Shalom and Happy Chanukah! This past Sunday was Temple's annual meeting. There was great attendance and much was accomplished. We heard from Rabbi and the leadership of our committees and auxiliary groups. We elected our new officers and trustees. Lastly, we unanimously passed the 2013 budget as it as stewarded by the Finance Committee.
The election of Tim Cope as Temple Sinai's next President marks the beginning of the end of my two-year term as President. The board installation will be held at the Friday night Shabbat service on January 11th. I hope that many of you will join us for that important ceremony. Although Tim officially takes the reigns at the board installation, I'm winding things down on my end.
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for giving me the opportunity and privilege to serve. It has been an honor and a pleasure. It's been rewarding and enriching working with such fine lay leaders and staff. For all if these reasons, again, I thank you.
See you at Temple soon.
Howard
A Message From Tim Cope
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
November Board Meeting
Shalom. This is just a quick reminder that our monthly board meeting will be held at 7:00 PM at Temple on Tuesday, November 13th. Most of the meeting will be spent finalizing a draft of the 2013 budget to be presented to the congregation at the annual meeting on December 9th. This is great opportunity for congregants to share input so that we can propose the best budget possible. Please consider attending the board meeting or sending me any questions, comments or concerns in advance of that meeting.
I hope to see many of you at the annual meeting on December 9th. It is a wonderful occassion to learn about what has been going on at Temple over the last year and to look forward to next year (of course, the breakfast is always great, too).
Meanwhile, I'll see you around Temple.
-Howard
I hope to see many of you at the annual meeting on December 9th. It is a wonderful occassion to learn about what has been going on at Temple over the last year and to look forward to next year (of course, the breakfast is always great, too).
Meanwhile, I'll see you around Temple.
-Howard
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Your Leadership Hard at Work
Shalom. This is the time of year when the lay leaders of our congregation shift gears from the High Holidays to preparing for the next fiscal year. Our duly-appointed Nominating Committee is preparing a slate of officers and trustees for approval by the Board of Trustees and election at the annual meeting. The Finance Committee is working diligently and vigorously on a draft budget for approval at the annual meeting. While our trustees and committee chairs work hard year-round, this is among the most critical times of year when it comes to ensuring the health of our congregation long-term.
At the October board meeting, we examined and discussed the first draft of the budget. Despite some anxiety about getting home for the second presidential debate, we engaged in a thoughtful, critical dialogue so that the Finance Committee would have good direction in preparing the draft that the board will need to approve in November in preparation for the annual meeting in December.
Meanwhile, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank the staff and lay leaders for their efforts in helping us to stick to what was a very ambitious budget for 2012. I am happy to report that, as of the October board meeting, our revenue has actually exceeded our expenditures year-to-date. This is a reflection of the care that we all took to monitor our spending while simultaneously being aggressive about fundraising and dues collections. I'd be remiss if I didn't tip my hat to Stacie Gabert in our front office and to Rabbi Glazier for their roles in this success.
Looking forward, I want to let everyone know that we've moved our November board meeting up from the third Tuesday of the month to the second Tuesday of the month in order to avoid any conflicts for people traveling for Thanksgiving. Thus, the meeting will take place at 7:00 pm at Temple on Tuesday, November 13th. The agenda will focus largely on the board's approval of the slate of officers and trustees as well as the approval of a budget. Please join us for these very important discussions.
Then in December, I hope that you'll all join us for the annual meeting. It will be held on the morning of Sunday, December 9th. Please save the date and look for the invitation along with the proposed budget and slate of officers.
For now, I'm heading back to join my fellow trustees and committee members as we continue to work. See you at Temple soon!
Howard
At the October board meeting, we examined and discussed the first draft of the budget. Despite some anxiety about getting home for the second presidential debate, we engaged in a thoughtful, critical dialogue so that the Finance Committee would have good direction in preparing the draft that the board will need to approve in November in preparation for the annual meeting in December.
