Tag Archives: Norfield Congregational Church

Roundup: World Cup, America 250, Local Stuff Too …

Posted on July 3, 2026 | 1 comment

The Clubhouse has been Westport’s go-to spot, for many World Cup matches.

For something different for today’s Argentina-Cape Verde game (Friday, 6 p.m.), consider a watch party in Stamford — hosted by Congressman Jim Himes.

The Round of 32 event is at Third Place by Half Full Brewery. Fans of both teams — and the USA — are welcome. So are all Democrats, Republicans, independents — and everyone else.

That’s the World Cup magic!

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What do freedom, faith, hope and responsibility mean, as America celebrates its 250th anniversary?

Weston’s Norfield Congregational Church invites everyone to participate in a 4-week sermon series exploring those questions.

“A New Birth of Freedom: America at 250 — Beautiful. Broken. Beloved. Becoming” begins this Sunday (July 5, 10 a.m.). Through scripture, reflection and honest conversation, the series examines how people of faith can engage the nation’s milestone with gratitude, humility, courage and hope.

Senior minister Rev. Dr. Bernard Wilson says, “This is not a partisan series. It is a Gospel series. We are not gathering around a flag, but around Christ’s table. Our goal is to explore what faithful citizenship and Christian hope look like in a complex and changing world.”

The series will be complemented by special musical offerings from American composers and hymn writers. For more information, click here.

Norfield Congregational Church

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Also in the spirit of our semiquincentennial: The Westport Garden Club invites the community to a free “American Spirit 250” event.

The patriotic exhibition — a gift to the the town — showcases the talents of club members through horticulture and floral design, and educational displays.

The National Garden Club Small Standard Flower Show is set for the Westport Library on July 11 (noon to 5 p.m.) and July 12 (1 to 3 p.m.).

The Westport Garden Club began celebrating America 250 in April, placing floral displays placed town. They’ll continue the effort on patriotic dates through the rest of the year.

Westport Garden Club members Louise Demakis, Janet Wolgast and Joanne Heller.

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As always, the Parks & Recreation Department did a spectacular job — not just with last night’s fireworks, but the cleanup that followed too.

Working through the night, after 10,000 guests left, they made sure that Compo Beach was pristine for the holiday weekend.

Meanwhile, the dozens of very important port-a-potties were trucked away. They too will be cleaned, and ready for whatever comes next.

(Photo/Amy Schneider)

PS: More props to Parks & Rec, for keeping the bathrooms by the lifeguard shack open. In years past, they were inexplicably closed during the biggest night of the year.

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Local artist Tammy Winser is this month’s Westport Book Shop artist exhibitor.

Her whimsical “So They Say” collection combines acrylic and collage, celebrating animals with human expressions and personalities. Winser’s thought-provoking works capture the humor and absurdity of everyday life.

An artist reception is set for July 16 (6 p.m.). The exhibit will be open during business hours throughout July, with all work available for purchase.

Meanwhile, the Book Shop’s Short Story Club meets July 22 (6 p.m.).

This month’s discussion focuses on stories by American writers, about conversations:

  • “Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut,” by J.D. Salinger
  • “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” by Raymond Carver
  • “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank,” by Nathan Englander

Space is limited. To register, call 203-349-5141, or email RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org.

Tammy Winser

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The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) is seeking candidates to fill the District 7 vacancy created by the death of Jack Klinge.

No political party affiliation is required. as Westport’s RTM is a nonpartisan legislative body. Interested District 7 representatives can submit a resume and brief statement of intent to town clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton (jdunkerton@westportct.gov) by July 20.

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After all the partying and noise at last night’s fireworks, let’s take it down a notch.

Sit back relax, and enjoy this serene “Westport … Naturally” photo:

(Photo/Saranda Berisa)

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And finally … okay, back up a notch again:

(Hooray for the red, white and blue. And for “06880” too! Even on a holiday weekend, we work for you. If you appreciate what we do, please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

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Posted in Arts, Environment, Local business, Local politics, religion, Sports

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Weston Confronts Antisemitic Signs

Posted on October 29, 2023 | 18 comments

In the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, disturbing lawn signs appeared in Weston.

