2023 Torch Award Application (submit here)
# | Submitted | User | IP Address | Award Year | Documents read | Club Name | Program Name | Existing Contact | First Name | Last Name | Email of Club Rep | First Name | Last Name | First Name | Last Name | Email Current President | Category | Program Overview Summary | Detailed Program | Detail Program Documents | Program Advance Planning | Marketing | Photos | Video | Impact | FJMC | Additional Input | Program Origin | Identify Source | Certification | Award Level (to be completed by Torch Award Chairmen after judging) | |
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| 32 | 2023-03-15 19:56 | jsalant | 100.15.88.93 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | B'nai Israel Men's Club - Rockville, MD (1103) | Political Forum | Dr. Jeff Shore | JONATHAN | SALANT | jds15@aol.com | JONATHAN | SALANT | jds15@aol.com | JONATHAN | SALANT | jds15@aol.com | Community Outreach | Every two years, before voters in Maryland begin early voting, the Men's Club holds a political forum featuring candidates for state and local office. | Evcry October in even-numbered years, the Men's Club holds a political forum that regularly features candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and Montgomery County executive. Some 100-200 congregants and members of the public fill a large meeting room to hear from the candidates. We serve bagels and cream cheese, donuts and coffee, and question the candidates on issues of concern to the attendees. Our moderator is an award-winning political reporter and a former National Press Club president and we use the same format as the nationally televised Press Club luncheons, where attendees submit questions on cards and the moderator sifts through them and picks the most newsworthy and appropriate questions. There are no speeches from the floor by attendees or gotcha questions to make them look bad, only questions seeking detailed answers on the issues and followups. The event is routinely covered by Washington Jewish Week and other media, especially when the gubernatorial candidates come, as they have for the greater part of two decades. During 2020, we did Zoom interviews with the congressional candidates in the two districts where our congregants live, but returned to live events in 2022. | forum.pdf (70 KB) | newsletter.pdf.docx (15 KB) promo.pdf (185 KB) | img_4544.jpg (104 KB) img_4593.jpg (97 KB) | The political forum is a major event on our calendar every other fall, with the rabbis attending to meet the candidates,.with the synagogue gaining favorable publicity, and with the congregants and area residents packing the place to hear from the candidates. We had one local daily newspaper and two weeklies close in our county so there is little coverage of the candidates and what they stand for. We fill in the gap. In addition, the reporter who was asked to moderate the forums 20 years ago got involved in the Men's Club because of that and is now co-president. | We give the congregants and community residents a unique chance to question the candidates, and our format encourages the candidates to come because they know they are going to be asked substantive questions. | From 2006 to 2018, we had at least one of the major party nominees for Maryland governor. | Original Program | Yes | ||||
| 31 | 2023-03-15 18:23 | mikep2 | 73.197.57.108 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503) | Toys for Tots From Afghanistan | Dr. Jeff Shore | Gary | Sternberg | sternberg.gary.54@gmail.com | Abe | Ferdas | aferdas@verizon.net | Philip | Godorov | PhillipGodorov@gmail.com | Inclusion | In September 2021, the South Jersey Men’s Club (SJMC) donated dozens of teddy bears to Afghanistan refugee children being housed at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, New Jersey. At that time, when a flood of refugees was coming to the United States following America’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the SJMC undertook this effort to help the refugee families cope with a very difficult situation. | As part of a relief effort organized by American Legion Post 372 and the Jewish War Veterans Post 126, both based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the SJMC determined that helping refugee Afghan children cope by providing them with teddy bears would be a very worthwhile endeavor. This effort showed our Jewish organization’s concern for all persons in need, regardless of their ethnicity. The SJMC had already donated over one thousand teddy bears to various law enforcement organizations because the toys help children deal with difficult times. The SJMC was able to work seamlessly with the veterans' organization in a similar effort because some of our SJMC members are also active in those veterans' organizations. From the SJMC’s past experiences in donating teddy bears to children going through difficult situations, the SJMC knows that teddy bears work wonders with children in helping them settle down and give them comfort. Young children are innocent and should not suffer. These refugee children had lost their homes and so many things they were used to, and we wanted to make their transition easier and lessen the trauma they were experiencing as much as possible. The SJMC’s effort received front-page coverage in the local Jewish newspaper – the Jewish Community Voice of Southern New Jersey. | inclusion_teddy_bears_for_afghan_children.jpg (147 KB) | Even though the Afghan refugees were not Jewish, the SJMC believes that helping anyone in need is the right thing to do in Judaism. Showing concern for refugees particularly resonates for Jews, as so many of us or our ancestors had been refugees. | One of the missions of both the FJMC and the SJMC is to involve Jewish men in Jewish life. Part of that is to practice tzedakah which benefits all humanity. Because in part many of our members were refugees or descendants of refugees, we were able to relate to the trauma the Afghan refugees – especially the children – were experiencing. Our efforts clearly demonstrated to the overarching community that Jews have compassion for all persons in need. | Original Program | Yes | |||||||
| 30 | 2023-03-15 17:38 | jsalant | 100.15.88.93 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | B'nai Israel Men's Club - Rockville, MD (1103) | Shamash Award | Dr. Jeff Shore | JONATHAN | SALANT | jds15@aol.com | JONATHAN | SALANT | jds15@aol.com | JONATHAN | SALANT | jds15@aol.com | Mens' Club Shabbat | Every synagogue holds a Men's Club Shabbat. But we are unique in that we use the occasion to also bestow on our congregants the Shamash Award, which recognizes a congregant's service to synagogue or community. Just like the Shamash lights the candles of the menorah, we honor our congregants who uniquely give of themselves in the hope that this will light the way to others to volunteer to fulfill the mitzvah of Tikkun Olam. | During Men's Club Shabbat, the president of the club gets to address the congregation and discuss the group's activities, past and president. Then he steps aside and invites the chair of the Shamah Award committee to announce the winners, and to present them with engraved memorahs. Since you won't accept mp4 attachments, here's the video of the presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OTvaLiCeaFiLqVS4A3n4JUjIxfJwMKDz/view | guide.pdf (69 KB) | timeline_1.pdf (69 KB) octnewsletter.pdf (190 KB) | newsletter_0.pdf (213 KB) scroll_1.pdf (435 KB) weekahead_1.pdf (455 KB) | By bringing in representatives of the Sisterhood and others, we ensure that we will have synagogue-wide input in choosing the winner. By using such a high-profile event to hand out the award, we hope to inspire others to give of themselves to the synagogue and the outside community. And we hope that the committee members will be encouraged to expand their involvement in the Men's Club and join the leadership ranks. | The current president of the National Press Club got her start by volunteering on an awards committee, and we used the Shamash Award panel as a vehicle to get new people involved in our activities. The committee chair is a relatively new member of the Men's Club as are two of the four club members who sit on the committee. We hope that by participating in the awards selection, members will want to be more involved in the club and perhaps climb the leadership ladder. This program involves the entire synagogue community; is unique, making it innovative; and is a way to groom future leaders of the Men's Club. | This is a chance for the Men's Club to do something special for the congregation and say thank you to those congregants who go above and beyond. There was nothing like it until we developed the award. | Original Program | Yes | Gold | |||
