Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: community

  • Samaritan announces Celebration of Life gala

    Samaritan’s annual Celebration of Life gala, presented by Holman Enterprises, will be held at champion sponsor Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m.

    Plans will be spearheaded by honorary co-chairs Debra P. DiLorenzo and Kathleen A. Davis of DiLorenzo Davis Consulting.

    The event will include food, music by Masquerade, dancing and more in celebration of Samaritan’s 45-plus years of providing life-enhancing services and care to more than 12,500 patients, clients and their families annually in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.

    “Each year, the gala serves as Samaritan’s largest fundraising event – reaffirming our mission to provide life-enhancing services and care to all those we serve, while also honoring the generous individuals and organizations who make our work possible,” said Phillip W. Heath, president and CEO of Samaritan.

    To further support fundraising efforts and broader community engagement, Samaritan’s gala will also feature:

    • The Premiere Culinary Passport Raffle is sponsored by Innovative Benefit Planning LLC and offers the chance to win a total of eight $200 restaurant gift certificates (valued at a total of $1,600) for just $20 per ticket. Two raffle winners will be announced during the gala.
    • An online auction will feature a variety of specialty items for bid and will open for bidding on Saturday, Jan. 31.

    Event attendance is not required for participation in both the raffle and online auction. Tickets for the former are available to buy online via Samaritan’s website, in addition to access to the online auction. All proceeds from the evening will support above and beyond care for Samaritan patients and their families throughout South Jersey.

    Each year the gala honors three individuals and organizations who are dedicated in their service to Samaritan, as well as the greater South Jersey community. The 2026 honorees include Dr. Nandini Natrajan, the William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation and United Way of Gloucester County

    “The impact that Dr. Natrajan, the William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation and United Way of Gloucester County have had on our organization is immeasurable,” Heath explained. “The dedication and generosity exhibited by each of these honorees helps us continue to evolve to help more people in more ways throughout southern New Jersey.”

    “If you look around the room on the night of the gala, there’s a pretty good chance that most of the people there have had a loved one in our care,” noted Chris Rollins, chief development officer at Samaritan. “And they are there, perhaps, to show gratitude and help pay it forward by ensuring we can do that for others, and we’re lifted up by them showing that support and helping us look to the next 45 years.”

    For sponsorship information and deadlines, additional gala details or tickets, visit www.SamaritanNJ.org/Gala.

  • ‘Inspiring energy’ at a community blood drive

    Courtesy of BAPS Swaminarayan Temple
    Donors check in at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple drive on July 20, an effort to increase donations during summer, when they tend to go down.


    A steady stream of donors filed through 1 Carnegie Plaza on July 20 as the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Cherry Hill hosted a blood drive in partnership with New York Blood Center Enterprises.

    The six-hour drive drew residents from across South Jersey for a day of giving and service, including Sapana Raval, vice president of the Voorhees-Gibbsboro Lions Club, who pointed out that the need for blood donations in the state is critical.

    “Summer months tend to see a drop in donations,” she explained. “Meanwhile, hospitals continue to rely on steady supplies for surgeries, trauma and cancer care. We also have to be prepared for emergencies and natural disasters that increase demand.”

    “The motivation behind organizing this blood drive at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple stems from our deep commitment to serving the community and fostering a culture of giving,” said Kiritkumar (KD) Patel, one of the drive’s organizers.

    “Blood donation is a vital act that can save lives,” Patel added. “By hosting this event at our temple, we aimed to inspire our community members to contribute to a noble cause.”

    BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a globally recognized Hindu spiritual organization, is known for combining spiritual growth with community service. The blood drive reflected that dual mission, said another organizer.

    “This initiative truly embodies the values of compassion and unity that are central to our faith,” Yogini Patel related. “Our partnership with the New York Blood Center was founded on a shared vision of making a positive impact on public health. Their experience and support helped us make this event a success.”

    Blood drive volunteers managed check-ins and refreshments, with medical professionals on hand to guide each donor through the process.

    “The community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive,” KD Patel pointed out. “We had many donors walk in and express gratitude for the opportunity. The energy here today is inspiring.”

    Raval praised the drive’s calming atmosphere.

    “Staff were very attentive, making sure everyone felt safe and informed,” she said. “It’s not just about the blood – it’s about creating a positive experience so people will want to donate again.”

    Raval also offered quick after-care tips for donors: “Stay hydrated, eat something light after donating and avoid strenuous activity for the rest of the day. Most importantly, feel proud of your contribution – and consider doing it again.”

    Organizers confirmed that the temple’s blood drive won’t be its last.

    “We’re committed to doing this every year,” promised Yogini Patel. “This isn’t just a one-time act. It’s part of a larger mission to serve our neighbors and encourage a spirit of giving.”


  • Becoming family at Adath Emanu-El synagogue

    Adath Emanu-El in Mount Laurel will host an open house on Wednesday, Aug. 13, from 4 to 7 p.m., an opportunity for local communities to explore aspects of the synagogue and discover its diverse programming.

