Our Temple has activities and organizations for everyone. Highlighted here are:
The Sisterhood is a diverse group of women who come together in friendship, a sense of mitzvot and commitment to the well being of our temple and community. We are committed to providing women an opportunity to participate in volunteer work, advocacy, fundraising and educational programs. Sisterhood contributes and belongs to the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ); we are members of District Four.
Some of the projects we have undertaken in our temple have included renovating the restrooms, purchasing new chairs for the social hall, and assisting the Preschool in constructing a new playground. In the past few years, our Shalach Manot project has grown so that every congregant receives a basket of goodies at Purim.
Sisterhood also sponsors and coordinates Friday Night Onegs, Holiday Refreshments, B'nai Mitzvah Gifts, Confirmation Bibles, Complimentary Memberships for New Members, and Gifts for College Students, Gelt and Dreidels for the Nursery School and Religious School and Funding for Students Attending NFTY Conventions and Reform Jewish Camps.
Sisterhood is also pleased to announce the formation of 3 fun clubs: the knitting club, book club and field trip club. We believe Sisterhood should provide a place for our women to meet new friends and experience the satisfaction of helping our Temple grow.
Membership is open to all the women of our Temple, and to non-congregant women in the Jewish Community. For more information, contact Cindy Sigl, Membership Chairperson.
Sisterhood Officers
Sisterhood Membership Form
Sisterhood members earn donor credit through fundraising.
Sisterhood Activities
Monthly Sisterhood Scroll Articles
Brotherhood is strongly rooted in the honored principles of Jewish manhood: family values, performing mitzvot for our temple and our community. We are proud to be Sha'arey Shalom's "strong right arm." We are dedicated to providing financial and logistical support to the Temple and its members – and to having fun while we're doing it. A small sampling of our activities: we raise money for Temple improvements, organize and deliver Lox Boxes on Mother's Day, sponsor an annual Wine Tasting, run the Purim Carnival (assisted by the Youth Group), co-sponsor informative seminars and brunches, work with Sisterhood in the annual Rummage Sale and offer support to young people attending NFTY conventions and URJ summer camps.
Every Jewish man wants to be part of a larger effort dedicated to serving our faith, our congregation, our community. Brotherhood offers many satisfying opportunities to act – to make a meaningful difference in people's lives. Our own Board of Trustees meets every month. We welcome new members and trustees. Please join us – you'll be glad you did!
The Brotherhood of Temple Sha'arey Shalom is an organization offering the opportunity to grow personally and spiritually. We are the "strong right arm" of the temple, with over 100 members involved in supporting our activities and programs. As a member of the National Federation of Temple Brotherhoods, we strive to: engage in projects and activities that provide meaningful services to the congregation; sponsor and promote vitally important commmunity-building projects; and give Brotherhood members the opportunity to explore and celebrate their male Jewish spirit.
Brotherhood is a vital auxiliary, providing both monetary and logistical support to the Temple. Through our fundraising and gift-giving, we have purchased and donated to the Temple various items, including a new sound system, computers and library equipment. In 2005 we are very proud to have completed a complete transformation of the Temple's bima. A handcrafted Torah reading table, a new lectern and a new Torah holder have changed the look and the way our services are now conducted. Brotherhood also presents each Bar and Bat Mitzvah with a gift in honor of their achievement, and we assist our young people with attending a Jewish summer program or NFTY program during the year.
There is also the fun side of being a member of Brotherhood. Each year we build and dismantle the Sukkah, take a road trip to see the Somerset Patriots and host a beer tasting event.
As a supporting arm of the Temple, Brotherhood runs the annual Purim Carnival (assisted by the Youth Group), provides ushers for the High Holidays and Friday night services, coordinates and runs the Chanukkah brunch and delivers lox boxes on Mother's Day. In conjunction with Sisterhood, Brotherhood provides assistance for the Rummage Sale and co-sponsors informative seminars and brunches.
These are just some of the activities on our calendar throughout the year. Indicative of our programming, our members are dedicated to tikkun olam, repair of this world, through active involvement in youth education, adult education, social action and yes, fellowship activities - all of which contribute to the enrichment of our synagogue communities. We strive to make our congregation a warm and caring community.