Meanwhile, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank the staff and lay leaders for their efforts in helping us to stick to what was a very ambitious budget for 2012. I am happy to report that, as of the October board meeting, our revenue has actually exceeded our expenditures year-to-date. This is a reflection of the care that we all took to monitor our spending while simultaneously being aggressive about fundraising and dues collections. I'd be remiss if I didn't tip my hat to Stacie Gabert in our front office and to Rabbi Glazier for their roles in this success.
Looking forward, I want to let everyone know that we've moved our November board meeting up from the third Tuesday of the month to the second Tuesday of the month in order to avoid any conflicts for people traveling for Thanksgiving. Thus, the meeting will take place at 7:00 pm at Temple on Tuesday, November 13th. The agenda will focus largely on the board's approval of the slate of officers and trustees as well as the approval of a budget. Please join us for these very important discussions.
Then in December, I hope that you'll all join us for the annual meeting. It will be held on the morning of Sunday, December 9th. Please save the date and look for the invitation along with the proposed budget and slate of officers.
For now, I'm heading back to join my fellow trustees and committee members as we continue to work. See you at Temple soon!
Howard
Thursday, September 13, 2012
L'Shanah Tovah
Shalom. It's hard to believe that another autumn, winter, spring and summer have come and gone and that we'll be getting together next week to worship and celebrate the New Year. So much has happened (but I'll save that for my High Holiday remarks) in our individual and congregational lives. This will be a brief blog post because I do hope to see you all several times throughout the next two weeks. I really just wanted to wish you all a happy and healthy new year and to invite everyone to attend our next board meeting which will take place next Tuesday, Sept. 18th at 7:00 at Temple. The agenda is, as always, listed below. I look forward to seeing you very soon. L'Shanah tovah.
Howard
Temple Sinai
Howard
September 18, 2012
1. Rabbi D’var Torah (I/D) – 7:00-7:10
2. Approval of Consent Agenda (I/D/A) – 7:10-7:15
3. Review of Financial Status and Forecast (I/D) – 7:15-7:25
a) How are we tracking to budget?
b) What, if anything, needs to be done differently?
4. Increasing Revenue (D) – 7:25-7:40
5. Marketing and Membership (D)- 7:40-7:55
6. Personnel Employee Manual (I/D)- 7:55-8:00
7. Planning for Next Year (D)- 8:00-8:15
8. Other Business – 8:15-8:25
9. Executive Session – 8:25-8:30
A=Action
D=Discussion
I=Information
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
High Holidays, The Start of the School Year, and Other Reminders of Fall
Shalom,
It's hard to believe that the High Holidays are just around the corner. Before we know it, our children will be back at school and we'll be dipping those delicious Vermont apples into honey (Vermont honey, of course). As expected, the summer provided some downtime at Temple Sinai, but that doesn't mean a complete lack of activity. The board and committees continued to meet and many congregants joined in Shabbat worship week after week. Additionally, programs such as the Dinner and Movie Night and the blood drive brought both congregants and other community members to Temple.
We had a group of dedicated, hard-working volunteers who spent many hours this summer engaged in the process of screening resumes and interviewing candidates to replace Suzanne Roberts who resigned as the Temple's administrator. There were almost thirty applicants and I'm pleased to announce that we have hired one of our own congregants, Stacie Gabert. Stacie will start at the beginning of September. Please join me in welcoming her. In the meantime, I'm also happy to announce that another congregant, Kari Rehkugler has been working part-time as our temporary administrator and will continue to do so throughout the remainder of this month. Thank you, Kari!
The staff and lay leaders are getting geared up for the fall which brings the beginning of the religious school year and the High Holidays. This is the busiest time of year for Temple as far as the day-to-day work goes. Many of the details which we likely take for granted are attended to by our leaders. It's always nice when I speak with a congregant who simply has no idea about all of the work that goes into the preparation for the holidays and the start of the school year. To me that means that the services and all support systems were seamless. I expect the same experience this year.
