Focus on Feeling Safe

Keeping Connected    August 2019

I hope everyone is still enjoying the wonderful summer months. Although the temple is relatively quiet right now, there are a lot of important activities happening in preparation for this coming year. What I really want you to be aware of is the work of our very active Security Committee, co-chaired by Alan Fidler and Cayla Maguire. Unfortunately, as you know, we live in challenging times, and must pay more attention to the security of our building and the safety of our members. The Security Committee started meeting at the end of May and the amount of work they have accomplished in such a short period of time is quite impressive. They have developed a detailed plan, and have met with state officials, the local police department and town officials, all with the idea in mind that WE need to feel safe and comfortable when we are at Congregation Shalom. There are many potential challenges in developing this program and the committee is working with the board of trustees on all aspects of their plan.

At the July board meeting, the board approved capital expenditures for one of the security committee’s most pressing tasks, which includes the installation of cameras around our building and window shades for all of the classrooms. These are just two small, but important, steps that are necessary for making our space safe.

Although the Security Committee has been active and has made much progress, they are in dire need of more assistance. If you have the time to help this committee out, it will only help move our security initiatives further along. In particular, they need someone to coordinate the necessary training; they know where the training resources are and have an idea what is required, but really need someone to make it happen and coordinate with the required parties. The Security Committee is also looking for other volunteers to actively participate on the committee. Please contact me (president@congregationshalom.org) or Alan Fidler (alanfidler20@gmail.com) if you are interested in assisting on this very important project.

Enjoy the rest of your summer…

Liz