for all you do to sustain our “assembly of the faithful” from year to year.

Cantor Horowitz's Report at Our Annual Congregational Meeting

Delivered at our annual congregational meeting on June 22nd:

Cantor's Report for the Year 5777

“Music for a while shall all your cares beguile”, is a well-known song written by the Baroque composer Henry Purcell. Contemporary Rabbi Jonathan Sacks puts a Jewish spin on this thought, when he writes, “Words are the language of the mind. Music is the language of the soul.” Adas Emuno is fortunate to have a strong tradition of musical participation. You are so willing to try new melodies and new music. When I sometimes say, “please feel free to sing along, even if you don’t know the music”–I truly mean it. Song is a form of prayer. It is the expression of our own, unique soul.

And so this past year during Friday night Shabbat services, we have introduced more new music than before. While remaining anchored by familiar music, each week I have endeavored to vary melodies of familiar prayers, while also adding musical settings to text that are less familiar. I introduced music from various contemporary Jewish composers, along with settings of music from other parts of our tradition such as the psalms. I played with something called “contrafaction”–imposing a tune from one tradition onto the text from another tradition, or from another part of our own tradition. We sang our Shabbat liturgy using familiar Chanukah and Passover tunes at the time of those holidays; on Memorial Day weekend we sang Lecha Dodi to the tune of America the Beautiful. And in memory of Martin Luther King on the weekend of his birthday I chanted excerpts of some of his famous speeches using Haftarah trope–the trope we use traditionally to chant the words of our own prophets, in honor of this modern prophet.

Looking back at some highlights of the year:

Our high holiday services were once again graced with the presence of our keyboard accompanist Beth Robin. We concluded Rosh Hashanah with celebrating Tashlich down at Overpeck Park by the water with plenty of music and the traditional apples and honey. Delightfully, once again this year congregational members of all ages were in attendance. Again this year we had our “indoor” Music in the Sukkah featuring our own Peter Hays and Michael Scowden on guitar, along with the voices of our teens Stella Borelli and Ula Goldstein. This past year has brought another five b'nei mitzvah students to the bimah. In my role as Cantor I met weekly with each of them, in order to prepare them to chant Torah and Haftarah and lead us in prayer. And those special days were once again graced with the musical accompaniment of Beth Robin.

We will have a report from our Religious School co-chairs but I would like to point out a couple of highlights from this past school year...

We continued the tradition of coming together as a school for special celebrations of the major holidays, as has been done in the past, thanks to help from our school committee and other parent volunteers. I also added a new dimension to our holiday programming this past year, as each individual class was given the responsibility to present a skit, poster or presentation relating to one holiday during the year. Teachers and students alike were enthusiastic about the opportunity and creativity flourished!

Attendance at Family Services continued to be high, thanks to the ongoing success of our policy implemented last year which requires students in the older grades to attend a certain number of Shabbat services each year. Thank you again to Bnei Mitzvah/Family Policy coordinator Marilyn Katz for her efforts on behalf of this program.

Confirmation Class was ably led by Rabbi Schwartz again this past year, who also led the effort to resurrect our Youth Group program. This spring saw several Youth Group events, and we look forward to watching this program continue to grow.

While I believe that the quality of our religious school education overall remains high and continues to expand, unfortunately, we can’t say the same about quantity. Enrollment in grades K-7 was down this past year. I believe that this is a trend that could be reversed, and hope that outreach efforts over the summer will yield some result.

In closing I wish to express my gratitude to the leadership of Adas Emuno, Rabbi Barry Schwartz, President Lance Strate, Ritual Chair Virginia Gitter, Buildings supervisor Michael Fishbein and the other officers and members of the board, for their ongoing support of my efforts. Most of all, I am grateful for the Religious School Parents Committee–ably led by Michael Raskin and Jody Pugach along with Susan Grey and Sandy Zornek. It takes a tremendous amount of work to run a school, and their efforts are tireless. The school after all belongs to the parents, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with them.