Lastly, the Board of Trustees will hold its monthly meeting next Tuesday, August 21st at 7:00 PM at Temple. As always, congregants are encouraged to attend or, if you are unable to do so, to reach out to a board member with any comments or concerns. The agenda for that meeting follows.
Thank you very much. I hope to see you at Temple soon!
Howard
It's hard to believe that the High Holidays are just around the corner. Before we know it, our children will be back at school and we'll be dipping those delicious Vermont apples into honey (Vermont honey, of course). As expected, the summer provided some downtime at Temple Sinai, but that doesn't mean a complete lack of activity. The board and committees continued to meet and many congregants joined in Shabbat worship week after week. Additionally, programs such as the Dinner and Movie Night and the blood drive brought both congregants and other community members to Temple.
We had a group of dedicated, hard-working volunteers who spent many hours this summer engaged in the process of screening resumes and interviewing candidates to replace Suzanne Roberts who resigned as the Temple's administrator. There were almost thirty applicants and I'm pleased to announce that we have hired one of our own congregants, Stacie Gabert. Stacie will start at the beginning of September. Please join me in welcoming her. In the meantime, I'm also happy to announce that another congregant, Kari Rehkugler has been working part-time as our temporary administrator and will continue to do so throughout the remainder of this month. Thank you, Kari!
The staff and lay leaders are getting geared up for the fall which brings the beginning of the religious school year and the High Holidays. This is the busiest time of year for Temple as far as the day-to-day work goes. Many of the details which we likely take for granted are attended to by our leaders. It's always nice when I speak with a congregant who simply has no idea about all of the work that goes into the preparation for the holidays and the start of the school year. To me that means that the services and all support systems were seamless. I expect the same experience this year.
Lastly, the Board of Trustees will hold its monthly meeting next Tuesday, August 21st at 7:00 PM at Temple. As always, congregants are encouraged to attend or, if you are unable to do so, to reach out to a board member with any comments or concerns. The agenda for that meeting follows.
Thank you very much. I hope to see you at Temple soon!
Howard
Temple Sinai Board Meeting
August 21, 2012
1. Rabbi D’var Torah (I/D) – 7:00-7:10
2. Approval of Consent Agenda (I/D/A) – 7:10-7:15
3. Review of Financial Status and Forecast (I/D) – 7:15-7:25
a) How are we tracking to budget?
b) What, if anything, needs to be done differently?
4. Accounting of Fund Balances (I/D) – 7:25-7:40
5. Meeting Topics for the Remainder of the Year (D) – 7:40-7:50
6. Other Business – 7:50-8:00
7. Executive Session – 8:00-8:10
A=Action
D=Discussion
I=Information
Thursday, July 12, 2012
July Board Meeting and Recap of Small Congregations Kallah
Shalom. Before I tell you all about my experience at the Eastern District Small Congregations Kallah, I wanted to remind everyone that your Board of Trustees will be convening its monthly meeting at the usual time and place, next Tuesday, 7:00 PM at Temple. I've come to notice over the years that we rarely have congregants attending these monthly board meetings. I understand that we are all busy and also that, candidly, I can think of other activities that are more fun than the meetings (although I do my best to keep things entertaining if not interesting). However, there are many great discussions that take place at the meetings and input from congregants as well as staff is always appreciated. Please know that the door is always open and we'd love to have you there. The agenda for next week's meeting can be found at the end of this post.
On Saturday, June 16th, I traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to attend the URJ's Eastern District Small Congregations Kallah. This was a conference for small congregations (defined by the Union as congregations of 250 family units or less) in the Eastern District (essentially Maine to Virginia). There were about 15 congregations represented at the Kallah. I was the only attendee from New England; most were from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Our congregation was on the larger side with some having only 35 or 40 family units.
