Har Shalom has re-instated a Human Resources committee designed to ensure effective decision making, guidance and continuous development of synagogue staff. The HR Committee will focus on senior staff (Rabbi, Hazzan, Synagogue Administrator, and heads of the ECC and Religious School), with emphasis on providing regular feedback and reviews as well as periodic consideration of roles and responsibilities as needed. The approach will be inclusive, taking a range of stakeholders into account as appropriate and will maintain a spirit of growth and development of both individual leaders as well as our synagogue and its community. Estrella Levy, Andrea Lewis and Linda Silverman will initially comprise the committee. We look forward to contributing to the ongoing success of our professional leaders and staff.
The Hesed Committee acts on behalf of the Har Shalom family, embracing our members in their time of need and celebrating with them in their times of joy. We welcome all interested to join us in performing Acts of Loving Kindness, supporting our members in times of convalescing, isolation, ongoing medical treatments, as well as in joyous occasions like the arrival of a new baby. We welcome all those in need to reach out to us for loving support, a friendly phone call, a homemade meal from our community, or more. Together we can provide for one another, engaging in the care that makes our congregational community a true family.
Check out the Hesed Meal Train & Hesed Heroes pages for more ways to get involved!
If you are in need of support or would like to volunteer your support, please email us at hesed@harshalom.org, or reach out directly to our co-chairs, Aileen Goldstein and Fran Elson.
The Hevra Kadisha Committee is the group within the Congregation that helps fellow member families deal with the death of a loved one. We provide assistance with burial practices, the funeral and the shiva period customs and practices. A Committee member contacts the family as soon as we hear about the death to see what immediate assistance they might need.
The following forms of support are offered by the Committee, and provided according to the family’s wishes and needs. Members of the Committee will be available to stay in the home where the shiva will be held during the funeral, attend the service if it is held at Har Shalom, arrange for the meal of condolence after the funeral, deliver prayer books, kippot and mourners’ chairs to the shiva house, and arrange for fellow congregants to lead the shvia minyanim.
The Committee is structured in such a way that a volunteer is scheduled for one month of the year to provide the kinds of support described above. Each month there are two to three volunteers to help with this most important Congregational and community function, with the understanding that no one individual can be available every day of the month. If you think you would be able to be part of this group and share your time one month of the year doing a mitzvah for your fellow congregants please contact me at 301-230-4553 or hevrakadisha@harshalom.org.
The Membership and Programming Committee is focused on engaging current and prospective Har Shalom members. We plan enriching experiences targeted toward different segments of our community. For more information, or to get involved, please contact Louis Leibowitz at Louis@Leibowitz-Law.com.
Click HERE to learn more about our Har Shalom Grants for to create your own programs!
Click HERE to learn more!
Sisterhood works to build friendship and community for its members and for the congregation as a whole. Our programs include Judaic events, education events, social events and just plain fun events. Each year we raise funds which are donated back to the Congregation through our amazing Purim Basket project and our annual New To You Sale. Our members also give a large donation to the Women’s League Torah Fund Campaign, which supports the education of our Conservative Jewish leaders at 5 seminaries worldwide.
Sisterhood makes donations to the Sherman Early Childhood Center, the Religious School, and the Har Shalom Youth Department. We provide Purim Baskets to Jewish members of local nursing homes, and to every member of the Har Shalom staff. Every B’nai Mitzvah child receives a gift from the Sisterhood, as do the members of the Confirmation Class. All of the children in our school receive treats for the major Jewish holidays. Sisterhood organizes several Senior Bingo game days for residents of senior homes in our community. Through our Bikkur Holim project, we deliver meals to our congregants who are facing illnesses and surgery.
During the pandemic, Sisterhood is continuing to present programs virtually to its members and to the entire Har Shalom community to remain visible, retain relevancy and to engage our members. Please contact Sisterhood President, Susan Grant at sisterhood@harshalom.org, with program recommendations and/or to volunteer. We are women for women. We are the women of Sisterhood Har Shalom!
Click HERE to learn more!
Click HERE to learn more!