Respectfully submitted,
Cantor Sandy Horowitz

Religious School News: Purim & Passover

From the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

Religious School News 

     from


Cantor Sandy Horowitz

Religious School Director

There is a fun song we teach at this time of year, called “Mishenichnas Adar”⏤it celebrates the Hebrew month of Adar, the month of Purim. The words of the song mean, “When Adar arrives, our joy increases!”

To quote another song, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles: “Little darlin’, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter.” Indeed, it has. So Purim comes just in time to lift our spirits, as the Religious School gets ready to celebrate this holiday in style on March 12th. There wll be costumes and songs, a skit and⏤thanks to the efforts of some of our parents⏤the Purim Carnival is back! We hope to see you as well on Saturday evening, March 11th, to watch adults acting silly in this year’s Purim shpiel, “The Festival of Lots”! We look forward to having some of your children take part that evening, by lending their singing voices.

Next month our joy increases further with the celebration of Passover. For our annual school Passover program, each grade contributes a song or presentation regarding one aspect of the Passover holiday. We could use more help providing food and setting up, so if you are available please sign up!

In other news, our monthly Youth Group program for post b’nei-mitzvah students is off to a great start. Thank you to Rabbi Schwartz, Jody Priblo, Sabina Albirt and Samantha Rosenbloom for their capable leadership! It’s never too late to join the fun, teens can sign up anytime.

Family Services featuring Grades 2-3 and K-1 are coming up this month and next. Check out the dates below, and mark your calendars⏤it means so much to have students supporting each other at these services. Let’s share the joy!



DATES TO REMEMBER:

Thursday, January 12
7:30 PM School Committee Meeting

Friday, January 20
7:30 PM Shabbat Family Service led by the Fourth Grade

Saturday March 11
10:00 AM Bar Mitzvah of Joshua Gereb

Saturday March 11
5:30 PM Pizza + 6:30 PM Purim Service & Shpiel

Sunday March 12
School Purim Celebration; Carnival begins 11:30

Friday March 24
7:30 PM Shabbat Family Service⏤Grade 2-3 students

Saturday March 25
10:00 AM Bat Mitzvah of Haley Aleksic

Sunday April 9
School Passover Program

Tuesday April 11
Adas Emuno Community Passover Seder

Sunday April 15
No Religious School⏤Spring Break

Friday April 28
7:30 PM Shabbat Family Service⏤Grade K-1 students

Confirmation Class and Youth Group meetings: March 26 & April 23

Religious School 2017

From the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

Religious School News 

     from


Cantor Sandy Horowitz

Religious School Director

January is the month when we transition in our Torah readings from the stories of Genesis to the epic journey recounted in the book of Exodus. In Genesis we read about our ancestors Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel and Leah and their children. Each individual has his or her own story–many of these were recounted, in lovely dramatic form, by our 5th, 6th and 7th graders at their family services! As we now progress into Exodus we will begin reading about the transition of individuals, former slaves in Egypt, into a single community, the Israelite people. Both matter–who we are as individuals, and who we are as a community.

A similar transition takes place each year, though fortunately in a far less dramatic way, at our religious school. Students arrive in September and it is our job as teachers and educators to get to know each individual child; even if they have been coming for several years, we watch how they are continually growing and changing. By the time they return from vacation in January and we begin the second half of the year, the pattern of Sunday mornings at religious school has been established, and by now hopefully they each feel themselves to be an important part of the larger ensemble, the community of Adas Emuno Religious School. It is my hope that we are not only imparting Jewish knowledge to them, but that we are also creating positive Jewish memories which will remain with them long after they become bar and bat mitzvah.

For our post b’nei mitzvah and high school students, a new Youth Group is being launched this month, as we expand the options for our teenagers to participate in the life of the Adas Emuno community. We are excited to welcome this venture in providing new opportunities for this age group.



