Called to the Torah

June 19, 2009
Contributed by: Phyllis Pollak

[Blog Editor's note: For two years, five adult learners have been studying with AEMT's cantor and rabbis in order to become B'nei Mitzvah. They led services and were called to the Torah on Shabbat Korach, June 19, 2009. Phyllis Pollak is 2nd from the left in the photo.]

I am becoming a Bat Mitzvah because I want to be an adult Jewish woman in the full sense of this phrase; I want to be called to the bimah to recite the blessings before and after the Torah reading. I love being Jewish, and this is the next step in the development of my religious self.

My Hebrew name is Meiri Chai, which is “Mayer Lives.” My Mother’s name was Gertrude Mayer Grippi; her paternal grandfather, Gustave Mayer, was Jewish. His parents came here from Baden, Germany, during the 1890’s. They are buried in the Beth El Cemetery in Brooklyn. Due to intermarriage, my Judaic heritage was lost to me for a long time. I have returned to my Jewish roots and reclaimed my heritage.

On my Bat Mitzvah, I will be wearing the tallit of Ben Steinhauer. Ben is the father of a dear friend of mine, Eva Steinhauer Rosenberg. Ben was a Holocaust survivor. He endured 32 months of internment in concentration camps: Buna (a sub-camp of Auschwitz), Mauthausen, and Ebensee. I feel deeply honored to wear his tallit. Judaism lives!

Not Your Ordinary Preschool Graduation

June 17, 2009
Contributed by: Karen B. Goldstein, Director of Early Childhood Education

[Blog Editor's Note: Gan Yeladeem Child Care Center and Preschool is part of Anshe Emeth's Lifelong Learning program. The Gan includes an infant room (beginning with babies 6 weeks old), a Toddler Room, and a Preschool Program which includes developmentally appropriate Jewish programming.]

One of the advantages of a child-centered early childhood program is that your program never gets stale. The teachers in the Gan are observers and facilitators and their purpose is to guide the children as they discover and learn about what interests them throughout the year. It is essential to incorporate the interests of the children in the classroom because this is an indication that they are ready to learn about a particular topic or idea. So, while the curriculum is outlined, the specifics about how the curriculum is addressed is determined together by the children and teachers. The ideas explored changes year to year, as the class make up changes.

So, it follows that our Preschool Graduation would also be “non-traditional”. Oh, sure, the Graduates all marched in to a Preschool version of Pomp and Circumstance, but they were wearing crowns instead of mortar boards. You see, when we sat down to discuss some of the details of graduation with the 6 girls who were graduating, they learned that they would be wearing a special hat. What could be more special than a crown, after all? Especially to a 5 year old girl? So, crowns it was, because the children had initiated it, discussed it with their peers and assisted each other in making them.

After a bit of Israeli dancing, which the children had chosen to share with their parents and other guests because it had been part of their daily Tefillah and a favorite part of their day, the children guided their guests upstairs to the Social Hall, the site of our Graduation Art Show. For the past 6 weeks, the Gan preschool class had investigated and learned about 8 artists.
They learned a bit about each artist's life and the medium in which she or he had worked. Then, the preschoolers interpreted the style of each of the artist using similar materials. The results were amazing, the learning was genuine and it was a unique expression of this particular class's interests and abilities. It was their Graduation and their art show. And it certainly wasn’t stale!

High School Graduation

May 22, 2009
At Anshe Emeth, we take great pride in knowing that our young members recognize the importance of a Jewish education beyond their bar or bat mitzvah. This year, 23 seniors graduated from our Hebrew High School. They gathered for a celebratory Shabbat dinner and posed for graduation photos. Then, as their proud parents beamed, they led the congregation in Shabbat worship before Rabbi Miller blessed them and sent them down from the bimah as graduates. Mazel tov to all of them!

