Temple Emanu-El of West Essex in

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

was founded in 1955 and was one of the earliest

Reform Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...

synagogues A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

in the

West Essex West Essex is the far northwestern region of Essex County, New Jersey, United States, bordering Passaic County and Morris County. It is considered to be one of the more affluent parts of the county, as opposed to the eastern Essex cities such ...

section of New Jersey.

Emanu-El Emanu-El (also spelled Emanuel) ( he, עִמָּנוּאֵל ''imanuél'', "God swith us", from עִמָּנוּ ''imánu'', "with us" + אֵל ''el'', "God"), or Temple Emanuel, may refer to the following Jewish synagogues: Australia *Emanuel Sy ...

means "God is with us" in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

. News reported in early 2017 that the synagogue would be closing for financial reasons and was "taking steps to merge" with a nearby congregation. By 2018, the congregation had formally merged with Temple Sinai in Summit, N.J. The synagogue building was sold and has become the Living Stone Christian Church. The former early childhood daycare and Hebrew school buildings have become part of a Mandarin (Chinese) and Spanish language immersion center.

History

The congregation was founded by 11 families seeking a Reform Jewish service in the growing

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

of Livingston, New Jersey. By the fall of 1955, 56 families had been recruited and

High Holy Days The High Holidays also known as the High Holy Days, or Days of Awe in Judaism, more properly known as the Yamim Noraim ( he, יָמִים נוֹרָאִים, ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm''; "Days of Awe") #strictly, the holidays of Rosh HaShanah ("Jew ...

services were led by student Rabbi Milton Rosenfeld from the

Hebrew Union College Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

. In 1956, the congregation purchased a hot dog stand off Northfield Road as their permanent home. By 1961, ground had been broken at that location to build their own sanctuary, which was designed by

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s Peter Blake and Julian Neski. The new building, with its soaring peaked roof, is a

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

in Livingston and evokes the Israelites'

Tent of Meeting According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

in the desert wilderness. Most visitors think it looks like

Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in t ...

. A major expansion of the building including a new main entrance, office space, the library, and the Holocaust Remembrance Center was completed in 2004. This campaign also included a new Early Childhood Center (ECC). In 2005-2006, the congregation celebrated its 50th

anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints ...

with year-long programs and events. Although smaller than most of the area congregations, it is known for its haimish attitude and welcoming atmosphere. During the Summer of 2011, the

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...

was renewed, making it both more modern, and more comfortable. Some changes included a new sound system, ''bimah'', ''ner tamid'', and many new features. Temple Emanu-El is a member of the

Union for Reform Judaism The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established ...

. In February 2017, ''The New Jersey Jewish News'' and the ''West Essex Tribune'' both reported that the congregation voted to disband at the end of June, and the temple's board is negotiating a merger with Temple Sinai in the nearby town of Summit. The ''Jewish News'' quoted from an email sent by the temple president that cited financial reasons for the decision. As of June 23, 2017, neither the temple's website nor its Facebook page had any apparent reference to the impending change.

Social action

With the creation of a

Social Action In sociology, social action, also known as Weberian social action, is an act which takes into account the actions and reactions of individuals (or ' agents'). According to Max Weber, "Action is 'social' insofar as its subjective meaning takes ac ...

Committee in 1964 and the hiring of Rabbi Peter Kasdan in 1971, Emanu-El established itself as a leader on

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

issues. Kasdan organized a nationwide Reform Jewish

boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organization, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict som ...

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago ...

in support of the

United Farm Workers The United Farm Workers of America, or more commonly just United Farm Workers (UFW), is a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. It originated from the merger of two workers' rights organizations, the Agricultural Workers Organizing ...

. The synagogue participated in rallies, marches, and programs on issues such as

Soviet Jewry The history of the Jews in the Soviet Union is inextricably linked to much earlier expansionist policies of the Russian Empire conquering and ruling the eastern half of the European continent already before the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. "For ...

Ethiopian Jews The Beta Israel ( he, בֵּיתֶא יִשְׂרָאֵל, ''Bēteʾ Yīsrāʾēl''; gez, ቤተ እስራኤል, , modern ''Bēte 'Isrā'ēl'', EAE: "Betä Ǝsraʾel", "House of Israel" or "Community of Israel"), also known as Ethiopian Jews ...

