The
Ethical Culture
Society of Essex County
l Meeting on Zoom,Sunday, August 23, 2020.
Recent Events
A Statement from the Board
December 17, 2012
In solidarity with all those who experience violence from too ready access to guns, we send our condolences to the community in Newtown, CT. We acknowledge your unimaginable pain in this moment. We ask for your guidance to bring about healing and reconciliation to all in our country as we search for ways to protect the public good. We renew our determination to end denial about the roots of violence that exist inside our homes. We in Ethical Culture throughout the United States have already taken strong stands against the unrestrained use of guns and weaponry. Now we promise to do more in your names as we share your sorrow.
Martha Gallahue, Leader
Andrew B. Weinberger, President
The Board of Trustees of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Spring 2013
Solidarity Singers 5-5-13!
The Union Makes Us Strong!
Birgit Matzerath, Bach Music Series
Last Spring, Birgit Mazerath proposed presenting a Bach program for the benefit of both members and the community at large and this initiative was approved by the Board by consensus. We invite all members to enjoy Birgit’s contribution.
For Recordings and Full Schedule, Click Here
For Birgit's blog, including the lecture
she gave on Friday, February 1, 2013.
Johann Sebastian Bach
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2
Birgit Matzerath, PianoJoin the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County and pianist Birgit Matzerath on a listening journey through Bach’s magnificent and inspiring music. Experience the joy of listening to music together. Discover balance in your life through music. Share experience with others.
Bach Music Series Schedule
at Ethical Culture Society, 516 Prospect St, Maplewood
Birgit Matzerath holds degrees in Piano and teaching music and english from Hochschule fuer Musik, Cologne, and the University of Cologne in Germany. She taught piano and chamber music for more than twenty years at community music schools in the Cologne area, gave solo recitals and appeared frequently as a collaborative pianist.
Since 2009, Ms Matzerath has been teaching privately in Maplewood, NJ and in New York City. She is also a composer and writer. Her Blog “Music, Life, and Other Challenges” can be found at “http://musiclifeandotherchallenges.blogspot.com”
Annual Meeting 5-20-12
: Members including Rosalie, Zia, Karen, Betty, Barbara New Member induction: Martha, Myron, Barbara
New President Andy Weinberger; Immediate Past President Anja Moen
Memorial for Peace and Justice Activist and Seton Hall Professor Emeritus
Dr. Ed Lewinson at the Society. Below, an image of Dr. Lewinson marching for Civil Rights.
Azalea Party at Betty Levin's 5-5-12
2010- 2011 Events
Tina Kelley & Gus Lingquist
Sat. Dec 4, 7:00 PM: Meredith Sue Willis book signing party with wine & cheese tasting-- included a taste of West Virginia wines-- and moonshine! See 3rd Saturday Arts Night web page!
MSW signing books at WV Book Festval October 2010
From 7 to 9pm, Saturday, December 4, 2010, author Meredith Sue Willis signed her latest books, Out of the Mountains—a 2nd collection of Appalachian short stories—and Ten Strategies to Write Your Novel—a book about writing novels—at a book-signing party in her honor at Ethical Culture Society of Essex County where she is a long-term member and Chair of the Social Action Committee. Both casual and formal dress is appropriate.
Meredith Sue Willis was raised in Shinnston, West Virginia. Her father’s family came to West Virginia following jobs with Consolidation Coal, and her mother’s father witnessed the Monongah, West Virginia, mine disaster of 1907. She now lives in South Orange, New Jersey and teaches novel writing at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional studies as well as visiting schools and giving workshops around New Jersey.
Her novels and short fiction have been published by Scribners’, HarperCollins, West Virginia University Press, Ohio University Press, Mercury House, and others. Her first book of literary short stories, In the Mountains of America, was praised in the New York Times Book Review as providing "a[n]...important lesson on the nature and function of literature itself."
The event is produced by the 3rd Saturday Arts Night group at Ethical Culture, www.3rdSatArts.org. Ethical Culture Society of Essex County is located at 516 Prospect St., Maplewood, NJ 07040. Their phone is (973) 763-1905, with their website www.essexethical.org.
