CRANBERRY TWP — The newly formed group of Jewish Cranberry Township residents will continue to grow and evolve as it finds its mission and meaning, but members made it clear at their meeting that the formation of a Jewish community in southwestern Butler County will remain at the center of the group’s purpose.

Named the Cranberry Community of Jews, the group held its second meeting at the township municipal building.

While far fewer faithful showed up than at the initial meeting in December, progress was made in forming education and social committees.

Janice Dunmire, chairwoman of the latter, is already busy planning a Pre-Purim Party for March 13. The event will be a Sunday brunch at a local restaurant or banquet facility.

Guest speaker at the meeting was Ed Frim, executive director of the Agency for Jewish Learning in Pittsburgh. Frim told the group his agency holds satellite classes in many areas surrounding Pittsburgh.

“We want to help with the educational opportunities in this area,” Frim told the group.

He said rabbis at the agency are very interested in expanding the agency’s educational opportunities to Cranberry Township and easily could set up classes or workshops on a host of topics.

“We’re pretty flexible about what we can organize,” said Frim.

Items of interest to group members included Hebrew classes, interfaith marriage and teen programs.

One member pressed CCJ co-founders Jack Cohen and Mike Berman on the group’s mission and goals, asking if the group intended to become an informal social group or if a future synagogue is the objective.

The woman stressed that synagogues in Beaver County, Allison Park and other locations are struggling to survive, and she suggested the group should be aiding those synagogues by attending activities and worship services there.

But Cohen and other group members reiterated the desire for a family of Jewish residents in the Cranberry Township area.

“(The synagogues) are not in my neighborhood,” said Cohen. “It’s that simple. The issue is we want a community presence in Cranberry.”

Berman, who agreed to take on the task of forming the local group because his teenage daughter is interested in learning more about her heritage and religion, agreed.

Berman suggested the struggling synagogues could hold satellite programs in Cranberry Township. Although the CCJ has only met twice so far, Berman is already thrilled at the sense of kinship he is experiencing in the group.

“I love it,” said Berman. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been with people of my own kind. It really warms my heart.”

The next meeting of the Cranberry Community of Jews will be March 22 at a location to be announced. Officers for the group will be chosen at that meeting, and members will further discuss committees and their activities.

For information or to be placed on the group’s e-mail list, call Berman at 724-776-4343.