The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County

516 Prospect Street, Maplewood, New Jersey 07040  Phone 973-763-1905     Email: ecsec.nj@gmail.com
Board of Trustees: Elaine Durbach, President; Jacqueline Herships, Vice-President; Diane Beeny; Tom Cunningham; Jill Farrer;
William Graves; Lisa Novemsky; Bill Stoever, Terri Suess.
Leader Emeriti: Martha Gallahue and Jim White
Liz Cunningham, Office Manager

Updated 7-9-24
We're on Facebook  -- Snapshots -- Past Newsletters   -- Society By Laws
  Join our email list!  Write to:  ecsec.nj@gmail.com


Ethical Culture Society
Of Essex County, New Jersey

house



Social Action Committee Announces
2024 Local Hero Michelle  Bobrow!


michelle


Michelle Bobrow has 's years of leadership in areas that range from advocacy for abused and neglected children in Essex County, New Jersey to advocacy against eminent domain abuse, and work for open government and citizen participation in government. There is much much more: long service with the Miriam Sisterhood at Oheb Shalom Congregation; chairing the National Council of Jewish Women, NJ State Public Affairs Committee; serving on local and state association boards and teaching courses on parliamentary procedure and running effective meetings.  In your work at the Essex County Election Board, you have overseen the polling sites in Maplewood as the Master Poll worker.  We are especially grateful for your long years of involvement in the League of Women Voters as  a Vice President of Voter Service for the League of Women Voters of New Jersey and as an officer of the Maplewood League of Women Voters since the 1970’s. 

The presentation will take place on Sunday morning September 22, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the Ethical Culture Society Building (516 Prospect Street) in Maplewood.





Sunday Programs Resume After Labor Day...

See Past Programs 2023-2024

Welcome to the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, New Jersey,
meeting on land previously appropriated from the Lenni Lenape people.
Ethical Culture is a Humanist Religion, part of the American Ethical
Union. We meet in person and by Zoom on Sunday mornings from September through June. Come visit us soon!

Meanwhile, there's still a lot going on....


Goals 2 Groups
With Jackie Herships

Second Saturdays at 2:00 p.m.

For more information, click  here.

Saturday July 13, 2024 2pm

Saturday August 10, 2024 2pm

 Ethical Cultural Society Building
516 Prospect Street
Maplewood NJ 0704



 

Social Action Committee Next Meeting

Next Social Action Committee Meeting
Friday, August 2, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. by Zoom.


See what the Social Action Committee is working on,
such as a letter about the Child Tax Credit
published online at NJ.com:
to read it, click here, then, scroll down!

 

Take Action Now!

Check out the Social Action Committee's
RESOURCES page-- letters to copy,
ideas for quick action and more.

The Social Action Committee Suggests...Do it now, until November--

GOTV--HELP GET OUT THE VOTE!


Keep a stack of post cards or letter writing materials handy.  Here are a few places to go for information for phone call, letter/card writing campaigns.  These are strictly nonpartisan.

– Votefwd.org Strictly nonpartisan letter writing campaigns to get out the vote. Go to the website and register with them and use their lists of voters, then write letters at your leisure and store them till certain dates closer to the November elections.

– Center for Common Ground/ Reclaim our Vote (https://www.centerforcommonground.org/reclaim-our-vote) Also strictly nonpartisan. We worked with them as a committee in the past. They do phone banks (from your phone) and post cards.





annuanl meetingoneannual tom
From 5-19-24 annual meeting



For actions you can take now,
see our Social Action Resources page.


From April 7, 2024: 

Moms Demand Action of Essex County

 and Nancy Kislin


=
Moms Demand



Book Discusssion Group:  The 1619 Project--Resumes Fall 2024

 


 

We are a 501 (c) (3) Organization-- Contributions
are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
    The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, a 501(c) (3) organization, is a member of the American Ethical Union (AEU), the smallest named religion in the United States. While we are united through our deep belief in living an ethical life in this world, and in our relation to the natural world, some members believe in a universal life force, others believe in a deity, others are non-theistic.
    All are welcome at the Ethical Culture Society.
    For over 150 years, Ethical Culture has been on the front lines for social reform and social service and has advocated for human cultural expression through music, art, dance, and theater.
    Ethical Culture participated in the founding of the NAACP, the ACLU, Visiting Nurses, and much more. It helped lead the struggles for the eight hour day, an end to child labor, to establish public education, and the first American kindergartens. Today we study ethical analysis and action, work for peace and justice, for full and fair Immigration policies, to roll back climate change and to build a sustainable world.
    We present artists, poets, musicians, dancers and dramatists to enrich lives.
    Our motto is "Work to bring out the best in others, and thereby in ourselves."

 

 

  

An Appeal


Dear Ethical Culture Members and Friends,

Thank you for your commitment to the Ethical Culture Movement that strives to bring ethics into all walks of life by "acting so as to bring out the best in others, and thereby in ourselves" and by working in community to positively impact our personal lives, our communities, as well as ethics in business, politics, education, and health care. By being a Member or Friend of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, you make this ongoing journey of analysis, inquiry and action for ethics possible.

