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:Tom Cunningham, President; Jacqueline Herships, Vice-President; Diane Beeny; Jill Farrer;
William Graves; ; Lisa Novemsky; Bill Stoever, Terri Suess; Peggy Toy. Leader Emeriti: Martha Gallahue, Boe Meyerson, Jim White
Liz Cunningham, Office Manager

Updated 3-18-24
We're on Facebook  -- Snapshots -- Past Newsletters   -- Society By Laws
  Join our email list!  Write to:  ecsec.nj@gmail.com


This Sunday's Program

Upcoming Events

Recent Programs


house

 

Ethical Culture is a Humanist Religion--
We meet in person and by Zoom. Come visit us soon!

 

Welcome to the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County, New Jersey,
meeting on land previously appropriated from the Lenni Lenape people.



Activity Sampler:

bachmillburn





Next Social Action Committee Meeting
Friday, March 29, 2024  5:00 p.m. by Zoom. 
See what we are doing here .
Social Action Committee Letter about the Child Tax Credit
published online at NJ.com: to read it, click here, then, scroll down!


Folk Friday--Second Fridays


DOING IT!
with Jackie Herships

 


This Week's Sunday Program


(See Recent Past Programs here)



March 24, 2024

11:00 a.m. 

Susan Haig








Upcoming Events

March 29, 5:00 p.m. Social Action Committee meeting by Zoom

March 31, 2024      All-Society meeting by Zoom--Join all the Ethical Culture Societies at 11:00 a.m.


April 7         Nancy Kislin LCSW, licensed clinical social worker and author of Lockdown: Talking to Your Kids About School Violence

flyer









Folk Friday at Ethical
Sing-along & jam
April 12, 2024


Second Fridays
Ethical Culture Society
516 Prospect St
Maplewood, NJ 07040
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
lnovemsky@comcast.net
bring acoustic string and rhythm instruments
join in playing, singing, or listening with us

Everyone is invited!

 








Doing It

 

With Jackie Herships

 

Get unstuck in a friendly atmosphere.

 Join our Doing It workshop with Jacqueline Herships 

 Clarify your Vision - Develop your Goals - Take the next steps

As you explore where you are now -  what’s next -  what you would love to be, do, have.

 

Next Session

Come anytime – Sessions are open ended 

Next session Sat. March 9th, 2pm and the 2nd Sat. per month thereafter.  

Sessions are $10 per (and more if you are able :-)

 

At the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County

516 Prospect Street, corner Parker, Maplewood.  

Workshops are ongoing – you can join at any time, but call to confirm.

 

All donations go to  Ethical Culture Society of Essex County,
a 105c nonprofit organization.  

 

Jacqueline has a long history helping her clients to facilitate connections and develop visibility. Her fields of involvement are broad and include technology, the environment, the green arena, community and urban redevelopment, business development, journalism / lifestyle, and the arts.  

 

She has been a contributing writer for the NJ Star-Ledger.  She was the co-founder of Professionals in Media, the publicist and  board member of the International Furnishings and Design Association; she is an advisor to the South Orange Historical and Preservation Society,  a member of the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee to the Township of South Orange and on the board of The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County.  

Jacqueline  is certified in the Riesenberg Method for articulating vision, solving problems and setting goals.

 

Ms. Herships works remotely, in person, and with groups.

 

She can be reached by phone or email at 973-763-7555 or jackieherships@gmail.com

 





Social Action Committee Information

Next Meeting
Friday March 29 , 2024
at 5:00 p.m. by Zoom

 

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

Social Action Committee Opinion Piece on Gun Control
in The Village Green 7-18-23

See also: The Social Action Committee's
Local Hero Award
: Past Honorees.

Social Action Committee Minutes here.






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


Next Session:
Monday, March 18, 2024
7:00 p.m.

Chapters 9 & 10    Self-Defense & Punishment

Full schedule with readings and more information





More Information

Member Page and Friends We've Lost

Seven years of Local Heros!

Take Action Now: see the Social Action Resources page.




News  



 

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 Group
on Critical Race Theory/ The 1619 Project
Third Mondays by Zoom

Led by  Jim White


Reading Schedule:

Dates and Chapter(s) 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

We will tentatively finish chapters 13-18 during three fall sessions to be scheduled.




