Congregation Kehilat Shalom to host "Tropical Paradise Under the Star March 24

 Feb 13, 2012

Congregation Kehilat Shalom will host "Tropical Paradise Under the Stars,” our third annual silent auction and dance/music event on March 24 at 7:30 pm at the synagogue located at 253 Griggstown Road.

“After the long winter, I’m really looking forward to spending the evening in a ‘Tropical Paradise Under the Stars’. This year’s event promises to be a great night of music, fun and prizes for those who participate. At the same time, it is our major fund-raiser of the year which will help CKS continue to serve the spiritual, educational, and social needs of our members and our community,” said Deborah Tesser, Chair of the Event.

The synagogue will be transformed into a tropical island paradise, complete with music and a dance floor, and the social hall will become a jazz lounge with live music. Get out the coasters because in addition to soft drinks and wine there will be a delicious tropical libation created especially for the event, a little taste of the islands. It can’t really be described--- it must be tried! Of course, there will also be great hors d’oeuvres and desserts. Between bites and sips, there will be a silent auction featuring many great home-made and commercial items and services--- everything from restaurant gift certificates to piano lessons to summer camp at Princeton Arts Council to a week in a vacation home in St. Croix, VI ! There will also be a raffle for an iPad 2 and a Mystery Wine Station where guests can purchase a wrapped bottle of wine worth at least $15 but perhaps much more. Admission is $36 per person and includes all refreshments, entertainment, and door prize chances. iPad raffle tickets are $10 each and may be purchased ahead of time or at the event. The silent auction items will be featured on the synagogue website www.ksnj.org prior to the auction so that you can browse ahead of time.

While the event is sponsored by CKS, the congregation hopes to attract many local residents looking for a fun evening out. “In this economy, it is hard to find something to do that is reasonable and fun,” said Tesser. “This is not only a chance to take home a great prize, but it’s a great way to do something with friends or meet members of the community.”

For more information and to purchase raffle or event tickets, call the synagogue office at 908-359-0420 or e-mail robin@ksnj.org.
Congregation Kehilat Shalom, located at 253 Belle Mead–Griggstown Road in Belle Mead, is a Reconstructionist synagogue. CKS is a warm and welcoming community dedicated to serving the spiritual, educational, cultural, and social needs of a diverse congregation. We maintain a unique, vibrant and visible Jewish presence in Southern Somerset County as well as parts of surrounding Middlesex, Mercer, and Hunterdon Counties.
 

Holocaust in Our Time - March 18 Lecture at Princeton United Methodist Church

 Feb 13, 2012

"Why genocide, now?" asks Leonard Risch Winogora, author and historian. On Sunday, March 18, at 4 p.m. at Princeton United Methodist Church, he will speak on "," and Don Brash, PUMC's resident theologian, will moderate a free lecture-discussion, part of a monthly "Troubling Issues" series. The church is located at Nassau and Vandeventer and is ADA accessible. For information call 609-924-2613, email troublingissues@gmail.com, or go to www.princetonumc.org.

"The 20th century was supposed to be a period of progress, yet war, famine and genocide became more pronounced in this 100-year segment of history than human civilization has fully recognized," says Winogora. With undergraduate and doctoral degrees from the University of Chicago, he is a professor at Mercer County Community College and Burlington County College. He co-authored "Workload and Productivity Bargaining in Higher Education" and has written on such subjects as genocide in Africa in post-colonial societies, the application of the ethical reasoning of medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides in contemporary society, and the marketing of business ethics to the corporate class. He lives in Princeton with his wife, Robbie, and two daughters.

The free lecture-discussions in the Troubling Issues series continue on May 6 with "Through Our Eyes," a short film documenting young gay Christian experiences growing up in the churches. The series will start again in September with "Is there ever really a just war?" Parking is free on Sundays.
 

Thrifty Threads Clothing Sale Set For March 2-3

 Feb 16, 2012

The Hopewell United Methodist Church's women's group will hold its Spring Clothing Sale on Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 from 9 A.M. until Noon at the church.

Gently used clothing of all kinds - men's, women's and children's - will be available for sale. There is no pricing of items, just a donation is requested. This is a great opportunity to get clothing for your family without a large expense.

Funds raised go to support mission projects of the United Methodist Women, helping women, youth and children located locally, nationally and internationally.

The Hopewell United Methodist Church is located at 20 Blackwell Avenue in Hopewell Borough, which is off of Route 518/West Broad Street. Please note that the sale will be held in the downstairs of Burton Hall and is handicapped accessible. For more information, please call (609) 466-0471.
 

CHILD SLAVERY LECTURE ON FEBRUARY 19 at PUMC

 Feb 3, 2012

PRINCETON: Child trafficking will be the topic for a lecture-conversation on Sunday, February 19, at 4 p.m. at Princeton United Methodist Church (PUMC), located at Nassau & Vandeventer. Dr. Francesca Nuzzolese will speak and Dr. Don Brash, PUMC’s resident theologian/ adult education chairperson, will moderate a discussion of "Children at Risk: trafficking and enslavement of children today." A professor at Palmer Seminary, the seminary of Eastern University, Dr. Nuzzolese has been a missionary and pastoral counselor in the United States, Europe, and Australia, and she has just returned from studying child enslavement in south Asia.

