HaNER: Your Source for NER News

Welcome to the latest e-newsletter from the New England Region of FJMC International, and the first issue with a new title: HaNER! Why the name change? First, with Judaism being one of the four pillars of FJMC International's identity (see the next section for more on that), we thought this was a nice opportunity to incorporate Hebrew in a more prominent way. We chose this particular Hebrew phrase, which means "the candle," because it speaks to our intention to spread the light of brotherhood throughout New England. (And as an added bonus, the English transliteration includes NER!) Of course, a candle can't spread light on its own. It needs someone to set it aflame, like we do during havdalah, and share its light with the community.

The havdalah ceremony pictured above was one of the highlights from our regional retreat in June. Over 70 of us gathered at Camp JORI in Rhode Island for a fantastic few days of learning, spirituality, and reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Seventeen of us were first-timers, and three attendees, including the new president of FJMC International (more on him in the next section) joined us from outside of the region. We hope that this issue of HaNER sheds light on some of what makes our region, and FJMC International, so special.

These retreat photos, which were shared by Philip Wachsler and Andy Fandel, are a beautiful reminder that when we gather in brotherhood, we shine, together.

What's New (and What You Need to Know Now) from NER

Our region was well represented at the 2025 FJMC International Convention in Chicago! As part of the festivities, FJMC welcomed a new president, Bruce Tomar of the Middle Atlantic Region, and introduced a new organizational vision. You can hear from Bruce and learn more about the vision in this message.

Closer to home, we're proud to welcome a new regional president, Marty Paley of Temple Emanuel in Newton! You can see a full list of our regional officers on the NER website. Thank you to Paul Davidson of Temple Israel of Sharon, the immediate past regional president, for his service, dedication, and care for and to the region over the last two years (and, no doubt, well into the future).

The NER FJMC Executive Committee held its first meeting under Marty's leadership on July 23. You can read the minutes from that meeting here.

Prefer to Listen to Your NER News? Now You Can!

Speaking of the new regional president, Marty is the special guest on the first-ever episode of the The HaNER Podcast! The podcast offers the same information you'll find in this e-newsletter, along with conversations about the region's programs, people, and experiences. Marty joins us to talk about his goals for the region, why he initially got involved with FJMC, and what being a Jewish man today means to him.

Listen to the Podcast

Let's Get Together at These Upcoming Events

All members are invited to join us for the following programs and activities. You can always see a full calendar of events on the NER website.

Keeper of the Flame: Sunday, Oct. 26 at 4pm, Temple Israel of Natick. Registration and the opportunity to place tribute ads will open at the end of August. We'll send an email to you with more information soon.

Regional Dance: Sunday, Nov. 16. Get ready to get up on the dance floor and get down with good music and good friends! We'll share more details with you soon.

In addition to events organized by the region, we want to let our members know about your club events that are open to all. If you'd like to include any programs in an upcoming e-newsletter, please email Max Pearlstein. Thank you!

Brotherhood at the Ballpark

We enjoyed a wonderful NER FJMC Day with the Worcester Red Sox on Aug. 10! We all had a ball cheering on the WooSox as they battled the Buffalo Bison. Thank you to everyone who joined us at Polar Park.

Copy This Club!

In each issue of HaNER, we hope to highlight a successful program from one of our regional clubs that others may want to re-create at their own synagogue. We're starting at Temple Israel of Natick, where Men's Club President Seth Gitell and former NER President David Singer have teamed up for an Enhanced Minyan experience that is bringing more than bagels to the table on Sunday mornings (though the bagels are delicious).

Has your Men's Club or Brotherhood produced a program or event that other clubs may want to emulate? Let us know and we may feature it in a future issue of HaNER!

We're ending this e-newsletter with another moment from the regional retreat in June. As we say goodbye to summer and look forward to fall, we wish you a meaningful high holiday season and a happy new year filled with peace and friendship.