Greetings from Darchei Noam 5776

by Guest Author, September 6, 2015

Congregation Darchei Noam – Ramat HaSharon, Israel, has been Solel’s sister congregation for many years. They send us these greetings for the new year.


Dear Solel Friends of Congregation Darchei Noam

Darchei Noam

On this eve of Rosh Hashanah 5776, the members of Darchei Noam look back on the past year and smile. Not even two years have passed since we moved in to our beautiful new sanctuary, and we can already see that all our hard work has paid off. From a small congregation operating out of a high-school auditorium with an average of one Bar Mitzvah a month, Darchei Noam is today one of Israel’s most active and successful Reform synagogues.

We now host two or three Bar or Bat Mitzvahs on most Shabbats, with dates being reserved up to a full year in advance! Indeed, Darchei Noam has established itself as the preferred choice for local families seeking an egalitarian and meaningful Bar Mitzvah experience. Although the impressive premises have a lot to do with the surge in demand, one shouldn’t overlook Rabbi Levin’s role – especially his flair for making each ceremony special and his close rapport with each and every family.

Darchei Noam

Darchei Noam

This past year has also been prolific in other areas. In addition to high levels of attendance at Friday evening services, we had a full house for all the Jewish holidays, including a fun Tu B’Shvat seder, a multi-generational Purim party and a late-night study session on Shavuoth. A series of adult Bible classes and a Beit Midrash were also well attended, as were the many cultural events we organized, including a variety of concerts and fascinating lectures.

The building itself is still a work in progress, but it is closer than ever to being completed. Generous donations enabled us to start landscaping the outdoor area and to finally order a parochet (embroidered curtain) for our Torah Ark. However, there were also plenty of unexpected expenses, and the need to maintain the building remains a constant challenge.

We are forever grateful to all of you at Solel who have helped us along the way and hope that you will continue to support our efforts to strengthen Reform Judaism in Israel. We couldn’t have done it without you!

We hope that you will join Darchai Noam as an overseas member in the annual campaign at Solel on Kol Nidre. Tax deductible donations can be made any time through the Solel office.

For many more photos of the congregation please visit – and like! – our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/darchei.noam.il. And of course don’t forget to visit us if you are planning a trip to Israel.

Filed under: Reflections

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