“It is so easy to just look away from such a distressing subject, but in this new monthly series, we will try to learn more about and to come to grips with some of these troubling issues,” says Rev. Brash.

The March 18 topic in the Troubling Issues series is “Holocausts in Our Time,” to be discussed by Leonard Risch Winogora, a Princeton resident and Mercer County College professor who studies genocide in Africa in post-colonial societies. The topic for May 6 is “Is There Ever a Just War?”

The free lecture-discussions in the Troubling Issues series are also scheduled for September through May of the next academic year. They will be held in PUMC’s Sanford Davis Room, which opens onto Nassau Street. Parking is free on Sundays. ADA accessible. For information call 609-924-2613, email troublingissues@gmail.com or go to www.princetonumc.org).
 

Israeli and International Folkdancing Classes at Temple Beth-El, Hillsborough, through June

 Feb 6, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 6, 2012 – This Israeli and International Folkdancing series at Temple Beth-El, Hillsborough, NJ, is for everyone: rank beginners and experienced dancers alike. These friendly, fun sessions will be held in the Multipurpose Room at the temple, 67 US Highway 206, from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m., on every other Thursday -- February 9 and 23, March 15 and 29, April 26, May 10 and 24, and June 7 and 21.

The classes are taught by Anna Paun, a talented dancer and experienced teacher. Just bring your dancing feet and desire to have fun. No partners needed; no experience necessary. These classes are a great opportunity to make new friends, have fun and get some exercise in the bargain. Lessons, refreshments and beverages provided.

The suggested donation, which includes refreshments, is $7.00 per session. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information call 908-334-2737.

Temple Beth-El is a Reform Jewish congregation. A member of the Union for Reform Judaism, the temple was founded in 1953 by 15 families. Today, the congregation numbers more than 450 households and offers a variety of cultural, educational, social and spiritual opportunities to its members and to the greater New Jersey Jewish community. For more information about temple life and programs, please visit online at www.bethel.urj.net or call 908-722-0674.
 

The Blawenburg Reformed Church - Some Things Remain the Same

By David Cochran  Jan 19, 2012

In the early 1800s, the population of Blawenburg was on a mission. It was a deeply religious community committed to serving God and the community. The population was growing and people were feeling the need to have their own Dutch church in Blawenburg. They had to travel all the way to Harlingen to worship in the Reformed Dutch Church at Harlingen. Traveling to worship on dirt roads in a horse and buggy from a farm on the Great Road was a big deal in those days.

Residents of Blawenburg petitioned the Consistory (governing body) of their church in 1802 to build a second church near the crossroads at Blawenburg. Just as today, big projects took a lot of time to gain approval. By 1817, the Blawenburg residents started Saturday night prayer groups in residents’ houses to keep some of the worship local. Finally, in 1829, the Harlingen Consistory approved the new church plans and the residents of Blawenburg raised almost $3,000 to build their church.

After purchasing a lot on Georgetown-Franklin Turnpike from John Stout, Esq. for $50, the new Consistory of the Dutch Reformed Church of Blawenburgh (sic), set about designing and planning for what would be by today’s standards a fast-track construction project. The huge main beam that supports the church was brought from the Rocky Hill Swamp using slave labor. Much of the lumber was cut and hewn locally, but some came all the way from New Hope, PA.

With all the materials in place, the community gathered for a barn-raising style project that lasted from September 23-25, 1830. That’s right; they built the foundation, exterior, roof, and the basic interior structure in three days! Community residents, including some slaves, worked hard to have the church built on time within budget. To support its mission, the church pews were sold to families for their use for the rest of their lives.

The new church was initially a daughter church of Harlingen, but the management of two Consistories became cumbersome. In February 1832, the Blawenburg Consistory petitioned Harlingen to have their own governance. Blawenburg officially incorporated on March 2, 1832.

By 1860, the church had experienced such growth that it needed to add a 14-foot addition to the pulpit area. About the same time, Paul Tulane, a member who lived on Cherry Valley Road, offered to purchase a bell for church provided it could be heard at his house a mile away. That bell is still rung on Sundays and special occasions today.

While this snapshot of the early development of the Blawenburg Reformed Church may be of interest, it is not what the church is about. Its mission statement says that it is a “covenant community of God’s people” that is committed “to worship, hospitality, lifelong learning, serving those in need, and proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.”

As the church heads toward its 180th anniversary this year, it faces new challenges and new opportunities to serve a community that has changed greatly since its early years as a Dutch farming community. Blawenburg Reformed Church has continually found new ways to serve people. It recently adopted a new focus on passionate spirituality. This goal is designed to help all its members live in concert with the church’s mission. This mission is much the same as it was in 1830 and will be for years to come.

Community members are invited to worship at Blawenburg Church any Sunday at 10:00 AM.
David Cochran is a Deacon of Blawenburg Reformed Church and author of Blawenburg Reformed Church: 175 Years of Faith and Hope