| 29 | 2023-03-15 17:29 | mikep2 | 73.197.57.108 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503) | A Connection Between Israel and the United States | Dr. Jeff Shore | Mike | Perloff | Mikep2@comcast.net | Abe | Ferdas | aferdas@verizon.net | Philip | Godorov | PhillipGodorov@gmail.com | Israel / Masorti | Since the first Gulf War, the South Jersey Men’s Club (SJMC) has been collecting Hanukkah Cards for Jews in the U.S. military. However, in the last few years, we expanded the program, which we call “Operation Maccabee,” to include a segment of soldiers in the Israel Defense Force referred to as “Lone Soldiers” – soldiers with no family in Israel to support them. Done in collaboration with other organizations we invited to participate, the program has had a wide range of participants from across the United States. | Operation Maccabee is a program to send Hanukkah cards to U.S. and Israeli Jewish troops. U.S. soldiers have received purchased and/or hand-crafted cards every year since the first Gulf War. A few years ago, SJMC expanded the program to include “Lone Soldiers” in the IDF. Cards destined for Israel may contain English or Hebrew. Participating organizations with the SJMC include the Jewish War Veterans, Hadassah, synagogue schools, and others. Background A “lone soldier” is a soldier in the IDF with no family in Israel to support him or her: a new immigrant, a volunteer from abroad, an orphan, or an individual from a broken home. Loneliness is a major problem for many lone soldiers. In the army, camaraderie is a very essential part of daily life. However, when most Israeli soldiers go home on weekends, they go to their homes in Israel and enjoy their time with their families and friends. Lone soldiers are not as lucky. They all too often go to an empty apartment. If friends from their units do not live close by, they are stuck alone without anyone to talk to or spend time with. Receiving Hanukkah cards from people in the United States is a powerful morale booster for these lone soldiers. Potential Partners (* = Actual South Jersey Men’s Club Partners) *Jewish War Veterans Friends of Israel *Hebrew Schools FJMC Men’s Clubs *Friends of the IDF Volunteers For Israel *Chabad Local social groups of Israeli expatriates Implementation Make or purchase Hanukkah cards (no envelope needed). Suggest a table set up in a high-traffic area in your synagogue or Jewish Community Center. On the table should be blank Hanukkah cards for people to fill out, plus a receptacle for cards that are brought in from home. Get a stamp and stamp pad to put your email on every card. Provide an appropriate short message of appreciation (okay to send sample messages). Provide separate bundles for Israeli and U.S. troops. Cards for Israel Defense Force may be in Hebrew, English, or both. No personal contact information is to be included if sent by children. Deadline - At least 3 - 4 weeks before Hanukkah (Late submissions will be held for next year). Include the address for participating organizations to send the cards to SJMC for review and sorting. Organize a committee to screen the cards: - Separate cards for those to be sent to Israel and those for U.S. troops. - Check for appropriate text. - Check that minors did not include their last name or contact information. - Stamp each card with the Operation Maccabee email address (and have a person assigned to check for emails). Contact Lone Soldier Centers in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Be’er Sheva about the anticipated delivery date. Arrange for delivery of cards to Lone Soldier Centers, usually by a local person or persons traveling to Israel for business or pleasure. NOTE – If your club wants to do a similar program, the SJMC would be willing to handle the delivery of the cards to the Lone Soldier Centers | israel.operation_maccabee.jpg (205 KB) israel.operation_maccabee_jcc.jpg (256 KB) israel.operation_maccabee_boxes.jpg (259 KB) | The program was a success for several reasons. Feedback via the email link provided was consistently positive. Our members expressed a closer connection to Israel. More than once, recipients of the cards mentioned that this was the first time they had heard of FJMC. The program has had a positive impact on the morale of the soldiers and enhanced people’s connection to Israel. Our partner organizations expressed a desire to participate in this program in the future. The program has had a positive impact on the morale of the soldiers and enhanced people’s connection to Israel, helping to fulfill part of the FJMC’s worldwide mission. | The SJMC’s innovative program, Operation Maccabee, helped develop a sense of community and connection between the Americans who participated and the Israeli Lone Soldiers who received the Hanukkah cards. The SJMC is proud of being in a position of leadership for this effort. | Original Program | Yes | Silver | ||||||
| 28 | 2023-03-15 17:11 | mikep2 | 73.197.57.108 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503) | SJMC to the Rescue for a Food Pantry | Dr. Jeff Shore | Stan | Shumas | sshumas@comcast.net | Abe | Ferdas | aferdas@verizon.net | Philip | Godorov | PhillipGodorov@gmail.com | Fundraising | When the Betsy and Peter Fischer Food Pantries of the Jewish Family and Children Service (JFCS) of Southern New Jersey lost its funding for obtaining toiletries in the latter half of 2022, the South Jersey Men’s Club (SJMC) stepped to the plate and raised funds and obtained toiletries to fill the void as part of a humanitarian endeavor. As part of this effort, SJMC members actually purchased the toiletries themselves and delivered the items to the pantry building. | The Men’s Club has been supporting and facilitating pantry outreach to help feed and supply food and necessary supplies for needy individuals and families in the Cherry Hill and contiguous areas for more than five years. Every other week, teams of club members take turns volunteering their services to stock shelves, bag supplies and deliver provisions to those in need. The SJMC also provides other services to the pantry. For example, when the pantry badly needed new shelves for its facility, the club stepped forward and raised funds to purchase new shelving units and then donated and assembled the shelves. When it became necessary for the pantry facility to move to a new location in 2022 to better meet its expanded needs, SJMC assisted in the transfer process. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the pantry experienced a steady increase in the number of clients requesting help. Unfortunately, due to a change in regulations by a major source of funding, the funding for the purchase of toiletries came to an end. The result was that hundreds of needy clients would no longer have received items such as toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and deodorant. The SJMC challenged its members to make donations, with a $1,000 match to be put up by the club. We exceeded our expectations with donations of funds and actual products totaling more than $1,600 in value for a total to date of more than $2,600. When we learned that the JFCS had been paying high prices for the items, rather than just providing the funds to the pantry, the SJMC put in the time and effort to do the actual shopping, going to places like Dollar General and Dollar Tree. We shopped for the best prices and used our tax-exempt status to purchase the items. The result was that the pantry has been getting nearly 25 percent more items than if the SJMC had just donated the money so they could make the purchases through their normal channels. We have been providing toiletries for the last three months and are about to begin a second round of fundraising. | fundraising_toiletries.shopping_1.jpg (150 KB) fundraising_toiletries.trunk__0.jpg (428 KB) fundraising_toiletries_purchase_0.jpg (270 KB) fundraising_toiletries.shelved.jpg (213 KB) | We continue to put in the time and effort necessary to meet the sustenance and personal hygiene needs of our surrounding community, not just during exceptional times such as in the case of Covid. Our members’ participation in the pantry project has not only enabled us to demonstrate and maintain our current member philanthropic involvement, but doing so gives also our members a sense of pride and fulfillment. | One of the missions of the FJMC and the SJMC is to involve Jewish men in Jewish life. We stress that while writing a check is an important element of being involved, there are other rewarding aspects beyond that to support that mission. Our efforts to help the Jewish Family and Children’s Service panty encouraged all our members to experience the satisfaction of hands-on helping of others in need. Our involvement in fundraising and purchasing items for the pantry addressed both elements of fulfilling this mission. | Original Program | Yes | |||||||
| 27 | 2023-03-15 16:56 | mikep2 | 73.197.57.108 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503) | Connecting With American Jewish History | Dr. Jeff Shore | Barney | Kaplan | barney126@comcast.net | Abe | Ferdas | aferdas@verizon.net | Philip | Godorov | PhillipGodorov@gmail.com | Educational Programming | The South Jersey Men’s Club (SJMC) provided its members with a field trip to the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. | On October 23, 2022, approximately 50 SJMC members and spouses went on a field trip in a classic yellow school bus to the National Museum of American Jewish History, located on Independence Mall and directly across from the Liberty Bell in the heart of Philadelphia. Our purpose was to connect with the 350-year-plus history of Jews in America. We were welcomed by the museum’s director, ushered through security, and then divided up into smaller groups, each with a trained docent. The docents took us chronologically through our history, highlighting George Washington’s letter to the Hebrew congregation in Newport, Rhode Island (to bigotry no sanction), colonial life, the Civil War, westward expansion, the great immigration (1880-1920), World War I, the Depression, World War II, the Holocaust, and movement to the suburbs. Also, there were exhibits on Jews in the arts, entertainment, politics, and the military. | educational_programming_.bus_group6.jpg (249 KB) educational_programming_trip.jpg (178 KB) educational_programming._guide_group9.jpg (222 KB) | There was a lot to cover in our 2 hours at the museum, but the enthusiasm was palpable and many of our members expressed the desire to return with their families, to pass along this important history. Perhaps other clubs may be encouraged to visit the National Museum of American Jewish History. Despite current concerns about antisemitism, our members are prouder of our history in this country and realize how fortunate we are to be in this place in this time. | One of missions of the FJMC and the SJMC is to involve Jewish men in Jewish life. Part of that is knowing your roots and history of your people. The guided tours of the National Museums of American Jewish History helped instill that into our members. For some it had a profound impact, while for others it instilled a sense of community | Original Program | Yes | |||||||
