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THE ESSEX COUNTY, UH, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UH, FOR THIS HONOR AND RECOGNITION.UM, BUILDING ON WHAT'S BEEN SAID, UH, BY THE RABBI JUST BEFORE ME.
THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS HAVE BEEN A, A DIFFICULT TIME FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN ESSEX COUNTY AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
SHOCK AT THE, AT THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION ON OCTOBER 7TH, FOLLOWED BY THAT, THAT QUICK TURNAROUND TO ACTIVE ANTISEMITISM AND ANTI-ZIONISM.
SOON THEREAFTER, MOST OF US HAVE REALLY FELT THAT THOSE TYPES OF ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS WERE, WERE A THING OF THE PAST, SOMETHING OUR OUR GRANDPARENTS MAYBE EXPERIENCED WAY BACK WHEN IN THE DAY.
BUT WE REALLY NEVER EXPECTED TO SEE THEM IN OUR LIVES.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS THE CASE.
UM, IT'S ALSO BEEN A BIT CHALLENGING DURING THIS TIME TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF A, OF A SYNAGOGUE WATCHING THE, THE ANXIOUS AND UNCERTAIN FACES OF SO MANY OF OUR CONGREGATION, OUR STAFF, WHO IS IN A BUILDING, UH, LOCATED, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, IN, IN THAT, THAT SITUATION CLERGY.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO ALL OF US THE BEST WE CAN TO COMPREHEND AND NAVIGATE THROUGH THAT SITUATION.
UM, IT'S ALSO BEEN, FRANKLY, A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING AS A, FROM OUR NUCLEAR FAMILY AS WELL.
UM, MY MIDDLE SON, UM, JUST STARTED LAST YEAR, UH, IN SEPTEMBER AS A, AS A FIRST YEAR STUDENT AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.
UH, SO HE HAD TO, INSTEAD OF NAVIGATING THE USUAL CHALLENGES OF BEING A, A NEW COLLEGE STUDENT AND AWAY FROM HOME, HE HAD TO NAVIGATE THINGS LIKE SHELTERING AT PLACE IN A HILLEL OR TRYING TO GET TO CLASS, UH, WHILE PEOPLE ARE SHOUTING AT HIM, UH, YOU KNOW, BABY KILLER AND, AND GO HOME TO POLAND.
SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, A CHALLENGING, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS.
BUT WHAT I WANTED WE'D SPEND A LITTLE TIME TALKING ABOUT IS, IS SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AT TEMPLE NEAR TO ME AS A COMMUNITY TO HOPEFULLY MOVE FORWARD AND IMPROVE THE SITUATION.
WE REALIZE WE'RE NOT GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD JUST LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY WHAT I'LL SHARE WITH YOU ARE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF THINGS WE'RE DOING TO MAKE OUR LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD A LITTLE BIT BETTER, UH, FOR, FOR ALL OF US, BOTH AS JEWS AND AS AS CITIZENS.
I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THREE BRI, BRI, UH, BROAD AREAS.
ONE IS, UH, REALLY THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF OUR, OF OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND REALLY HATS OFF TO OUR CLERGY.
MET, UH, RABBI MARK KAZ, WHO'S A REAL BLESSING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND ALONG WITH OUR CANTOR, MEREDITH GREENBERG, HAVE REALLY DONE SO MANY PROGRAMS AND EFFORTS TO MEET THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD A GATHERING OF, WE HAVE A LOT OF ISRAEL, SOME OF A DECENT AMOUNT OF ISRAELI MEMBERS.
WE OPENED OUR DOORS ON OCTOBER 7TH WHEN THEY NEEDED A PLACE TO GATHER AND PROCESS AND, AND MEET AND HUG AND TALK ABOUT THINGS.
WE'VE DONE A NUMBER OF HEALING SERVICES, INCLUDING SOME, JUST SEVERAL DAYS AFTERWARDS.
AND THEN WE'VE HOSTED NO NUMEROUS FUNDRAISING EVENTS TO HELP SUPPORT, IN ADDITION TO DOING A, A SPECIAL LIGHT, LIGHT UP THE DARK PROGRAM DURING HANUKAH.
SO, SO OUR SPIRITUAL NEEDS HAVE REALLY BEEN MET.