Making a Joyful Noise

May 16, 2009

Our annual Simchat Zimrah is held every spring, and includes the best of Anshe Emeth's musical offerings throughout the year. The concert featured performances by the Junior Choir, Shirei Emeth (the high school students), Makhelat Anshe Emeth (adults), and the Awesome Family Service Band. We were also treated to special selections by our 6th graders (who are moving up from the Junior Choir into Shirei Emeth next year), our graduating seniors, and Piano Dave, our fabulous keyboard player.




The concert ended with all the choirs and the band "rocking the house" with the entire congregation joining in. It was our best Simchat Zimrah ever, and a fitting tribute to Cantor Anna West Ott's first ten years as Anshe Emeth's cantor. Cantor Ott is responsible for the creation of our high school choir and Awesome Band, and she has encouraged us all to the highest standards of musical accomplishment. Brava!!!

Hosting the URJ Biennial

AEMT had the privilege of hosting the Union for Reform Judaism's regional biennial on January 31. The gathering brought together leaders of the national Reform movement with members of the 55 congregations of the New Jersey-West Hudson Valley region of the Union. Biennial attendees were invited to begin their day by joining the Shabbat morning Torah study classes which occur every week at Anshe Emeth.

After Torah study, 300 people gathered for morning services led by Rabbi Miller, Cantor Ott, Makhelat Anshe Emeth, and members of our Awesome Family Band.

High school participants, including many members of AETY, led the Birkat Hamazon after a delicious lunch in Reitman Hall.

Rabbi Marcus Burstein, the Assistant Regional Director, presented Rabbi Miller and AEMT President Susan Kohn a plaque thanking AEMT for hosting the Biennial.

Members of Anshe Emeth helped our guests find their way around the building before joining the other attendees at a series of afternoon workshops, which covered subjects ranging from the nature of God to techniques for making a congregation more welcoming. The day was a huge success and those who were there were most complimentary regarding the beauty of our Temple, the excitement of morning services, and the hospitality offered by our members.

AEMT's Junior Choir Performs

On February 22, Anshe Emeth's Junior Choir, led by Cantor Anna West Ott, participated in a concert at Congregation B'nai Tikva. The concert, called "We Stand With Israel: Give a Child the Freedom to Play", was held to benefit the children of Sederot, who have been traumatized by years of missile attacks from Gaza. The local Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County has been raising money to send children out of Israel's embattled southern area for a day of relaxed play. The song the choir is singing in the first video was written by Anshe Emeth's very own Mark Szachara. [Videos by Lisa Levine]

6th Grade Retreat

Contributed by: SARAH STUCKEY, 6th grade class member

[Blog Editor's Note: Every year, as part of the Religious School curriculum, all of the 6th graders go on a class retreat with the clergy and professional staff of the Temple. This year's retreat to Camp Harlam took place on January 9-11.]

Camp Harlam was a trip that I am sure no one who went on will forget. This year we experienced a fun time with friends, rabbis, Cantor Ott, and group leaders. The sixth graders had a theme to the trip. It was immigration. Throughout the trip, we had activities that had to do with that theme. For example, every sixth grader was assigned a family and had to go through the hardships of coming to America.

Something else that almost every sixth grader thought was cool was partially unrolling the torah. This event happened during Saturday morning service. This was just some of the learning we did.

In between learning we went sledding, hung out with friends, and spent time in the cabins where we were staying. With snow everywhere, everything looked beautiful. Sledding was a blast! However, while sledding, some of us had a few difficulties. This includes when Rabbi Fellman and Rabbi Kogan went through a fence. This accident was one of the funniest times at Camp Harlam. At the end, everybody went back to the cabin to get warm. The girls were on one side while the boys were on the other. Not only were the days fun but also nights. At night we stayed up talking about the day and what we would do on the days to come.

Every activity had something in common. In each one everybody was with friends. This includes not only old friends, but also new! In not one situation did the words, “This is boring” come out of someone’s mouth. This grade had a great time with everything and everyone. The only problem was, we all can’t go back next year.