Community Bulletin Board

Temple announces winter adult education courses

Congregation Neve Shalom, 250 Grove Ave., Metuchen, has announced open registration for its winter/spring session of adult education. The following courses are being offered: "Suffering and God After 9/11"; "Religious in a Modern World"; "Improving Prayer Book Hebrew"; "Zionism: Then and Now"; "Ritual Arts"; and "Madregot-Bible Study." Also available are the synagogue's film series and a women's study group. Cost is $25 per semester for members and $35 per semester for nonmembers. The fee entitles individuals to attend any or all courses.

For more information, contact Hazzan Levin at (732) 548-2238, ext. 14, or can2r11@aol.com. Neve Shalom to welcome MSNBC analyst Feb. 16

Congregation Neve Shalom's Adult Education Committee, in conjunction with the Hayat Speaker Series, will present Col. Jack Jacobs, MSNBC analyst and professor of political science at the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point in West Point, N.Y., at 8 p.m. Feb. 16 at the synagogue, 250 Grove Ave., Metuchen. Topic will be current Middle East issues. Friday evening Shabbat services will be followed by a discussion and refreshments. For more information, contact Hazzan Levin at (732) 548-2238, ext. 14, or can2r11@aol.com. Synagogue slates Scholar-in-Residence program

Congregation Neve Shalom, 250 Grove Ave., Metuchen, will hold its annual Scholar-in-Residence program beginning March 23, featuring Richard Freund, Ph.D., director of Jewish studies at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. Freund will speak about "Judaism's Symbols and Secret Codes." The Friday night Shabbat dinner on March 23 will start at 6:45 p.m. and is being catered by Lox Stock & Deli. Cost of dinner is $15 for adults and $8 for children. Saturday morning Shabbat services will be held at 9:30 a.m. March 24, with a D'var Torah by Freund. Following services, there will be a complimentary Shabbat luncheon, but reservations are required. After lunch, Freund will discuss "How the Dead Sea Scrolls Challenge What We Know About Judaism and Christianity." The program will conclude on March 25 with a 10 a.m. NOVA video and talk on "Ancient Refuge in the Holy Land." Dinner and lunch reservations must be made by March 19. For more information, contact Hazzan Levin at (732) 548-2238, ext. 14, or can2r11@aol.com.

Funeral home providing free bereavement support

The Costello-Runyon Funeral Home, 568 Middlesex Ave., Metuchen, continues to offer a bereavement support group. Ongoing sessions are held every Wednesday and Thursday morning from 10:30 a.m. to noon, as well as Wednesday evening from 7-8:30 p.m. The program, which is free of charge, takes place at the funeral home.

Carol Burner, a certified grief recovery specialist, facilitates the program. A professional with a master's degree in counseling from Seton Hall University, South Orange, she has spent the past eight years offering individual and group counseling to clients suffering from significant and tragic losses. For more information, call the funeral home at (732) 548-0149 or Carol Burner at (732) 562-8565.