Submission #28360 by Kol Haverim Mens Club - Glastonbury, CT (207)

Submission information
martinmantis3358's picture
Submitted by martinmantis3358
Mon, 2023-05-01 09:25
98.185.178.111
2023
I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Club Name
Kol Haverim Mens Club - Glastonbury, CT (207)
Yellow Candles April 19, 2023
Club Representative
Person completing form
Dr. Jeff Shore
MARTIN
MANTIS
Club President at time of convention if known at this time
MARTIN
MANTIS
Club President Now
MARTIN
MANTIS
Yom HaShoah Yellow Candle

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Yellow Candle Program summary

Our Brotherhood makes it a mission for all congregational families to receive the Yellow Candles for Yom Hashoah
We do the program on Wednesday Nights - school takes place on Wednesday and hope some students and family members stay for the service which is at 6PM
Our Congregational Community fully supports this program and any donations we receive go back to Holocaust program within our congregation and the ADL does some programming too.
We deliver the Yellow candles to all congregants homes prior to Yom Hashoah.. If congregants are out of town - we mail the yellow candles to them.
Our Rabbi Kari performs our Yom Hashoah service in person and via zoom
We get wonderful letters from congregants after the service with donations that go back to Holocaust programming.




We, The Brotherhood of Congregation Kol Haverim started doing Yellow Candles 3 years ago when we joined FJMC Connecticut Valley Region
Our mission is to reach all members of our congregation with a candle at their home.
for all our local families - we have a few guys that drive to our congregants homes and personally deliver the candles to them.
Some of our congregants who come to our building can pick up but after April 9th, the CKH brotherhood drivers head out and deliver.
Some of our members are home and we chat with them. Many though are not home at the time of delivery and we out on their door post or in their front door area.

I will be attaching the letter and memorial information that is provided with the Yellow Candle

For those members who are out of the area -we package up and mail 1st class to be sure they receive them.
The Yellow candles are in a Yellow bag along with information about the upcoming service and a note at the bottom of the letter if they want to make a donation for this program.
A second page lists the name of a child who perished. Each family receives a different name.

Our Rabbi Dr. Kari Tuling presides over our Yom Hashoah Services on Wednesday April 19th. We have in house and provide this service via Zoom to our congregants.
The service lasts about 45 minutes and finishes with all congregants in attendance or via zoom light the yellow candle and recite a name of a child who perished during the Holocaust. This is a very powerful moment for all of us.
There is a quietness after the lighting for a minute or two.

A week following the program - The Brotherhood starts to receive donations for this program.
To date, we have received over $500 in donations.
These $$ are earmarked for Holocaust and ADL programming within our congregation
The ADL has come in for a program on Hate , Antisemitism in our State ( CT)
The hebrew school also had programming from the ADL to talk to our students as well during their hebew school classes which was held on a Wednesday in April.


Attachments
Self Assessment
Our Congregation really appreciates this programing on the Holocaust/ Yom Hashoah and we will continue to provide programming throughout the year(s).
We find some of our members have participated in this programming. Our most difficult challenge is getting younger families to take part in this particular program. This is something we need to work on and when I attend Convention, I hope to receive ideas regarding this.
Our membership is Free to all male members of our congregation. We only have about 20-30 paying members out of a total of 150 give or take. Programming always needs to be adjusted to bring more men of our congregation involved. Something we are always working on. It really pertains to the younger guys ages 30-45. Not getting these guys involved in Bhood and we cannot figure out why. We talk to them but they just dont seem to make time for themselves - rather more about their work and families. we want to offer more programming but this age bracket is really hard to figure out.
WE do not have any pictures or film from this very important program.
All I can tell you is prior to 3 years ago we did not have the Yellow Candle program - our congregants greatly appreciate this program exists and they do not want it to end.

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Other Source
yellow candles
Previous Submission
Yes
Honorable Mention
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