Abortion Rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

, and

Vietnamese Boat People Vietnamese boat people ( vi, Thuyền nhân Việt Nam), also known simply as boat people, refers to the refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This migration and humanitarian crisis was at its h ...

. The congregation adopted and supported one Vietnamese family for years. In more recent years, issues such as Reform rights in Israel,

Darfur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju, ...

, Gay & Lesbian rights, and Jewish

genetic diseases A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosomal abnormality. Although polygenic disorders ...

have been at the forefront.

Other programs

Expanding approaches to welcoming interfaith families and Jews-by-Choice, Temple Emanu-El is an inaugural participant in the STAR Synagogue's "Calling Synagogue Home" project. Temple Emanu-El Livingston Main Entrance

Temple Emanu-El Livingston Main Entrance

Temple Emanu-El received an Honorable Mention for the URJ's Congregation of Learner's Award for Adult Education at the URJ Biennial in 2007. Numerous individual Temple members have achieved at least 100 hours of Jewish study to earn the URJ Keva Award since the program was brought to the Temple in 2005.

Professional staff

*Bookkeeper: Kesef Accounting *Admin. Assistant: Elainia Graham *Director of Congregational Learning: Susan Cosden *Religious School Admin: Ruth Cash *Director of Early Childhood Center: Ellen Levitt *Admin. Assistant to ECC: Anita Pittman Temple Emanu-El Livingston Sanctuary

Clergy

Rabbi Kasdan led Temple Emanu-El for 30 years until his retirement in 2001 when he was named Rabbi Emeritus. Known most widely for his social action work, Kasdan created and was president of the Livingston

Interfaith Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...

Clergy. He led 8 adult bat mitzvah classes and was widely regarded for his work with youth through the

Religious Action Center The Religious Action Center (RAC) is the political and legislative outreach arm of Reform Judaism in the United States. The Religious Action Center is operated under the auspices of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, a joint body of ...

, Kutz Camp, and

NFTY NFTY: The Reform Jewish Youth Movement (formerly known as the North American Federation for Temple Youth, often referred to simply as NFTY, commonly pronounced ''"nifty"'') is the organized youth movement of Reform Judaism in North America. Fun ...

being awarded NFTY life membership in 1984 and the Rabbi Samuel Cook Award for lifetime contribution in youth work in 2007 by the

Central Conference of American Rabbis The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada. The CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world. I ...

.''CCAR Newsletter,'' January 2007, p. 3 The congregation was led from July 1, 2012 until May 18, 2016 by Rabbi Greg Litcofsky. Originally from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, Litcofsky had been an Associate Rabbi at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. He encouraged a climate of diversity and integration among Temple committees and the Jewish community. Programmatic focus includes worship, youth activities, adult education, outreach, social action, and leading his first synagogue-wide trip to Israel in 2013. Rabbis: *Milton Rosenfeld (1955–1957) *Harold T. Miller (1957–1959) *Herbert Rose (1959–1963) *Kenneth Rivkin (1963–1971) *Peter E. Kasdan (1971–2001) (Emeritus 2001–present) *Daniel E. Levin (2001–2004) *Mark Kaiserman (2004–2012) *Greg Litcofsky (2012–2016) *Marc Disick (2016-2017) Cantors: *Judah Livingston Smith (1956–1957) *Norman Swirling (1957–1959) *Hans Cohn (1959–1961) *Sheldon Torn (1961–1962) *Israel Weisman (1962–1964) *Erwin Nathaniel Borses (1964–1965) *Louis E. Davidson (1965–1982) *Michael Manevich (1982–1989) *Pat Hickman (1989–1991) *Carla Reynolds (1991–1993) *Donna Faye Dower (1993–1999) *Renata Krushkova (1999–2003) *David Rosen (2003–2006) *Sharon Brown-Levy (2006–2014) *Joshua Gavin Finkel (2014–2016) *Lori Corrsin (2016-2017)

Notable members

* Mike Chernoff (born c. 1981),

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

of the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Emanu-El of West Essex Livingston, New Jersey Religious buildings and structures in Essex County, New Jersey Reform synagogues in New Jersey Jewish organizations established in 1955 1955 establishments in New Jersey Synagogues completed in 1961