WELCOME TO BARNERT TEMPLE!
We are glad you are here! The Nathan Barnert Memorial Temple (Congregation B'nai Jeshurun) is a Reform congregation located in Franklin Lakes, NJ. We are proud of being the oldest Reform Jewish Congregation in New Jersey. Barnert Temple is affiliated with the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) and is proud to participate in and support the great traditions and purposes of the URJ. Today, as it has been through our 160-year history, our mission is to be a sacred community committed to offering Reform Jewish experiences that are relevant, accessible, and meaningful for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Under the leadership of Rabbi Elyse Frishman and Rabbi Rachel Steiner, we are a spiritual center for approximately 480 member families from more than 36 surrounding communities in northern NJ and the New York suburbs. We are large enough to serve the diverse needs of our congregants, but small enough to provide an inclusive, comfortable and nurturing environment.
We hope you will take the time to learn more about us. Learn about our various events, our preschool and religious school, our adult education offerings and all that Barnert Temple has to offer. To schedule a tour or learn about membership, contact our Membership Liaison at (201) 848-1800.
UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
For a complete list of events, visit our online calendar.
CLOSURES/CANCELLATIONS: There are no closings or cancellations at this time.
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About Our Assistant Rabbi: A New Clergy Model
This year, we welcome Rabbi Rachel Steiner, our new Assistant Rabbi. She brings tremendous knowledge, compassion, energy and spirituality to our sacred community. Having two Rabbis is a new clergy model for us. What will be different? Click the above link to learn more.
Jewels of Elul: Daily Online Inspiration for the High Holidays
Prepare for the High Holidays with this collection of 29 stories, musings and anecdotes on the Art of Beginning. For the 6th consecutive year, we're all invited to share in the Jewels of Elul. This year’s theme -- The Art of Beginning -- again will feature 29 inspired stories by such authors as Noah Alper, founder of Noah’s Bagels; singer Lady Gaga; Rabbis David Wolpe, Naomi Levy, Shlomo Riskin, and Abraham Twerski; the first African-American female Rabbi Alysa Stanton; Israeli actress Noa Tishby; philanthropist Eli Broad; one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan"; and Nofrat Frenkel, who was arrested for wearing a tallit at the Western Wall. The compilation offers us inspiration from a remarkable collection of extraordinary and diverse people. Read online or sign up to receive a daily message with words of inspiration.
The High Holy Days are early this year. Here are three great ways for you to get involved!
Calling All Shofar Blowers! Have you blown shofar? Would you like to try? We'll have two sessions (date and time TBD) during the summer to learn about the importance of the shofar, the sounds it makes and the technique needed.
It's Time to Chant Torah! If you're a High Holy Day Torah chanting expert or if you're interested in trying it for the first time, we'd love to hear your voice this year. Rabbi Steiner will provide you with all you need to get ready.
Lend Your Voice to the Adult Choir! The Choir has started to prepare for the High Holy Days, and we're looking for more voices. It's fun; the music is easy to learn; you'll be fully engaged in our High Holy Day services, and you'll join a very special group at Barnert! We're rehearsing most Wednesday nights at 7:30 pm this summer.
If your're interested in any of these special opportunities, please contact Rabbi Steiner.
Part-time Volunteer Opportunity: 2 to 3 Hours per Week
We have an opportunity for a congregant to give back to the Temple for the coming year. We're looking for a person with Microsoft Word experience to assist with donation acknowledgements and recordkeeping. It will require approximately 2 to 3 hours per week at a time convenient to you. Much of the work can be done in your home. Please contact Kathie Williams or Julie Kagan.
Networking Meetings Continue Through the Summer
Networking meetings continue through the summer months. Our next meeting is Monday, August 23, at 7 pm. Questions? Contact Bob Levin.
Have You Seen Our Offices Lately?
Our Temple, Preschool and Religious School office staff have officially transitioned into their new, shared space. Please stop by and check us out! The physical and technical changes associated with this move will lead to improved efficiencies, and have enabled Barnert Temple to have a new Preschool classroom. Another sign of our thriving Preschool program!
Make Sure Your Child is Part of the Barnert Temple College Connection
Do you have a child who has gone away to school? We would love to keep connected to our college-aged students throughout the school year. Messages from Rabbi Frishman and care packages with holiday greetings or words of encouragement are periodically sent to let them know that the Temple is thinking about them. Please send your child’s college “snail mail” address and college email address to Alice Kintisch. If your child is going away on a term abroad for the spring semester and won’t be at his or her school address, please mention this in your email. Also, if your child is away for the fall semester, but will be back for the spring semester, please let us know what his or her address will be when they are back.
Urgent Call for Help from the Center for Food Action in Mahwah
We've been alerted that the Center for Food Action in Mahwah is in desperate need of coffee, tea, paper towels, toilet paper, snacks (cookies and crackers), cake mixes, personal items such as toothbrushes, shampoos, soaps, etc. Please note that they do NOT need canned goods or pasta. We've also been asked to put out a call for summer clothing and shoes for both adults and children. We've put collection baskets out in the Atrium, and we'll be collecting through June 18.
Preschool Registration is Still Underway! Limited Spaces Available!
Registration for our top-notch preschool is still open, but spaces are very limited. Some sections for the fall are closed. Don't miss your opportunity to secure your spot for the 2010-11 school year. Click the above link to learn more about our programs and access registration forms online. Secure your spot today!
URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Voice Your Opposition to Stop Israel's Proposed Conversion Law
The Knesset in Israel is likely to vote this week on a Conversion Bill that could change Israel's landscape permanently on the question of who is a Jew. It is likely to affect at least one person in your family. Please click the above link to read critical information from the Israel Religious Action Center. Included is information to sign the IRAC's petition as well as a sample letter you can send to Michael Oren, the US Ambassador to Israel, and to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyu. It is crucial to send this out as soon as you read it. Your voice counts; our voices count. If we make them heard.Thank you, Rabbi Elyse Frishman
Act Now to Free Gilad Shalit!
As many of you know, the issue to free Gilad Shalit is very important to the Jewish community. We invite you to participate in an international letter-writing campaign targeting President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and Special Envoy George Mitchell, asking them to make Gilad's freedom an international priority. Click on the above link to learn more. Also, click here to learn more about an appeal to tie US financial support for Gaza to the freeing of Gilad Shalit.
Check Us Out on YouTube!
In our ongoing quest to connect with members, personally and virtually, our leaders are now using YouTube to share their insights and messages with you. Check out Rabbi Frishman and Sara Losch's first set of monthly video messages to the congregation. There are also additional video messages about our Preschool and Religious School. Take a look and let us know what you think!
Support the Call for the State of Israel to Officially Recognize Rabbi Miri Gold
As you know, we continue to participate in the legal struggle for equal religious rights in Israel. Through the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) website, we are offered an important opportunity to participate. When you click on the Israel RAC link, and sign the online petition, you will be supporting a pending case before the Supreme Court to recognize Rabbi Miri Gold as a Rabbi in Israel. This will open yet another door to affirming our rights as Reform Jews, and as egalitarian Jews, in Israel.