Brotherhood welcomes new members at any of our meetings and events. We meet on the Third Monday of every month throughout the year, and our meetings are open to all members. We welcome and encourage input as we strive to continually shape the organization to be fully responsive to its members and the congregation. Make a commitment to join Brotherhood and reap the benefits of what we have to offer - you'll be glad you did!
Brotherhood Officers and Trustees
Monthly Brotherhood Scroll Articles
The Social Action Committee brings programs and concerns of a political, religious, ethical and moral nature to the Temple. We try to aid in improving the quality of human life by providing opportunities for our membership to perform the mitzvah of "Tikkun Olam" - Repairing the World.
Some of the projects we have sponsored are Hospitality Week wherein we house homeless families at the Temple, a bi-monthly Soup Kitchen in Elizabeth where we cook and serve food to several hundred people, and a Business Suit Donation Program. We are an affiliate with the organization BRIDGES, a group that seeks to bring the housed and homeless together in friendship and community. Through our connection with BRIDGES we provide lunch for 250 people during the cold winter months.
Our congregation has strong roots in speaking up for and acting on injustices in our world. We have had speakers who range from Newark Mayor Cory Booker to Maria Sliwa, who enlightened our congregants on the difficulties facing people in Darfur.
New members are always welcome to join in any of these activities. Many of the projects are appropriate for families to do together, but members of all ages and status are welcome. At Temple Sha'arey Shalom everyone can do a little bit toward "Repairing the World."
For more information, contact Mindy Schreff at (973)379-5387.
Temple Sha'arey Shalom Youth (TSSHY) reflects the interests and needs of students in grades 9-12. Our events balance religious, social and charitable activities. TSSHY members have helped to create and lead Shabbat services, helped run the annual Purim carnival, raised money for charities, volunteered locally, and have enjoyed a wide variety of social get-togethers, such as bowling, movies and trips to Six Flags.
As members of the National Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), Youth Group members are also able to participate in regional events (dances, Haggigah Arts and New Member Kallahs, NFTY in Israel, Camp Kutz, etc.). TSSHY has been honored to host regional NFTY events, such as the Homecoming Dance and Regional Elections. NFTY membership also entitles youth groupers to attend Leadership Seminars, and Urban Mitzvah Corps and the biennial national convention, a four-day gathering of Jewish Youth from around the United States. Prior convention sites have included Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Convention activities are as varied as the cities in which they are located and have ranged from Havdalah on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to a NFTY-only evening at Universal Studios.
Youth Group members form strong friendships with members of TSSHY as well as with members of other youth groups. Wonderful friendships, a deeper appreciation of Judaism, fun, leadership skills, confidence and Jewish pride - that's TSSHY!
Our Junior Youth Group serves our midweek Religious School students in grades 4-6 and is designed to offer our students a social experience outside of the classroom. The group meets once a month, usually after school. They share a meal, play games and participate in an activity of Jewish content, often a Tzedakah project. There is no membership fee involved, there is only a nominal fee for each event.
The Renaissance Group consists of temple members who are over the age of 50 years and looking for ways to continue to learn and grow, as well as to socialize with friends. The activities are geared to address the changing social needs, lifestyles and interests of its members. There are opportunities to explore new friendships through common interests.
Our programs have included Jewish Heritage trips to Israel, Eastern Europe, Alaska, Canada, Washington D.C., Savannah/Charleston and to Western Massachusetts. Some of our day trips have been to tour Jewish Philadelphia, the Jewish Museums of NYC, West Point, Broadway, the Opera and various theaters in New Jersey. We also offer ongoing exercise programs, and a brunch called "Renaissance South" during the winter in Florida.
Renaissance is part of Jewish Seniors of Springfield (JSS), a consortium of senior members from the three temples in Springfield: Temple Sha'arey Shalom, Temple Beth Ahm and Congregation Israel. Programming consists of lectures and concerts on a wide variety of topics.For information on any Renaissance activity contact Marge Grossbarth or Arlene Newman.
Over the past fifty years, our "Scholar" committee has chosen and arranged wonderful, engaging speakers to address our congregation. We are honored to enrich Sha'arey Shalom through these periodic programs of special interest.