OUR SECOND AREA OF FOCUS HAS REALLY BEEN IN KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING, WHICH SADLY IS IN, IS IN DIRE NEED TODAY, AND REALLY EVEN FOR OUR OWN JEWISH COMMUNITY AND OUR MEMBERS AS WELL.
UM, RABBI KATZ CONDUCTED A VERY WELL RECEIVED INFORMATIONAL ISRAEL 1 0 1, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT ARE THE SITUATIONS, WHAT IS GENOCIDE? HOW DID WE END UP IN GAZA? AND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO TRY TO GIVE THAT PERSPECTIVE.
UM, HE ALSO SENT OUT A LIST OF PUBLICATIONS.
AND THIS WAS REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN OUR EFFORT TO REALLY BE AS OPEN, UM, AND TRANSPARENT, HE LISTED ISRAELI PUBLICATIONS FROM THE VERY FAR LEFT, ALL THE WAY TO THE MIDDLE, TO THE VERY FAR RIGHT.
SO WHATEVER YOUR PERSPECTIVE WAS, YOU COULD FIND A HOME AND GET THAT INFORMATION THAT IS REALLY SO LACKING OUT THERE TODAY.
UH, AND THEN MOST RECENTLY WE HELD A RETROSPECTIVE WITH, UH, THREE COLLEGE STUDENTS, INCLUDING MY OWN SON FROM COLUMBIA, BUT ALSO, UH, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS AT RUTGERS AND ONE FROM DARTMOUTH.
UH, AND TO SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVES.
THEY'RE KIND OF REAL WORLD, RIGHT? WE SEE A LOT IN THE NEWS, BUT WHAT WERE THEY EXPERIENCING? WHAT, WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES THEY WERE SEEING? AND THE THIRD AREA WE FOCUSED ON HAS BEEN SECURITY.
UM, AND SADLY, TEMPLE NEAR TO MEAD HAS REALLY BEEN A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON THIS.
UH, MANY OF YOU MAY RECALL BACK IN JANUARY, 2023, WE WERE, WE'RE FIREBOMBED ATTEMPTED FIREBOMB.
SO SECURITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN TOP OF MIND FOR OUR, UM, FOR OUR INSTITUTION, BUT WE'VE ALSO DONE, WE, IT REALLY TOOK THE CHANCE TO LOOK AT ALL OUR PROCESSES, OUR TOOLS, OUR SOFTWARE, AND I MEET WITH OTHER PRESIDENTS OF SYNAGOGUES, UM, ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ON A PRETTY REGULAR BASIS.
AND IT'S, IT'S SAD, BUT IT'S SOMEWHAT ENCOURAGING TO, TO NOW I'M
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VERY WELL VERSED IN, WELL, WE HAVE THIS SOFTWARE AND WE HAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, BARRIER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE A, A PLACE WHERE OUR FAMILIES AND OUR CHILDREN, OUR PRESCHOOL KIDS CAN FEEL SAFE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.
SO AGAIN, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, JEWS IN ESSEX COUNTY IN NEW JERSEY AND ACROSS THE WORLD ARE FACING THIS NEW REALITY.
IT'S ABOVE MY PAY GRADE TO REALLY REPAIR THE WORLD.
UM, BUT MY REAL HOPE IS TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL EFFORTS TO CREATE A STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITY AT TEMPLE NEAR TO ME AND ESSEX COUNTY, WHICH I AM SO PROUD TO CALL HOME.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS HONOR.
ALSO HONORED TO HAVE JOINED WITH US, A VERY DISTINGUISHED GUEST WHO JUST GOT HERE, UH, LIVINGSTON'S OWN AND PART OF THE 27TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT, FORMER MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL ASSEMBLY WOMAN, ROSIE BOGLE, WHO'S HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME.
UM, AT THIS MOMENT, I'M GOING TO INVITE CANCER FINE BACK UP HERE, UH, FOR ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE.
BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANTED TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, OUR TALENTED SINGER.
THIS, THIS IS TWICE, YOU HAVE TO WAIT A FEW MINUTES,
THIS YEAR IS CELEBRATING, UH, BOTH HIS 32ND YEAR AND HIS 12TH AT TEMPLE.
