Latest news with #Settler
Chicago Tribune
24-03-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Wheeling synagogue, after an exhaustive search, selects new rabbi to lead the congregation
After an exhaustive search that included input from the entire congregation, Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue in Wheeling has selected Rabbi Schachar Orenstein as its new rabbi. Orenstein, who was born in Israel and raised in Canada, replaces founding Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow who retired. Executive Vice President Lisa Settler said that initially a committee, which included people from their 20s through their 70s, interviewed a number of rabbis from all over the country. 'When we met with Rabbi Schachar we all felt that we had found the right person,' Settler said. 'We were definitely looking for a rabbi that had experience but wasn't up towards retirement age. He also was very musical which was really important to us. He's very warm and friendly and had a lot of great ideas for helping us move toward the future.' Orenstein was invited to come to the synagogue for a three-day weekend to lead services. 'He engaged well with all different ages of people including the kids,' Settler said. 'By the time the weekend was over, the feedback coming from the congregants was extremely positive.' They brought in another rabbi for a 3-day weekend and then did a synagogue-wide survey. Orenstein 'overwhelming was the favorite,' Settler said. 'There were so many things that drew me in,' said Orenstein of his decision to leave Canada and accept the position at Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue. 'One of them is that the founding rabbi is magnificent, Rabbi Eitan. He, together with a bunch of founding members, created a lovely community where I felt that I could be myself. I was trying to bring American Judaism to Canada for many years and it was frustrating.' Orenstein noted that he fulfilled one of the necessary requisites of his new position — he plays guitar. He indicated that he also has the creativity that's required in the new position. Orenstein described the congregants as 'flexible, they're open and creative, and people are real. And that's what I aspire to be.' Orenstein has many talents and is sharing them with his congregation. 'I love to be nudged to offer my gifts and to nudge others so that they offer their gifts and contributions,' he said. Since the rabbi has four yoga certifications, he has led laughter yoga, yoga nidra, and chair yoga for the congregation. He has also offered musical Torah jams. 'When I got here, there were no regular Saturday morning services,' Orenstein said. One Saturday each month congregants of all ages are now invited to bring a musical instrument to the service. 'It's more informal and less structured than most services,' the rabbi explained. 'This is a way of engaging people through music. It's been very well received.' Orenstein, who founded Teva Quebec, the first Jewish environmental organization in the province, is also leading nature walks with the congregation. 'Nature is a key component to everything,' he said. 'That's our connection to the Divine — through nature.' Orenstein performed in the synagogue's 'Wicked'-themed Purim program, has led book discussions, and will participate in a pre-Passover Israeli wine tasting. The new rabbi is embracing the synagogue's Blue Zone program, which is geared toward ways to increase longevity and wellbeing. The initiative is based on what people do in the five places in what is defined as the Blue Zone where people live healthy lives into their hundreds. 'People need to be inspired and have reasons to come to community,' Orenstein said. 'If we do it right, it could be an inspiration not only for our community but other communities as well.' Orenstein was ordained from Yeshivat Noam Hatorah and Mercaz Hatalmud Rabbinical Seminary in Montreal. He also has a master's degree in Jewish Studies from McGill University and is currently pursuing advanced training in Dayanut (adjudicator and mediator) and somatic experience. Orenstein was the co-founder of Lev Shul (Open Shul) in Montreal and served as senior rabbi at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in Montreal, which is Canada's oldest congregation.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A century in the making – plus an hour more. What was in Newport Naval Station time capsule
NEWPORT – It took three days of digging and jackhammering to get the time capsule out from the layers of concrete it was encased in and over an hour to remove the glass lid tightly sealing the contents. Inside sat pristinely preserved paper documents, photographs and small mementos from just over 100 years ago, commemorating the relationship between Newport naval base, the U.S. Naval War College, and the city they call home. The jar was a trove of historic documents and small objects: various photographs, newspaper articles from the Newport Daily News and Newport Herald, naval guides and training pamphlets, rare coins, stamps, a wooden chip from one of the first commercial planes to fly a route from New York to Newport, a 1924 World Almanac, a 1923 directory book for Newport with the covers torn off to fit inside the jar, and sawdust from Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship, the USS Lawrence. 'There's definitely conservation work that needs to happen,' Naval War College Museum collections specialist Maria Vasquez said. "I'm happy with how malleable they were. I was worried that they would be sort of stiff and not able to come out of the jar, so I'm happy with how things came out of the jar, and I'm glad the only difficult part was really that the jar was so well sealed.' Vasquez, head of the project, was the one to open the jar, revealing its contents to a crowd of invited guests on Friday. The delicate surgical operation to remove the lid of the jar, sealed with two kinds of wax, utilized everything from a dental scraper to pocket hand warmers, and eventually a wooden clamp, with Vasquez being careful to neither break the glass nor disturb the contents inside. Vasquez said the Naval War College learned about the time capsule while searching Newport Public Library's microfiche to obtain pictures for a separate preservation project. Tucked away in a wooden box, surrounded by layers of concrete and topped with roughly 40 inches of soil, the capsule's location was subtly marked by a plaque on the underside of 'Settler's Rock,' a monument erected at what is now Founders Hall to commemorate the 285th anniversary of Newport's founding. It took a team of contractors and members of the Naval Facilities Engineer Command to dislodge the hefty boulder and dig their way to where the capsule had been housed for 101 years. 'It was such a momentous occasion, we didn't want to get anything wrong,' Vasquez said. The placement of both the Settler's Stone and the time capsule were the result of the work of Capt. Frank Evans, son of 'Fighting Bob' Evans, who served as the War College's commanding officer at the time, said Ryan Meyer, the Naval War College Museum curator, at the ceremony. At the time, Newport boasted a population of 30,000 and the base was one of the primary training grounds for the Navy. After it was unearthed, the capsule was on display at Newport Public Library, which may have resulted in a spike in visits, according to Joseph Logue, the library's director. Now that the contents have been removed and identified, the Naval War College Museum plans to put the jar and possibly the coins back on display at the library for a while as it evaluates how it would like to preserve the various paper documents. After its stint at the library, the contents will be on display at the Naval War College Archives. Both Vasquez and Meyer said the college is currently exploring the possibility of replacing the capsule with a new one. Vasquez says a possible date for commemoration would be the 250th anniversary of the Navy. 'Come explore the museum,' Meyers said to the event guests on Friday. 'It's easier than you think, a background check and an ID is all that's required. Many people have already inquired about a replacement for this recently unearthed time capsule. We are actively exploring the possibility with community stakeholders. As the process evolves, your input will be crucial, but be on the outlook for surveys, gatherings, in advance as we work together to create a time capsule that truly reflects the history and heritage of our community.' This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Newport Naval Station time capsule buried in 1924 opened
