What's Going On at Local West Orange Synagogues

There has been much to be happy about at B’nai Shalom this month.

Earlier in the month, the Hazak seniors group had an interesting program with Hirschhorn presenter, Ellen Kurtz who spoke about Operation Atzmaut, The Ethiopian Jews in Israel. Cecille Asekoff also led her Pirke Avot class to discuss the wise teachings of our ancestors on Shabbat morning.

 B’nai Shalom’s Sisterhood held their popular Progressive Dinner last Saturday (March 12) night, where all of the participants enjoyed delicous food and good company at a number of area homes.

 B’nai Shalom has been busy getting ready for Purim throughout this month of March and the Hebrew months of Adar. Purim baskets, (Mishloach Manot) filled with treats have been ordered by our members and packed by our Religious School students, to be distributed to friends and family in the community, in celebration of the holiday.

Children and adults are practicing reading the Megillah, the scroll containing the story of Esther, this weekend. Costumes are also being pulled together for the festivities and our USY members will sell noisemakers or Pasta Graggers for Tzedakah, to fulfill another important mitzvah of giving to the poor on Purim.

This Saturday night at 8 p.m. B’nai Shalom will have a Full Reading of the Megillah as well as a Family Megillah Reading, where children read lines of the scroll and a slide show of the story of Purim is displayed. There is a masquerade parade, raffles, prizes for children in costume and of course, hamantashen, those delicious 3-cornered cookies we eat on Purim. Then on Sunday, at 9:00am, the Megillah is once again read during the morning minyan.

Come back at 3 p.m. for a terrific Kiddie Carnival with games, crafts, prizes, face-painting and finish with a kids’ Pizza party that is being sponsored by B’nai Shalom’s Men’s Club.

 On the last weekend of the month, B’nai Shalom will have a Musical Shabbat with Kol Sasson, the premier Jewish a capella group from the University of Maryland. This is being sponsored by The Gary Allman Music Fund. There will be a Shabbat dinner after Friday night services on March 25 for those who make reservations. Kol Sasson will perform an A capella Concert at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, March 26. This group performed at the White House on Chanukah for President Obama. Come and enjoy their energetic musical sound!

To finish off the month and get prepared for the next Jewish holiday, B’nai Shalom’s Sisterhood is offering a Lunch and Learn on Sunday, March 27. The subject is: Pondering Passover: More Than 4 Questions.with educators, Cecille Asekoff, Janice Colmar Michaelis and Flora Musleah Yavelberg leading the discussions.

Wishing all a Chag Purim Sameach!

This Shabbat: Torah Reading is Parasha Tzav

It is also Shabbat Zachor

Service times are as follows:

Friday March 18
Candlelighting time: 6:48 p.m.
Evening Services:  7 p.m.

Saturday March 19
Morning services: 9 a.m.
Afternoon services: 6:45 p.m.
Saturday evening:
8 p.m. Erev Purim Megillah Reading

Sunday Morning Service:
9 a.m. with Megillah Reading

Daily Minyanim
Monday – Friday: 7 a.m.
Monday-Thursday: 8 p.m.