HE IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AND THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, CANTOR FINE, IS THE CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR OF VOICES IN HARMONY, AN INTERFAITH, UH, CHORAL ENSEMBLE THAT HAS SERVED THE ESSEX COUNTY COMMUNITY FOR THE PAST 27 YEARS.
CANTOR FINE SERVES ON THE FACULTY OF THE SEMINARY, TEACHING BIBLICAL CANCELLATION TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF CANTORS.
HE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A TWO WEEK MISSION TO ISRAEL FARMING, VISITING WOUNDED SOLDIERS, AND SINGING FOR IDF SOLDIERS WHO WERE STATIONED NEAR THE GAZA BORDER WHILE PRAYING FOR THE SAFE RETURN OF THE HOSTAGES AND PEACE IN THE REGION.
WE ARE ELATED TO HAVE HIM HERE WITH US TONIGHT, SO PLEASE JOIN ME AND WELCOME HIM BACK TO THE FRONT.
IT'S, IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE AND FOR ALL THE HONOREES, BUT IN PARTICULAR FOR MY DEAR FRIEND, RABBI SIMEON COHEN.
UH, SIM RABBI COHEN, SAY SIMEON.
RABBI COHEN WORKS TIRELESSLY FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND FOR THE LARGER COMMUNITY, UH, AT LARGE.
AND, UM, HE'S NOT ONLY MY GOOD FRIEND, BUT HE'S A BENCH.
HE'S A REALLY FINE HUMAN BEING AND I'M PROUD TO CALL YOU MY COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND.
SO A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WE CELEBRATED THE JEWISH PEOPLE SUBHA, THE FOUNDING OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, THE 76TH ANNIVERSARY.
AND IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE SUBDUED THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING GOING ON IN GAZA.
SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SING SOMETHING THAT WAS WRITTEN FOR ISRAEL INDEPENDENT STATE, BUT IT WAS WRITTEN FOR THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY AND IT WAS WRITTEN, UM, BY STEVEN, UH, STEVEN LEVY, WHO IS A MUSICAL USEFUL, WAS A COMPOSER, UM, FROM ENGLAND.
AND HE WROTE IT FOR HIS CHOIR.
AND THAT COMMUNITY, RABBI JONATHAN SACKS IN PARTICULAR, IT'S A SONG ABOUT PEACE.
IT'S FROM THE PER OF SAYS SHALOM
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PEOPLES EVERYWHERE.LET, LET ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR CANCER.
YOU KNOW, I'M STARTING TO THINK MY, UM, BOARD COLLEAGUES HAVE IT OUT FOR ME TO HAVE ME COME UP RIGHT AFTER, CAN FIND
UM, BUT IN MY, IN MY SHOWER, I SOUND, I SOUND VERY GOOD,
WOW, WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE HERE.
I JUST WANNA THANK MY BOARD PRESIDENT AMEZ, COMMISSIONER SIEBOLD, COMMISSIONER GI, UH, WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE, THIS WORK OF CELEBRATING ALL THE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, TO THE INCREDIBLE STAFF OF THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER, CLERK, CLAP BROWN TO THE STAFF, YOU TO A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR EVERYONE.
SO I MAKE THIS TIME, AND OF COURSE, TO THE DIGNITARIES, TO OUR ASSEMBLYWOMAN CARE COUNCIL FOLKS, UM, TO EVERYONE HERE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, WE THANK YOU.
I'M REALLY STUCK ON RABBI COHEN'S WORDS THAT THREW ME OFF A LITTLE BIT.
SO I WANNA QUICKLY REFERENCE THEM AND THEN USE THAT TO, TO, UH, HONOR OUR LAST AND CERTAINLY NOT LEAST HONOREE.
THIS NOTION OF MA AND WHAT IT MEANS TO DWELL.
I'M THINKING A LOT ABOUT THE JEWISH TRADITION OF REMEMBRANCE, WHAT IT MEANS TO REMEMBER WHERE WE'VE BEEN SO WE CAN HAVE A PICTURE OF WHERE WE MIGHT GO.
