The Voorhees Cultural and Diversity Club gathered at the township’s Preah Buddha Rangsey Temple on Oct. 13 to celebrate Pchum Ben – also known as Ancestors Day – a significant 15-day festival in Cambodian culture.
The event brought together community members to honor their deceased ancestors and embrace the rich traditions of their Asian country.
Pchum Ben is celebrated during the 10th month of the Khmer calendar, typically in September or October. This year, the festival spanned from Oct. 1 to 3. The name Pchum Ben combines the Khmer words for “to gather together” (pchum) and “a ball of food” (ben), emphasizing the festival’s focus on family unity and remembrance.
During the first 14 days of Pchum Ben, families visit pagodas and offer food, rice and prayers for their ancestors. Its culmination occurs on the 15th day, when it is believed the gates of the underworld open, allowing spirits to receive the offerings and blessings of loved ones. The deeply spiritual time is marked by acts of respect, reflection and community bonding.
At the Preah Buddha Rangsey Temple, Cultural and Diversity Club members – including chair Stephanie Fisher, vice chair Gwen Devera and secretary Lisa Rose-Witherspoon – engaged in various activities to honor cultural heritage. The temple provided a serene backdrop for the day’s events, and attendees were encouraged to dress appropriately and participate in the ceremonies.
The club reserved a table with monks, who were scheduled to serve food at noon. Also in attendance was Sapana Raval of the Voorhees-Gibbsboro Lions Club.
Devera highlighted the temple’s role in the community.
“The Preah Buddha Rangsey Buddhist Temple is the largest Cambodian Buddhist temple in South Jersey,” she explained. “They are very charitable, sharing their food and kindness through reserving a table for the club and their generosity of free food. Their next festival will be in late April, celebrating their New Year, and all community members and neighboring states are welcome.”
Rose-Witherspoon reflected on the relationship between the club and the temple, noting how when the temple was being built, Stephanie Fisher and … Gwen Devera invited the Buddhist temple monks to join the Voorhees Cultural and Diversity Committee in 2015 … And that’s when our community relationship began.”
The rituals of Pchum Ben during Ancestors Day included food and traditional dances.
“The dance called Apsara is a dance in which the ancestors bless all the participants who come to observe,” Rose-Witherspoon pointed out. “The monks are blessed through the food that is shared with them.”
Pchum Ben also included traditional offerings and prayers, and the temple remained open to the public throughout the day. Many attendees recalled stories about their ancestors to share their cultural heritage and the event was also an educational opportunity, with club members explaining the significance of the festival and its rituals.