| 26 | 2023-03-15 16:33 | gersonl | 99.166.173.40 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Beth Torah Sha’aray Tzedek’s Men’s Club - Tamarac, FL (1321) | World Wide Wrap | Dr. Jeff Shore | Larry | Gerson | gersonl@bellsouth.net | Larry | Gerson | gersonl@bellsouth.net | Larry | Gerson | gersonl@bellsouth.net | World Wide Wrap | Our goal is to give the opportunity to all to learn about Tfilin. Young, old ,male,female. Everyone needs to know. | This is the first time we were able to conduct a worldwide wrap program in person since covid. We had approximately 65 Youth and adults participate in their program. We even had a cut away model is Tfilin in to show how the parchment is placed inside. | screenshot_20230315-164140_1.png (866 KB) screenshot_20230315-164239_1_0.png (817 KB) screenshot_20230315-164212_1_0.png (719 KB) screenshot_20230315-164205_1_0.png (1042 KB) screenshot_20230315-164151_1_0.png (928 KB) screenshot_20230315-164146_1_0.png (1025 KB) | Many many of the participants were extremely enlightened by this event. And some of them even come to our minions now. | We are placed on the earth to educate Our Generation and future Generations Ldor Vdor | Original Program | Our own program with our Rabbis | Yes | Silver | |||||
| 25 | 2023-03-15 16:27 | mikep2 | 73.197.57.108 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503) | Not Letting Covid Stop Us | Dr. Jeff Shore | Marty | Raffner | marty.raffner@gmail.com | Abe | Ferdas | aferdas@verizon.net | Philip | Godorov | PhillipGodorov@gmail.com | COVID-19 | Continuity is a very important attribute of the success of the South Jersey Men's Club (SJMC). Consequently, immediately after Covid-19 started shutting down the world, the SJMC successfully implemented a plan to continue its monthly meetings along with a concerted effort to keep in touch with its members. In addition, we continued our distribution of Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles in such a manner as to address safety concerns due to the pandemic. | Part I Our monthly in-person meetings had provided members with a tasty breakfast, social camaraderie, and informative speakers. After Covid-19 struck and our board decided to stop holding live meetings, a questionnaire was sent to all SJMC members asking them if they would be comfortable with Zoom meetings. Included in the questionnaire was an offer to assist individuals who had limited computer skills or a lack of knowledge regarding Zoom. The board began holding its monthly meetings using Zoom, learning virtual etiquette, and determining the optimal way to run an effective remote session. One of the earliest programs was a Zoom meeting titled “COVID-19 and You,” in which a physician who is the director of the Infectious Diseases department at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia gave a very informative presentation and answered numerous questions regarding COVID-19. Another meeting featured a physical therapist discussing “Staying Active during a Pandemic.” Very popular was a virtual LIVE meeting which featured a walking tour of the old city part of Jerusalem. Our members were able to ask the tour guide questions and hear the answers. Additionally, for the first few months after Covid struck, the board contacted each member via phone. The main purpose was to determine if Covid had affected them or their family and to ask if any assistance was needed. Members expressed a great deal of gratitude for the contact during those isolated times, especially those members living alone. Feedback related to virtual monthly meetings was also discussed. About 40 percent of the members attended the average monthly meeting. Overall, well over half of our members participated. Feedback related to holding these meetings was very positive. Members thanked the board for holding the meetings; significantly, for some, the monthly meeting was the only activity with which they were involved. The board continued to monitor government organizations such as the CDC concerning Covid-19 recommendations and status. In addition, the board monitored Covid activity as it affected local municipalities. About two years after the Covid-19 pandemic had started, the board decided to resume holding live monthly meetings with a full breakfast. The board stipulated that no member or guest could attend unless they could prove that they had been vaccinated. This proved to be very successful, with virtually no negative responses and helped members feel comfortable in resuming normal activities. Live meetings have continued. With the acquisition of computer-linked hardware, SJMC is now also providing a hybrid breakfast meeting, permitting members who cannot attend a live breakfast to enjoy the monthly presentations via Zoom. Part II During the pandemic, when the Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was closed, and, later, when many people were reluctant to be near others due to concerns over infection, the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey decided to hold its Yom HaShoah virtually. As part of the Yom HaShoah observances in the past, when everyone attended in person, the SJMC obtained and then handed out Yellow Candles so that attendees could light a candle when they returned home. In both 2021 and 2022, when the celebrations were only held virtually, the SJMC asked for and received permission from the Federation to distribute the Yellow Candles curbside in front of the Jewish Community Center. Hundreds of candles were distributed. Part III In a related item, after one of our members lost his wife, the SJMC learned that both his son and daughter lived overseas (Southeast Asia and Germany) and could not fly back to the United States due to Covid. In response, the SJMC enabled the son and daughter to join their father remotely and say Kaddish at a minyan conducted via Zoom by the SJMC. | covid.picture_in_the_dark.jpg (527 KB) covid.infectious_diseasedocs_zoom.jpg (123 KB) covid.yellow_candle_distribution_.jpg (146 KB) | Members routinely thanked the Board for holding the meetings. For some, the monthly meeting was the only activity in which they felt they could safely participate. It also resulted in our retaining members who moved out of the area because they can still be part of the Men’s Club meetings. Our “snowbirds,” members who spent the winters in Florida, also maintained their connection to the organization. As a result, during the pandemic, our membership increased rather than decreased. Once we began in-person activities, a higher percentage of members participated than before the pandemic. | The mission of both the FJMC and the SJMC is to involve Jewish men in Jewish life. Our reformatting to offer our monthly programs online had a profound impact on our members. It helped build community while reducing the sense of isolation felt by so many during the shutdown. | Original Program | Yes | Gold | ||||||
| 24 | 2023-03-15 16:04 | mikep2 | 73.197.57.108 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503) | Remembering 9 11 | Dr. Jeff Shore | Ron | Ettinger | ettinger0502@gmail.com | Abe | Ferdas | aferdas@verizon.net | Philip | Godorov | PhillipGodorov@gmail.com | Community Outreach | In a tribute to the 2,977 people who perished in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, about 15 members of the South Jersey Men’s Club (SJMC) helped plant approximately 3,000 American flags around the perimeter of the Jewish Community Center and a neighboring synagogue in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on September 8, 2022. This special event was so noteworthy it was covered by the Philadelphia Inquirer. | Approximately 3,000 American flags were obtained on loan through the efforts of the Jewish War Veterans. We also met with the JCC Executive Director of Security to gain the necessary approvals. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Southern New Jersey was also involved in planning the event. In the days preceding 9/11, we met at the JCC campus, and on September 8, 2022, breaking into small teams, we proceeded to plant the flags in the grassy areas around the perimeters of the JCC and the Temple Emanuel Synagogue (now Congregation Kol Ami) across the street. The flags were planted 2 to 3 feet apart and encompassed the entire perimeter of the JCC and a portion of the synagogue. While the majority of the participants were from the SJMC, the Jewish War Veterans Post 126 of South Jersey, and members of various local police departments were also involved, including the Cherry Hill Police Department and the New Jersey State Police. The JCC and Congregation Kol Ami share an extremely busy corner in Cherry Hill, so this awesome display was viewed by countless vehicles and pedestrians over the course of the week. Much positive feedback was received by the public as they observed us planting the flags. Further enhancing the impact of this program, pictures and commentary were provided to the entire community by the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Jewish Community Voice of Southern New Jersey. Later in the week, the SJMC removed, cleaned, and returned the flags to the Jewish War Veterans. Some South Jersey Men’s Club members who could not assist with the initial planting helped in the removal. | 9.11_flagging_jcc_corner3.jpg (281 KB) 9.11_flagging_sidewalk1.jpg (356 KB) 9.11_flagging_state_police2.jpg (317 KB) 9.11_flagging_take_down4.jpg (290 KB) | Our members felt a great sense of pride, patriotism, and community support by playing such an important role in remembering a dark day in American history. Feedback from this event indicated a positive impact on the overall perception of the Jewish community. | The mission of both the FJMC and the SJMC is to show leadership, innovation, and community. The SJMC’s innovative action to pay tribute to the men and women who lost their lives on 9/11 had a profound impact on our members, and the SJMC took a leadership role in showing the entire South Jersey community – both Jewish and non-Jewish – the Jewish community’s patriotism and compassion for others. | Original Program | Yes | Bronze | ||||||