We have had rabbis and philosophers; authors and journalists; historians and storytellers; musicians and composers; dancers and humorists; a film critic, and college lecturers. Recently we have enjoyed lectures on the Jewish view on Stem-cell research, the rescue of over a million Yiddish books, and the legacy of Spinoza for Modern Jews.
The Minyan is comprised of a small group of men and women who want to delve deeper into their understanding of Jewish history, ethics, and principles. Over the years we have had new members join our group; it's easy to fit right in. Dress is very informal and relaxed.
The Minyan study group meets at 9:15 AM every Saturday morning in the Old Sanctuary (the room immediately to your right when you enter by the office entrance) throughout the year except for conflicting Jewish holidays. Each week we study a different portion of text, which members generally read in advance. However, even if you come unprepared, you will be able to participate in the discussion because we always read through the material together.
We always have a lively discussion, often bringing up current events and referring to other Jewish texts in our library. Some members do research on the Internet, and come prepared with additional materials.
We usually complete our discussion by around 10:30, and then we have a short service (~15 minutes).
When we finish a major book we have a party to celebrate, and we plan a special Shabbat dedicated to a recapitulation of the book that we have just finished.
We now alternate each week between readings from the Pentateuch (around one third of a parsha each week) and readings from alternate books for additional readings on Jewish thought. We intend to go through the entire Pentateuch in around six and a half years.
Our current alternate book is The Talmud For Beginners, Volume 1, Prayer by Judith Abrams, published by Jason Aronson, Inc.
Contemporary Jews both yearn for the comfort of the familiar prayer tunes they grew up with and relish a contemporary sound that gives meaning to their personal longings and prayers. Worship at Sha'arey Shalom feels traditional and vibrantly contemporary at the same time.
Our Cantor and volunteer choirs lead music in our services usually with accompaniment on piano and guitar. Once a month we hold a "Klezmer Shabbat" with accompaniment by a Klezmer band.
Our very active and devoted Adult Volunteer Choir sings at almost every service, encouraging participation while adding harmonious spirit. They also perform in concert at the Temple and with other New Jersey temple choirs. Whether or not you can read Hebrew or read music, participation in the choir provides an enriching and exalting expression of connection to Jewish heritage. New members are always welcome. Rehearsals are 2-3 times a month throughout the year.
Junior Choir for students in grades 4-7 is a jewel of pride in our Temple, leading music at our Family Shabbat services on the first Friday of each month, singing with Adult Choir at Klezmer Shabbats, and performing at special events. Junior Choir conveniently rehearses once a month right after Hebrew school and rehearsals include pizza dinner!
For questions about the choir and music call Cantor Daniels.
Teen Choir (aka "Klezteens") showcases some of our very talented teen performers, adding a special dimension at important moments of worship and gathering like the Confirmation service, High Holidays and Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance).
VISION: A Temple family that supports each other in joy and sorrow, in sickness and health. A congregation that supports wellness.
Health is more than the absence of disease. Because health is the integration of the body mind and soul, today's Reform Jewish community teaches and supports positive health attitudes and practices and explores new ways to integrate healthcare into community. Sha'arey Shalom is a national leader in making the synagogue a place of community health support, health education, healing and medical support. Each major arm of the temple sponsors health education programs.
At the heart of the Sha'arey Shalom project is a Faith Community Nursing program that includes the Conservative and Orthodox congregations in Springfield. Jaclyn Herzlinger RN, a Sha'arey Shalom congregant, administers this program. Individual consultations are the way of work. Our members need only contact Jackie through 973-376-0539 x 27 or by email at congregationalnurse@shaarey.org for assistance in navigating the health care morass. Nurses will make home visits, assess for medication problems, help congregants focus on priority questions for their doctors, assist with finding information, and support caregivers. They also do screenings, sponsor educational programs, and assist rabbis and professional staff in their work. Jackie also coordinates Temple emergency procedures.
Health care professionals are needed to join the steering committee. Volunteers are needed to work with the Caring Committee that is chaired by Larry and Lori Needleman. Caring Committee members visit the sick and support families in times of crises. Training is provided.