DATES TO REMEMBER:

Thursday, January 12
7:30 PM School Committee Meeting

Friday, January 20
7:30 PM Shabbat Family Service led by the Fourth Grade

Thursday, February 9
7:30 PM School Committee Meeting

Friday, February 10
7:30 PM Shabbat Service/TuB’Shevat Dessert Seder

Sunday, February 19
No School–Winter Recess

Confirmation Class and Youth Group meetings: Sunday, January 22 and February 12

The State of the Congregation

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

A Message From Our President

Dr. Lance Strate

The State of the Congregation 

President's Report Delivered at the 

Annual Congregational Meeting 

June 27, 2013

Every time I can remember watching the President of the United States deliver the annual State of the Union address to Congress, it seems that the opening line is always, "the state of our union is strong." A year ago, I did not expect to be in a position to make that sort of statement at the next annual Congregational Meeting, so I am especially pleased to be able to say to you now:

The state of our congregation is strong.

In Jewish tradition, we say that the most important thing is that you have your health, and for any organization, health is connected to finances. And to be honest, I had some significant concerns about our finances a year ago. While we gained a little breathing room with donations the year before from the unfortunate dissolution of Sons of Israel in Leonia and Temple Beth Am in Teaneck, we have had a history of running at a deficit year after year. Obviously, such a practice cannot be sustainable unless, like the government, you can print your own money, so it was important for us to be budget conscious, and place greater emphasis on fundraising than we had in the last year or two.

I am therefore pleased to report to you, as we near the end of our fiscal year on the 30th of this month, that it looks like we are breaking even this year, and maybe even coming out a little ahead. I think this represents significant progress, for which I take no credit, but rather thank the entire board for their careful and conscientious oversight of our expenses. And I especially want to credit our Treasurer and Buildings and Grounds Chair, Michael Fishbein, our Financial Secretary Mark Rosenberg, and our Finance Committee member Doris White, for their work in this area.

As I mentioned, fundraising is essential, and along with many individual donations and events that made a modest profit for our shul, our congregational Talent Show held this past April 20th not only contributed to our bottom line, but was an enormous success as well. For that, I would like to thank Virginia Gitter and Elka Oliver, and the many religious school parents who volunteered their time and efforts. I am also pleased to note that we continued our tradition of an annual Chamber Music Concert, now known as the Edward M. Cramer Memorial Chamber Music Concert Fundraiser, hosted by Robin Cramer, and we are very grateful to Robin for continuing to open her home in support of our synagogue. I would also note that we are renting our social hall for a children's reading program our of Rutgers University on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays; it started last Sunday and will continue through July. Aside from providing a little extra revenue, this is an experiment for us to see what is involved in this kind of arrangement, as it is an important option for us to help make ends meet. We have also added portals on our website and blog for Amazon.com and a Judaica store. So far, our returns have been quite modest, but every little bit helps, and I want to remind everyone that if you are buying anything from Amazon, make your purchase through our portal and you'll be supporting Adas Emuno, as we'll get a little cut; we even get a small amount if you just look at items through our portal. And please take a look at our Judaica store, they really have a wide selection of attractive items for sale.

I also want to take special notice of a fundraising effort on the part of Ollie Racciatti and Julian Pecht, which began as a joint mitzvah project for their bar mitzvahs. It was an ambitious project to hire a sofer, a Torah scribe, to restore one of our damaged Torahs. And we are all so very proud to note that they have met their fundraising goal this spring, and the restoration process is now underway. I also want to take this opportunity to note that we do need to purchase more prayer books, because we don't have enough for many of our b'nai mitzvah ceremonies. About thirty more are needed, so please donate to the prayer book fund. I also want to kick off our Sesquicentennial Fundraiser this fall; I had hoped to do it last year, but we still have a little time before it's the year 2021. And in conjunction with that, while I am not at liberty to reveal the specifics yet, I do want to inform you that we have recently received a very generous donation to the religious school and congregation that makes our financial outlook all the more positive.

