Shabbat Shalom from Rabbi Prosnit

Dear Temple Emanu-El Family,

As we prepare for our synagogue’s 75th anniversary, we have been looking back at the archives of our Temple. Upon finding the first Temple Emanu-El bulletin from March 29th,1950 we were intrigued by how our community's founders decided on our community's name. They wrote,

“Why Temple Emanu-El?”

The selection of Temple Emanu-El by the people of our community was a matter of great consideration. The Hebraic derivation of Emanu-El is ‘God is with us.’ If, for the sake of our children, our Temple Emanu-El, serves the same function and purpose as does the famed Temple Emanu-El in New York, then all our goals will have been achieved.

The word Synagogue is from the Greek, meaning, meeting place. From the beginning of time, temples have been tri-functional:

  • To be a house of prayer, for adults and youth.

  • To be a house of learning for the study of the history and ceremonials of our people thus become integrated Jews.

  • To be a house of social entry where Jews can meet to discuss current problems as a community group and take an active part in American Israel.

Having chosen so great a spiritual name for our Temple, we feel it is destined to achieve cooperation, culture and learning in Westfield.”

We firmly believe that our founders would be proud of the first 75 years of our congregation. We are a vibrant spiritual home where our Temple has been engaged in prayer, learning, and building community for generations. This year, we look forward to marking and celebrating our first 75 years with all of you and are excited for the future of Temple Emanu-El, knowing that God is with us!

L’dor V’dor (From Generation to Generation),

Rabbi Ethan Prosnit

Senior Rabbi

Ben Berry

Temple President

Temple Emanu-El is turning 75.

75 years of Joyous Judaism, innovation, education, worship, and social justice. 75 years together as a community, laughing, crying, celebrating, mourning, advocating, listening and leading.

Our milestone anniversary year kicks off with this gift box delivered to every congregant's home. On February 21, we invite you to light the Shabbat candles provided in the box, which were specially crafted in Israel for Temple Emanu-El. As you light them, please take a picture and share it on social media with the hashtags #teefoundersshabbat #tee75th. It is our hope that the Shabbat Conversation Starters cards, also included in this box, will become a part of your Shabbat celebration every week to enrich your family's discussions.

The celebration doesn’t end there. As we mark this milestone and commemorate all that Temple Emanu-El is and has accomplished, we hope you will join us as we honor our past and celebrate the future. The 75th Anniversary will involve a yearlong program of worship, learning, and community events, blending beloved old traditions with inspiring new ones. A small sampling of the exciting events we are planning includes an exhibit to highlight the history of the temple, a community-wide Mitzvah Day, special Shabbat celebrations, and a Sukkot Under the Stars dinner.

We hope you see yourself reflected in the calendar of events and are inspired to participate in various ways throughout the year. We are grateful to the congregants who have helped us shape the events thus far. Details and event registration will be featured throughout the year in the weekly Temple Emanu-El emails, in stand-alone emails, and on our dedicated website page - www.tewnj.org/75th.

If you would like to volunteer to be a part of the 75th Anniversary activities or have any questions, please reach out to us at 75th@tewnj.org or visit www.tewnj.org/75th

Chazak, Chazak, V'nitchazek. Together, may we continue to go from strength to strength.

 

Co-chairs, Temple Emanu-El 75th Anniversary