The meeting was wonderfully spiritual, enlightening and inspiring. We began with a Shabbat service where I was given the honor of being the only one singled out for the honor of holding the torah. This was my reward for having traveled the farthest to attend. We then had a series of discussions related to the various challenges and benefits of being a small congregation. To be certain, the issues that we face are not unique with the possible exception of our state being the "least affiliated" including all religions. I learned that the size of our religious school as well as the size of our staff are proportionally consistent with many other small congregations. I also was reminded that we need to examine our board structure, particularly in terms of size, given our membership numbers.
We exchanged a number of ideas and I believe that everyone benefitted from those discussions. Other representatives were impressed by my description of our Fun in the Sun event and at least one president intends to adopt our style of board meetings. I picked up some great materials including a glossary of terms that one congregation includes in its Shabbat service program. This explains terms of that we likely take for granted (e.g., shabbat, adonai, etc.), but which are not understood by non-Jewish guests despite them being used repeatedly throughout the service. I also learned of some great programs such as educational Shabbat services to which members of other religions are invited as well as a rockin' Shabbat featuring a rock band.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I thank all of you for providing the opportunity for me to attend (you provided the opportunity simply by electing me; this didn't cost the congregation any money). I hope that we can implement some of the tested programs and, more importantly, that we can be proud of the example that we set among our fellow congregations.
I hope to see you at Temple soon.
Sincerely,
Howard
On Saturday, June 16th, I traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to attend the URJ's Eastern District Small Congregations Kallah. This was a conference for small congregations (defined by the Union as congregations of 250 family units or less) in the Eastern District (essentially Maine to Virginia). There were about 15 congregations represented at the Kallah. I was the only attendee from New England; most were from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Our congregation was on the larger side with some having only 35 or 40 family units.
The meeting was wonderfully spiritual, enlightening and inspiring. We began with a Shabbat service where I was given the honor of being the only one singled out for the honor of holding the torah. This was my reward for having traveled the farthest to attend. We then had a series of discussions related to the various challenges and benefits of being a small congregation. To be certain, the issues that we face are not unique with the possible exception of our state being the "least affiliated" including all religions. I learned that the size of our religious school as well as the size of our staff are proportionally consistent with many other small congregations. I also was reminded that we need to examine our board structure, particularly in terms of size, given our membership numbers.
We exchanged a number of ideas and I believe that everyone benefitted from those discussions. Other representatives were impressed by my description of our Fun in the Sun event and at least one president intends to adopt our style of board meetings. I picked up some great materials including a glossary of terms that one congregation includes in its Shabbat service program. This explains terms of that we likely take for granted (e.g., shabbat, adonai, etc.), but which are not understood by non-Jewish guests despite them being used repeatedly throughout the service. I also learned of some great programs such as educational Shabbat services to which members of other religions are invited as well as a rockin' Shabbat featuring a rock band.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I thank all of you for providing the opportunity for me to attend (you provided the opportunity simply by electing me; this didn't cost the congregation any money). I hope that we can implement some of the tested programs and, more importantly, that we can be proud of the example that we set among our fellow congregations.
I hope to see you at Temple soon.
Sincerely,
Howard
Temple Sinai Board Meeting
July 17, 2012
1. Rabbi D’var Torah (I/D) – 7:00-7:10
2. Approval of Consent Agenda (I/D/A) – 7:10-7:15
3. Review of Financial Status and Forecast (I/D) – 7:15-7:25
a) How are we tracking to budget?
b) What, if anything, needs to be done differently?
4. Update on Personnel (I) – 7:25-7:35
5. Examination of Current Board Structure (D) – 7:35-7:55
6. Other Business – 7:55-8:05
7. Executive Session – 8:05-8:15
A=Action
D=Discussion
I=Information
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Saying Good-Bye to Spring and Looking Forward to the Summer and Fall
Shalom. Summer will officially begin in another week and a half, but it's already arrived here at Temple Sinai. Religious school has ended for the year and preparations are already beginning for next year. Speaking of which, we are looking for volunteers to teach our students next year. If interested, please contact our religious school director, Judy Alexander.
The Brotherhood had its second annual work day last week and made a number of improvements in and around temple. Please come by to see their great work.
