About Us
The South Jersey Men’s Club (SJMC) is a unique Jewish organization. Rather than being a men’s club that’s part of a single synagogue, it is a group of men from throughout South Jersey. As such, SJMC works to provide social and charitable activities that benefit the overall South Jersey community. Some SJMC members are also affiliated with a specific synagogue while others are not; we encourage all to maintain dual membership with a synagogue men’s club.
SJMC came about after Congregation Beth Jacob – Beth Israel folded in 1990 and its men’s club decided to continue under the SJMC banner. The Federation of Jewish Men’s Club granted the SJMC permission to continue under its charter using that new name. SJMC has been described as a synagogue men’s club without a synagogue. SJMC supports and participates in the Federation of Jewish Men’s Club and Mid-Atlantic Region activities such as Yellow Candles, Man of the Year, Convention, and more. We’re proud that very few clubs have received as many Torch Awards as SJMC, including Best Overall Activities.
Upon joining, each member receives a name tag and an SJMC shirt that’s worn at meetings, which have been held at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) for the last ten years. Members of the religious committee will conduct shiva minyans for members who don’t belong to a synagogue. We also help assemble the Sukkah at the JCC.
SJMC has always had monthly general membership breakfast meetings with excellent programs. When the pandemic struck, we continued those meetings with speakers every month via Zoom, including a live virtual tour of Jerusalem and an infectious disease specialist presentation about COVID. Videos of those meetings are available online. We also have an Investment Club and Fantasy Football group for our members.
In addition to being a fraternal organization, our many philanthropic activities include assisting agencies of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey, donations to Israeli organizations, and providing Yom HaShoah candles at the community’s annual Holocaust memorial event. Doing so enriches our members’ lives as well as the community. More than 20 members helped the Jewish Family and Children’s Service Food Pantry during the pandemic, just as they had done for years before the pandemic struck. We also created and organized the Jewish Athletic Group to facilitate closer relations between Jewish organizations in South Jersey through sports.
One of our annual projects is Operation Maccabi, a Hanukkah card program for Jewish United States troops as well as the Israeli Defense Force. Members have participated in Volunteers for Israel work on Israeli bases, and we had an SJMC trip to Israel. Recently, SJMC donated several dozen teddy bears for Afghanistan refugee children who were being housed at the nearby Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey.
Another important activity is an annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Breakfast, held for nearly 25 years. Through this event, which honors area law enforcement members, the SJMC has fostered very positive relations between the Jewish community and local, county, state, and federal law enforcement communities.
Many of our activities are highlighted in the short version of our 2015 25th Anniversary Video (http://tinyurl.com/sjmc25years).
Thank you for visiting our new Internet site. To keep you up-to-date with our activities check our event calendar of events. We want to give you the opportunity to stay in touch with our men’s club..
If you are not familiar with the South Jersey Men’s Club, please let us know what your questions are. We will be more than happy to help. Contact our Membership Director. Rob Levine at 856-504-6726 or cell 516-729-2372 or email at RbLevine509@gmail.com.
In brief, you should know the following about us. We usually meet on the last Sunday of the month unless there is a conflict with a holiday schedule. Our club was established in 1991 to serve the Jewish men of South Jersey with a men’s club that is not affiliated with any one synagogue or temple. We are not orthodox, conservative, or reformed. Still, we do have religious, cultural, and community involvement.
We also have a part of our club that is involved with softball. For more information call Bob Weinstein at 856-354-8344 or email tiquing@comcast.net..
If you would like to come to a meeting, please check our calendar for the next meeting. It would be advisable to call our member contact person, Rob Levine at 856-504-6726. We always like to meet new people. You will find us to be friendly, involved with the community, and helpful.