The Kossin Bereavement Fund and The Religious School Fund   This month I would like to focus on one of longest running Temple funds, as well as a recently created one.   The Board of Education established the Religious School Enhancement Fund in 1992 in honor of Ruth Birnbaum’s dedicated service to Temple Shalom as the Religious School director. Your contributions honor her commitment as well as our dedicated Religious School staff by providing enhancements to our programs.   The William and Harriet Kossin Bereavement Support Group Fund was established last year by Ruth and Clifford Queen to provide ongoing support to those struggling with personal loss.   The congregation must know that bereavement support is vital and available to those seeking counseling after the loss of a loved one.   For information regarding contributions, donating to an existing fund or establishing a new fund, contact Robert Lear

Contribution Selections

Stained Glass Window: A special gift to honor a Simcha or remember loved ones. Donation $5,000.

Pews: Recognize a Simcha or Memorial with a plate affixed to a pew $300 for a double seat; $450 for a triple seat.

Memorial (yahrzeit) Plaque: Traditional way to memorialize those who have passed away. Names read from pulpit ion their yahrzeit each year. $250 (members); $325 (non-members).

Tree of Life: Honor special family occassions with an engraved leaf on tree bearing name of person honored. Donation i$175.

Friday Night Oneg Sponsorship: Celebrate a birthday, anniversary, engagement, marriage, Bar/Bat Mitzvah. iSuggested minimum donation $75.  Prayer Book Fund: To maintain prayer books. Book plates may be purchased for $25.

Tree for Israel Certificates: A gift with special significance, help restoration of Israel's forests. $18 per tree.

Fund Contributions start at $5. Beginning 09.01.08, below funds start at $7.

Rabbi's Discretionary - Used at Rabbi's discretion.

Cantor's Discretionary - Used at Cantor's discretion.

Israeli Scholarship - Endows Confirmation Class members for URJ sponsored trips during summer to study in Israel.

Library - Provides new books and supplies for Temple Library.

Mitzvah - Supports various areas of need in Temple.

College Contact - Enables Temple to stay in touch with higher education students living away from home.

Golden Book - (min. donation is $3.00) Maintained by Sisterhood for community projects, nursing home visits, gifts, iietc. Contact Marilyn Lubin.

Growing - Established by Sisterhood to celebrate and honor occasions and accomplishments of children and support iTot Shabbat & Cradle Roll Programs. Contact Marilyn Lubin.

Religious School Enhancement - Special programs to enhance religious school education.

Scholar-in-Residence - Secures appropriate scholars to participate in annual Scholar-in-Residence program.

Youth - supports Temple Youth programs.

Alfred Sackerman Memorial Garden - Maintains and beautifies the garden at the Temple's main entrance.

Brakman/Petrera Memorial Mitzvah Corps - Assists children of Temple Shalom members to participate in the NFTY iUrban Mitzvah Corps.

Esthelle Gordon Kallah - Scholarships for teachers in Temple Shalom's Religious School to attend a URJ Kallah.

Family Concert - Allows Temple to stage an annual concert celebrating Jewish music in a family oriented ienvironment that encourages congregant participation.

Hoffman/Weinstein Family - Provides Shabbat meals and/or other appropriate items to bereaved families and to ithose families who are coping with serious illness.

Joseph Rabin Memorial Nursery School - Helps to support Temple's Nursery School.

Larry Sadja Memorial Fund - Provides for the beautification of the santuary and building.

Lee Gura Music and Choir - Supports needs of Cantor and Choir.

Michael Henry Memorial Children's - Assists needy children to pursue Jewish experiences, including both formal and iinformal Jewish education, as well as marking Jewish life cycle moments.

Myrna P. Back - Assists the ten neediest Temple Families every 3 months.

Natalie Rubin Family Caring - Helps fund activities and support groups needed by Temple families through the Caring iCommunity. Contact Julie Barugel.

Rae Ranowitz Technology - Maintains a viable computer network and training for efficient temple operations.

Saul Sahner Library/Education Endowment - Supports the library, including computer hardware and software, on-iline services, books and support materials; To encourage & support research and scholarship in all areas for Temple iyouth, members and clergy.

Wallace H. Steinberg Family Education Endowment - Supports Family Education Programs.

William and Harriet Kossin Bereavement - Support an ongoing bereavement group held at Temple Shalom.

One Step at a Time……. Adopt a Brick for Our Courtyard Another Chance to be Inscribed in Stone   Help to build our future and remember our past by adding your brick as a lasting tribute to a loved one and as a testimony to your commitment to Temple Shalom.   Over the past four years, with the help of many*, we have laid paving stones on which to walk, resurfaced the exterior walls, installed benches and re-landscaped the Alfred Sackerman Memorial Garden.  The last phase, still in process, will be a beautiful pergola erected at the courtyard entrance from the parking lot to provide welcoming arms into our Temple home.   If you would like to purchase a brick, please remit this order form and check by April 30, 2008, to Temple Shalom.   Each brick can have up to 3 lines of text with 14 characters per line (including spaces and punctuation).  If you wish to purchase more than one brick, please make copies of the form below.   Take a step……..and leave a lasting impression.   How to order your bricks 1.  Copy below order form 2.  Fill in the form and replace all the “X’s” with your personal inscription (use all 3 lines) 3.  Check whether using a check, VISA or M/C 4.  Send order form with payment or credit-card information to Temple office:      Temple Shalom      5 Ayrmont Lane      Matawan, NJ 07747  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name______________________________________# of Bricks____x $200 ea. = $_______   Address__________________________________Three Bricks for $500            $ _______   City_____________________     Check payable to Temple Shalom ____Visa ____M/C____   State______ Zip__________  Card #____________________________Exp. Date _______   Phone_______________________    Name on Credit card:__________________________   Signature_____________________________   Line 1.....XXXXXXXXXXXXX Line 2.....XXXXXXXXXXXXX Line 3.....XXXXXXXXXXXXX   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   *Thanks to Paulette & Gene Eichenholtz, Temple Shalom Brotherhood, David & Dorothy List, Circle of Giving 5765, Peggy & Lou Schoen, Jessica & Leon Smith, Wendy & Gerry Marks and the multitude of purchasers of Bricks.   For further information, call the Temple Office at 732-566-2621.