We have two more bat mitzvahs left for this academic year. Those will take place this coming Saturday, June 16th, for Colby Chatoff, and two weeks later, June 30th, for Eva Stoll-Edwards. Please attend these wonderful events to support the accomplishments of our students and to join us in worship.
Our committees are not taking the summer off and are all working on various projects to enrich our temple lives and to keep us ever progressing.
This weekend I will, unfortunately, be missing Colby's bat mitzvah as I will be attending the East District Small Congregations Kallah in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I am looking forward to meeting with leaders from other, similarly-situated congregations in our region. My hope and expectation is that I will divide my time evenly between bragging about our many successes and learning of some successful strategies that I can bring home to Temple Sinai. I will be reporting on my trip at next week's board meeting. Please join us for that meeting.
The agenda for next week's board meeting is attached below. As always, the attendence and participation of all congregants is encouraged. Whether at that meeting or not, I look foward to seeing you at Temple soon.
Sincerely,
Howard
Temple Sinai
The Brotherhood had its second annual work day last week and made a number of improvements in and around temple. Please come by to see their great work.
We have two more bat mitzvahs left for this academic year. Those will take place this coming Saturday, June 16th, for Colby Chatoff, and two weeks later, June 30th, for Eva Stoll-Edwards. Please attend these wonderful events to support the accomplishments of our students and to join us in worship.
Our committees are not taking the summer off and are all working on various projects to enrich our temple lives and to keep us ever progressing.
This weekend I will, unfortunately, be missing Colby's bat mitzvah as I will be attending the East District Small Congregations Kallah in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I am looking forward to meeting with leaders from other, similarly-situated congregations in our region. My hope and expectation is that I will divide my time evenly between bragging about our many successes and learning of some successful strategies that I can bring home to Temple Sinai. I will be reporting on my trip at next week's board meeting. Please join us for that meeting.
The agenda for next week's board meeting is attached below. As always, the attendence and participation of all congregants is encouraged. Whether at that meeting or not, I look foward to seeing you at Temple soon.
Sincerely,
Howard
June 19, 2012
1. Rabbi D’var Torah (I/D) – 7:00-7:10
2. Approval of Consent Agenda (I/D/A) – 7:10-7:20
3. Report on Small Congregation Kallah (I) – 7:20-7:30
4. Review of Financial Status and Forecast (I/D) – 7:30-7:40
a) How are we tracking to budget?
b) What, if anything, needs to be done differently?
5. Update on Chaverware Transition (I) – 7:40-7:50
6. Other Business – 7:50-8:00
7. Executive Session – 8:00-8:10
A=Action
D=Discussion
I=Information
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Excitement in the Air!
Shalom Everyone,
May seems to mean a lot of exciting happenings in and around Temple Sinai this year. A week ago Monday, we welcomed our new temple administrator, Suzanne Roberts. Please join me in welcoming Suzanne and stop in to introduce yourself. Suzanne brings enthusiasm, skills and a very pleasant demeanor to our temple family.
This afternoon, our religious school students and families will be joining others from the community for a Lag B'Omer picnic in Oakledge Park (weather permitting). Then, on Saturday, we will be holding our annual Teacher Appreciation Shabbat service at 10:00 AM. Please join us not only for the communal worship, but also to thank our teachers for the very hard, very important work that they do.
Please check the Temple website and calendar for other upcoming events such as our Aleinu series, concerts at Temple, b'nai mitzvot and more. May and June alone are packed with events!
Next Tuesday, May 15th will be our monthly board of trustees' meeting beginning at 7:00 PM at Temple. Please see the agenda below and consider attending. Our meetings will always be made richer by input from more congregants.
I hope to see you at Temple soon!
Howard
Temple Sinai Board Meeting
May 15, 2012
1. Rabbi D’var Torah (I/D) – 7:00-7:10
2. Approval of Consent Agenda (I/D/A) – 7:10-7:15
3. Non-Responders (D) – 7:15-7:20
4. Review of Financial Status and Forecast (I/D) – 7:20-7:30
a) How are we tracking to budget?
b) What, if anything, needs to be done differently?
