Rabbi Label Lam To Serve As Scholar-In-Residence For Maplewood Jewish Center's Jubilee Shabbaton

Online, November 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Maplewood Jewish Center (MJC) announced today that it will host Rabbi Label Lam as a Scholar-in-Residence as part of a Jubilee Shabbaton (sabbatical) to commemorate the synagogue's 50th anniversary. The weekend's festivities will take place across multiple locations in both Maplewood and South Orange on November 18-19, 2011.

MJC's newly installed President, Jacob Sturm, says that the Shabbaton represents another example of MJC growth into a full-fledged center for traditional Judaism in the sister towns of Maplewood and South Orange, "In the last few years, we've added an eruv and preschool, expanded our facility with the Charles Kimmel Building, and grown our membership, particularly with young families. The Shabbaton is a chance to reflect on our 50 year history and share with visitors and newcomers how far we've come."

Rabbi Lam is the co-founder of Foundations for Jewish Learning and has been a regular speaker through Ohr Somayach International and Hamayan Institute for nearly 20 years. Sturm sees his participation as a perfect fit for the community's growing population of young families. "We're thrilled to have such an engaging speaker in Rabbi Lam, with his expertise in parenting and family issues, which is really appropriate since Maplewood and South Orange are such great towns for young families."

The program will be highlighted by a series of lectures by Rabbi Lam. It will begin November 18 at 5pm with Friday evening services, followed by a community dinner and Rabbi Lam's first of a two part lecture, "The Ten Commandments of Jewish Parenting." Following Saturday morning services and a community lunch, Rabbi Lam will continue with the second part of the lecture. At 8pm on Saturday, following afternoon and evening services, a wine and dessert reception will be held in the South Orange home of an MJC member family, at which Rabbi Lam will shift his attention to couples in a talk titled, "E=mc2: A Formula for Success in Personal Relationships."

Information and registration available online at http://www.maplewoodjewishcenter.org

About Rabbi Label Lam
Rabbi Label Lam is a former college athlete and a poet. A graduate of Colgate University, Rabbi Lam matriculated at Harvard Extension School. While pursuing his Master in Education he studied for many years at Yeshiva Ohr Somayach in Monsey before launching a multifaceted career in Jewish Education. A veteran of the Day School Movement and a former full-time lecturer for Arachim Seminars, Rabbi Lam has been inspiring businessmen, college students and prisoners for Ohr Somayach International and Hamayan Institute for almost two decades. He is the co-founder of Foundations for Jewish Learning with outreach projects across the United States and abroad. He brings to his lectures his rich life experience, a profound wit and an infectious love for the Jewish People. His insights on the weekly Torah portion are received by more than 15,000 subscribers weekly and can be found at torah.org. Rabbi Lam lives in Spring Valley, New York with his wife Chaya and their ten children.

About Maplewood and South Orange
Maplewood and South Orange together represent one of the most popular suburban options for families fleeing the high prices and cramped spaces of New York City, Hoboken, Brooklyn, and other New York-area urban communities. Located just 15 miles west of New York City, the two towns are well known for their beautiful tree-lined streets, stately older homes, multitude of parks and recreational facilities, and convenient access to New York City. There is a dynamic arts scene in each town, including outdoor summer concerts, theatre companies, and art shows. The area benefits from several Jewish Day Schools, nearby synagogues and Jewish communal services, and extensive kosher shopping opportunities. With direct train service via New Jersey Transit to both New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal, the area offers the shortest commute-by-train of any suburban New Jersey community with an eruv.