Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel Selected for GreenFaith Certification Program

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel Selected for GreenFaith Certification Program

Share

by 

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel 

at 

11:53AM

 

on 

Tuesday, October 26 2010

How Green is Your House of Worship?  Since 2005, the Green Team at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (“TSTI”) has been integrating environmental awareness and activities throughout the synagogue’s physical plant, education programs, worship and rituals and community involvement.      

TSTI’s commitment to environmental awareness and education qualified the synagogue to be selected as one of eight Reform congregations in New Jersey, the only synagogue in Essex County, to launch the Greening Reform Judaism Pilot Program.   The comprehensive Certification Program helps houses of worship across North America become environmental leaders through initiatives in facilities management, religious education and worship, and environmental justice.

The eight congregations participating in the Pilot Program are Temple Shalom (Aberdeen), Temple Emanu-El (Edison), Barnert Temple (Franklin Lakes), Temple Shaari Emeth (Manalapan), Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple (New Brunswick), Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (South Orange), Temple Shalom (Succasunna), and Temple Sinai (Tenafly).

Rabbi Dan Cohen explains, “As one of eight congregations chosen for this program, it is an opportunity for us to do our part in making sustainable changes.  We will continue to ‘green’ our synagogue facility and educate our community on as many issues as possible.  And perhaps this will encourage us to take action and lobby our administration to push for real change in our approach to energy and environmental policy.”   

TSTI is taking part in a wide variety of activities as part of the two-year Certification Program.  Upon completion, TSTI will become certified as a GreenFaith Sanctuary and will be looked to as leaders in the Reform Movement’s greening efforts. The Union for Reform Judaism, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and GreenFaith have joined together to launch the Greening Reform Judaism Pilot Program

The team, which is co-chaired by the synagogue members Sue and Phil Hoch, is currently working on an action plan with activities that include:

• Continue to green the TSTI facilities’ operations
• Conduct environmental justice education and advocacy
•  Offer environmentally-themed worship services and education programs for all ages
• Communicate our work to local media outlets
• Take on the additional responsibility of serving as mentors to other Reform Jewish communities nationwide seeking to deepen their engagement with environmentalism.
• Send congregational leaders  to social action programs at The Union for Reform Judaism to share their experiences with the Reform Movement.

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, a Reform Jewish congregation in South Orange, has long been the spiritual home to a diverse community that welcomes and includes Jews of traditional and non-traditional backgrounds, young families, singles, empty-nesters, multi-generational households and families with non-Jewish spouses or parents.

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel offers a wide range of programs and opportunities, from its thriving pre-school and well-regarded elementary, middle and high school religious education to its social action and “Green Team” activities.  We welcome all who wish to participate in the traditions and rituals of the Jewish people.  Our goal is to perpetuate the religious principles and moral values of Judaism by providing an environment for worship, education, spirituality, and service for our members and the larger community.

GreenFaith is an interfaith coalition for the environment that was founded in 1992.  They work with houses of worship, religious schools and people of all faiths to help them become better environmental stewards.  

Fulfilling the 613th Commandment

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel “writes” its own Torah scroll
By Edie Sachs
From the South Orange Patch

During the recent Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, when synagogues read the last words of the Torah and then start again at the beginning, the congregants of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel celebrated the occasion in the usual fashion, by dancing and singing with the precious scrolls in their arms. This fall, however, the members of South Orange's Reform synagogue had one more very special Torah to celebrate with—one that they can properly call the work of their own hands.

The Torah is the holy Jewish book containing the Hebrew text of the first five books of the Bible, from Genesis to Deuteronomy. Portions of it are read aloud every week on Shabbat (the Sabbath) as well as on every Jewish holiday. Jewish law specifies that a Torah cannot be mechanically produced; it must be hand-written and must be made entirely of natural materials. Consequently, they can be very expensive; a synagogue might pay as much as $80,000 for a new Torah.