5. Update on Cemetery (I) – 7:30-7:35
6. Budget Preparation (D) – 7:35-7:55
7. Other Business – 7:55-8:05
8. Executive Session – 8:05-8:15
A=Action
D=Discussion
I=Information
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Having My Spiritual and Social Needs Met, Temple Administrator Hiring Process and Board Meetings
Shalom Everyone,
The last two weekends were very busy at and around Temple Sinai and also very fulfilling. On Sunday, April 1st, the Board of Trustees held a special meeting to discuss whether or not we would approve of an increase in the salary of the Temple Administrator. This discussion was in response to a concern that we might not be able to have our operational needs met with the current salary allowance. The Board voted not to increase the salary at this point as we did not feel that we had an adequate sense of the job description and our current administrative needs. Meanwhile, the Personnel Committee, under the leadership of Ginny Greenblott and Paula Cope, Rabbi and First V.P. Tim Cope continue to work tireless on the hiring process by reviewing resumes and conducting interviews. Thanks to those leaders!
Later on April 1st, many of us attended a wonderful concert of a capella music performed by UVM's Top Cats followed by Yeshiva University's Maccabeats. We were joined by many members of other synagogues and Hillel. A lovely way to end the weekend!
This past Friday, I was thrilled to be involved with our community seder. Kudos to Jeff and Aimee Loiter and to Rabbi for organizing and leading around 60 participants in an engaging seder (which followed a lovely folk service) with a fantastic pot luck. We had a number of guests from within our community and as far away as Connecticut. I was very proud to show off our Temple and our congregation.
Now on to the business portion of this blog entry. Next Tuesday night will be the Board of Trustee's monthly board meeting at Temple beginning at 7:00 PM. As always, congregants are invited and encouraged to attend. The meeting agenda is posted below.
Meanwhile, I hope to see you all at Temple soon!
-Howard
The last two weekends were very busy at and around Temple Sinai and also very fulfilling. On Sunday, April 1st, the Board of Trustees held a special meeting to discuss whether or not we would approve of an increase in the salary of the Temple Administrator. This discussion was in response to a concern that we might not be able to have our operational needs met with the current salary allowance. The Board voted not to increase the salary at this point as we did not feel that we had an adequate sense of the job description and our current administrative needs. Meanwhile, the Personnel Committee, under the leadership of Ginny Greenblott and Paula Cope, Rabbi and First V.P. Tim Cope continue to work tireless on the hiring process by reviewing resumes and conducting interviews. Thanks to those leaders!
Later on April 1st, many of us attended a wonderful concert of a capella music performed by UVM's Top Cats followed by Yeshiva University's Maccabeats. We were joined by many members of other synagogues and Hillel. A lovely way to end the weekend!
This past Friday, I was thrilled to be involved with our community seder. Kudos to Jeff and Aimee Loiter and to Rabbi for organizing and leading around 60 participants in an engaging seder (which followed a lovely folk service) with a fantastic pot luck. We had a number of guests from within our community and as far away as Connecticut. I was very proud to show off our Temple and our congregation.
Now on to the business portion of this blog entry. Next Tuesday night will be the Board of Trustee's monthly board meeting at Temple beginning at 7:00 PM. As always, congregants are invited and encouraged to attend. The meeting agenda is posted below.
Meanwhile, I hope to see you all at Temple soon!
-Howard
April 17, 2012
1. Rabbi D’var Torah (I/D) – 7:00-7:10
2. Approval of Consent Agenda (I/D/A) – 7:10-7:20
3. Scrip Fundraising Presentation (I/D) – 7:20-7:35
4. Update on Administrator Hiring Process (I/D) – 7:35-7:50
5. Follow-up on Dues Structure Discussion (I/D/A?) – 7:50-8:05
6. Review of Financial Status and Forecast (I/D) – 8:05-8:20
a) How are we tracking to budget?
b) What, if anything, needs to be done differently?