THIS PASS PASSOVER, I HAD THE HONOR OF SPENDING A SEDER AT MY FRIEND ERIC'S HOUSE.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE SEMINARY THAT I ATTEND, ACTUALLY IN NEW YORK.
HE, IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FEW, UH, JEWISH FOLKS IN MY SEMINARY.
BUT WE HAD A SEDER AND THIS WAS THE, THIS ONLY THE SECOND SEDER I'VE BEEN TO.
I WAS REALLY S STRUCK BY THE SONG D NEW AND FOR FOLKS IN THE ROOM, YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH D NEW, THIS NOTION THAT IT IS ENOUGH WHAT WE HAVE, WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WHERE OUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN.
IT IS ENOUGH AND IT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING MISSING IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER HOW ENOUGH IT IS.
AND SO, WHERE I'M FROM, THE GREAT CITY OF NEWARK, THERE ISN'T A NEWARK HISTORY WITHOUT THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
THERE ISN'T A NORTH HISTORY IN THE SOUTHWARD WHERE I GREW UP WITHOUT THE JEWISH PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE.
OH, I SEE MY VICE PRESIDENT TO, UH, COOPER.
HI, GOOD TO SEE YOU, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER IN THE BACK.
THERE ISN'T A-H-B-C-U IN, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES IN THIS COUNTRY
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WITHOUT JEWISH PROFESSORS WHO WERE FIRST BANNED FROM TEACHING AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES AND FOUND REFUGE IN OUR UNIVERSITIES.HBCUS, THERE ISN'T A CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT WHERE THERE'S ENFRANCHISEMENT OF BLACK FOLKS, OF IMMIGRANTS, OF JEWISH FOLKS WITHOUT JEWISH FOLKS AND BLACK PEOPLE AND ALL MARGINALIZED PEOPLE REMEMBERING WHO THEY ARE, WHERE THEY'VE BEEN FROM, WHERE THEY'VE COME FROM, AND WORKING TOGETHER TO GET FREE.
AS I STAND HERE TODAY, I THINK ABOUT GOING TO ST.
JAMES, A ME CHURCH ON HIGH STREET, A PLACE THAT USED TO BE A SYNAGOGUE.
AND WHEN I THINK OF OUR NEXT HONOREE, THIS IS A PERSON WHO WORKS TIRELESSLY TO MAKE SURE THAT IN NEWARK, TO MAKE SURE THAT IN ESSEX COUNTY, TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WE REMEMBER, WE REMEMBER JEWISH HERITAGE, WE REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE HERITAGE OF STRUGGLE, UNITED STRUGGLE ACROSS ALL PEOPLES WHO ARE OPPRESSED AND FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM.
AND SO IT'S MY HONOR AND PLEASURE TO WELCOME UP TO THE STAGE AS YOU HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIM, MR. JEFFREY HA TO THE PODIUM MAN WHO WORKS TIRELESSLY SO THAT WE NOT ONLY REMEMBER, BUT THAT WE REBUILD, THAT WE STAY RESILIENT, AND THAT WE KNOW THAT STRUGGLES DON'T HAVE TO BE IDENTICAL TO BE INTERLINKED.
JEFFREY HAIT IS A LIFELONG RESIDENT.
FRIEND
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE PHILLIP ROB AND SHE, LIEUTENANT OLIVER, SHEILA GOVERNOR GONE.
YOU CAN UP WEEK, WEEK WAKE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING.
JEFF IS A BROADCAST JOURNALIST AND A RADIO PODCAST PRODUCER CURRENTLY WORKING FOR THE PODCAST.
PREVIOUSLY, HE WAS THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AT NEW YORK'S PROGRESSIVE TALK, W-R-L-A-M 1600, WHICH WAS DEDICATED TO DIALOGUE BETWEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN, JEWISH, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES.
BEFORE THAT, WHEN HE HAD TIME, WHICH IS SOMETHING POSSIBLY EVEN THINK ABOUT WINNING, HOW HE HAD THE TIME FOR ALL, THIS WAS THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AT GARDEN STATE RADIO NEWS WORLD JEWISH NEWS, WHICH PROVIDED NEW JERSEY NEWS TO A NETWORK OF NEW JERSEY RADIO STATIONS AND JEWISH NEWS TO JEWISH RADIO PROGRAMS. HE'S ALSO WORKED WITH THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH MEDIA DIRECTORY, ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR AT WV AND J NEWARK, AND WAS A PART OF THE TEAM AT TRANSITIONED FROM WBGO, FROM THE NORTH BOARD OF EDUCATION'S IN SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL RADIO TO NORTH PUBLIX RADIO JAZZ STATION IN 88.