| 23 | 2023-03-15 15:42 | mikep2 | 73.197.57.108 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503) | Membership Enhancement | Dr. Jeff Shore | Rob | Levine | rlevine509@gmail.com | Abe | Ferdas | aferdas@verizon.net | Philip | Godorov | PhillipGodorov@gmail.com | Club Administration | The South Jersey Men’s Club (SJMC) has implemented an aggressive, proactive, and innovative membership campaign to not only attract new members but encourage them to become active participants. Despite normal attrition, which was compounded by Covid-19, the SJMC has experienced a net gain in membership over the past two years, going from 108 members in April 2021 to 120 members in March 2023. Quite a few also maintain membership in their synagogue Men's Club. Our programs usually have at least 45 to 60 people attend, about half of the entire membership. | In 2021, our men's club had a significant number of members who were active. To maintain a viable club, we felt that we must recruit more members who would be active and who would eventually be the leaders of our group. We initiated an aggressive membership program. Specifically, we enlisted all our board members and general membership in the role of membership recruiting. Every member has the potential to enlist new members, and we are constantly getting names of prospective members from the board and general membership. This creates a feeling of inclusion so that everyone feels they have a stake in keeping our club viable and growing. When potential members are reported to the membership chairman, he calls every one of them to tell the story of our organization, with an emphasis on the charitable donations and functions we perform for the Jewish community and the community at large as well as the social activities. The chairman also discusses the monthly general meetings, which feature interesting speakers and a full brunch that is provided for $8. Of course, camaraderie and fellowship are mentioned as well. Recognizing that some people are visual and not auditory, after the phone call, each prospective member is sent a three-part written package to familiarize them with what had been discussed during the phone call. This package contains the pertinent phone numbers of the membership chairman, the treasurer, and the IT chairman, in case the member needs to contact someone. It also contains our brochure, which includes an application. Each prospective member is invited to a monthly meeting, where he is met by the membership chairman or a committee member and made to feel as comfortable as possible. Each prospective member is interviewed in advance to discover something unique about his life so that we can pair him with those of like interests; for instance, if the new member tells the interviewer that he is an engineer by profession, we try to pair him with another member who has a similar background. The more comfortable the new member is in conversation, the more welcome he will feel. We also make sure that there are two board members at each table to ensure that the new member is not being ignored. When the meeting commences, the membership chairman will introduce the new member to the club and present him with an SJMC shirt and a customized name tag so that he is not anonymous. (We keep an extra badge on hand in case the member forgets his and he can be addressed in a friendly way by mentioning his name.) When the new member is introduced to the general membership, he is asked to tell a little bit about himself. If a new member who has been called and sent a written package does not attend the monthly meeting, the chair will call that person and inquire if he will participate at another time. There is always an information board displayed with all activities so that new members can be aware of our ongoing programs, and we always encourage them to join in on the fun. Twice per year, we host a free new member breakfast at a local restaurant. All new members for the past six months are invited as well as a select group of board members, who are instructed to make the new members feel as comfortable as possible. Of course, we are very aware of the need to retain members and keep them active; it is not our goal for the club to take dues money but not have active members. Therefore, if a member misses three meetings, he is called to make sure all is well. Also, a sincere effort is made to encourage our board and general membership to socialize with new men; research shows there is a higher percentage of retention if members feel comfortable and get involved. Due to this aggressive and innovative membership program, our membership has increased by over 10 percent in the past two years despite the pandemic. | club_admin_membership_nametags_0.jpg (148 KB) club_admin_membership_shirt_2.jpg (153 KB) | According to the data, our membership recruiting and activating campaign has been successful. Membership is steadily increasing, primarily through our members telling their friends about our activities, and an increasing number of these new members are becoming active. Due to our concerted efforts, new members are participating in most of our activities. | One of the missions of both the FJMC and the SJMC is to involve Jewish men in Jewish life. We stress that while writing a check is an important element of being involved, there are other rewarding aspects beyond that to support that mission. Therefore, we encourage all our members to also experience the satisfaction of hands-on helping others in need. Activating SJMC members as described in this Torch Award submission eventually results in most of the members finding a positive meaning in life. | Original Program | Yes | |||||||
| 22 | 2023-03-15 00:25 | aromano | 75.82.226.164 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Temple Aliyah Men'S Club - Woodland Hills, CA (CLUB MERGED) | Movember Hike | Dr. Jeff Shore | Alex | Romano | aromano@mac.com | Richard | Kosoff | fosok61@gmail.com | Richard | Kosoff | fosok61@gmail.com | Health and Wellness | To promote Men's Health we planned a hike at a local park that leads into an open nature reserve. We tied it in with a fundraiser to support the Movember Foundation which funds research and awareness of Men's Health. | To promote Men's Health we planned a hike, of easy-to-moderate difficulty, at a local park that leads into an open nature reserve. We tied it in with a fundraiser to support the Movember Foundation which funds research and awareness of Men's Health. All participants were asked to make a donation to Movember and, in return, receive and wear (at least for a group picture) a mock mustachio, the trademark on Movember. At an appropriate spot, we took a break for a quick D'Var Torah and refreshments. This was included in emails sent to the Club mailing list for a few weeks prior to the event. Follow-up one-to-one emails phone calls to verify and/or encourage attendance helped increase success. | fjmc_torch_awards_2023_templealiyah_movemberhike_1.pdf (306 KB) | fjmc_torch_awards_2023_templealiyah_movemberhike_1.pdf (306 KB) | fjmc_torch_awards_2023_templealiyah_movemberhike_2.jpg (138 KB) fjmc_torch_awards_2023_templealiyah_movemberhike_3.jpg (435 KB) fjmc_torch_awards_2023_templealiyah_movemberhike_4.jpg (1129 KB) fjmc_torch_awards_2023_templealiyah_movemberhike_5.jpg (203 KB) | We had 15 people, which included a couple of spouses, which we consider a success. We raised more than $100 toward supporting the Movember Foundation's fund-raising campaign. A number of the participants were those who do not normally participate in Men's Club events so we feel that this helped us draw more guys to become active in the club. All who cam seemed to enjoy the experience. | This kind of activity helps promote the FJMC initiative to help men build and maintain healthy lifestyles. It also helped to support the Movember Foundation whose work makes a difference in awaeness and research in Men's Health issues. It is also a great activity to promote community. | Original Program | Yes | Silver | ||||
| 21 | 2023-03-14 21:52 | DiamondMC | 32.213.190.202 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Beth El Temple Men's Club - West Hartford (217) | Beth El Temple Fantasy Football League | Dr. Jeff Shore | Dave | Diamond | daviddiamond2@comcast.net | Arthur | Freedman | drartf@aol.com | Arthur | Freedman | drartf@aol.com | Family and Youth Programming | This was a fantasy football league for the entire 2022-2023 season geared towards families. There would be teams of at least two people, and the competition would commence with a draft to be held at the Temple prior to the start of the season. A nominal fee would be charged to participate and there would be several winners who would get gift cards as their prize. | A Beth El Men's Club board member, who has spent his entire professional career in the sports industry, came up with the idea of a fantasy football league for the Temple. Having previously worked at ESPN, he was very familiar with running a league through their website and volunteered to chair this program. Since the Men's Club has been proactive in having activities geared towards younger men and their families, we enthusiastically embraced this program. While we publicized this to the entire Temple, we know from experience that the best way to get people to participate is to ask them directly. The program chair, having children of his own in the Temple's religious school, knows many of the young families we were targeting, and he reached out to them. We ended up with 12 teams, most of them being father and son teams. The league started with a draft at the Temple the night before the beginning of the NFL season. Refreshments were provided, and everyone brought their laptops in order to participate in the draft. A couple teams were not available to show up in person, so they participated in the draft remotely. We were surprised that the entire draft was