7. Other Business – 8:20-8:25
8. Executive Session – 8:25-8:30
A=Action
D=Discussion
I=Information
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Purim Carnival, Board Meeting and Scholar-in-Residence
Shalom. I'd like to begin by congratulating Claudia Berger on a wonderful Purim Carnival! With the help of many volunteers, including some of our religious school students, a fun time was had by all. There were great games and food to keep spirits high and everyone active. Thanks to all who participated in any way!
Next Tuesday, March 20th, will be the next meeting of our Board of Trustees. As always, I invite and encourage all congregants to attend the meeting which will be held at Temple beginning at 7:00 PM. This provides a great opportunity for you to take part in the thoughtful discussions on a wide range of topics that all effect life at Temple Sinai. The meetings agenda is posted below.
Lastly, I want to encourage everyone to attend any or all of the sessions connected with our Scholar-in-Residence program happening at Temple the weekend of March 23rd through the 25th. There will be programs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Please refer to Temple's website for information and a means to RSVP.
I hope to see you all at Temple soon!
Sincerely,
Howard
Next Tuesday, March 20th, will be the next meeting of our Board of Trustees. As always, I invite and encourage all congregants to attend the meeting which will be held at Temple beginning at 7:00 PM. This provides a great opportunity for you to take part in the thoughtful discussions on a wide range of topics that all effect life at Temple Sinai. The meetings agenda is posted below.
Lastly, I want to encourage everyone to attend any or all of the sessions connected with our Scholar-in-Residence program happening at Temple the weekend of March 23rd through the 25th. There will be programs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Please refer to Temple's website for information and a means to RSVP.
I hope to see you all at Temple soon!
Sincerely,
Howard
March 20, 2012
1. Approval of Consent Agenda (I/D/A) – 7:00-7:05
2. Update on Membership and Non-Responders (I/D/A) – 7:05-7:15
3. Review of Financial Status and Forecast (I/D) – 7:15-7:25
a) How are we tracking to budget?
b) What, if anything, needs to be done differently?
4. Brainstorming for Fundraising Ideas (D) – 7:25-7:35
5. Discussion of Membership Categories (I/D/A) – 7:35-8:00
6. Other Business – 8:00-8:05
7. Executive Session – 8:05-8:10
A=Action
D=Discussion
I=Information
**Reminder to please sign up to host an oneg (or two…) and bimah duty!
**Also, please RSVP for Scholar-in-Residence the weekend of March 23-25!!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
February Fun!
Shalom Everyone,
This past Saturday night was one of the most enjoyable that I can remember in a long while. Temple Sinai was transformed into a tropical paradise as almost 100 of us kicked back, ate well and had lots of fun with raffles, a silent auction and some drinks with umbrellas at the Fun In The Sun (FITS) fundraiser. While the numbers aren't quite in yet, it appears that the event was successful as a fundraiser. Regardless, it was a fantastic social event which seemed to be enjoyed by everyone. Kudos to Marjie Sheppard, Paula Cope, Abby Rehkugler, Beth Damon and the many others who helped to organize and execute the event!!
While I don't expect fruity drinks, I do expect that next week's board meeting will be fun. Don't miss an opportunity to laugh and play and go over financials. Kick back with your fellow congregants while we approve meeting minutes and committee reports. Seriously, though, we have a meeting agenda (see below) packed with several topics which will require some thoughtful discussion and introspection as your Temple leadership strives to improve our development efforts in the areas of membership, fundraising and education.
As always, every congregant is invited and encouraged to attend. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM at Temple on Tuesday, February 21st.
I hope to see you there or at least at Temple some time soon.
Sincerely,
Howard
This past Saturday night was one of the most enjoyable that I can remember in a long while. Temple Sinai was transformed into a tropical paradise as almost 100 of us kicked back, ate well and had lots of fun with raffles, a silent auction and some drinks with umbrellas at the Fun In The Sun (FITS) fundraiser. While the numbers aren't quite in yet, it appears that the event was successful as a fundraiser. Regardless, it was a fantastic social event which seemed to be enjoyed by everyone. Kudos to Marjie Sheppard, Paula Cope, Abby Rehkugler, Beth Damon and the many others who helped to organize and execute the event!!
