MATTERS OF FAITH

A center for the community: Synagogue plays many roles.

By: Audrey Levine
   Pharaoh wore a clown’s wig and sunglasses, while his minister adjusted his court jester hat. An Egyptian woman wearing a green headband begged Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go.
   This was just part of the fun when parents and their sixth-grade students dressed up to act out a piece of the Passover story, and learn about their bar or bat mitzvah, at Congregation B’nai Tikvah’s Parents and Children Together program March 11.
   "We like having programs like this where parents can come in with their kids and all work together," said Caren Abschutz, a sixth-grade teacher at the Hebrew School at the Finnegans Lane synagogue.
   The 10th annual program was an opportunity for parents to join their children in class for sessions about preparing for the upcoming bar or bat mitzvah, the ceremony in which a 13-year-old child becomes an adult in the eyes of the Jewish community.
   The three sessions included, Take the Biblical Literacy Challenge, in which students had the chance to look up stories and statements in the Bible; a board game which allowed students and their parents to discuss Jewish values as they maneuvered around the board; and a skit where the participants dressed up and performed a biblical scene that had been rewritten for easier understanding.
   "It’s fun and you learn about your bar mitzvah," said Sam Kfare, 12, as he sat with his father in the sixth-grade classroom. "We are learning what to prepare for."
   Ann Kanarek, religious director at the Hebrew School, said there are other activities throughout the year that cater to different ages, including a charity program for the fifth-graders. She also said the school hosts a Cultural Arts for Enrichment series, which allows students to make different art projects in celebration of the Jewish holidays.
   In addition, the school recently held a program for its seventh-graders, called Project Sarah. The program, presented by Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County, taught students about the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships.
   Ms. Kanarek said the program provided a good sharing experience for the students.
   Ms. Abschutz, who was a student at the Hebrew School before becoming a teacher two years ago, said she enjoys working there and seeing the school from a different perspective.
   "It was an advantage (having gone to school here)," she said. "It is helpful because I am familiar with the way the synagogue and religious school runs."
   Aside from the school, B’nai Tikvah offers programs for its members and opens events up to the entire community.
   "The synagogue acts as a community center and a place people can come together," said Rabbi Michael Goldstein, who has been with B’nai Tikvah since September 2006. "The overall umbrella is the notion of it being a community center, as well as a religious institution. The more it can offer its members, the more attractive the formal membership is."
   Cantor Bruce Rockman said members of the synagogue have a strong social consciousness, and this attracts people to join. He said there was one instance where a congregant was in need of a bone marrow transplant and members put together a carnival to raise money.
   "This is where people make social connections," he said. "It feels like home."
   In addition to aiding members of the synagogue, Cantor Rockman said that the bar and bat mitzvah children are encouraged to complete a project that allows them to give back to the community. He said past projects have included selling necklaces to promote peace and collecting instruments to donate to poorer schools.
   "The kids all do it on their own," he said. "We instill that value and we are very proud of that."
   According to the synagogue’s Web site, Congregation B’nai Tikvah opened in 1983 after the convergence of three individual Jewish groups — Congregation Sharri Shalom, Temple Beth Shalom and the North Brunswick Jewish Community Center — in the North Brunswick and South Brunswick areas. The oldest, Congregation, Sharri Shalom, dated back to 1942, when it opened in South Brunswick.
   "The members are homegrown and they created the community," Cantor Rockman said.
   Rabbi Goldstein said the synagogue has many upcoming events, including concerts and discussion groups on Jewish issues.
   Cantor Rockman also said that Sons of Tikvah, his band made up of congregation members, will be performing at an event in Monroe Township.
   "The challenge is to be a broadly based institution that reaches out to all aspects of the community," Rabbi Goldstein said.