Recent Platforms


March 17, 2024

11:00 a.m.


Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad


Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad: Erasing Essex County's Boarders

 

This is a hybrid program: in-person at ECS or online via Zoom (link below). 


Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad, founder of Erasing Essex’s Borders, will talk about her efforts to create a movement to unify Essex County and create a sense of belonging that transcends lines, borders, and boundaries.  

Stephanie is a Managing Director at Accenture in the Cloud First Practice based out of the New York Office. She has nearly 30 years of experience spanning infrastructure development, engineering, implementation, and operations. The first 20 years of her career were in the wireless industry starting at Motorola, then Lucent Technologies, and culminating in 11 years at Verizon Wireless.

Stephanie has always been one to split her time between her career and her commitment to civic engagement. After relocating to South Orange in 2011 she was elected to the SOMSD School Board and served for 6 years. She also served as a trustee of Bloomfield College for 7 years.

Stephanie is currently the chair of the South Orange Community Police Collaborative and serves on the board of Trustees of SOMA Action. 

She is an avid runner and member of the SOMA Foxes and is training for her first triathlon in July 2024.

Stephanie has a MS in Electrical Engineering Systems from University of Michigan, a BS in
Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a BS in Mathematics from Spelman College.







Paul LaClair & Jieun Yu


Hear the People Sing: Human Values in Music


Paul LaClair was President of Essex Ethical in 1998-99. Since then, he has devoted much of his time, outside his law practice, to the development of a human values model, consistent with Ethical Culture's tenets. Paul's ethical commitments, coupled with his passion for music, have resulted in what is to be a four-volume book series about how music expresses our values.

Jieun Yu is an artist, marketer and creative designer. She met Paul in 2023, and quickly took an interest in his work. Jieun is illustrating the book series; together, they are creating a product that is greater than either of them could have created alone. Born in Korea, where she lived for the first thirteen years of her life, Jieun brings Asian culture, her generation, her sex and gender to the project.

Together, Jieun and Paul form a powerful creative team, bound together in love for our troubled world, and a desire to do their part to heal it. Using visual and audio media, they will present a sample of their work at this platform.





 

Sunday, March 3, 11 am



Ellen Zisholtz: Restoring a Civil Rights Landmark and
Revitalizing a Community 

 

This is a hybrid program: speaker online via Zoom, audience in-person at ECS or online via Zoom (link below). 


Ellen Zisholtz will speak as Project Director for the Preservation of All  Star Bowling Lanes which was the sight of a deadly civil rights protest in 1968 known as the Orangeburg Massacre. Although few Americans ever learned about this, Ellen took ownership of the site and succeeded in getting it put on the African-American Civil Rights Network of the National Park Service. Learn how substantial grant funding and partnerships from a variety of sources has brought All Star Bowling Lanes into public recognition, and how restoring the original bowling alley has sparked a community wide effort to create a cultural center and revitalize the community. 

A native New Yorker with degrees in History and Arts Management, Ellen Zisholtz now lives in Orangeburg, SC where she taught art and was Director/Curator of the I.P Stanback Museum and Planetarium at South Carolina State University, one of the historically Black colleges in the South.  Now retired, Ellen founded and serves as President of Center for Creative Partnerships, an organization of conscience and social justice that promotes community involvement through the arts and humanities, including civil and human rights. Ellen has an extensive background in civil rights history and activism. Her honors include the 2023 Social Justice Award from   South Carolina State University; 2017 Leadership Award for "the preservation, promotion and interpretation of African and African American art, history and culture" from the Association of African American Museums; 2015 Medal for Social justice and Civil Rights, National Civil Rights Conference, Philadelphia, Mississippi; and the first SC State Faculty Award in Creativity awarded at commencement by Congressman James Clyburn. Under her leadership, the IP Stanback Museum was awarded the Governor's Award for the Humanities and the first Social Justice Award, Orangeburg Massacre Commemoration at SC State. Ellen is also a visual artist having studied at the Arts Student League and has worked in a variety of art forms with experience all over the world.







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: