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Assemblyman John D. Ceretto attended the grand opening Thursday of Edwards Vacuum North American Headquarters in Wheatfield. The company made the decision to locate its headquarters in Niagara County after receiving incentives from Empire State Development Corporation and the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency.
"By partnering with Edwards, the state is helping to bring nearly 120 high-paying jobs to Wheatfield, while creating over two dozen new and lasting employment opportunities for local families," Ceretto said. "This is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when government works with, instead of against, businesses."
Ceretto noted that Edwards is a global industrial technology company and is a leading manufacturer and distributor of vacuum pumps and abatement systems. Its products are a critical part of the processes in the semiconductor, solar, flat panel, LED and chemical industries, with its clients ranking among the most well-known brands in the world.
"Edwards creates the type of high-tech, high-paying manufacturing jobs that we need to help rebuild the region's economy and ensure long-term job growth," Ceretto said. "While we continue to make progress in growing jobs throughout the state, it is clear that we must continue to work at making New York a more affordable and attractive place to own a business to make certain that Edwards and companies like it not only invest and expand here, but stay here for the long-term."


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A new wonderful and very clear album is now available on onclassical.com: Sándor Szabó & Kevin Kastning - Resonance.
Resonance, Kevins 2007 release with guitarist Sandor Szabo, was voted as one of the Top 10 Albums of 2007 by The Perfect Sound magazine. In October 2004, Kevin was voted Artist of the Month by the 13th Fret, the worlds largest acoustic guitar forum. In November 2007, Yankee Magazine stated, Kastning is a pioneer in modern acoustic guitar composition.

subset: commoncrawl


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Learn more about this exciting new platform, where Reform congregational leaders connect with colleagues and peers who have similar concerns, interests and responsibilities.
Every week I look for the "That Should Be a Word" column in The One-Page Magazine in the Sunday New York Times. The column, if you can call it that, has an amazing knack for coining a good neologism – a new word or phrase. The humor, smarts, and creativity of the words inspired me to create my own neologism – "congfirmation" (pronounced cong-fir-may-shun).
Let me explain.
I recently had the honor and pleasure to witness my youngest child affirm his faith as part of the confirmation process at our synagogue, Temple Ner Tamid of Bloomfield, N.J. After a year of study with our rabbi, each of the 14 students shared why Judaism was important to them and then publicly affirmed their faith in front of the entire congregation. I started to wonder: "Why, if they are affirming their faith, do we not call the process 'affirmation' instead of 'confirmation'?" Then I asked myself the differences between the two.
According to Merriam Webster, "affirm" means "to validate or state positively, to assert as valid and to express someone's dedication," whereas "confirm" means "to ratify, to strengthen, and to give assurance." Once I had the definitions, I felt less sure which of the two words best described my son's journey. I was also not fully convinced either fully captured the importance of the process.
The students have begun to understand and recognize that Judaism, at its core and embodied in its customs and rituals, is a communal religion. Many of the confirmands, who are 15 or 16 years old, spoke about the communal nature of Judaism as a vital part of why they value being Jewish. My son noted how, working together, we can truly make a meaningful difference in the world. Some spoke of being connected and supported by community, while others spoke about honoring the past as they looked to the future. My son and his classmates aspire to change the world for the better and are embracing their quest to find meaning and purpose.
What was so powerful about the confirmation experience is that they recognized the value our sacred communities play as social, intellectual, and spiritual centers. I'm confident that even if we do not see them often at Shabbat services, they now understand, on some fundamental level, that to achieve their purpose, they will seek the communal nature that is linked to the understanding of themselves as the people bound by the Covenant.
"Congfirmation," then, the act of affirming and confirming one's Jewish faith amongst a congregation that nurtures and supports them, could be a more accurate and comprehensive word. It's a word that not only defines what happens but also celebrates that which is unique and so powerful about our religion. Although this was my youngest son's confirmation, I know that in the years to come, I will be there for others in our community who will be confirmed. I'm confident and optimistic that by the very nature of Judaism, our sacred communities will always be there to sustain our children.
I have the privilege of working for the Union for Reform Judaism, where I help lead youth engagement. After my son's confirmation weekend, my commitment to our Campaign for Youth Engagement (CYE) is both confirmed and affirmed because of the 14 young women and men who articulated how important Judaism is to their own lives and where the cycle of giving and learning renewed and enriched all who witnessed and participated.
So when you next see "congfirmation" in the New York Times Magazine, remember: You read it here first!
Learn more about this exciting new platform, where Reform congregational leaders connect with colleagues and peers who have similar concerns, interests and responsibilities.