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You've Got a Friend...
Congregation Darchei Noam of Ramat HaSharon
and Solel Congregation of Mississauga, Ontario, have been
sister congregations for around 20 years. It all began with
a visit, a warm reception, and the start of lifelong friendships.
Rabbi Stacey Blank with Solel Congregation's
Rabbi Larry and Cheryl Englander, and Bev and Les Rothschild,
Chairperson of ARZA Canada
Since that time, every Solel congregational trip to Israel
has shared Shabbat services and dinner with Darchei Noam
congregants. Rabbinic students who are native to Mississauga
have led services in Darchei Noam and they as well as individual
families visiting Israel have been hosted by Darchei Noam
congregants. Children of Solel congregants have been "adopted"
by Darchei Noam families when spending time in Israel on
long-term programs. Children of Darchei Noam families have
been "adopted" by Solel families when working
in internships or studying in the Toronto area. And the
clergy of both congregations share a warm and reciprocal
relationship.
Recently, Solel Congregation has added another component
to the sister congregation relationship: rallying support
for completing the synagogue building of Darchei Noam. They
have welcomed Darchei Noam's rabbi and congregational leaders
to the Toronto area and helped the wider Reform world get
to know about Darchei Noam and our mission to bring a values-based
Judaism that resonates with modern life to the Sharon area
of Israel.
This past year, Solel Congregation, which consists of a
modest 300 families, organized a Congregational Campaign
on behalf of Darchei Noam. Over 60 Solel families became
overseas members this year ($180 per family) and, with some
members giving even more generously, contributed $40,000
to Darchei Noam's Capital Campaign.
Rabbi Larry Englander wrote to us: "We hope this donation
will bring us closer to meeting, studying and praying together
in Darchei Noam's new synagogue building!"
Just ask Leo and Sheila Aldoroty, Solel congregants who
are spending a few months in Israel volunteering. They will
tell the stories of the wonderful friendships they share
with Darchei Noam congregants who, as on every visit, have
gone out of their way to show them new places and cultural
venues, and, of course, they feel like Darchei Noam is "their
home" as they joined us for Shabbatot and our Megilah
reading on Purim.
This is what it means to be Sister Congregations.
As we said "Next year in Jerusalem" at our seder
this past Pesach - we could add - "Next year in Jerusalem
and in all Israel celebrating Jewish renewal that is open,
welcoming, and egalitarian!"
Update on the Synagogue Building
In January, the doors were installed and
the building is now officially closed.
Darchei Noam is excited about its new partnership with
ARZA. The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism has identified
Darchei Noam as the Number 1 priority congregational
building project of the Reform Movement in Israel. Now,
ARZA, under the professional expertise of Executive Director
Danny Allen and Director of Development Barbara Kavadias,
is managing the capital campaign in the United States. Click
here to see the brochure for the campaign (PDF File).
With their help and the help of all of our friends and supporters
in Israel and around the world, we are embarking on the
"Final Lap" to finish the Darchei Noam synagogue.
Imagine if 100 North American congregations recruited
100 of their members to become overseas members for $180….
the Darchei Noam synagogue would be completed and ready
to operate.
Please visit the following web site to make your tax-deductible
contribution either on-line or through the mail to the Capital
Campaign: http://www.arza.org/action/donate/index.cfm.
Designate "Darchei Noam Capital Campaign" in the
comments section.
VISIT OUR WEB SITE: http://www.d-noam.org/en
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