completed in just one hour and everyone had their roster. It was just $10 per team to enter, and participants ranged from die-hard football fans who had participated in these leagues for many years to those who never were in a league and barely knew any football players. We were all in it for the fun and camaraderie. We interacted with each other throughout the season, offering to trade players. We enjoyed going on the ESPN website and seeing how all the teams were doing, and looking at the enormous quantity of statistics that was available. Despite the different levels of knowledge of the participants, it was amazing just how close the teams were in the standings for most of the season. At the end of the season, three teams ended up with gift cards totaling $210. While the Men's Club took in $120 for the 12 teams, we decided to subsidize this after so there would be meaningful prizes for the winners. This event was so well received that we now have plans for the second annual fantasy football league for the upcoming 2023-2024 football season. | fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_fantasy_football_league_waiver_claims_e-mail.pdf (463 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_fantasy_football_league_prize_money_e-mail.pdf (492 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_fantasy_football_league_end_of_season_e-mail.pdf (1493 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_fantasy_football_league_gift_cards_for_winners.pdf (102 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_torch_award_program_schedule.pdf (65 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_fantasy_football_league_publicity_request_e-mail.pdf (901 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_fantasy_football_league_publicity_e-mail.pdf (416 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_fantasy_football_league_publicity_newsletter.pdf (827 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_beth_el_temple_fantasy_football_league_program_chair_david_sabino.jpg (178 KB) | This program had a positive impact all around. It mainly attracted younger men and their sons - not something found too often at Men's Club events. While the in-person draft was a lot of fun, this program didn't end there; it lasted four months - the entire football season. It offered a bonding experience for the fathers and sons who participated, and it strengthened the connections between all the participants. There was constant buzz about football; a lot more than if we didn't have this league. This program raised the visibility of our Men's Club since it attracted interest amongst a group that for the most part does not know much about us. It was clearly a success and it was clear to everyone involved that we'd do this again. | Innovation: This was a cross-generational program with primarily dads and their sons, helping to connect people of varying ages to the Jewish community. Community: Sports has always been something that connects men. A program like this that lasts four months is a great way to foster long-lasting relationships, whether its between two adults, two children, or father and son. | Original Program | Yes | Silver | |||
| 20 | 2023-03-14 18:17 | dmandeau | 71.233.74.229 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Temple Emanuel Brotherhood - Newton, MA (719) | Hanukkah Charitable Gift and Toy Drive | Dr. Jeff Shore | Daniel | Mandeau | mandeau@comcast.net | Larry | Glazer | larryglazer@gmail.com | Larry | Glazer | larryglazer@gmail.com | Fundraising | Our Brotherhood has been coordinating this event for several years. It is a fun and simple opportunity for families to participate in tzedakah by giving one night of Hanullah gifts to local homeless kids through birthdaywishes.com. | The toy drives culminates at the shul wide Hanukkah celebration with collection boxes. Volunteers distribute the toys with their families to the children. This initiative has delivered birthday celebrations to thousands of homeless kids throughout the region and directly impacts so many lives. This year alone we collected over 200 toys from Temple Emanuel. | High | Yes, very successful | Thank you Larry Glazer, our president, for always making this happen! | Original Program | Yes | Honorable Mention | ||||||
| 19 (draft) | 2023-03-14 14:21 | Hairman | 69.206.222.40 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | A pertinent Program | Club Administration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | 2023-03-13 13:07 | dmandeau | 208.185.11.244 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Temple Emanuel Brotherhood - Newton, MA (719) | Turkey Drive | Dr. Jeff Shore | Daniel | Mandeau | mandeau@comcast.net | Larry | Glazer | larryglazer@gmail.com | Larry | Glazer | larryglazer@gmail.com | Fundraising | The Brotherhood has been supporting the Mass Ave. Baptist Church Soup Kitchen for over a decade. Pre-pandemic we visited on Monday nights to serve. Twice a year a special dinner is held on Thanksgiving and Xmas where turkeys are also distributed. Seven years ago we found ourselves short handed with Turkeys and we found a way to get them there on time. Ever since, Danny Mandeau has been leading a "Turkey Drive" fundraising campaign. At first it was grass roots but four years ago it became officially supported by the shul. Despite the pandemic great results were still shown even though the dinners were take out only. In 2021 over $7k was raised, This year with the return of our first in person event in three years over $8k was raised! Good thing because the Soup Kitchen needs a new freezer! | See above | Help the homeless | Brotherhood sponsored and fully run. | Original Program | Yes | Honorable Mention | |||||||
| 17 (draft) | 2023-03-12 14:48 | Stan | 73.195.34.9 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503) | Community Support | Stanley | Shumas | sshumas@comcast.net | Phillip | Godorov | phillipgodorov@gmail.com | Phillip | Godorov | phillipgodorov@gmail.com | Fundraising | |||||||||||||||
| 16 | 2023-03-11 22:41 | DiamondMC | 32.213.190.202 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Beth El Temple Men's Club - West Hartford (217) | The Roots of Beth El Temple and the Emanuel Synagogue: A Brunch Program at the Faith Adventist Church | Dr. Jeff Shore | Dave | Diamond | daviddiamond2@comcast.net | Arthur (BEMC) and Phil (EB) | Freedman (BEMC),Thierman (EB) | drart@aol.com | Arthur (BEMC) and Phil (EB) | Freedman (BEMC),Thierman (EB) | drart@aol.com | Joint Programming | This was a joint program between two Clubs whose synagogues had its roots in a building that is now a church. It required the efforts of not only these two Clubs, but the local Jewish Historical Society (who was the overall coordinator of the program) and the church itself where the Sunday morning brunch program was held. The overall goal of the program was to provide members of both synagogues, the Jewish Historical Society, the church, and the community, an appreciation of the rich history of the building as well as learn about similarities between Judaism and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. | Beth El Temple and The Emanuel Synagogue, both in West Hartford, CT, are the two largest conservative synagogues in the Greater Hartford area. Both synagogues have their roots in Hartford in a building now housing a Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Many cities throughout North America, large and small, experienced a huge influx of Jewish immigration in the late 1800s through early 1900s. They established their communities in the oldest, often rundown, parts of their respective cities where they worked hard to build a better life for themselves and their families. Hartford was no exception, with an immigrant community near the downtown center of the city. By the middle of the 20th century, Jewish families were moving to larger and newer apartments as well as to houses in the North End of Hartford. They were also moving to West Hartford which was beginning to establish a suburban Jewish community. Hartford was still the center of Jewish life with about a dozen synagogues and countless other Jewish institutions. One such synagogue was the Emanuel Synagogue (founded 1919) whose membership was increasing steadily and was outgrowing its space. By the early 1950s, many members had already moved to West Hartford and felt that a synagogue was needed there to address the overcrowding issue as well as to provide a place to worship close to where they now lived. Ultimately, a group of Emanuel Synagogue members founded Beth El Temple which was built in West Hartford in 1954. By the late 1960s, with continued Jewish migration to West Hartford, the Emanuel Synagogue moved from Hartford to West Hartford. The building that housed the synagogue in Hartford was subsequently sold to the Faith Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford (JHSGH) collects and preserves materials that document the Greater Hartford Jewish community. Their diverse array of activities has included bus trips as well as a bike ride through the North End of Hartford, which once was a vibrant Jewish community, with stops and visits at churches and other institutions that had been part of this community. The idea to have a jointly co-sponsored breakfast program at the now church was proposed to the Executive Director of the JHSGH in the spring of 2022 by a board member who happened to also be on the board of the Beth El Men’s Club and handled programming for both organizations. The vision for the program was as follows: - The Beth El Men’s Club and Emanuel Brotherhood would co-sponsor a buffet breakfast. - A panel discussion would follow with representatives from both synagogues as well as the church who were very familiar with the history of the building. - A tour of the building would follow. The Executive Director of the JHSGH was very enthusiastic about this potential program and reached out to her contact at the church. They were also interested in having