JEFF GREW UP WITH A STRONG JEWISH IDENTITY AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ACTIVE IN HIS COMMUNITY.
HE WENT TO HEBREW SCHOOL AND TO HEBREW HIGH SCHOOL AND HAD HIS BAR MITZVAH AT THE TEMPLE BENNA ABRAHAM AND NEWARK.
HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE BENNA ABRAHAM CHILDREN'S CHOIR AND RECORDED HANUKKAH AND PASSOVER RECORD ALBUMS WITH THE CHOIR THAT WERE NARRATED BY RABBI YO KING PRINCE IN 1980.
JEFF CO-FOUNDED A HIGHLAND PARK BASED HORA, THE SHABBAT GROUP, WHICH IS STILL IN OPERATION 44 YEARS LATER.
AND IN THE 1990S, JEFF WAS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT THE NATIONAL HORA COMMITTEE, WHICH RUNS A YEARLY WEEK LONG SUMMER JEWISH INSTITUTE AND YEARLY REGIONAL WEEKEND RETREATS AT WHICH JEFF LEARNED THE JOY OF STUDYING THE JEWISH TEXT.
IN 2000, AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS OF BEING A PART OF THE AHA SHALOM'S HIGHS HOLIDAYS, MIGNON, JEFF BECAME A MEMBER OF THE SYNAGOGUE.
AND TODAY IS A BOARD MEMBER, VICE PRESIDENT, OUTREACH CHAIR, WEBMASTER NEWSLETTER EDITOR AND EVENT ORGANIZER.
SO IF YOU SEE HIS DOPPELGANGER OUT HERE, THAT'S THEM WORKING TOGETHER TO DO ALL THIS STUFF.
SO WE DON'T KNOW HOW HE HAS THE TIME IN THE HEART.
AND I'LL JUST SAY THIS REALLY QUICKLY.
WE ACTUALLY FIRST MET IN, I WANNA SAY 2016 DURING THE, UH, HONORING OF THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY OF NEWARK.
AND I MET YOU DOING THE WORK THAT I DO, WHICH IS WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.
I BROUGHT THEM TO THE SYNAGOGUE.
WE DID THIS BEAUTIFUL COLLAGE PROJECT THAT YOU ORCHESTRATED AND LED.
I STILL HAVE MY PIECE UP IN MY BATHROOM FROM THAT.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THE WAY THAT YOU CONTINUE TO NOT JUST DO THIS WORK FOR ALL THE FOLKS WHO HAVE COME THROUGH NEWARK AND COME THROUGH THIS, AND, BUT FOR THE YOUNG GENERATION, I SEE SOME YOUNG PEOPLE HERE SO THAT YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW WHO THEY ARE, WHERE THEY COME FROM, THE BEAUTY OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL AND MY YOUNG PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE GRATEFUL FOR WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU OFFER.
IT IS MY HONOR TO RECOGNIZE SOMEONE WHO DOES ALL THAT STUFF.
IN ADDITION TO RUNNING THE SYNAGOGUE TOUR STUDY GROUP, RUNNING SOME OF THE MUSEUM PROGRAMS, ORGANIZING THE HANUKKAH PARTY, COOKS AND LEAVES FOR TWOISH BOX SEDER AND ORGANIZES THE PURAN PARTY.
JEFF, WE ARE HONORED TO CELEBRATE YOU TODAY.
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SO I WANT TO THANK THE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR, FOR HONORING ME, BUT IT'S NOT JUST ME.UH, VA SHALOM IS A SYNAGOGUE 'CAUSE THAT BEYOND OUR RABBI DOES NOT HAVE A STAFF.