Our By-Laws mandate that we present a budget to the congregation for approval, but this requirement has not been practiced here for many years. But this year we will be doing the right thing, and present you with a budget, one that we all can work from in the coming year. This is a first step, and we should get better at in subsequent years. We are also sending out bills a little earlier this year, and as I have noted in a Kadima column, our billing is almost a year behind schedule. Most synagogues require payment for the coming year before releasing High Holy Day tickets, whereas we look for members to be paid up for the previous year, and then bill everyone after the holidays. We have taken a small step to move the timetable up, and I would like us to continue to do so gradually over the next few years to get up back in sync. Doing it all at once would amount to asking for two years worth of dues for many members, which would present a hardship for many, so a gradual shift makes the most sense.

Financial health is important, but it is pointless unless we are spiritually healthy. And as a congregation, this has much to do with our spiritual leadership, and I think we all know how lucky we are to have Rabbi Barry Schwartz leading our congregation. Attendance at our Friday night Shabbat services has been exemplary, and the number of people who show up for the Saturday morning Torah study that he leads puts many larger temples to shame. He continues to make important contributions to our religious school, this year launching a family learning component, working with the b'nai mitzvah and confirmation students, and contributing in so many ways, from presenting thoughtful and inspiring sermons, to offering individual instruction and counseling, to participating in community events, to helping to keep the place tidy when need be (which is not part of his job description, I just admire the fact that he is not a prima donna). I am therefore pleased to inform you that Rabbi Schwartz has renewed his contract for the next two years, and hopefully he will remain with us for many more years to come.

This past year, Rabbi Schwartz was joined by student cantor, Alison Lopatin. For the coming year, we were unable to obtain a student cantor from Hebrew Union College, and will be utilizing a Cantorial Soloist instead, along with a separate b’nei mitzvah tutor . I will let our Ritual Chair, Virginia Gitter, tell you more about them, and thank you Virginia for chairing the Ritual Committee and leading the cantorial search. I would just note now that, whether this particular individual works out or not, it is good to know that there are alternatives to hiring a different student cantor every year, and there are alternatives that might provide us with more stability in the long run. Although this model will cost us significantly more than it would with a student cantor, this has been taken into consideration in preparing the budget proposal for the coming year, and we will be mindful of the cost as we look ahead to the year after.

Our Religious School is the jewel of Adas Emuno, and we began the past year with a new Religious School Director, Annice Benamy. Annice has worked hard to help generate more publicity for our school, for example by holding an ice cream open house last summer. And in response to concerns that our students were not being adequately prepared for their b'nai mitzvah, she worked hard to make our curriculum more rigorous and structured. I should also note that she has been kind enough over the past year to fill in as a cantorial soloist at numerous services. She has shown great energy and enthusiasm in carrying out her responsibilities. I will also acknowledge that the transition has had its challenges, and the board is aware of that, and will work to continue to improve our school over the coming year. I cannot help but note with great sadness the recent passing of David Benamy, husband of Annice, who contributed so much to our synagogue in the short time that he was with us, from making balloon animals at our children's events, to helping out with our computers and technology, to blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, to starting up a Youth Group for us, and serving as Youth Advisor. We all join together in mourning his passing. And I hope we can join together to see that his efforts on our behalf were not in vain.

I want to thank Amy Chartoff for her work as chair of the Religious School Committee, and note that for the coming year we intend to have significantly more board involvement in the committee, and will be looking for significantly more involvement on the part of the parents as well. This is an area in which we need to improve, and will improve, in the coming year. I also want to acknowledge Rebecca Kind-Slater for her work on events and activities for families with young children, and her efforts regarding preschoolers. In particular, I think we are all very proud of the fact that Rebecca and Annice successfully applied for the Union for Reform Judaism's Communities of Practice program on Successfully Engaging Young Families. Annice attended the first meeting in Chicago, and she and Rebecca continue to be involved in this effort, and welcome others to participate as well. Events like Super Sukkot Sunday, the Apple Picking Outing, and the Purim Carnival are great fun for everyone involved, and very much a sign of health for our congregation.