For the last year, Sharey Tefilo-Israel has been running a fundraiser called the L'Dor Vador ("From Generation to Generation") Torah Project, which recently culminated in the creation of the synagogue's own original Torah. Through the generosity of Marjorie and Michael Francis, a new Torah was procured, and a scribe, or sofer in Hebrew, engaged to write the text in the traditional manner with a quill pen. Congregants had the opportunity to purchase portions of text—individual letters, phrases, paragraphs, or longer passages. Then they would participate in a "scribing session" with the scribe, Zerach Greenfield, while he inked the specified text on the parchment. If they wished, participants could put their hand on Greenfield's arm while he wrote to gain an immediate, tactile sense of the process—the next best thing to actually being able to do the writing themselves.

"For the first time in our congregation's history, we are writing a complete Torah—all 304,805 letters and all five books," said Rabbi Ellie Miller, associate rabbi of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel. "This was an exceedingly, exceptionally meaningful experience for the entire membership."

Rabbi Miller credited the sofer, Zerach Greenfield, with playing a pivotal role in the ultimate success of the project: "He is an educator as well as a scribe. He met with all the different populations of the synagogue—the religious school, adult and senior groups, the Hebrew High School—and did a fabulous job showing us the process of how a Torah is written, the tools and materials that are used, how the process developed. We all gained so much from this special time."

The project was the idea of the temple's senior rabbi, Rabbi Daniel M. Cohen, who was inspired by the building renovation project taking place at Sharey Tefilo-Israel at the time.

"I thought that it would be very nice if, at the same time we were putting all this energy into the physical structure of the synagogue, we could also build something that would be very close to our hearts as Jews," said Rabbi Cohen. "I wanted us to create a tangible thing that would be an everlasting legacy for the temple, as well as a project that the entire congregation could have the opportunity to participate in."

The fundraiser was overseen by a special committee headed by synagogue members Andrea Baum and Susan Pleasant. A closing ceremony for the project took place on Sunday, September 26, the first day of the synagogue's religious school for the 2010–11 year. According to Rabbi Miller, underwriting opportunities are still available to outfit the new Torah with its customary coverings and ornaments, including the yad, or pointer used by the reader.

Synagogue members who took part in the project gave it enthusiastic reviews. New member Jane Randel said, "Participating in the L'dor Vador Torah Project was an unbelievable way to feel welcomed into the community. Sitting with the scribe, the significance of participating in what will likely be a once in a lifetime opportunity was palpable to my husband and me. Together we created a memory for [our] children."

Robbie and Adam Weissenberg said, "It was a wonderful family experience and enhanced our understanding of the value of Torah. Zerach's tools illuminated the process of the scribe's work and his stories added a wonderful spiritual and historical perspective."

"The 613th and final commandment in the Torah is that each and every Jew should write a new Torah," said Rabbi Miller. "It's amazing to think that our congregation has collectively fulfilled this commandment as defined by the famous medieval scholar Maimonides, who said that 'if one writes or fills in just one letter in a Torah scroll, it is as if they have written it in its entirety.'"

From the NJJN-- S. Orange temple on the run

S. Orange temple on the run

Rabbi’s regimen leads to 5k event to benefit the environment

by Rabbi Ellie Miller
Special to NJJN

October 20, 2010

Last June Rabbi Daniel Cohen of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange downloaded a “Couch to 5k” application on his iPhone and began running. He mentioned to me that he had decided to train for a run. My immediate response: “I’ll do it with you,” and we began training together.

The next day, the temple’s preschool director, Carol Paster, joined in. It was then that I said, “Let’s get the whole senior staff to participate. It will be fun, and we will get in shape.”

With that, Team TSTI was born.

The entire senior staff spent the summer training. We began to tell congregants what we were doing and encouraged others to get outside and exercise. The more we talked about it, the more people wanted to run with us. We posted information about training on our recently revamped website,www.TSTI.org, listing the resources we use, some tips, and even the playlists that kept us motivated.