this program. The boards of both the Beth El Men’s Club and Emanuel Brotherhood were also excited about collaborating together for a buffet breakfast at the church. Several dates in October and November 2022 were proposed that worked for both Men’s Clubs and their respective synagogues. The JHSGH reached out to the church again and landed on a date that worked for all organizations. An understanding of the key beliefs and practices of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church was important in our planning. It was fascinating to find out the similarities they have with Judaism. Some of the things learned from Wikipedia were the following: - The Seventh-day Adventist Church is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregoria) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath. - Part of Friday might be spent in preparation for the Sabbath; for example, preparing meals and tidying homes. Adventists may gather for Friday evening worship to welcome in the Sabbath. - The major weekly worship service occurs on Saturday, typically commencing with Sabbath School which is a structured time of small-group bible study at church. - Adventists place an emphasis on diet and health, and expects adherence to kosher food laws, particularly the consumption of kosher foods described in Leviticus 11, meaning abstinence from pork, rabbit, shellfish, and other animals proscribed as unclean. They advocate vegetarianism. The church discourages its members from consuming alcoholic beverages, tobacco, or illegal drugs. In addition, some Adventists avoid refined foods, sweeteners, and caffeine. We checked with our contact at the church to confirm what would be acceptable to serve at the breakfast. Based on their beliefs, we knew we couldn’t have caffeinated coffee/tea (a staple at our breakfasts) as well as any alcoholic drinks. Everything else you’d typically have at a Men’s Club breakfast such as OJ, bagels, cream cheese, lox, scrambled eggs, fruit platter and pastries was fine. We identified a current member of Beth El Temple as well as a current member of the Emanuel Synagogue (both board members of the Jewish Historical Society) who could speak about the early history of both synagogues. There were also two members of the church who could speak about its history. All four agreed to be panelists. The next step was to publicize the program. At Beth El Temple, the Men’s Club sent out a publicity request e-mail which sets the wheels in motion for announcements in the bi-monthly newsletter, on the synagogue website, via various e-blasts, and inclusion in the weekly Shabbat leaflets. The Emanuel Synagogue and JHSGH also publicized this program through their various communication channels. While the church was typically closed on Sundays and did not have these types of programs, they encouraged their members to attend. In the weeks leading up to the program, we had many communications amongst ourselves about the brunch planning, set-up, format of the program, building tour, manpower needs, etc. We arranged for a security guard to be at the church for the entire duration of the program as that is now common practice at our synagogues for large gatherings. We determined that parking was readily available directly across the street in a lot used by a large school during the week, and made sure that was communicated to those who signed up for the program. Several of us met at the church 11 days before the program to look at the space (kitchen, social room, sanctuary) and tour the building. It was obvious that this church was once a synagogue with all the Jewish stars and Hebrew writing, both inside and outside the building. During this visit, we noticed that an office had a mezuzah on its doorway. The church elder who was leading us through the building told us that apparently the mezuzah was accidentally left on during a renovation decades earlier. Initially the church members did not know what the mezuzot in the building were and removed others, but once they learned more, kept that one in its place out of respect. We secured many volunteers from both Men’s Clubs, the JHSGH and the church to help at the event. The Emanuel Brotherhood started the food prep at their synagogue on the Thursday evening before the program as well as early Sunday morning. Several people went shopping Sunday morning for food, coffee, etc. Everything was brought to the church where there was more food prep and cooking. Cookware and other supplies were brought to the church as needed to be sure we had what we needed and that everything met kashrut standards. Volunteers from the church worked with the Beth El Men’s Club and Emanuel Brotherhood in the kitchen as well as bringing everything out to the social room where the program was to be held. We ended up with close to 100 attendees, far more than what either Men's Club typically draw for a Sunday morning breakfast program. What is impressive about this was that many people were still not attending gatherings such as this due to ongoing COVID concerns. Most attendees were members of Beth El Temple, the Emanuel Synagogue, and/or Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford. We were hoping to see more people associated with the church there, but those that were there were fully engaged and really appreciated learning from us about our shared history. Several from the church helped in the kitchen, in the social room set-up and building tour. The president of the JHSGH teaches Sunday mornings at the Emanuel Synagogue Religious School and he brought his entire class of students to the program. Many attendees had been members of the Emanuel Synagogue when it was in that building in the 1950s and 1960s, and had not been there in over 55 years. There was one woman in attendance who had gotten married 67 years earlier, to the day, in the very room we were in. People who grew up in that area enjoyed reminiscing about those days. Others learned about the rich Jewish history of Hartford from the panel discussion and Q+A. We all learned about the similarities between practices of Judaism and the Seventh-Day Adventists, particularly around Sabbath and kosher dietary traditions. All involved agreed that this was a truly worthwhile and meaningful program for the community, and one that helped build bridges across divides of city-suburb, religion, and race. | fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_the_roots_presentation_part1.pdf (2952 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_the_roots_presentation_part2.pdf (1861 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_logistics_e-mail.pdf (1025 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_torch_award_program_schedule.pdf (18 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_beth_el_temple_publicity_request_0.pdf (1025 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_beth_el_temple_publicity_newsletter_0.pdf (827 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_beth_el_temple_publicity_e-mail_0.pdf (565 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_jhsgh_publicity_flyer_0.pdf (439 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_emanuel_publicity_flyer.pdf (155 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_faith_church_front_door_0.jpg (2335 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_outside_building_-_jewish_stars_and_hebrew_writing_0.jpg (3112 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_outside_building_-_10_commandments_0.jpg (801 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_kitchen-1_0.jpg (765 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_kitchen-2_0.jpg (889 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_table_at_program_0.jpg (878 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_view_of_all_tables_at_program_0.jpg (861 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_four_panelists_0.jpg (873 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_exec_director_of_jhsgh_0.jpg (884 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_speaker_and_kids_table_0.jpg (760 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_speaker_near_end_of_program_0.jpg (882 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_clapping_at_end_of_program_0.jpg (756 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_dedication_program_of_the_new_emanuel_synagogue_0.jpg (2422 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_mezuzah_0.jpg (1837 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_sanctuary_ceiling_0.jpg (732 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_stained_glass_-_3_windows.jpg (2307 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_stained_glass_circle_-_shabbat.jpg (1759 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_stained_glass_circle_with_hebrew.jpg (1789 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_hebrew_writing_in_front_of_sanctuary.jpg (1288 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_jewish_stars_in_front_of_sanctuary.jpg (1345 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_sanctuary_view_from_back.jpg (748 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_exec_director_of_jhsgh_fielding_questions_in_sanctuary.jpg (779 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_beth_el_mens_club_217_emanuel_brotherhood_230_group_photo_in_front_of_sanctuary.jpg (884 KB) | Program gave both Men's Clubs and the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford an opportunity to work together to offer a very successful and meaningful program to all organizations. It gave the Faith Seventh-Day Adventist Church an opportunity to work with the other groups and offer something that was very different than anything they've ever had under their roof. It was a tremendous success. We learned about each other's faiths and the similarities between them. People who were members of the Emanuel Synagogue when it was still located in Hartford had a chance to reminisce about a time in their life when the synagogue and community