Tucked away in the back of a church, art flourishes

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Artists painting under the radar? Who knew there was an open artists studio in Bloomfield at the Brookdale Reformed Church every Tuesday morning? There is and has been for about 20 years. It is an easy-going environment, according to the man who oversees it, Belleville resident and former commercial artist Richard Toglia. An […]

Liberty Middle School walkout says ‘enough’

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Liberty Middle School held a 17-minute walkout on March 14 in memory of the 17 students and teachers killed in the Parkland, Fla., shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. Teachers and staff felt the walkout was powerful for those who participated. The student-led safety team that was […]

Edison students hold peace march for Parkland students

WEST ORANGE, NJ — On March 14, students and faculty at Thomas Edison Central Sixth Middle School held a peace march to honor the victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which had occurred exactly one month prior. Students held up heart signs to show their love and […]

TSTI religious school students bake hundreds of muffins for local food pantry

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Forget about March Madness, for the religious school students at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange, it was more like muffin madness with an after-class Muffin Marathon to benefit the Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges. Students and their families gathered in the synagogue kitchen to bake more than 400 muffins, […]

Oheb Shalom fetes Lippitz, 30 years of women cantors

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — International Women’s Day occurred March 8, but the celebration continued into the weekend when South Orange’s Oheb Shalom Congregation honored its own Cantor Erica Lippitz, who is celebrating 30 years of serving in the cantorate. “From Bima to Broadway” featured Lippitz and cantors Magda Fishman, Alisa Pomerantz-Boro and Elizabeth Shammash, who […]

Essex County cleans up in JerseyArts awards

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, in partnership with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, recently announced the winners of the 2018 JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards, including several venues in Essex County. More than 18,000 ballots were cast in the annual contest, which celebrates the extraordinary work of New Jersey’s […]