While I don't expect fruity drinks, I do expect that next week's board meeting will be fun. Don't miss an opportunity to laugh and play and go over financials. Kick back with your fellow congregants while we approve meeting minutes and committee reports. Seriously, though, we have a meeting agenda (see below) packed with several topics which will require some thoughtful discussion and introspection as your Temple leadership strives to improve our development efforts in the areas of membership, fundraising and education.
As always, every congregant is invited and encouraged to attend. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM at Temple on Tuesday, February 21st.
I hope to see you there or at least at Temple some time soon.
Sincerely,
Howard
February 21, 2012
1. Rabbi D’var Torah (I/D) – 7:00-7:05
2. Approval of Consent Agenda (I/D/A) – 7:05-7:10
3. Focus on Membership, Fundraising and Education (D) – 7:10-7:20
4. Report from Gene Steinfeld (I/D) – 7:20-7:45
5. Review of Fun In The Sun Event (I/D) – 7:45-7:55
6. Next Step for Non-Responders (D/A) – 7:55-8:05
7. Review of Financial Status and Forecast (I/D) – 8:05-8:20
a) How are we tracking to budget?
b) What, if anything, needs to be done differently?
(note: this will be a regularly discussion every month)
8. Planning of Membership Retreat (I/D/A) – 8:20-8:30
9. Other Business – 8:30-8:35
10. Executive Session – 8:35-8:40
A=Action
D=Discussion
I=Information
**Reminder to please sign up to host an oneg (or two…)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
January's Board Meeting and The Brotherhood
Shalom! This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending two great events at Temple. On Saturday morning, I attended the bar mitzvah of Dan Laskarzewski. He did a wonderful job and his family was so obviously happy and proud of him. Mazel tov to Dan and his family! On Sunday morning, I attended the Brotherhood's annual meeting. The Brotherhood is thriving as evidenced by all of the wonderful activities run by or assisted by the group. Please consider joining if you haven't done so already.
Next Tuesday at Temple is the January meeting of the board of trustees. As always, all congregants are welcome and encouraged to attend. There will be an orientation and potluck dinner which is limited to the board and committee chairs, but the business meeting begins at 7:00 and that is open to all congregants. Please see the meeting agenda below. I always welcome questions, comments or general feedback. Please feel free to call or email me. My contact information is on the Temple website. I hope to see you soon!
-Howard
Agenda:
1. Rabbi D'var Torah- 7:00-7:10
2. Approval of Consent Agenda- 7:10-7:20
3. Remarks by President- 7:20-7:30
4. Bimah, Ushering and Onegs- 7:30-7:45
5. Report on URJ Biennium- 7:45-8:00
6. Goals of the Board and Future Meeting Topics- 8:00-8:10
7. Other Business- 8:10-8:20
8. Executive Session- 8:20-8:30
Next Tuesday at Temple is the January meeting of the board of trustees. As always, all congregants are welcome and encouraged to attend. There will be an orientation and potluck dinner which is limited to the board and committee chairs, but the business meeting begins at 7:00 and that is open to all congregants. Please see the meeting agenda below. I always welcome questions, comments or general feedback. Please feel free to call or email me. My contact information is on the Temple website. I hope to see you soon!
-Howard
Agenda:
1. Rabbi D'var Torah- 7:00-7:10
2. Approval of Consent Agenda- 7:10-7:20
3. Remarks by President- 7:20-7:30
4. Bimah, Ushering and Onegs- 7:30-7:45
5. Report on URJ Biennium- 7:45-8:00
6. Goals of the Board and Future Meeting Topics- 8:00-8:10
7. Other Business- 8:10-8:20
8. Executive Session- 8:20-8:30
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