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Temple Ner Tamid Retreat

Enjoy food, fun and fellowship at Temple Ner Tamid's Retreat in the Poconos.

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Artist-In-Residence, Ben Sidran

Ben Sidran, jazz musician and author, will be our Artist-In-Residence on January 10 and 11, 2014

Our Mission

Temple Ner Tamid was founded in 1980 as the result of the merger of Temple B'nai Zion, a Conservative synagogue, and Temple Menorah, a Reform congregation. In 2008, it grew again with the merger of Beth Sholom Reform Temple. Today Temple Ner Tamid ("Eternal Light" in Hebrew) is affiliated with the Reform movement, and its culture reflects a unique blending of liberal values and traditional expression.

We acknowledge that our mission is to help people of all ages and backgrounds grow Jewishly, through:

Torah - Study
Avodah - Worship
G'milut Chasadim - Acts of Lovingkindness

All of the above work in concert to create and sustain a vibrant community. Our diverse congregation embraces the values of lifelong learning; inclusive, participatory and inspiring services; and repairing the world. As we learn and teach, live and pray together, we embrace each other and our Judaism with joy.

A Message from the Rabbi

Rabbi Yossi ben Yocahanan of Jerusalem taught: "Let your house be open wide..." Pirkei Avot 1:5).

In so many ways, this has come to be the signature of Temple Ner Tamid. From our very beginning as the merger of Bloomfield's only two synagogues – Conservative Temple B'nai Zion and Reform Temple Menorah – and now enriched by Clifton's Beth Sholom Reform Temple, Temple Ner Tamid is a community in the truest sense of that word.

We believe that first and foremost a synagogue should be a place where one can explore Judaism along with other fellow travelers on the sacred road to spiritual discovery. And to this end we endeavor to make our house as open and as welcoming as possible. The result is an uncommonly diverse yet inclusive community. We are interfaith households. We are single adults. We are multi-racial and same-sex and blended families. We come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds yet we all share a common vision of a Judaism where all expressions can find a place at the table.

I have often likened Judaism to a ma'ayan, a well-spring. It is a source of intellectual and emotional and spiritual nourishment. Through the words of Torah we drink of wisdom and mitzvah challenging us to be more, inspiring us to transform the world into the place the Holy One had intended it to be. We see ourselves as Shitufei Elohim / partners with God in our dream of Tikkun Olam / repairing the world. At Ner Tamid the ma'ayan is as wide as it is deep.

Join us. Enter our doorway. Both here on this website as well as at 936 Broad Street. Maybe it's just a coincidence that our street address shares the same meaning at Rabbi Yossi's teaching, to be open wide. But then again, I don't really believe in coincidences.

Welcome to Temple Ner Tamid.

A Message from the President

Welcome to Temple Ner Tamid.

I am pleased and honored to be the President of such a dynamic and vibrant congregation. We have so much to offer to all members of our community from toddlers to seniors and everyone in-between. Whether it is our warm and nurturing Shoresh pre-school, our religious school where students not only get a comprehensive Jewish education they develop an enduring Jewish identity, our Adult Education programs which emphasize our congregants desire for life-long learning, our creative and entertaining Purimspiels or our numerous social events, we have something, and everything, for everyone. Our congregants include gay and lesbian couples, interracial families and interfaith families. We are truly an inclusive, welcoming community.

We are led by clergy who inspire us, challenge us, entertain us and comfort us. Our services include traditional Jewish prayers and melodies combined with new and creative music and songs which keep the services fresh and interesting.

An important part of our culture and mission at Ner Tamid is helping others and social justice. Our congregants help the poor and less fortunate in our community by, among other things, participating in food drives, housing the homeless, and volunteering at hospitals and nursing homes. We also support the communities beyond our immediate geographical area including travelling to New Orleans to work with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild areas destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Clearly we have a lot to offer at Ner Tamid but don’t take my word for it. Please explore our website to learn more about us and we welcome you to visit us in person.

As one of my fellow congregants has said, we joined Temple Ner Tamid because we were drawn by the terrific community and its propensity for learning, loving and laughing. I think that sums us up perfectly and once you have experienced what we have to offer I am sure you will agree.




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