When we began to look for a race it soon became clear: We needed to do our own TSTI run in the streets surrounding the temple. So on Oct. 10 we held our first 5k. We had hoped to get 50 people to take part — but over 100 turned out. (Another 15 volunteered at the registration table and along the route.) The activity was multi-generational and represented a wonderful cross-section of our congregation.

We had a number of goals: We wanted to get people outside and doing something healthy. We made this a run/walk/roll so everyone could participate in their own way, especially since we are an ABLE-awarded congregation.

We wanted to stress protecting the environment and so gave each participant a reusable water bottle so they would stop buying plastic ones. We wanted to celebrate the Earth by planting trees in both the United States and Israel. And we wanted to build community.

Given our environmental concerns — especially in connection with our certification process by the New Brunswick-based Greenfaith organization — we are using half the $2,000 raised to plant trees in Israel, the other half to plant trees in the temple’s new prayer garden.

A huge mazal tov to Declan Wollard of Maplewood, the first participant to return from the run. On the staff side, Rabbi Cohen was the first of the senior staff to finish.

It really was a great day for TSTI, representing who we are: an innovative and diverse congregation devoted to Torah, learning, and the doing of mitzvot — in this case, a healthy one — and committed to our local community and to Israel.

A special thank you to Debbie Bernstein, who did an unbelievable job of arranging everything, and to the South Orange Police Department.

RUNNING WITH THE RABBIS

Laura Griffin

 October 10, 2010

RUNNING WITH THE RABBIS 

It wasn't Pamplona, but it was a lot safer, too. More than 100 people came out to run through the streets of South Orange with the rabbis and the senior staff of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel Sunday morning. The money raised by TSTI's Run, Walk and Roll will go toward planting trees in Israel and in South Orange, and the race and training helped the rabbis get fit, using a "couch to 5K" training program.

"It was Rabbi Ellie Miller's idea and what a crazy, wacky, awesome idea it was," said Rabbi Daniel Cohen. "It was the first time we've ever done something like this but some way some how we're doing it again."

And so the First Annual TSTI Run, Walk and Roll 5K was born.  Congrats to all who inspired and were inspired by the clergy to run.

Rabbis on the Run- from SouthOrangePatch October 5, 2010

Rabbis on the Run

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel answers a fitness challenge with a congregation-wide 5k

By Marcia Worth 

View full size

    

PHOTOS (3)

Your photos, videos & PDFs: Add

The senior staff of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israelis investing heavily in sneakers this week. They're preparing for a Sunday 5K run through the streets of South Orange which will raise money to plant trees both in Israel and here in town.

Rabbi Ellie Miller explains the idea of a congregation-wide race was born when Rabbi Dan Cohen began using a "couch to 5K" application on his phone. His goal was fitness by way of running, so the entire staff of TSTI signed on to run with him.

"We figured we would all do a 5K somewhere together in the community sometime in the fall," recalls Cohen.  "What we discovered was that many of our congregants wanted to join us so we decided to create our own 5K.  We chose to run for the environment this year since we are part of the Greenfaith certification program and the environment is a focus for the year.  We also decided to plant trees both in Israel and at home to show our commitment to both communities."

She further notes that this race is "run, walk and roll" to allow everyone to participate, regardless of speed, experience or mobility.

The senior staff have made them accountable to the congregation; they have updated the website to reflect their progress over the last several week of training.  They have also grown to know one another ever better; a feature on the site called "Guess the Playlist," asks TSTI folks to match the musical favorites to the staff member. (Is the senior rabbi running to MC Hammer or Lady Gaga? And who's cranking Foo Fighters?)

The race route takes runners through the Montrose neighborhood. The course is fairly flat, except for the Turrell Avenue hill. "We expect that this will be a multi-generational healthy mitzvah," says Cohen.  "We are very pleased that we will be walking, running and rolling on the streets of South Orange and, of course, starting and ending at Temple."