WHATEVER HAPPENS WITHIN THE WALLS OF OUR SYNAGOGUE HAPPENS BECAUSE THE MEMBERSHIP VOLUNTEERS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND IN FACT, WE BEGAN IN 1905 WHEN A COUPLE IN NORTH NEWARK HAD THEIR FIRST CHILD, THEIR FIRST SON, AND WANTED TO HAVE A BRIS AND DID NOT WANT TO GO TO PRINCE STREET, TO THE CENTRAL WARD BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THERE WERE ENOUGH JEWS THERE.
AND THEY BROUGHT TOGETHER 10 PEOPLE TO CREATE A MINION, WHICH WAS THE BEGINNING OF HABA SHALOM.
119 YEARS LATER, WE ARE STILL THERE.
AND EVERY SHABBAT WE GET BETWEEN A MINION AND 30 PEOPLE, AND EVERY HOLIDAY WE GET, WELL, ROSH HASHAN AND KIPPER, WE GET ABOUT A HUNDRED PEOPLE.
UM, WE ARE IN THE SAME BUILDING FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.
AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS TAKE THEY TAKE PLACE ARE NOT BECAUSE OF ME, ARE JUST ME.
UH, RABBI ELIAHU COLLINS ARE, ARE RABBI EMERITUS, SIMON ROSENBACH, OUR PRESIDENT, ERIC FRIEDMAN.
UH, OUR BUSH MANDEL SHAD, UH, MANY PEOPLE.
AND IT, IT IS THE MEMBERSHIP THAT BRINGS THIS ABOUT.
UM, UH, ABOUT TWO, THREE MONTHS AGO, SOMEBODY CAME TO US AND SAID, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A BOOK CLUB.
WE SAID, OKAY, YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF THE BOOK CLUB.
WE NOW GET A GROUP OF PEOPLE MEETING ON ZOOM FOR THE BOOK CLUB.
I RUN A WEEKLY TOURIST STUDY GROUP, WHICH I STARTED DURING, DURING COVID, UH, WHICH MEETS THURSDAY NIGHT.
TONIGHT WE'RE MEETING A LITTLE LATER
UM, AS, UH, AS THE COMMISSIONER SAID, I GREW UP AT, AT HABA, AT, UH, BEN ABRAHAM.
UH, RABBI PRINCE WAS, WAS MY FIRST TEACHER, AND IN A WAY, SET ME ON THE, THE ROAD THAT I'VE, THAT I'VE BEEN ON FOR THESE 70 SOME YEARS.
UM, ABBA SHALOM IS DEDICATED TO TIKUN, OLAM EK.
AND, UM, WE ARE NOT ONLY SERVING, WE, WE SEE OURSELVES AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND THE, AND THE NEWARK COMMUNITY.
WE, UH, WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR MEMBERSHIP, BUT WE ALSO, UH, DO OUTREACH TO THE GENERAL COMMUNITY.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY, SO WE OFFER A BUILDING.
THERE IS, THERE'S A PRE PRISONER REENTRY GROUP THAT MEETS ON A WEEKLY BASIS IN OUR, IN OUR BUILDING.
UH, WE HAVE A, AN ONGOING CONNECTION WITH NJPAC DURING THE JAZZ FESTIVAL IN THE FALL.
UH, WE ARE ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE THERE ARE FREE CONCERTS.
OUR MUSEUM DOES BOTH JEWISH AND AND NON-JEWISH EXHIBITS.
UM, WHEN THE COMMISSIONER LES CAME, WE, UH, HAD FOR OUR, THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR BUILDING, WE PUT UP AGAIN OUR EXHIBIT, THE SYNAGOGUES OF NEWARK, WHICH, UH, PRESENTS THE HISTORY OF ALL OF THE SYNAGOGUES THAT STARTED IN NEWARK AND THAT ARE NOW IN, IN THE, UH, IN THE SUBURBAN ESSIC SUBURBS.
UM, WE NOW HAVE A, UH, AN EXHIBIT, UH, A HOL A HOLOCAUST RELATED EXHIBIT.
BUT LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, UH, MAY IS ALSO ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH.
AND LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, WE HAD AN EXHIBIT THAT WAS DONE WITH THE NEWARK SCHOOL SYSTEM IN WHICH WE GOT, UH, NEWARK SCHOOL CHILDREN TO DO, UH, ARTWORK ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ASIAN AMERICANS, WHICH RAN DURING, DURING MAY.