On the topic of education, our adult education program has been booming, thanks in no small part to our Adult Education Committee chairs, Norm Rosen and Fred Friedman. We have had a lecture on the Israeli legal system, movie screenings and discussions involving a documentary on Jewish boxers as well as the celebrated film Connected last summer, musical presentations on the Jews of India and the Yiddish theater, and classes in beginning Hebrew taught by Annice Benamy, and Yoga taught by Mia Howard. We have also continued to be blessed by outstanding musical performances, including the return of the Heritage Ensemble last December (and look for them to make it a threepeat this coming November 16), and the wonderful visit from the Yale a cappella group Magevet in January (and we are working on bring them back for an encore early next year), not to mention the music played by Rachel Musleah as part of her presentation on the Jews of India, the wonderful musical talent displayed at our talent show, the ever lovely sounds of our chamber music concert, and Diane Cypkin's performance of Molly Picon's Yiddish theater music. I want to acknowledge Robin Cramer again, and the Edward M. Cramer Music Fund, for supporting so many of our programs, and thank you as well to the Cramer Music Fund Committee.

Our adult education and religious school events are important not only in service to our members and the community, but also as ways to provide us with more publicity and increased visibility. A year ago, a refrain that we were hearing over and over again was that no one knows we're here. And while I can't claim to have completely overcome that problem, I believe we have made great strides over the past year. Our events have been reported on in Leonia Life, the Jewish Standard, and the North Jersey Record, as well as being posted in various places on the internet. I want to than Virginia Gitter, chair of our publicity committee, for her public relations work on behalf of Adas Emumo, as well as editing our newsletter, Kadimah, overseeing our mailings, chairing the ritual committee as well, and serving as recording secretary. I also want to acknowledge Rebecca Kind-Slater's contributions regard online publicity. On our own website and database, thanks go to Howard Goldstein and Kim Merlino for the work that they've done. I must concede, however, that I had hoped to be much farther along in bringing our internet services up to date, than we are now, and this has been one of the goals that we have fallen short on this past year. Our database software is less than adequate and lacking in most basic features (we can't even format our email blasts in any way, let alone add a flyer as an attachment). And our website needs a complete overhaul. This has to be a priority in the coming year, and we need volunteers who can help with the work. Even our congregational blog, which has largely been a one-man show for me, is not all that it could be because no one else is working on it. We also need to look to the internet as a cheaper and more ecologically sound alternative to mailings and printing a newsletter on paper, at least as an option that members can choose.

Our temple's image is important in making people aware that we exist, and in communicating a sense of the kind of congregation we are. To that end, one of the great lifts of this past year has been the design of a new logo for Adas Emuno by Lauren Rowland. This lovely and original image gets across the strong sense of community, participation, and the hamishe spirit that distinguishes our shul. It immediately has added great life to our letters and documents, and to our website and blog. We also have been long aware of the need for better signage, and Hurricane Sandy did us a favor by destroying our ugly, old, barely visible sign. Thanks to Lauren Rowland and Amy Chartoff, we have a beautiful new sign, one that features our distinctive logo, and we have added the lettering on the portico to make us easier to spot and identify as folks drive by. There are more improvements to come. We need to make them to improve our image, and to show to others and to ourselves that we care about our temple, that we're not a congregation in decline, but one that is vital and evolving. Of course, as we move forward in this way, we also need to remain fiscally responsible.

Buildings and grounds are an important part of our image, and again I want to thank Michael Fishbein and his committee for their hard work. I think we are all very pleased by the addition of the cabinets in the social hall, which provide for better utilization of space, give us more storage room, and allow us to place the garbage can out of the line of sight and people's paths. The addition of air conditioning to the social hall was also much needed, given the reality of global warming, and the increased use of the space during the summer. Thank you to Michael Raskin for his help on that front. I also want to note the continued improvements to our little garden area outside, really a wonderful feature of our grounds.

