(Courtesy of Darchei Noam) On the evening of Monday, May 3, members and supporters of Congregation Darchei Noam in Fair Lawn gathered virtually for yet another Zoom event. But this fundraising event was not another dinner or class; it was a truly unique variety event featuring contributions from all over the community. It was more than just a virtual dinner, it was “An Evening of Support and Celebration.” More than 90 households—with most cameras on!—honored the volunteers who carried the shul through the pandemic, enjoyed words of chizuk from Rabbi Jeremy and Shira Donath, followed a mixology lesson by CSS volunteer Adam Buchoff, enjoyed comedy by Eli Lebowitz, won an eclectic assortment of raffle prizes gathered from many local professionals and vendors and watched a beautiful video featuring volunteers filmed and edited by community members.

The event was not only unique in its variety show format, but also in choosing to honor all the volunteers instead of a few people. Darchei Noam has very few paid staff members and it heavily relies on volunteer work to manage the minyan schedule, create meaningful experiences for adults and families, run security and much more. Members of the shul feel ownership and pride in the institution and together raised well over the stated attendance and fundraising goals to help the shul recoup some of its financial losses incurred by the pandemic.

Like many shuls in the area, Darchei Noam is hopeful that the growing vaccination rate and warmer weather will lead to less Zooming and more in-person events. However, it was truly remarkable to witness how much communal pride, achdut and joy could be felt even at a virtual event. It is a testament to the hard work of the large group of volunteers as well as the special community they serve.

To learn more about Congregation Darchei Noam, visit www.darcheinoam.com.