Shomrei Emunah was honored last week for its 38-year commitment to supporting homeless families at the annual gala of Family Promise of Essex County. The organization began in 1988 as the Interfaith Hospitality Network (or IHN), through which religious congregations housed homeless families with young children who couldn’t find space in the county shelter system. Shomrei was the only synagogue to join the network at the outset, although numerous others joined afterwards. (more…)
Congregants Dale Russakoff and Shirley Grill are active participants in Social Action at Shomrei. Dale is the organizer of Shomrei’s Mensch Squad and chairs the Board of Family Promise. Shirley was one of the first board members of IHN and currently co-leads Shomrei’s Social Justice initiative to assist undocumented immigrants detained by ICE. (more…)
Shomrei is receiving very special recognition on the night of Oct. 8, at the annual gala of Family Promise, a longtime provider of services to housing-insecure families with young children in Essex County. For more than 30 years, this nonprofit has sheltered and supported young families who couldn’t find space in the county shelter system.
Shomrei was there from the beginning, the first synagogue in Essex County to host homeless families in what was then known as the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Shirley Grill was one of its first board members, Dale Russakoff is its current board chair, and in the years in between, generations of Shomrei families volunteered to cook for, entertain and provide support to families who stayed in our building for two weeks a year.
The hosting program ended with Covid, but many Shomrei members continue to donate generously so that Family Promise can guide struggling families from shelter to self-sufficiency.
Family Promise will honor Shomrei at its annual gala for its long and ongoing support. Rabbi Julie has been asked to give the keynote address.
The Family Promise Gala draws 200 or more people from across Essex County, and we would love to have as many members as possible be part of this special honor. Link for tickets below. Alternatively, you can contribute in any amount to the purchase of tables by emailing Dale via the Shomrei Office, . A $2500 contribution buys a table for ten.
We hope to share this evening with everyone whose mitzvot have sustained Family Promise over the decades.
Harvesting Hope
An Autumn Evening of Hope & Community
Thursday, October 8, 7:00 – 10:00pm
The Albion Summit
570 Springfiield Ave. Summit, NJ 07901
Tickets $250 per person
more info and tickets
Congregants Fern Heinig and Dale Russakoff are active participants in Social Action at Shomrei. Fern Heinig is a frequent volunteer cooking for Shomrei’s MESH Cafe and spearheaded Shomrei’s first annual Mitzvah Day last year in 2024. Dale Russakoff is the organizer of Shomrei’s Mensch Squad and chairs the Board of Family Promise. (more…)
Talmud Tuesday is a gift to Shomrei from our rabbinic intern, Jacob Lipkin. From 5:30 to 6:30 pm, on alternating Tuesdays, Jacob leads a study session micro-focused on one or two paragraphs of Talmud. The class is open to all congregants, from the most knowledgeable to those who never had gazed at a page of Talmud before (that would be me).
When I arrived at last Tuesday’s session, I knew only that the Talmud applied the wisdom of our sages to parse – often excruciatingly – the ethical issues of daily Jewish life in ancient times. I assumed I’d learn a bit of what it was like to study Talmud, but I hardly expected to find relevance to my daily life in 21st Century Montclair.
How wrong I was. (more…)