If we are not for ourselves, who are we? But if we are only for ourselves, what are we? One of the true highlights of this past year has been the revival of our Social Action Committee, led by Annette DeMarco. From Shelter Our Sisters to Bonim Builders to clothing drives, to opening our shul for those in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, to food drives and taking a turn at the food kitchen in Hackensack, to making lunch for Americorps volunteers, to collecting eyeglasses, pet food, and hosting a blood drive, Adas Emuno has been present and counted for in regard to tikkun olam, and I think this is one of the great success stories of the past year. So thank you again to Annette, to everyone on the Social Action Committee, and to all of our volunteers of Adas Emuno.

Perhaps the most important measure of our health is our membership, because Adas Emuno is the assembly of the faithful. And it may surprise you to hear me say that Adas Emuno does not have any members, but don't worry, I say that because Adas Emuno is its members. And at a time when all of organized religion is in decline, it is rather remarkable that we have held steady in our membership numbers. Of course, it would be nice to get a little bit bigger, but under the circumstances, it is no small feat to hold your ground when everyone around you is losing theirs. I want to thank our membership committee chair, Michael Raskin, who also serves as Vice-President, and takes care of relations with the Leonia community. Michael has also served as chair of the nominating committee this year, so we are all grateful for that service as well. And I want to appeal, once more, to you for your help. We need our members to be active and engaged, to serve on committees, perhaps even to serve on the board. If you're interested, don't be shy, let us know. If you have something to offer, don't be shy, let us know. And if you want to volunteer yourself or someone else, don't be shy, let us know. We need to give Virginia a break.

In regard to our organization, it has been many, many years since the by-laws of our congregation have been reviewed, and amended. This was another of my goals for this year, and I want to thank Fred Friedman and Norm Rosen for leading our by-laws committee, and working to bring them into alignment with current practices. I had hoped that we would have the proposed revisions ready in advance of our annual meeting, so that they could be put to a vote here, but unfortunately we fell short of that mark. But the work is nearly done, and we will have to hold a special congregational meeting in the fall, to discuss and vote on the proposed changes, and to further consider the role and rights of non-Jewish members of the congregation, a subject that requires consideration and deliberation on the part of our membership.

There are two additional goals that I set out last year that I do not feel have been adequately dealt with. One is planning for the future, and along with setting up a Sesquicentennial Fund, I will be establishing a Sesquicentennial Committee, charged with taking up the question of the future of our congregation. Where do we want to be in 2021? What are our long term goals, aside from simply surviving? It is essential that we think about the future, and our 150th birthday provides the perfect focal point for doing so. The other goal is listening. By that, I mean that we, the leadership of the synagogue, need to actively listen to the membership. It's not that we're deaf, I hasten to add, we certainly have been listening as much as possible, that's part of the job of being a trustee or an officer. But we need to be more proactive about it. I think having a congregational meeting about the by-laws will be helpful, and so will meeting with small groups of members to hear their concerns.

In conclusion, then, our congregation is strong, and I believe that we are moving forward, that we are better off today than we were a year ago, that we are getting stronger, and can get stronger still. In the end, our greatest strength is ourselves, what we each can individually offer in service to our shul, and what we all can accomplish by working together. So let's roll up our sleeves, all pitch in, and make this the best possible congregation that it can be. And may God bless you all, and God bless Adas Emuno.

Renaissance Now!

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

A Message From Our President

Dr. Lance Strate

Renaissance Now!

Bob Dylan once wrote that whoever's "not busy being born is busy dying." Life is a continual process of rebirth, of renaissance and renewal, growth and learning, adaptation and evolution, discovery and innovation. Life is dynamic action, not an object that's static and unchanging. And what is true for each one of us is true for ourselves collectively, for our congregation as well. Is Adas Emuno busy being born, or busy dying? That is a decision we have to make, individually and collectively, right now, and year after year after year.