in Hartford was so important to them. It gave everyone an opportunity to learn about the history of the building, the migration of Jews from Hartford to West Hartford, and the formation of Beth El Temple. It was inspiring to see how it was important for the church to keep as much as possible of its Jewish past intact, throughout decades of renovations, paint jobs, and other building changes. | Jewish men from the three sponsoring organizations worked together to bring this program to the community. The program supports innovation as it connected people of all ages to the Jewish community - older adults who lived in the community and were educated in the synagogue when it was in Hartford, younger adults who wanted to learn about the history, and current religious school students who were invited by their teacher to attend. It certainly supports community - the camaraderie, common interests and core values extended to those in both the Jewish and Seventh-Day Adventist Church communities. | We encourage all Men's Clubs to consider bringing a program like this to their community. Look into the history of your synagogue - what were its origins? If there were previous locations, are the buildings still there and what are they used for? If there is a local Jewish Historical Society (or any type of Historical Society) in your community, reach out to them to see about collaborating together. This type of program can easily be replicated in some format in most communities. | Original Program | Yes | Bronze | ||
| 15 | 2023-03-10 22:21 | mikep2 | 73.197.57.108 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | South Jersey Men'S Club - Cherry Hill, NJ (503) | Bringing Hanukkah to Jewish Troops | Dr. Jeff Shore | Michael | Perloff | Mikep2@comcast.net | Abe | Ferdas | aferdas@verizon.net | Philip | Godorov | PhillipGodorov@gmail.com | Jewish Observance | As part of the South Jersey Men’s Club’s (SJMC) efforts to support the Jewish community at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (Joint Base MDL) in Southern New Jersey, we helped organize the base Hanukkah party, provided gifts for the young children, and presented the community with the large menorah and candles for a community-wide Hanukkah party. | Background – There has been an active Jewish chapel at the Joint Base MDL (originally known as the Fort Dix Army Post) since its establishment in 1917. It has over 100,000 uniformed servicemembers as residents or passing through each year, including thousands of Jewish servicemembers and their families. The SJMC has been supporting Jewish families at the base since at least 2002, with donations of clothes, food, sanitary items, and money for individuals, when needed. In 2019, the Chaplain-in-Charge of all 11 base chapels determined there was no need for the Jewish and Muslim chapels. He disassembled and discarded all the holy items from both the Jewish and Muslim chapels. When the Chaplain-in-Charge’s actions were discovered by the Jewish War Veterans base liaison, the Chaplain was fired by the base commander. Then, the action was taken to restore the Jewish and Muslim chapels by local Jewish community members. Later, the local Muslim community joined in helping to restore the Muslim chapel. Response by the SJMC – In October 2022, the SJMC became aware of a large menorah available in the Cherry Hill community that could be donated to the Joint Base MDL Jewish chapel during Hanukkah in December 2022. The Jewish chaplain at the base was contacted and informed of the menorah’s availability. He was extremely enthusiastic and asked that this menorah be donated as part of the upcoming Hanukkah party. In fact, the chaplain asked if we could expand the party to include non-Jewish servicemembers and their families. The SJMC helped to support the expanded party with food for all and gifts for the children. The base Hanukkah party was attended by at least 75 people (service members and their families), plus another 25 Jewish members from the local community and several from New York and Pennsylvania. The base commander and his wife also attended and lit a candle. The party started with a traditional Jewish lighting of the newly donated SJMC menorah and a story of why the menorah is important for Hanukkah. The party had traditional food and music, and lots of presents for the young children. | menorah_joint_base.sjmc_picnic.jpg (317 KB) menorah_joint_base.jpg (206 KB) | The SJMC continues to support servicemembers and their families at Joint Base MDL. We put in the time and effort necessary to meet the needs of those who are serving in the defense of the United States. Jewish servicemembers and their families are away from home, and we in the SJMC, whenever possible, continue to provide the religious and other support needed by those who serve and their families who are making sacrifices. | Our contribution to enhancing the Hanukkah celebration on a military base is a meaningful element that helped Jewish servicemembers maintain their ties to Judaism and the Jewish community, per the FJMC’s mission. When the Jewish community at the Joint Base MDL experienced a crisis, the SJMC came to the rescue, clearly demonstrating the FJMC’s goal of being part of and helping the overarching Jewish community. | Original Program | Yes | |||||||
| 14 | 2023-03-09 23:19 | lklioze | 69.114.242.214 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Highland Park Conservative Temple Men's Club - Highland Park, NJ (910) | Make-A-Menorah | Dr. Jeff Shore | Lawrence | Klioze | larryklioze@gmail.com | Ira | Kizner | ikizner347@gmail.com | Ira | Kizner | ikizner347@gmail.com | Family and Youth Programming | The Make-A-Menorah program is designed to engage children (and their parents) to celebrate the Chanukah Festival with their own Chanukah Menorah (Chanukiah). The Men's Club supplies the kits which are simple to assemble and can be decorated as the child sees fit. This is an excellent example of Involving Jewish Men in Jewish Life! | The Make-A-Menorah project was conceived to encourage greater Jewish observance for young children by getting them involved early. By making it fun, the idea is to have them look forward to celebrating Chanukah every year. One of the highlights will be lighting candles on ‘their own’ Menorah, that they made themselves! We designed a Menorah kit that the club could make, and the children could assemble and decorate, under adult supervision. We made a couple prototypes (see 1.0 Prototype 1-01, 2-01 & 2-02), which we used to refine the design and conduct some tests (see Burn Test 01, 02, 03, 04 & 05). The kit materials were not expensive, important because the Club wanted to supply the kits to the Temple youth free of charge. The Club Board of Trustees approved the program, allocating $300 to purchase the necessary materials. We then pitched the idea to the Temple’s Executive Director and Youth Coordinator. They both loved the idea. Having planned a Temple Chanukah Fair, they wanted to include this as one of the children’s activities. Our original design (Make-A-Menorah 1.0) included a solid wood base, wood dowels, and metal candle holder cups. We cut the wood and dowels to specified sizes, then drilled holes partially into the wood base for where the dowels would be placed. We also drilled smaller holes into one end of each dowel piece to hold the metal candle holder cups. Instruction sheets completed the kits. The wood is readily available from Home Depot, Lowes, and most lumber yards. The metal candle cups are available from Jewish Innovations through Amazon. Our Chief Engineer, Marty Golden, designed the prototype kit. He adjusted the design based on feedback from evaluating the tests performed. Our kit included the following pieces: • One base of solid wood 2 ½” x 11 ½” x ¾” • Eight ¾” diameter dowels, 1 ¾” long for the eight candles • One ¾” diameter dowel, 2 ¾” long for the Shamash • Nine Metal Candle Cups • One sheet detailing assembly instructions (see Assembly Instructions.docx) Marty also provided the use of his woodworking shop, and he designed the templates we used to ensure the pieces were cut to the proper size, and the holes were drilled in the proper places. (See Wood Shop 01, 03, 07, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 & 17) We packaged the kits as follows: • Nine Metal Candle Cups in a snack size Ziploc bag • All wood pieces, the instruction sheet, and the snack size Ziploc bag above in a poly bag • A label on the outside of the poly bag identifying the kit (see Bag Label.docx) We made 30 kits, which we felt would be sufficient. Any leftover kits could be sold or kept for the following year. Additional needed supplies not included in the kits included: Elmer’s Glue, Sharpie markers, and/or paints. The Chanukah Fair was held on December 4, 2022. It included several vendors for people who might be shopping for Judaica holiday gifts. It also included several children’s activities and Chanukah themed snacks (sufganyot and potato latkes). The Temple promoted the Chanukah Fair using paper flyers sent in the mail, and PDF Flyers (see Flyer) sent via email. They advertised it on their website, and in the Rabbi’s pre-Shabbat phone message and bimah announcements. Additionally, the Club advertised it on its Facebook page, and via emails to our mailing list. Several Men’s Club members manned the Make-A-Menorah tables, helping the children assemble, glue, and decorate their menorahs. Another organization had a table where they had children decorate Menorah trays. When children finished making their menorahs, we sent them to the Menorah Tray table, and vice versa. (See Table 01, 02, 03, 09, 11, 13, 15 & 18.) The program was extremely successful. We sold out all 30 kits, and put some people on a wait list, in case we were able to make more. The children were extremely excited and proud having made their very own menorahs! Feedback from some concerned parents led us to redesign the kit for Make-A-Menorah 2.0. Our new design is made entirely out of ceramic