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AND PROVIDE A HOME FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN NEWARK.AND WE TRY TO, TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN COMMUNITIES SO THAT, UH, THE WEEK AFTER OCTOBER 7TH IN OUR BUILDING, EVERY MINISTER WAS THERE IN SUPPORT OF US AT A PUBLIC EVENT.
A WE A A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THE ATTACK IN, UM, IN PITTSBURGH, WE HAD THAT SAME KIND OF SUPPORT.
WE ARE ON, ON BROADWAY IN NEWARK.
WE ARE SURROUNDED BY OTHER RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, WHICH ALL SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
AND SO AGAIN, I THANK YOU, UH, FOR THIS AWARD, BUT IT ISN'T JUST ME.
IT IS, IT IS OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT HOLDS THIS TOGETHER, THAT DOES THE WORK THAT'S NECESSARY FOR US TO BE HERE 119 YEARS AFTER WE WERE FOUNDED.
ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL RIGHT, IT IS MY HONOR AND PLEASURE TO BRING UP AS WE BEGIN TO CLOSE, UH, MS. COMMISSIONER PAT SEABOLD FOR SOME OF OUR NEXT STEPS.
I'M RECOVERING FROM A TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT, BUT I'M MAKING IT TO AS MANY THINGS AS I CAN GO TO A TEMPLE.
I JUST HAVE AN ASIDE BEFORE I CONTINUE.
TEMPLE BENET ABRAHAM WAS MENTIONED A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND RABBI DR.
YOKU PRINCE, I BELONG TO TEMPLE BENET ABRAHAM AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.
AND DR. PRINCE AL WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MY FAMILY.
HE WAS A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL INDIVIDUAL WHOM YOU ALL KNOW ESCAPED FROM GERMANY AND CAME TO NEWARK AND BECAME THE RABBI AT TEMPLE BENET ABRAHAM.
IN CONCLUSION, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO ALL OF OUR HONOREES.
LET'S GIVE THEM A TREMENDOUS ROUND.
AS WE CONCLUDE OUR PROGRAM, I WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR JOINING US TO CELEBRATE JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR HOSTS, THE LIVINGSTON SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER.
TO OUR HONOREES, HEARING YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE INSPIRED EACH OF US TO DO MORE AND TO BE BETTER CITIZENS.
WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF YOU, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE ALL THE BETTER.
ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSIONER BOARD, WE INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US FOR REFRESHMENTS AT THE TABLES BEHIND YOU, WE ASK THAT HONOREES REMAIN ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM AFTER THE CLOSING PRAYER TO TAKE PICTURES.
AGAIN, I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE NOW TO ADJOURN THE PROGRAM, I WILL ASK RABBI KAZ TO RENDER THE CLOSING PRAYER AND BLESS THE FOOD.
GOD, WE LEAVE HERE TODAY INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF THESE THREE INDIVIDUALS AND BY THE WORK OF THE HANDS OF THE MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO ARE HERE TODAY.
AND WE GO OUT INTO THE WORLD REFLECTING THEIR LIGHT.
OUR AGENT SAGES SAID, IT IS NOT OUR JOB TO FINISH THE TASK, NOR ARE WE FREE TO ASSIST FROM IT.
EACH OF THE PEOPLE HERE HAVE ADVANCED THE HARD WORK OF MAKING THIS WORLD A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BOTH FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND FOR THE WIDER WORLD.
THEY'VE DONE THEIR PART TO ADVANCE THE BALL SO WE IN OUR OWN WAY, CAN BE INSPIRED BY THEM TO DO THE SAME, TO LIFT UP OUR HANDS AND BE BUSY TAKING THIS WORLD WHICH IS SO BROKEN AND MAKING IT MORE WHOLE, BUILDING A BRIDGE FROM THE WORLD THAT WE SEE INTO
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A FUTURE THAT WE WANT TO CREATE, MAY WE STEP IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS, TREAD ALONG THEIR PATH SO THAT WE TOO MAKE, MAKE OUR MARK ON THIS BROKEN WORLD THAT SO NEEDS US.SO WE OFFER A BLESSING OVER OUR FOOD, AND IF YOU KNOW IT, YOU CAN JOIN WITH ME.