And the good news is that we have been busy being born, with well attended, spiritually uplifting holiday and Shabbat services, exciting and inspiring religious school education, a new temple youth group, a resurgence of social action activity, stimulating adult education programming and exceptionally well-attended Torah study sessions, and amazing musical performances, including the return by popular demand of the Heritage Ensemble on December 1st (see our previous posts, The Heritage Ensemble--You Won't Want to Miss This! and Shira Lissek to Join Heritage Ensemble on Saturday). We have the beginnings of a true renaissance at Adas Emuno! But we're only just getting started, there are many challenges we must face, and we need your help.

And yes, that means we need your financial support. As Beth Ziff put it in her Yom Kippur Appeal, "with your contributions we survive, with your contributions we maintain our home, school, and sanctuary." And she went on to ask us to "give because you want this place, this wonderful, intimate, spiritual place to be here whenever you need it."

We've made it easier than ever to provide financial support for our shul. You can now donate online, on our website, and here on our blog—just look for the donate menu and button, and you'll be able to use your credit or debit card to make a donation via PayPal, and when you do, you'll be able to add a note to indicate any acknowledgement you'd like to see in our newsletter (or send us an email at board at adasemumo.org).

And do you ever order anything from Amazon.com? If so, please order through the portal we've created on our website and blog. If you do, Amazon will give somewhere between 3-9% (depending on what's ordered) of your purchase price to Adas Emuno. And we'll be setting up an online Judaica store soon as well.

We will be organizing several fundraising events over the coming year, including an Adas Emuno Talent Show. We need to count on your support and participation in making these efforts happen, and making them a success. And we welcome your ideas for new and innovative fundraising possibilities.

In his Rosh Hashanah morning sermon, Rabbi Schwartz spoke of how we build and grow our community by sharing our gifts. Giving of yourself, your talents, your efforts, your time, is essential if we want to remain busy being born. Volunteers keep Adas Emuno alive, so please answer the call when it goes out, or let us know that you're willing to serve on one of our committees or help out with an event. Let us know about your talents and abilities, availabilities and interests. And please, don't just be willing to volunteer, waiting to be asked. Step up and volunteer to volunteer!

There are so many ways to participate, to make your presence felt on behalf of our congregation, to make a difference. So let's all join together, work together, and get busy being born.

I used the title Renaissance Now! for this column (actually, I stole it from my friend, the writer Douglas Rushkoff), to describe what I think is beginning to take place at Adas Emuno, what we've been building up to over the past several years, but also to express what I believe is our potential, what I believe is possible if we are willing to make it so. The Adas Emuno Renaissance is a hope for the future, and it is happening right now.

Our Religious School is Back in Session

This morning, the Adas Emuno Religious School is back in session, and getting off to a roaring start!  We welcome back all of our returning students, and especially welcome all of our new students, and our parents as well!  It seems only appropriate, then to start this day off with a message from our new Religious School Director, Annice Benamy, taken from the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

As summer is ending quickly, preparations for the opening of Religious School also move quickly! Your teachers, clergy, lay leadership and custodial personnel have been working hard this summer to make Religious School 2012-2013 the best experience for the students and families of Congregation Adas Emuno. What’s new this year:

• Morning Schedule: School begins each Sunday at 9:00 am in the Sanctuary for all students and families.

• Preschool: YES, we have a Preschool again for ages 2-4 from 9:00-9:45 a.m.

• Grades 8-10/Confirmation: Meet twice a month from 9:00-11:00 a.m.

• AETY: Adas Emuno Temple Youth Group:  Open to all students in grades 9-12 (Contact:  Youth Group Advisor, David Benamy, at adasschool at gmail.com for more information).

• Technology Integration Program: To be Introduced at Parent Orientation.

• “HaYom” School Newsletter:  Weekly email communication to all Religious School families.

Here are the “Nuts and bolts” for September:

September 9

• K-10 School begins at 9:00 am in the Sanctuary.

• New registrations at 9:00 am in the Social Hall.