April 2011 Events
April 4, 2011
Social Action Committee Meeting
Immediately After Platform
Saturday April 9, 2011
7:30 pm
Ethical Culture Society
516 Prospect Street
Maplewood Filmmaker Shlomi Benyairintroduces his film short "Heaven is Waiting"to launch a Film Series on Israeli-Palestinian Peace.The series is co-sponsored by the Ethical Culture Society's Third Saturday for the Arts Project and South Mountain Peace Action.Maplewood filmmaker Shlomi Benyair will introduce his film short "Heaven is Waiting" which follows a young Palestinian woman who is chosen for a suicide bombing but has second thoughts.The short is a prequel to Shlomi's feature film, "A Seed of Hope," which will be produced in Israel.Shlomi grew up in Israel and now lives in Maplewood with his wife and two daughters.His film company, Peacewalk Productions, was established to create films that show different sides of current social battles, starting with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.After screening the short, Shlomi will discuss the making of his film which involves Jewish actors playing Arab characters and Arab actors playing Jewish characters.Light refreshments will be served.Please RSVP to Judi Kramer at judi@beaboutpeace.com or 973-763-9493.
April 16, 2011 7-9:30PM
3rd Saturday Arts Night
Ethical Building
516 Prospect Street
Maplewood, NJ 07040
May 21, 7-9:30PM: 3rd Saturday Arts Night: Nancy Bohn, collecting brass rubbings
3rd Saturday Arts Night
Nancy Bohn, collecting brass rubbings
May 14, 2010 Ms. Dot Maver, champion of the Peace Academy, spoke at the Society. Ms. Maver is a leader in the Peace Alliance and former campaign staffer in Dennis Kucinich’s presidential campaign.
May 15, 2010 7:00 - 9:00
Karen Bokert spoke at Third Saturday Artists on the influence of Native American art on her work.
The Board of Trustees of our Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
has joined the New Jersey Coalition on Reason. Learn more here!Video Clip of Singing from Boe's honoring event!
An article about some Gilded Age
South Orangers-- with a
connection to our Ethical Culture House!
(Keep reading till you come to the
shocking divorce part!)January 8, 2012 Platform
May 29, 2011 Platform!
February 13 Platform
February 19: Third Saturday Arts with Yasmeen Anderson
Betty Levin's Daughter Janet Rudolph
Has a Letter in the NY Times about ParentlingSpeaker for January 30-- Michele Hollow
Speaker for February 6
Eclectic Chaos Art Event November 19 & 20, 2010Peace Rededication Ceremony September 2010
Past Events and More
Molly Gilman's Home Page
A Page for Fred Sebastian
Ted Seagull Memorial
Memories of Ted Seagull by Betty Levin
Doris Rados Memorial
Jack Tiner Memorial
Memorial Service for Anita Roberts was held
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A graveside service was held for long time member and friend,
Hannah Mastrolia, was held on Sunday, October 11, 2:00 PM
at Riverside Cemetery in Saddlebrook, NJ.
Leader Emeritus Jim White conducted the service.
Memorial Service for Gigi Goldstein was held Saturday, October 31, 2009
Arts Evening at Ethical was held Saturday, November 21, 2009
Barbara Krales Cotler Spoke on her Art and Tina Kelly Read Poetry
Follow up to Our Platforms:
Follow-Up to Platforms and More
Arts Unbound / Valley Arts District
(the Arts in Orange, and programs for people with special needs)Work for Better Conditions for Immigration Detainees:
IRATE/First FriendsMyron Kronisch's Center for War/Peace Studies and
Citizens for Global Solutions
Michele Hollow's Animal Blog
More on Dreams from Arthur Strock
More Follow up!
Black History Music Program at CCNY
With Our Speaker George Brandon!
George Brandon and the Blue Unity Orchestra
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND THE
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK STUDIES AT CCNY
Click here for FlyerDate: Feb.23, 2011
Time: 7:30 pm. City College of New York North Academic Center
160 Convent Avenue, NY 10031 Ballroom
Contact: 212-650-8117This event is a Blue Unity Orchestra Legacy Concert featuring original compositions by George Brandon and his arrange-ments of Jazz standards. The Blue Unity Orchestra promotes the work of African, African American and Afro-Diasporan Composers and is a project of Blue Unity Music.
February 13, 2011 Platform: Work for Better Conditions for Immigration Detainees: IRATE/First Friends
February 6, 2011 Platform speaker Myron Kronisch's Center for War/Peace Studies and Citizens for Global Solutions
January 30, 2011 speaker Michele Hollow's Animal Blog-- information and fun.
