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President's Message
This is my first article as your
synagogue president. It's odd to write these words since I have been
your religious & ritual chair since 2001. I remember my family's first
Shabbat at Temple Beth Ami and now I'm president. It doesn't seem
possible. I've been lucky to have been on the board working along side
our previous presidents and it was terrific to see many of these people
at the 20th anniversary gala. Each president has brought his or her
style and passion and along the way (like all board members), they learn
more about themselves and often grow interpersonally during their term.
I expect the same will be true for me. Working on the board has provided
me opportunities to learn things I would not have learned at work. Being
a TBA board member has allowed me to practice skills in public speaking,
listening, negotiating and influencing. You can't beat learning on the
job.
Our synagogue is again blessed
with individuals who are new to the board or have decided to remain on
the board. As the new president, I know from my front-row seat that I
have an excellent foundation upon which to begin our year. Even though
the new term didn't officially begin until July 1, the new and old
boards have already met so that we would have a smooth transition. This
meeting was the brainchild of Mark Kaplan who remains on the board as
our past president.
One of the most important goals of
a synagogue is to reach out to our community and invite them in. On my
family's first Shabbat at TBA, one of the first people we met was Chy
Nach. She was so friendly and welcoming that she became a role model for
me to reach out to people I didn't know. Throughout the years, many
synagogue members have reached out to me and my family. I have become so
close with our synagogue members, that I will call someone from the
temple before I would call a neighbor for help.
When I first became the religious
& ritual chair, I was afraid to ask for help. I found myself recruiting
assistance during a holiday, rather than beforehand. Soon, it became
obvious that there were some people I could always count on. They didn't
wait to be asked — they came forward and asked me how could they help.
Last year, the "Fetch it and
Schlep it Crew" title was bestowed on Joe Rensin, Harry Knafla and Rick
Kaufman. I was proud to have the opportunity to thank them in public at
our 20th Anniversary Gala in June. Our volunteer community provides
important support and allows us to use our limited operating funds more
effectively. Our Sisterhood, Men's Club, Board of Trustees, Havarah(s),
and the "Fetch it and Schlep it Crew" provide much-needed support to our
synagogue. If you are not a member of one of these groups, please
consider joining.
While I'm thanking our volunteers,
I want to thank the 20th Anniversary Gala committee for their amazing
coordination and hard work. They put together a wonderful event that was
so fun I hated to see the evening end. There were so many people to talk
to and great food and drink. It was a wonderful program with very
special honorees, special entertainment (thank you, Gabriel), and a
terrific video log (thanks to Kirk Garden). It was fantastic! Todah
Rabah, Tracy Blazer and Lori Garden and your wonderful committee.
Finally, one of the most important
things I urge you to do is support our scrip program. When you use our
scrip cards to buy food, gas, clothing, etc., the synagogue will get a
percentage! Our scrip coordinator Glori Stulman makes it so easy. You'll
see more information about scrip cards in upcoming weekly e-mail blasts
and in this newsletter.
Thank you to our 2008-2009 board,
our auxiliary groups, and our volunteers for your commitment to TBA!
Todah Rabah!
Joyce Stein,
President
president@templebethami.org
Revised:
June 29, 2008
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