As you know, our building at 516 Prospect Street, Maplewood, on the border of Maplewood and South Orange, has provided space for over 70 years for not only our Ethical Culture Sunday morning platform presentations, and our Family Sunday School Program, it has also hosted many important community programs and events including Chamber Music Workshops, AA Groups, Folk Fridays Music, The Human Faith Movement meetings, ethical summer study groups, personal goal setting and achievement workshops, philosophy groups, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reading groups, as well as a variety of musical recitals, concerts and art exhibits.

The Building also hosts The South Orange Maplewood Coalition on Race offices and events, and has welcomed SOMA Adult School Classes. We have also contributed to the Interfaith Hospitality Network, the Community Food Bank, Community Coat Drives and NJ Peace Action. And over the years we have raised funds for schools in Afghanistan, supported reform movements to end police brutality, and have dedicated ourselves to racial and sexual equality, an end to ageism and to support Labor Movements.

The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County is also the world's first Peace Site, dedicated to finding pathways to Peace. For these and many other reasons having our building as a base for our activities has made the work of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County possible. Together with our location and our dedicated and active members and friends, we have had positive impacts on our community, our county, state, nation and the world.

As you may have heard, we have large building expenses looming that require our stewardship. We are committed to taking care of one of our most valuable assets, our building. The roof will need replacement, and the exterior walls are desperately in need of maintenance. We also have had an immediate chimney repair required. In addition, our ramp, making the building accessible, has worn out and been removed, prompting research into replacement ramps or possibly a mechanical lift. Combined, these repairs are estimated to cost more than $100,000. This would more than deplete our modest savings, and remove our cushion on hand. It is important that we take action to raise funds now.

The Board has decided to embark on a Capital Campaign to raise funds to meet the costs of these building repairs and improvements. This will be a multi-pronged effort. As Phase One, we called on Board Members, Members last year to kick off the campaign. Phase Two of the campaign is this appeal to our Members and Friends, and Phase Three will be a series of fundraisers and grant requests, reaching out to the wider community for support.

Today, we are appealing to our Members and Friends to give generously to the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County 2023 Capital Campaign. If you have thought of leaving a bequest to the Society in your will, perhaps you would contribute now, as an alternative or in addition to your other plans.

Our first phase of the Capital Campaign has raised almost $20,000 in donations from our Ethical Culture Society of Essex County Board. We hope that with Member and Friends donations we can reach the halfway mark toward our $100,000 goal.

Please consider your own history with the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County and consider making a generous contribution to this capital campaign. Please send your donation now or write your pledge amount to me or Jeanine via email and we will assemble them by the end of February, 2023. We hope that pledges to the capital campaign will be donated via check to the office, by March 2023.

We will then know what we have raised internally, in the aggregate, and we will move forward to the wider community with our appeal. Planned, so far, is a spring on-line art auction, a grant request and a possible ad journal for a late spring event.

Thank you for your contributions to the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County over the years. We are honored to have worked alongside you and to have enjoyed your contributions to our community. As a Member or Friend, please carefully consider this appeal and give generously to bring our building back to good repair. We hope we can continue to offer a home for the next generation of those who will carry the banner of ethical study and action into the future.

 

Thank you.

Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, Capital Campaign, Co-Chairs,

 

Terri Suess

 

Jeanine Rosh

 

 

 

 

Please make donations payable to

Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Include on the check "Capital Campaign 2023"
Send donations to
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
516 Prospect St.
Maplewood, NJ 07040







 

 


Monthly Book Discussion Group on The 1619 Project
Third Mondays by Zoom
Led by Leader Jim White


Next Session:
September 16, 2024
7:00 p.m.
Chapters 13 & 14, Church and Music


Reading Schedule:


Dates and Chapters to Read:

9-18-23     Chapter 6    Capitalism
0-16-23    Chapter 1    Democracy
11-20       Chapter 2    Race   (rescheduled)
2-18-23    Chapter 3    Sugar

(from here, tentative dates, two chapters a month.  Third Mondays)

1-15-24    Chaps 4 & 5    Fear and Dispossession
2-19-24    Chaps 7 & 8    Politics & Citizenship
3-18-24    Chaps 9 & 10  Self-Defense & Punishment
4-15-24    Chaps 11 & 12 Inheritance & Medicine

Upcoming Sessions:

9-16-24  Chaps 13 & 14  Church  & Music


10-21-24  Chaps 15 & 16  Healthcare & Traffic

11-18-24 Chaps 17 & 18   Progress & Justice


 

 

 

 

Minutes of Past Board Meetings

3-9-22 Board meeting
2-9-22 Board meeting
1-12-22 Board meeting
11-10-21 Board Meeting
10-13-21 Board Meeting
9-8-21 Board Meeting
8-12-20 Board Meeting
8-23-20 Annual Meeting
9-9-20 Board Minutes
9-18-20 Board Meeting
10-14-20 Board Meeting
11-11-20 Board Meeting
12-9-20 Board Meeting
1-13-21 Board Meeting
2-10-21 Board Minutes

 

 

 

Past Newsletters

May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019



A Selection of Past Years' Programs: