A Message for Prospective Members from Rabbi Rossoff...
Shalom!
Welcome to Temple B'nai Or!
If you are currently seeking a synagogue affiliation, or if you are simply looking around for options for your Jewish life, I hope you will consider our Temple.
Jewish life is about people, people coming together in a sense of extended family. And it is that sense of caring and connected family which we have tried to create at Temple B'nai Or. We build on that family feeling as together we learn, worship, grow, celebrate, play, and, most importantly, engage in acts of Tikkun Olam, working to make the world what God dreams it to be.
You can read more about some of the people who make that happen on our staff page. We include:
Rabbi Donald Rossoff (me) (If you would like a sample of my thinking, take a few moments to visit Rabbi Rossoff's Study.)
Rabbi Mary L. Zamore, Associate Rabbi Cantor Galit Dadoun-Cohen David Iskovitz, Director of Education Jennifer Rubin, Director of our Pre-School Bill Ferstenfeld, Executive Director
Our caring and dedicated office staff and maintenance staff are also a very special part of our Temple family. Please stop by to meet them!
A commitment to quality Jewish education begins with our wonderful Pre-School and its many programs. A non-sectarian school, our Pre-School provides a wonderful entry into Jewish life and learning for our children along with a warm accepting community for the entire family. Our Religious School provides students from Kindergarten through the High School Years with a caring, substantive and innovative Jewish education. Never resting on our laurels, we are constantly striving to make our school more and more creative and engaging. (This is NOT the Religious School you grew up with!) The high percentage of students who come back after Bar/Bat Mitzvah to become student-aides attests to the ability of our educators to engender joy and a strong connection to community within our students. Please speak with Pre-School Director Jennie Rubin or Temple Educator David Iskovitz to find out how your child can find her/his place in our schools.
Our Worship Services, both for Shabbat, the High Holidays and the Festival, combine personal and communal spirituality, blending tradition with creativity, held together with music which inspires and brings us together in community. Our monthly range of services include Family Service, "Torah Explorers" for pre-schoolers, "Traditional Reform," "Shiru Ladonai" (joyous and celebratory with instruments, singing and dancing), and "Kabbalat Shabbat" (calming and meditative.) We use the Reform Movement's new prayerbook Mishkan T'filah which allows for many avenues of Jewish spiritual expression.
The vision of our Temple is made real through our many affiliates and programs which invite your participation. These include:
Sisterhood Men’s Club Renaissance Connections for “empty nesters” Outreach for Interfaith Families and Jews by Choice (If Outreach is your interest, you may wish to look at our Interfaith Outreach page. )
Social Action: includes Housing the Homeless, Soup Kitchen, Mitzvah Day and so much more Active Senior Youth Group, as well as Youth Programming for Grades 4-8 Adult Jewish Education, on-going classes in as well as lectures, mini-series', Jewish Film Festival and Scholars in Residence. Caring Community: Reaches out to those in our Temple Family in times of need
Details about specific events are on the What's Going On listings.
Our dues are based on a Fair Share structure. This means that you tell us what dues category you are in, based on your income. In this, we trust your sense of fairness and integrity. There is also a Building Fund, plus fees for the Religious School.
A special Open Door Policy allows those not yet affiliated to enroll their children in the Religious School – grades KGN to 2nd – for a one-year trial. Speak to Jennie Rubin, David Iskovitz or Bill Ferstenfeld for details of enrollment.
So many have told us that the first time they walked into the Temple, they felt like they were coming home. That is because, for us, Temple is about being part of a caring and accepting family. If you live in nearby Morris County, I hope that you will visit us, see our newly expanded and beautified facilities, and taste for yourself why Temple B'nai Or is such a very special place to be. I would be delighted to meet you, greet you and answer the questions you might have.
