Soup Kitchen Volunteers are needed: Join us for a meaningful morning. Big and small hands working together to make the morning special for so many.

We truly appreciate the outpouring of support by our volunteer families and our “Top Chefs” who tirelessly cook and bake such wonderful meals. We also want to thank those families who donated paper goods and other supplies, which are necessary for TBA to operate the Soup Kitchen.   If you know of other families who are interested in helping with the soup kitchen either on site or behind the scenes, please let us know.   We hope you will continue to support the Soup Kitchen and enjoy the mitzvah experience as much as we do!

Our next dates are:
June 23, July 21, August 25, September 29, October 27, November 24 &  December 22, 2013

   Many thanks and best wishes, 
Nancy Bernstein and Stacey Rosenberg

click on image to enlarge

Assistance Needed...Interfatih Hospitality Network (IHN) @ TBA June 16-23, 2013

Dear Friends:

From June 16 to 23, Temple B'nai Abraham will again participate with the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) in the congregational shelter program.  This amazing opportunity enables every member of our Temple to come together to participate in a mitzvah project through both "hands on" and/or financial help.

In the program, different houses of worship host three or four families for a week and provide shelter and food, as well as safe and compassionate care.  This is done fifty-two weeks per year, on a rotating basis.

Who are these families?  They are regular Essex County families experiencing a rough time and, due to an unforeseen circumstance, have found themselves temporarily without a home.   The families are prescreened and are accepted into the IHN network with the ultimate goal being to help them find and sustain a home.  IHN provides social service support directly and as a referral agent to the myriad of public services available.

How can we help them? We need volunteers to actively participate by cooking meals and socializing with the IHN families.  There are several other ways to help including setting up the temple, shopping for supplies, helping with laundry and sleeping overnight at the Temple.  There is also the need for a captain each day to follow up with the scheduled volunteers and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Cash donations are appreciated and will be used to purchase such things as Shoprite gift cards, rolls of quarters for laundry, toiletries and laundry detergent, and other supplies.  There will also be a need for new or gently used towels and bedding supplies for our guests to use while staying at the Temple.

In other words, just about any kind of help you might be able to give...we can use!

Lisa Reisboard and Terri Friedman coordinate this effort with IHN on behalf of the Temple.  They would like to make this process as organized as possible, so please respond quickly if you would like to participate in any way.  Their contact info is:  Lisa:   laej28@gmail.com  and Terri: terrifriedman@mac.com .

Before we all enjoy summer vacations and perhaps send our kids to camp, this is a fun and easy way to give back.  Everyone's efforts combined will truly and concretely make someone's life better.

With thanks, and B'shalom,

Rabbi Kulwin

Social Action Turkey and All the Trimming Drive Drive at Great Success! Thank you to all who contributed and volunteered!

Temple B'nai Abraham Social Action Committee (SAC) held a Turkey and all the Trimmings Drive to benefit the Newark Emergency Services Fund (NESF). For over 30 years, NESF, a not-for-profit organization, has been serving the Greater Essex County community.  NESF is committed to providing quality services to individuals and families who need assistance with emergency food, clothing, shelter, utilities, rent, and other basic necessities during times of crisis.

In addition to the generous donation of over 1,000 lbs of frozen turkeys, congregants donated a van full of the packaged trimmings including stuffing, cranberry sauce, coffee, soup and gravy. Pictured with some of the donated food and frozen turkeys are SAC Turkey Drive Chair Marilyn Rosenbaum and TBA Early School students.

12th Annual Dinner in the Sukkah with Guest Speaker Andrea Carbine

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TBA Book-A-Thon sponsored by the Membership & Social Action Committees

Getting Ready for the Book-A-Thon...Sorting  the Books Thank you to the volunteers!
...And @ The Book-A-Thon