Now into its 51st year, Congregation Beth Aaron of Teaneck will be celebrating its shul community this weekend, beginning with a fun-filled Shabbat, Parshat Bamidbar, May 19-20, and culminating in a Chesed Day on Sunday, May 21. Morah D’asra Rabbi Larry Rothwachs, together with former President Joshua (Shuie) Klavan and current President Moishe B. Singer and their devoted committee have planned a special Shabbat for Beth Aaron and all community members who wish to join.
Singer shared, “We are hoping to be able to bring together members of our multigenerational congregation from our Torah Tots and youth groups to our young couples and retirees for a diversified and fun-filled Shabbat. We will top it off with a meaningful day of chesed activities which highlight the special character of our Beth Aaron community which has spearheaded so many of our local chesed projects.”
Youth Directors Dvorah and Kfir Day will start off Shabbat day with special expanded activities related to Yom Yerushalayim for the Torah Tots and youth groups. A lavish kiddush will follow davening. In the afternoon a special program of inspiration is planned followed by a shul-wide Seudah Shlishit featuring divrei Torah and shirah. A grand musical Havdalah will conclude the day to be led by talented Yitzy Glicksman on keyboard.
On Sunday, May 21, Chesed Day will offer varied opportunities in which families can engage meaningfully together. Andrew Parver, director of operations of the Hebrew Free Burial Society, has invited the community to help in the cleanup of the grounds of Mount Richmond Cemetery in Staten Island. The Hebrew Free Burial Society enables those in our community whose family resources are limited to have a proper and respectable Jewish burial. One of their sites is the Staten Island Cemetery. Parver is a frequent guest at Beth Aaron as he is the son-in-law of Miriam and Izzy Solomon, long-time Beth Aaron members.
Other chesed opportunities include packing clothing to be sent to communities throughout Israel through the newly expanded Yad Sarah organization located in Passaic. Volunteers can pack food for Shearit HaPlate, co-founded by Beth Aaron former president Klavan, in conjunction with the Bergen County Kosher Food Pantry, both currently located on Cedar Lane in Teaneck.
Within the shul building there are opportunities for chesed through organizing the Chevra Kadisha room on the lower level. Currently two members of Beth Aaron, Micah Kaufman and Kovie Wagner, serve devotedly at the helm of the Beth Aaron Chevra Kadisha. Others can select from organizing/cleaning toys used by Beth Aaron youth or identifying Chumashim and Siddurim in need of re-binding, which has been done expertly for many years by Beth Aaron member Mark Sommer.
Drop offs to local gemachs and shuls will offer an additional chesed option. Finally, Rabbi Ezra Frazer, chaplain in the US Air Force, who grew up in Beth Aaron and is still an active member, will spearhead a project of encouraging letter-writing to US and Israeli soldiers to be included in packages which will be sent by local organizations.
Chesed Day will conclude with a festive and tasty afternoon barbecue for all participants on the shul patio.
Expressing his pride at this upcoming shul event, Rabbi Rothwachs shared, “It brings me great personal joy to see the community bond and bind together, cemented through efforts and acts of kindness. Chesed is one of the foundational pillars upon which our kehillah is built and this coming Sunday’s programming highlights this very point.”
Congregation Beth Aaron invites all community members to stop by on Shabbat and join them in their special events.
To sign up for Chesed Day go to bethaaron.org/event/chesed2023