tiles, plus the metal candle cups from the original design (see 2.0_Prototype 1 & 2). Going forward, we will use the new design because it affords these advantages: • The materials are less expensive than the previous design (see 2.0_Cost Estimate.xlsx). • There is no need to cut or drill the materials. All one needs to do is purchase the parts and package them with instructions. This makes the kit easier to make. • One may pre-glue the pieces used to support the Shamash, but this is not necessary. However, if the pieces are not pre-glued, the instructions need to include a step to glue them together. • This design is 100% fireproof (see 2.0 Specs.docx). | fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_2.0_cost_estimate_0.xlsx (1118 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_2.0_specs_0.docx (1405 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_assembly_instructions_0.docx (1122 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_bag_label_0.docx (26 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_schedule_0.xlsx (26 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_flyer_0.pdf (153 KB) | fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_1.0_prototype_1-01.pdf (500 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_1.0_prototype_2-01.pdf (205 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_1.0_prototype_2-02.pdf (126 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_2.0_prototype_1.pdf (164 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_2.0_prototype_2.pdf (95 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_burn_test_01.pdf (51 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_burn_test_02.pdf (48 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_burn_test_03.pdf (49 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_burn_test_04.pdf (61 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_burn_test_05.pdf (38 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_table_01.pdf (77 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_table_02.pdf (136 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_table_03.pdf (162 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_table_09.pdf (106 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_table_11.pdf (128 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_table_13.pdf (92 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_table_15.pdf (86 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_table_18.pdf (147 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_wood_shop_01.pdf (181 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_wood_shop_03.pdf (113 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_wood_shop_07.pdf (177 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_wood_shop_10.pdf (124 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_wood_shop_12.pdf (182 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_wood_shop_13.pdf (183 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_wood_shop_14.pdf (186 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_wood_shop_16.pdf (146 KB) fjmc_ta_2023_highland_park_make-a-menorah_wood_shop_17.pdf (190 KB) | This program promoted teamwork in our club. Approximately 10 club members out of 67 total members contributed to the program buying materials, making the kits, and helping the children assemble and decorate their Menorahs. As part of the Temple’s Chanukah Fair, it helped draw families with young children and encouraged Jewish observance. The program was very well received. We gave out all 30 kits that we produced, and probably could have given out another 20 if we had them! It was a resounding success! The program also promoted the image of our Men’s Club as providing a service to our Jewish community. | This program supported the FJMC mission of involving Jewish Men in Jewish Life because we produced kits for Jewish children to make and decorate their own Menorahs. The Jewish Men in our Club were Involved in Jewish Life by conceiving this idea, developing it, and bringing it to fruition. This in turn encouraged children (and their parents) to light candles during Chanukah, to properly celebrate the festival, and to be involved in Jewish Life. It also supported the elements of the FJMC tagline: Leadership, Innovation, Community. Leadership – by having two club members take the lead on this program. Innovation – by producing an innovative design for the Make-A-Menorah kit. Community – by providing these kits for the Jewish families in the community with young children. | Note: All references to other files in the Detailed Program section are pictures, unless otherwise noted. (Note: The pictures were either .jpeg or .jpg; however, the form would not allow .jpg or .jpeg files, so we exported them to .pdf format.) The file names all start with ‘FJMC TA 2023_Highland Park_Make-A-Menorah_’. We reference the remainder of the file name. The files are uploaded separately. | Original Program | Yes | Honorable Mention | ||
| 13 | 2023-03-09 17:01 | miltonlipitz24 | 98.113.130.117 | 2023 | I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines. | Beth El Men's Club - Cedarhurst, NY (831) | Jewish Observance | Dr. Jeff Shore | Milton | Lipitz | mlipitz121@gmail.com | Milton | Lipitz | mlipitz121@gmail.com | Milton | Lipitz | mlipitz121@gmail.com | Jewish Observance | The goal of Jewish Observance has occurred through a variety of programs that have been established and for a variety of programs expanded upon. A Men's Club Executive Board Member runs classes on "How to Lead a Minyan" in addition to a newly formed Beginners class. Our Yom HaShoah program combines the lighting of candles on the Erev of Yom HaShoah with a film from the Moriah Collection we purchased from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. During our Men's Club Shabbat, we bring in guest speakers such as a docent from the Holocaust Museum; This year our D'Var Torah was given by a Member of the Men's Club whose Topic was: "The Supreme Court Case Considers Issues Relating to Sabbath Observance"' On the evening of Kristallnacht, we always have a Memorial service in addition to a guest speaker ie. Martin Goldsmith who wrote two books concerning the Holocaust. Every year we organize a Veteran's Shabbat to honor Veterans where Men's Club Members run the program.. We have expanded our "World Wide Wrap Program" to include Congregants from other temples as well as students from those temples. We have arranged visits to the OHEL and to The Jewish Theological Seminary where our Rabbi was our Tour Guide. During Chanukah, Men's Club Members volunteer to model lighting the Menorah on Zoom to the entire Congregation. | Our "How to Run a Minyan" class has taught Congregants not only the steps in running a Minyan, but has helped to improve the reading of the prayers. The members of this class run Morning and Evening Minyans which they had not done before. The program has expanded to a beginners class where Congregants who are not familiar with Hebrew are taught the basics. Sisterhood Members are classmates as well as members of the Men's Club. In addition, students from both classes are requested to attend Morning and Evening Minyans We held a program entitled "Monday Night at the Movies" where we showed 4 different Moriah Films during 4 consecutive months; the last being held on April 19th two days after Yom Ha Shoah.. We also held a "Jewish Trivia Contest" where we invited community synagogues to participate. Certificates were rewarded to the winning team in addition to a certificate for "The Jewish Trivia Maven". Our visits to the OHEL and The Jewish Theological Seminary added greatly to our Goal of Enhancing Jewish Observance. The idea of including other Temples, with Adults and Students, in our "World Wide Wrap" Program helped make this event extremely successful. Men' Club members organize many of these programs and/or attend these events. | messenger-oct._nov._dec.docx (14 KB) messenger-jan._feb._mar.docx (13 KB) messenger-april_and_may.docx (14 KB) chanukah_lighting.docx (14 KB) | minutes-sept_2022.docx (16 KB) minutes-jan._2023.docx (17 KB) minyan_classes.pdf (369 KB) minutes-2023.docx (17 KB) | world_wide_wrap_2023.pdf (1148 KB) kristallnacht_2022_1.pdf (524 KB) zoom_link_monday_movies.pdf (3719 KB) trivia_contest_feb_2023.pdf (301 KB) | Our Temple has 157 Families who are contacted concerning all our programs. We also send flyers to other temples inviting them to participate in our programs. We have been successful with Hewlett East Rockaway Jewish Center where Congregants have attended events at each others temples. These events are Religious; Educational; and Meaningful Programs as well as providing Social Interaction among our own Congregants as well as Congregants from other temples. | All of our activities are open to Men and Women. Our "How to Run a Minyan" program, advanced and beginner programs, has opened the door for many Congregants to expand their knowledge of Judaism. Congregants who are in both of these programs partake in our Men's Club Shabbat and attend Morning and/or Evening Minyans. Mens's Club members are involved in organizing and participating in our Veteran's Shabbat program; and help to organize programs with other temples such as Hewlett East Rockaway Jewish Center. It was our Men's Club members (a married couple who are both on our Executive Board) who organized our Jewish Trivia contest. It was Men's Club members who organized the speaker for the Kristallnacht Program. We have many Men's Club members who have shown Leadership, Innovation and Community as has been described. | It is Jewish Men who run many of our Jewish Observance Programs ie Men's Club Shabbat; Veterans Shabbat; Kristallnacht; Yom HaShoah Candle Program and coordinate the Moriah Film Program where we not only showed four films (in our Monday Night at the Movies with the Men's Club Program), but also are involved with lending these films to our Congregants. | Original Program | Yes | Honorable Mention |
