Caldwell synagogue to host program in support of Nahal Oz and Israel
To demonstrate solidarity and support for those who suffered the enormity of the losses of the October 7 attack, Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell will host a dinner and program on Thursday, February 8; Bnai Keshet in Montclair is cosponsoring the event.
At the dinner, a representative of American Friends of Kibbutz Nahal Oz will report on a recent visit with members of the kibbutz in Israel. Nahal Oz suffered devastating losses, and residents are now displaced from their homes. The mission of American Friends of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, founded by a group of Bnai Keshet congregants, is to form a deep and long-lasting connection with the kibbutz members and to provide material, social, and emotional support, now and into the future.
These range from the concrete — like furniture for their temporary homes and playground equipment for their children — to intangible, social-emotional needs — like a supportive pen-pal project, visits to American host families, and individual and group counseling.
Chef Meny Vaknin of Marcel Bakery and Kitchen and the Mishmish Menu in Montclair, who is a member of Bnai Keshet and the Friends group, will prepare the dinner.
Following the dinner, Israeli guide and educator Lyana Rotstein will present “Life in Israel after October 7.” A mother of four soldiers on the front lines, Rotstein is an expert on the history of the Jewish people and has led many national and leadership missions (including as a bus leader with the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ’s Centennial Celebration Mission last summer).
She will describe the war’s impact on her family, her community, and the country; the Israelis’ volunteer efforts; and how help from Jews worldwide is so essential to the recovery and healing.
The cost of the dinner, which will begin at 6:30 p.m., is $72.
There is no charge for the Lyana Rotstein talk, which will begin at 7:45 and will also be livestreamed. Contributions are welcome; funds raised will benefit Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
To register, go to tinyurl.com/NahalOz or call (973) 226-3600. To make a contribution, go to my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/AmericanFriendsOfNahalOz.
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