Help support Temple Israel of Catskill and honor Barbara and Allan Oren, who have served our community for decades.

Our festive dinner will be held at 4:30pm on Sunday, June 7th, at the Rip Van Winkle Country Club in Palenville. Our fundraising effort will support Temple Israel programs and renovations, making our synagogue an even more inviting and welcoming environment for worship, learning, and celebration. This year, we have designated the Catskill Food Pantry as our charitable partner; they will be receiving a portion of the funds that we raise at this event.

Our Honorees: Barbara & Allan Oren

The Orens are lifelong members of Temple Israel of Catskill. Allan, a past board president, serves as our stalwart High Holy Day gabbai and assiduously tends and waters our gardens and potted plants during the Spring and Summer months. Barbara has been active in various temple activities and was responsible for establishing the Monday Mah Jongg gatherings at Temple Israel and continues to be an active player when in Catskill. Valued members of our community, Barbara and Allan’s warmth and charm are infectious and appreciated by us all.

Allan has deep roots in the Village of Catskill and with Temple Israel. His grandparents, Abraham and Jennie Oren, were among the original members when the synagogue stood at 440 Main Street. His parents, Meyer and Shirley and Uncle Isidor were also lifelong members. Allan was instrumental in the reestablishment of Temple Israel at its current Spring Street location after the 1974 fire the destroyed the 1936 synagogue building.

Allan worked in and eventually ran his family’s furniture business for over 40 years until his retirement in 2004. His grandfather Abraham started the business in 1918 and sold used furniture from a location on Bridge Street, now occupied by a municipal parking lot. The family business changed and grew over three generations, occupying several buildings and showrooms on Main Street and Water Street. In the 1950s, the Orens purchased a former knitting mill on Water Street that had become a manufacturing site. Allan was responsible for modernizing the properties in the 1990s, which included construction of an overhead walkway connecting the two main buildings now occupied by Foreland.

Barbara and Allan raised their two children in Catskill and, following Allan’s retirement, spend the winter months in Florida. When home in Catskill, Barbara is a regular at Temple Israel mah jongg games and Allan continues to be an active member of the Capital Region Jewish Genealogical Society and the Catskill Golf Club.

Our Charitable Partner: Catskill Food Pantry

The Catskill Food Pantry provides fresh produce, meats, dairy, and other healthful foods at no cost to food-insecure populations in Catskill and across Greene County. Their primary supplier is the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York in Albany; they also receive contributions from local gleaning and food rescue organizations, as well as from several family farms in Greene and Columbia counties. Temple Israel of Catskill has long been a supporter of this 501(c)3 non-profit organization, collecting non-perishable food for them every year as part of our High Holy Day appeal.