Brotherhood

The Emanuel Synagogue Brotherhood, affiliated with the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC), welcomes you to join us for friendly camaraderie, educational and social programs, delicious breakfasts, and synagogue and community participation. Additionally, we sponsor programs that encourage participation from children and the synagogue community as a whole.

The purpose of Brotherhood is to support the Synagogue and the Rabbi’s vision for a community of caring, learning, prayer, repairing the world and connection to Jews around the world, by providing a setting in which men can learn together, pray together, serve together and enjoy camaraderie in a pleasant social environment. One of the benefits of belonging to this dynamic organization includes the fostering of interpersonal relationships which can have a positive impact on your job and at home.

Membership in the Brotherhood is open to all men, including those who have recently become Bar Mitzvah. New synagogue members are entitled to complimentary Brotherhood membership the first year. New Bar Mitzvah boys have free membership until they turn 18. Please leave a message with the Synagogue Office, (860) 236 – 1275 and one of our Board members will contact with you to answer all your questions and
provide additional information.

Membership dues are currently $40.00 a year. At each of our events, we provide the opportunity for voluntary sponsorship donations to help defray the cost of food, as well as to honor or remember someone or recognize an important event or achievement. These donations will be acknowledged at the event and in the Synagogue monthly/ bi-monthly newsletter, Everything Emanuel.

Yes! We have men of all ages.

Breakfast meetings will be held on Sunday mornings from 9:00 AM to 10:45 AM, five or six times per year, in Koret Hall after morning Minyan and when parents drop off children at Sunday School, once we are allowed to again meet and have food in the Synagogue. In the meantime, our events are offered to all online. Other meetings are held from time to time in the evening, such as our Annual Dinner with the Rabbi at which time Rabbi Small leads a discussion on topics of interest to Jewish men, an annual paid up membership dinner and several other evening events throughout the year. The Brotherhood also participates in the Simchat Torah and Purim Cafés, the World Wide Wrap and Yom HaShoah Remembrance program with the Religious School and the Sisterhood and Minyonnaires. Women are always welcome to attend our programs.

At our breakfast meetings we usually have keynote speakers, such as sports personalities, educators, and prominent community, religious and business leaders.

We are a very active and cohesive group. The following list indicates the variety of things we do together:

• Special evening programs with the Rabbi and Cantor
• Participation in the FJMC World Wide Wrap, encouraging the mitzvah of Tefillin
• The FJMC Yellow Candle Program, which distributes memorial candles to commemorate the Holocaust and raises money to provide Holocaust education
• Brotherhood Shabbat, at which members conduct the service, read Torah and have bimah honors
• The annual David Rappaport Volunteer Dinner, at which we honor those who have provided exceptional service to Brotherhood
• We honor each Bar and Bat Mitzvah with the presentation of a Tanuch to use in learning the Torah in preparation for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• Sponsor trips to sporting events such as the UCONN Women’s basketball team and the Yard Goats baseball team
• We have been supportive of outside organizations such as the Foodshare, Israel’s The Jaffa Institute, Beit Ha’ Gefen Cultural Center Haifa Israel, Voice of Hope/Greenberg Institute, Kosher Food Pantry, and more

We welcome all to attend our meetings and encourage any who are interested to participate in running/participating in the programs we sponsor. Opportunities exist to organize meetings, assist in mailings, chair and provide assistance in the coordination of events, and join our Board of Directors, etc.

Please contact Jeff Adler, our current president (860) 690-6655 or at by email or speak to any of the following board members:

• Brotherhood Treasurer – Meyer Frankel
• Brotherhood Secretary – Mickey Libbin
• Brotherhood Communications – Bob Tellar or Ken Malley
• Brotherhood Shabbat Chairman – Ken Simon, (860) 922-6958
• FJMC Liaison – Don Miller