Congregation AABJ&D
Welcome and thank you for visiting our website. Our shul has a long and rich history in building the Jewish Community of West Orange. We are the largest Orthodox Synagogue in Essex County, New Jersey, and our warmth spreads even further. Our shul is a member of the Orthodox Union and we strive to fulfill the fundamental principles of Torah, Avodah, and Gemilut Chasadim. Our commitment to Halacha, Torah learning, Tefillah, Chesed, and Unity makes our shul an attraction to all who pass through our doors.
Please enjoy your stay!
Eliezer Zwickler, Rabbi
Asher Klein, Assistant Rabbi
Guy Dvir, Associate Rabbi Sephardic Minyan
Alvin Marcus, Rabbi Emeritus
Anne Goldberg, Executive Director
Kenny Saibel, President
Congregation AABJ&D
700 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052
Tel: 973-736-1407 Fax: 973-736-8006
Email: cong.aabjd@verizon.net
Shabbat Announcements
July Calendar
Golf Outing
Men's Club Camping Trip
To make a DONATION or pay a bill - click on icon
Thursday, July 9 (Fast of Tamuz)
Fast begins 4:22 AM ends 9:01 PM
Shacharit 6:15 & 7:15 AM
Mincha 2:00 & 8:00 PM
Maariv 8:45 PM
Jewish Job Network -
Become a JJN Volunteer -The number of active JJN Job Seekers is up 125% in the past six weeks! The number of JJN Volunteers is only up 11%.Therefore, JJN needs Volunteers, now more than ever. You do NOT need any special credentials to be a Volunteer. Volunteers are helping JJN in a wide variety of ways. Please submit a Volunteer form by accessing it on the JJN website.
Upcoming Networking Breakfasts - JJN's first July JJN Job Seekers Networking Breakfast will be this coming Wednesday, July 8th from 8:30 – 10:30 AM at Congregation Ohr Torah (270 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange). This session will feature Fred Gottesman, who will speak on "Essentials for Mounting an Effective Employment Campaign".
Fred will share his learning, recommendations, and creative techniques for job searching, which he learned through an Outplacement service. His presentation will include the best way to market yourself in a unique way to potential employers.
Any JJN Job Seekers who are interested in attending,
PLEASE RESPOND NO LATER THAN MONDAY, JULY 6th to july8@jewishjobnetwork.com. There is no attendance fee.
Also, JJN Job Seekers should HOLD THE DATE for the second July JJN Job Seekers Networking Breakfast which will be held on Thursday, July 23rd.
Pro Bono/Discounted Services and Products
JJN is working hard to provide a variety of necessary services to members of our community who are unemployed, underemployed or otherwise in financial distress. One area we wish to expand is offering access to pro bono or discounted goods and professional services to members of our community who otherwise could not afford them.
Specifically, JJN is seeking volunteers for pro bono or discounted services in the following fields:
o Medical
o Dental
o Psychological Counseling
o Financial Education
o Tax and Legal Advice
o Credit Advice
o Career Coaching
o Stress Management
Similarly, JJN is looking for volunteers who may be able to provide a variety of consumer goods and products at a discount or free of charge.
JJN has formed a committee to focus on recruiting volunteers to provide these services. Eliane Levy, David Cherna and Yaakov Moradi are leading this effort. If you would like to serve on this committee, please contact Eliane at
elianelevy2@ymail.com. If you are in a position to offer these services or products on a pro bono or discounted basis, please send an email to
probono@jewishjobnetwork.com. A member of the committee will get in touch you to discuss the details.
As a "flip side" of this service, JJN would also like to help providers of goods and services who are faced with the challenges of the current economic environment to promote and expand sales of their products and services within our community.
If you would like to work with JJN to promote sales of your products or services, please send an email to
sales@jewishjobnetwork.comPartners Program for Gush Katif - Over the last 2 1/2 years our shul, thanks to the generosity of many of our members, has been able to offer Mordechai & Osnat Minas and their family close to $20,000 in financial support. Our support meant a lot to them as it helped them get back on their feet following their expulsion from Gush Katif.
We would like to thank of those who have generously sponsored our contribution to the
Torah Hand-outs -
The Torah Hand-outs for the month of June are sponsored by Meredith & Larry Russ in loving memory of Rayetta Herschfus, z’l.
Chronicle Shavuot Edition
Enjoy the Shavuot Edition of the Chronicle featuring: The Laws of Shavuot, interesting articles by Rabbi Dvir, Rabbi Klein and others, an update on the Jewish Job Network, and Tuvi and Rahel's swan song.
Click here to download a pdf copy.
Chukat/Balak
By:Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler
We all have Jewish heroes, some great Rabbis or leaders in Jewish history who we admire. In my office there is a picture hanging of Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook zt”l who was the first Chief Rabbi of Israel and died in 1935. I would like to share with you a story about Rav Kook’s life, found in a book written by Rabbi Simcha Raz, which has inspired me.
Before the Rav moved to Eretz Yisrael, he was permanently requested to apply for the position of ‘Maggid” in Vilna. This position was one of great prestige as the Magid would serve as an inspirational role model for the entire Vilna community. Rav Kook was invited for Shabbos, as a tryout, to see if the community would find him favorable.
As he was welcomed into the community on Friday he was brought to the home where he would stay for Shabbos. As he entered the home, he asked the host if it is possible for him to go into the kitchen and prepare a dish for Shabbos. Rav Kook had always insisted on personally preparing something in the kitchen in honor of Shabbos. Some of the neighborhood people were peering through the windows of the house trying to see how Rav Kook was spending his time on Erev Shabbos. When they saw Rav Kook cooking, they spread the word around town and everyone agreed that it wasn’t appropriate for the “Maggid” of Vilna to be cooking in a kitchen on Erev Shabbos. Rav Kook didn’t get the job, and ended up eventually moving to Eretz Yisrael where he became Chief Rabbi. It is important for all of us to prepare in some way for Shabbos Kodesh and not rely on others to do everything for us. The greatest honor for Shabbos is the effort that we put in to making it.
In light of this story Rabbi Klein and myself have prepared a special Shabbos Kiddush for our shul this week. I would like to thank Rabbi Klein for all his hard work in making this Kiddush happen.
