After much anticipation, Congregation Shaare Shalom recently held an enjoyable Family Fun Day. With delicious food, excellent weather and a relaxing atmosphere, the day could not have been better.
After reserving the park in Manhattan Beach for the afternoon, plans were set in motion to create a fun, yet relaxing afternoon for all ages. From morning until late afternoon, the activities were 
plentiful, with over 400 people participating. Throughout the day, children of all ages were occupied with relay races, dodge ball, magic shows, carnival games, arts and crafts, and a scavenger hunt. Aaron Shasho ran a fun sports league. S.Y. Grill offered a full scale barbecue throughout the day as well. Later in the day the adult softball game proved to have competitive edge.
Under the guidance and leadership of Rabbi Joseph Dweck, Shaare Shalom has thrived and expanded into a close and loving congregation. There is a wonderful youth minyan run by Rabbi Abraham Benhamu and through the vision of Joey Torgueman, the shul continues to grow.
“I just want to say that the women that put this day together were not only capable of helping the synagogue raise funds, but more importantly, they were able to keep the Shaare Shalom family 
together. It was nice to see each other in the outdoors, in a relaxing atmosphere instead of on Shabbat. It was a great sight to see and made me feel proud. Our entire community should look at us and say, ‘Wow! It only gets better and better. What else does Hashem have in store for us?’” said Joey Torgueman, President of Congregation Shaare Shalom.
This wonderful afternoon could not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Hadas 
Lindner and Deborah Shiloach and their wonderful committee—Karen Cohen, Sharon Mann, Dolly Masri, Casey Rothschild and their many volunteers. Many thanks to Diana Manopla, Rozie Torgueman, and Alisa Khoudari, whose guidance helped in so many ways, and to the youth minyan, who worked hard all afternoon. Shaare Shalom would also like to thank all of its sponsors for their generous donations.
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Randi Shomer is a community member, mother of four children and a freelance writer.
