05/25/2026
Temple Sholom of Scotch Plains will transform a solemn Jewish tradition into a celebration of life with its "Books to Blooms" event on Sunday, May 31st, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at 1925 Lake Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076.
In Jewish tradition, sacred books and ritual items are never simply discarded — when they can no longer be used, they are given a dignified burial in the ground, often after being stored in a special repository called a Genizah. Temple Sholom will be laying to rest approximately 80 prayer books, along with any additional Jewish books or ritual items brought by community members.
Following the burial, attendees will plant a Pollinator Garden directly above the site in the temple's back parking lot — breathing new life into the ground where these cherished items will rest.
Event Schedule –
Sunday, May 31st:
11:00 a.m. – Ritual burial of Jewish books and sacred items
12:00 p.m. – Lunch
12:30 p.m. – Pollinator Garden planting
Community members who have Jewish books or ritual items in need of proper disposal are invited to bring them to the event by 11:00 a.m., or deposit them in a designated Temporary Genizah bin located in the temple lobby from May 21st through May 31st.
The celebration will be preceded by a special virtual presentation on Thursday, May 28th at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom, featuring Rabbi Mark Glickman, author of Sacred Treasure, who will speak about the world's most famous Genizah — the Cairo Genizah. The Zoom session is open to the public at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89976401962
"We look forward to planting life together," says Rabbi Emily Ilana Losben-Ostrov.
To RSVP and/or donate for the May 31st event, visit https://www.sholomnj.org/form/Books-to-Blooms-2026.html