    “I’d like for (those who attend) to experience the warmth of our congregation,” said Adath member Orly Buday. “It’s wonderful to see the connections that the families can make with each other, so that you have a circle of friends to be able to.”

    The synagogue was designed to create a feeling of warmth and openness, and inclusivity to all. From its inception more than 50 years ago, Adath Emanu-El has emphasized being an extended, congregational family that continually explores new ways to deepen spirituality, foster learning and embrace diversity.

    The congregation supports a wide range of programs and activities for members of all ages.

    “We say that it’s where community becomes family, and the people that you attend services with really do become your extended family,” Buday explained. “If you’re looking for a home, this is a great place to have one. Everyone that’s there is willing to help each other. It’s truly what a family is about. You go away from your nuclear family to your larger community family, and that’s what you find when you come to Adath.

    “Our life is enriched and fulfilled.”

    Adath conducts several types of Shabbat worship throughout the year, from traditional Friday night services to ones focused on music, a holiday or a particular group. Programs include sisterhood membership, a men’s club, a youth choir, Saturday Shabbat morning services and an adult choir. Also offered are classes and programs for adults and children, including an early childhood center and religious school.

    “You look forward to going to services on Friday night,” Buday noted. “You look forward to attending events with fellow congregants, because they are truly your friends.”

    Two more open houses will be held on Saturday Aug. 23, at 8:30 a.m., and on Friday, Sept. 5, at 6:30 p.m. Each will offer a unique perspective of the congregation and synagogue.

    “This gives people three different opportunities to check out the synagogue in three different styles to do it,” Buday said, “to find what’s the right fit for you.”

    For more information, visit www.adathemanuel.com.

  • ‘Light over darkness’

    Photos Special to The Sun
    Solidarity Day included an audio immersive experience that honored the memories and lives of those lost at a music festival on Oct. 7 of last year, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, murdered 1,200 civilians and abducted more than 250 more.

    The Moorestown Jewish Association (MJA) took part in a recent Israel Solidarity Day hosted by the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey to mark the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, where more than 1,200 men, women and children – including 46 Americans and citizens of more than 30 countries – were slaughtered by the terrorist group Hamas.

    “A lot of families participated, and the kids worked the room along with the parents, which was really nice to see,” said MJA board member Michele Von Deak of the day. “They were active, really investing time, making their way around the room, not sticking with one table, which I thought was really special to have different experiences.”

    The event was held at the Katz JCC Community Center in Cherry Hill, which hosts educational and social community events during the year. It also holds a variety of programs centered around various Jewish holidays, including Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim and Passover, as well as weekly Shabbat celebrations.

    “This time, because it was the one-year memoriam of the Oct. 7 attacks, they decided to do a Mitzvah Day called Israel Solidarity Day,” explained MJA President Brooke Mailhiot. “All of these community organizations, all of these Jewish agencies, Jewish synagogues (and) other local Jewish organizations took part and did specific Mitzvah projects that related to something that maybe touched them, or that they were feeling, or something that they connected with regarding what happened on Oct. 7.”

    Guests participated in activities such as making cards for Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and wrapping tefillin, a set of two black leather boxes containing Torah verses that are worn by Jewish men during prayer.

    New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy meets with two children at the Oct. 6 event.

    There was also an audio immersive experience that showcased the Israeli Nova Festival with the creation of a music fest backstage pass, an experience that honored the memories and lives of so many who were lost at the show during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, according to the website for the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

    “We found the DJ set that was playing at the … festival, we had a headphone hub, and we had people listening with pairs of headphones to the music that was going on at that Nova music festival on Oct. 7,” Mailhiot noted. “ … People could design the back of their music festival pass and then walk around with an image of a handful of either the hostages or the people that were killed that day, to make them kind of feel that they were that person, that they were experiencing being a part of that Nova music festival.

    “They got to wear that lanyard around all day when they were going from other Mitzvah projects and community projects that were related to the hostages and Oct. 7.”

    Mailhiot shared that as people were listening to the music, they wrote what they felt on their backstage passes or what they would’ve felt had they been at the festival. Some people wrote just one word or a prayer, or simply drew an image.

    “It was very unique how everybody took the experience in a different manner of what it meant to them, and what they were feeling when they were listening to the music and they were in that moment,” Mailhiot pointed out. “ …  I think doing it for the one-year memoriam, I think it broke the stereotype, because everybody wanted to come and support what’s been happening.”

    In other news for the nonprofit, the MJA is raising funds for a new menorah to brighten the community during the holiday season. For years the menorah has been a beacon of unity, celebrating the spirit of togetherness and the meaning of the season for all faiths across Moorestown.

    To donate, visit https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=TYAZD73QMASR6. For more information on the MJA, visit www.moorestownjewishassociation.org.

    “The symbol of the menorah is to show the importance of light over darkness,” remarked board member Ilana Brodsky. “The strength and the hope that the menorah provides … That ties into the community.”