January 9, 2011 Speaker Arthur Strock recommends books on dreaming at his website Live By Your Dreams or click here.
On Saturday, February 12, 8:00pm Richard C. Alston
will be guest artist with the orchestra "Ensemble du Monde" performing "Rhapsody In Blue" by Gershwin. The concert will be held at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City. Tickets are priced at $40.00 general and $20.00 for Seniors and Students. You may purchase tickets at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Montclair, NJ. Tickets must be purchased at TPC before January 10th. There will be free bus transportation to and from NYC leaving from and returning to Trinity Presbyterian Church at Orange Road and High Street. Due to limited bus seating, don't delay in purchasing your ticket. You purchase tickets not use the bus transportation For more information call TPC 973-744-3396. For more information, see Mr. Alston's new web page.
See an Article about Sam Krause
(12-5-10 speaker) by Elaine Durbach!
Military Families Speak Out (Michelle Munsat, April 18, 2010 speaker). Vigil every Wednesday 5:00 - 6:00 PM at Spiotta Park in South Orange (opposite Blockbuster). For weekly email newsletter, write MFSOEssexCounty@Hotmail.com
Learn more about Julius “Clown Chips” Carallo from the December 13, 2009 Plaform:http://www2.newpaltz.edu/little-rebellion/2010/03/students-look-beyond-the-mask-2/
Risa Olinsky spoke on January 3, 2010 on "Personal Accountability and Health."
To learn more, visit her website at www.RisaOlinsky.com .
See also her New York Times Blog entries at the Local.Read Steve Sklar's September 27, 2009 talk
For More information on Peter Montague's October 18 talk:
Environmental Research Foundation: purgenfacts@gmail.com
New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance: Henryrose1199@hotmail.comHenryrose1199@hotmail.com
People's Organization for Progress, Central Jersey: popcentraljersey.org
Essex Greens: essexcountygreens@gmail.comMore on Transitioning to Green:
Linking Talent to Opportunity
Black History Music Program at CCNY
With Our Speaker George Brandon!
George Brandon and the Blue Unity Orchestra
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND THE
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK STUDIES AT CCNY
Click here for FlyerDate: Feb.23, 2011
Time: 7:30 pm. City College of New York North Academic Center
160 Convent Avenue, NY 10031 Ballroom
Contact: 212-650-8117This event is a Blue Unity Orchestra Legacy Concert featuring original compositions by George Brandon and his arrange-ments of Jazz standards. The Blue Unity Orchestra promotes the work of African, African American and Afro-Diasporan Composers and is a project of Blue Unity Music.
For follow up on last year's platforms, click here.
Upcoming Platforms
Current Newsletter
Read Social Action Committee Minutes
Social Action Committee Page
Folk Fridays-- Second Friday of Each Month
Feldenkrais at Ethical
For Members:
Check out this article about our house!
Video Clip of Singing from Boe's honoring event
A letter from Barry and Joanne -- and a photo of Barry floating!
2009-2010 schedule for coffee and greeters.
Photos of our Hiroshima Day Observance, August 8, 2009
Singing at Peace Day/Hiroshima Observance, August 8, 2009
Phyllis Ehrenfeld, friend of the Essex Society
and frequent platform speaker, died on July 14th, 2009.
See an obituary here.
We're in the news! Click here!
See photo of our Pete Seeger Event!
Upcoming Events
Snapshots
More from our 2008-2009 Platforms:
Christopher Geissler: Lessons from a
Unique
Religious Hybrid
in Ancient China
For more, see last year's platforms.
The Star-Ledger editoral supports giving INSIDE/OUT to the inmates who wrote it!
INSIDE/OUT made the front page of the April 21, 2009 STAR-LEDGER!
Inside Out: Voices From New Jersey State Prison, Kal Wagenheim, editor.
Poems, stories, memoirs and commentaries by 43 inmates who took part in a creative writing workshop. Compiled and edited by Kal Wagenheim, who directed the workshop. Theo Bensen of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says, "Moving stories and poems that come from the heart...This program might well be transplanted to other institutions."