• Parent Orientation at 11:00 am in the Sanctuary.

• School dismissal – 12:00 Noon.

• Junior Choir – 12:00 Noon in the Synagogue with a Pizza lunch afterwards (must register and pay $36.00 fee).

• Faculty meeting/Madrichim meeting – 12:15-1:15 in the Social Hall.

• AETY: Adas Emuno Youth Group “Leadership Training Institute” – Transportation leaves 12:00.

Life in Leonia

If you're a Leonia resident, you no doubt noticed that Congregation Adas Emuno was featured as the front page story of this past week's issue of the weekly newspaper, Leonia Life.  Dated Friday, August 24th, the article by Raeshelle Middleton is entitled Leonia congregation reconnects as summer nears end.  You can click on the title to read the article over on NorthJersey.com site, or read it here.

As you may recall, we held a special event, an Ice Cream Social, on Sunday August 19 (as noted in our previous post, Parent Guide News), and that's what the article was about.  Here's how it begins:

The congregation at Adas Emuno hosted an ice cream social Aug. 19, to connect with members of the community.

Attendees included families who were already members of the synagogue, and the event allowed members to have the opportunity to reconnect after the summer.

The social was also a celebration to introduce the new cantor, Allison Lopatin, and new religious school director, Annice Benamy.

Tours were given of the synagogue and of the religious school as prospective members of the synagogue inquired about some of the new programs offered, with a special focus on the youth program.

A picture accompanies the article, credited to photographer Danielle Parhizkaran, with the caption, "Rabbi Barry Schwartz with kids and their balloons at the Adas Emuno ice cream social on Aug. 19."  Of course, that's the Rabbi in the middle, and over on the right is David Benamy, the husband of our new religious school director Annice Benamy, our new Youth Group adviser, and balloon twister extraordinaire!

Returning to the article, it continues with quotes from Rabbi Schwartz, Adas Emuno President Lance Strate, and Religious School Director Annice Benamy:

"We feel that our religious school is the jewel and the crown of our little congregation here," said Rabbi Barry Schwartz.

"We are a part of the community and we've always been involved with the community," said Lance Strate, the president of the congregation. "This has been a Leonia institution for many decades now. This is a way for us to connect, reconnect and bond with our community."

Parents attended with their children and there was ice cream for everyone with many different toppings to choose from. There were also balloon animals being made for the children and different types of arts and crafts available for them to participate in.

"Anything a synagogue does is for its congregants, so it's not about the leadership or the professional staff but it's about what we can do for the community to make them feel more connected to their synagogue," Benamy said.

The article also includes a quote from one of our guests:

"I thought it was a good way to introduce yourself to the temple. It looks like a cozy, nice and friendly congregation," said Richard Kaplan, visiting from Gutenberg with his wife, Myriam. "We were looking at the Hebrew school for our son Joshua. He is going to the third grade, and third grade is the time when you start formal religious training."

The article continues with a mention of upcoming events:

The temple hosts different events open to the rest of the community throughout the year. At Hanukkah, the synagogue hosts another event open to the community followed by a Jazz concert, and there is also an interfaith Thanksgiving service. The synagogue is also planning a film screening for the award-winning documentary "Connected" Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. The film focuses on how all things in the world are connected and pays special attention the filmmaker's own experiences. Rabbi Schwartz expressed that the doors are open to people of all faiths who are interested.

 The plug for our screening this past Sunday contributed to an exceptional turnout for our latest Havdallah Talk event.  The article concludes with a quote from one of our longstanding congregants:

"I have three of my kids here ages 11, 14 and 20. I got to see people that I really don't get to see which is nice," said Eric Fisher. "I think it's a wonderful thing that they've done. We've been attending for 15 years. I think the fact that the congregation is expanding and the services that it's offering to all age groups is really important, because the kids are the future."

And there you have it! Congregation Adas Emuno contributes regularly to life in Leonia, New Jersey, and to the greater Bergen County community.