Since CAJE, The Conference for Alternatives in Jewish Education, the convention that I attended since 1991 went "belly up" in 2009, several cities put together "mini-CAJE's". CAJE was an annual conference of about two thousand Jewish Educators from all around the world. The mini-CAJE's are around fifty to a hundred educators.

This year, I was asked to be part of something new called, "NewCAJE". There were two hundred to four hundred Jewish Educators from all around the United States and Canada in attendance at Montclair University in Montclair, New Jersey. They asked me to be the MC for the opening evening program and bring my special class that I teach at the AJU – The American Jewish University, called "Listen, Laugh and Learn" which I taught to an SRO classroom.

They were very excited to have me on board again, since I have been deemed a "CAJE-Legend" during the last few years of CAJE. I was very excited to be part of this new endeavor.

The High Holy Days were fantastic. Rabbi Blazer and I, along with our adult choir, under the direction of Eileen Weiser, worked very hard to make this year's services a most musically spiritual experience for everyone. Beautiful harmonies filled our "Hyatt Sanctuary" at the Hyatt Regency Valencia Town Center.

The music of the High Holy Days is especially uplifting and spiritual. We don't sing the prayers quite like we do on the Yamim Noraim at any other time of the year. We hope you enjoyed the experience of this very special time of the year.

Laura, Adam, Aaron and I wish you all a Shana Tova U'metuka - a Happy, Healthy and Sweet New Year!

B'shalom,

Cantor Kenny Ellis