Last week, Rabbi Michael Friedman of Westport’s Temple Israel and Rev. Bernard Wilson of Weston’s Norfield Congregational Church sent this open letter to residents of the town:

On Sunday morning, a new set of political lawn signs appeared around town. They referenced candidates running for selectman with the phrase, “Ham & Baloney: more of the same ol’ leftovers for Weston.”

It happens that the targeted candidates are both Jewish, and that these signs were often placed next to lawn signs depicting the Israeli flag.

The reference to pork products, regarding two Jewish candidates, placed next to the flag of Israel, just days after Israel was attacked adds up to an impact that is antisemitic.

Rabbi Michael Friedman

More broadly, we are concerned for the tenor of political discourse in our town and our nation. As a community we want to be in dialogue with each other. We want discourse that affirms, encourages, emboldens and inspires. While we support the right of all Westonites to voice their support for issues or candidates, negative or oppositional messaging coarsens the discourse of our community.

In this community we work hard to raise awareness of how hateful words make others feel. In this case members of the Jewish community feel targeted. We would say the same regarding language that isolates and stokes fear against people of color and our Muslim community. Derogatory language towards any faith, religion or race has no place here.

We believe that human beings generally have good intentions. But sometimes even the best of intentions may have an unanticipated harmful impact. Our hope in writing this letter is to strengthen the fabric of our community and further build the culture of inclusion that so many of us value here in Weston.
In peace,

First Selectwoman Sam Nestor added these thoughts:    

This weekend, various signs were strategically placed throughout our town, and unfortunately they have sparked fears and concerns amongst our families. Further, the subsequent discussion has shown a divide among our community.

1st Selectwoman Sam Nestor

In my capacity as a town leader, it is crucial that I address the matter of these signs and emphasize their inappropriate nature. Regardless of whether they were deliberately designed to be so, the Jewish families in our community, including myself, perceive them as being antisemitic. It is of utmost importance that we approach this issue with the seriousness it deserves and truly listen to the concerns raised.

To gain a better understanding of the situation at hand, I have taken the time to consult with esteemed faith leaders and advisors. I strongly urge everyone to not dismiss this matter when it arises, but rather, to speak up and take a stand against it.

These signs have had a profound impact on our Jewish community members, leaving them feeling a range of emotions: unsafe, unwelcome, unheard.

Our neighbors are in pain, and as a community, we have the responsibility to support each other. I sincerely hope that you will stand with me in assuring our community that we will not tolerate the infiltration of antisemitism within our town. Together, we can make a difference.

(Hat tip: Sarah Kerstin Gross)

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Posted in Local politics, religion, Weston

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Westport, Weston Clergy: “Let Us Not Sleep Through This Revolution

Posted on July 4, 2020 | 16 comments

On this Independence Day, the Westport/Weston Clergy Association says:

In recent weeks many of us have come to a greater understanding of the constant, oppressive, life-threatening, structural racism endured by those among us who are black and brown.

Many of our ancestors endured a history of injustice and murder. Our black and brown siblings continue to face injustice and murder on a daily basis. Many of us thought we knew and understood. We have come to realize that we have so much more to understand, particularly those among us who have benefited from a system that favors whiteness.

In 1964 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Westport at the invitation of Rabbi Byron T. Rubenstein. In his address at Temple Israel he said, “One of the great liabilities of life is that all too many people find themselves living amid a great period of social change, and yet they fail to develop the new attitudes… that the new situation demands. They end up sleeping through a revolution.”

Let us not sleep through this revolution.

This 1964 bnewspaper clipping shows Rev. Martin Luther King at Temple Israel. He’s flanked by Rabbi Byron T. Rubenstein (left) and congregation president Dan Rodgers.

Let us learn to oppose racism and bigotry with all our hearts, all our souls, all our might.

Let us become anti-racists, actively dismantling structures of inequality and injustice.

Let us one day look our children in the eye and tell them honestly that we did our part to create a world more righteous than the one we inherited.

Let each of our congregations commit to action, so that black people will no longer be, in the words of Rev. Dr. Bernard Wilson of Norfield Congregational Church in Weston, “treated as second-class citizens in the nation of our birth.”

It is not up to us to complete the work of repairing the world. But neither can we absent ourselves from it.

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Posted in History, Politics, religion

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