Order here . Profits will be donated to efforts to improve educational opportunities for inmates and re-entry programs once they are released from prison. Here's what one of the inmate authors said:
"Dear Professor Kal, Thank you so much for all that you've done for us. Thank you a million times for believing in us. Please send me a copy of the book as soon as you can. In my plight often do I feel helpless. I feel like I'm not making a contribution to anything. A wise man said that the best man is he who is of maximum benefit to all people. To know that the book will benefit others makes my heart happy. The more I mature into a real man the more I want to help myself, family, and others in need. A real man finds his purpose in life. A real man leaves as great legacy. I was inspired by you through your creative writing workshop. I believe I can achieve many of my goals through creative writing..."
Dean Sluyter, who spoke on "Buddhas in the Classroom," has information about his books and meditation at his website.
Also, take a look at his article on The Huffington Post!
Recent platform speaker Nancy Gross has an interesting
blog
on books and medical topics at
http://medhum.med.nyu.edu/blog/
Self-Help Clearing House
/http://www.selfhelpgroups.org.
Read MLK's speeches online:
Beyond Vietnam
http://www.mlkonline.net/vietnam.html
Letter from the Birmingham Jail
http://www.mlkonline.net/jail.html
Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1426
Feldenkrais
Awareness Through Movement Lesson
Led by The Feldenkrais Group of Maplewood/South Orange
Feldenkrais Guild Certified Practitioners
Wear comfortable loose clothing
Bring mat, yoga mat, or quilt to lie on
Place: The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Donations to Ethical Culture accepted
Phone 973-763-1905
Email: ethicalessex@netscape.com
Statement on Religious Identity
of Ethical Culture Fall 2008
(In order to read this, you need
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which
can be downloaded for free if you click here.)
Current Newsletter
(In order to read this, you need
Adobe Acrobat Reader,
which can be downloaded
free if you click here.)
For More pictures, see snapshots.
Interested in Joining our Society?
Call a Co-Chair of the Membership Committee:
Barbara Cotler 973-762-5287
Terri Seuss 973-374-2617
Small weddings, Bar@Bat mitzvahs,
Graduation parties, etc. Call 973-763-1905
Latest Social Action Committee Minutes
Special Page on Doing Publicity for Your Event
Interested in Being Green?
A Statement from Susan Rose,
Leader of the Ethical Society without Walls
(and former member of our Society)
Information for Members:
By-Laws
List of Greeters & Hospitality
Snapshots of recent events
SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE
STATEMENT ON HEALTH CARE REFORM!
For online articles about Health Care in the U.S., click here.
Latest Ethical Action Report
(In order to read this, you need
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which
can be downloaded for free if you click here.)
Ethical Action Report From the AEU: Information
More
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Mini Market We are continuing with Nancy Bohn’s idea for raising funds after the Sunday Platform — offering good, useful items for re-sale. If you would like to participate, bring your clean, saleable items on Sunday, we will sort and ticket those that are marketable. You take them back home if not sold — or just peruse the goods, and maybe you’ll find something you’ve been looking for. Items are on a table on Sunday, then on the mantle during the week.
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Have you seen the new and improved website of the American Ethical Union? Click here.
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Current Issue of our Newsletter (In order to read this, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded free if you click here.)
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Word Out Check their latest movies & forums -- New Word Out! email address -- For film and event notices throughout NNJ email wordout@myway.com Word Out! ...for a better World.
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Click here for schedule of coffee and greeters plus instructions.
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The Social Action Committee invites you to view The Ethical Action Report from the AEU. Click here to see it.
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Have you wondered about our excellent piano player Janet Mangano? Click here to learn more!
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Contact information for members and friends.
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Past Newsletters--(You'll need Acrobat Reader to read this: to download it for free, click here.)
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Model Advanced Directive
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Essex Ethical Culture Society Position on Physician-Assisted Dying: Click here and here
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Learn more about Ethical Culture!
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Our Building Is a Peace Site. Read more here.
For
more informaton about the
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, call 973-763-1905
The
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
516
Prospect Street, Maplewood,
NJ 07040
Email: ethicalessex@netscape.com
Special Thanks to our friends at Tech-9 Multimedia
Schedule of Sunday Platforms Who We Are How to Find Us How Do I Become a Member? National Affiliation Special Programs Forum Social Action Committee An Ethical Culture Review of Books An Ethical Culture Magazine Home