Keeping Connected В May 2023

Hi friends,

I am hoping the weather will be getting warmer soon…still too cold for me…  But, I guess this is the price we pay for living in New England.  As you know, Annual Meeting is coming up and in a couple of weeks, the agenda will be sent out to the membership.  As always, this is where we discuss important business of our temple and I encourage you to attend, especially if you have not participated in the past.  It is important that each and every member has a chance to listen in and partake in the important decisions we make at this meeting.  One of the discussions this year will be around a new shed we are hoping to purchase; you have likely seen some e-mails about the fundraiser we have around this shed.

First, let me tell you the rules of our congregation.В  Although we are having a fundraiser to raise the money to purchase this shed, we still need congregational approval to spend these funds on the shed, as it is part of capital expenditures/capital improvement and it exceeds the amount that the Board of Trustees has authorization to spend.

So, why would we start a fundraiser BEFORE we had congregational approval?  It is important to note first that we have done this before, like with our fundraiser for some of the kitchen upgrades a few years back.  But, the idea to purchase a shed was not generated from one person, it did not come out of one meeting, it did not even come out of one committee.  It started with our ICE CREAM Committee which had representatives from several different constituency groups in our temple and where we generated a list of our wants and needs.  When that committee realized that it was not financially possibly to make significant structural changes to our building or to move to a new space, the information generated during the process was passed on to the Board of Trustees.  It was suggested that the Board look into possibly compartmentalizing some of the wants/needs and pursuing some changes over a period of time.  The Board agreed that another committee could be formed to start talking about some “easier” design changes we could make in our building to make some more space, be more functional, and improve some of the décor.More

Keeping Connected В April 2023

Hi Friends,

Hope you are as ready for spring as I am.В  I wanted to highlight two items this month.

First, the shed fundraiser.В  I cannot express how important this shed is as the first step in rejuvenating our temple building.В  We are going to gain a good amount of space and will be able to reduce the current clutter.В  We have already raised 40% of the total price and I truly hope each membership family can contribute in some way.В  If you think it would be beneficial to hear more about the specifics of the shed and other plans we have, please let me know and I will schedule an informational meeting.В  But, if we do not have this informational meeting, please know I will speak about this at Annual Meeting (mark your calendar by the way for June 13, 6:30 PM).

Second, if you have put off nominating someone for Congregant of the Year, you have 2 weeks left to send in a write-up to me or any board member.В  This is always a nice honor when we can recognize someone who goes above and beyond for our community.В  We will be selecting this person toward the end of this month.

You will see some e-mails coming out soon from me on some fun upcoming events.В  We are also going to have some ALICE security training refreshers in May.В  I feel like there is sense of normalcy returning to our temple life.В  I hope you feel it also.

Stay well and I hope to see you all at the Yard Sale (April 16).

Keeping Connected В December 2022

Hi friends,

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving and some quality family time. So, what are some new things going on at the temple? Well, 2 days ago, we received our signed contract back from the state for our security grant which will go toward the hardening of the exterior of our building. We have a few more steps to get through before we can officially start the project, including a Special Congregational Meeting, which will be required since this is a reimbursable grant, meaning we need approval from the congregation to first spend the money from the Building Fund with the knowledge that we will be reimbursed from this grant. We are still a couple of steps away from this meeting, but you will likely hear about it in the next 1-2 months. The Security, House, and Beautification committees are meeting now to agree on the final items we will be installing on our grounds as part of this grant.

We are also looking into rearranging some of our space within the building to make room for some more storage and better functionality. We have a committee working on this now. As part of this, we are also looking into purchasing a nice storage shed for outside. We will begin a fundraiser campaign for this shed in the very near future and I hope you will consider contributing to this much needed item. More to come very soon…

I hope you saw that we are offering FREE First Aid Training on December 11 from 1:30-4:30 PM at the temple. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn some first aid basics and how to use our AED equipment. Please sign up soon if you have not already, as we have limited attendance capacity.В  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054CA4AC2BA20-first

That’s it for now…  Hope you all have a nice month, stay warm, and stay safe.

L’Shalom,

November 2022 В  Keeping Connected

Hi Friends,

Hope you are enjoying the fall season.В  This month, I want to bring to your attention two important items.

First, we are continuing to highlight security training.В  We are very lucky to have a member certified as an ALICE trainer and willing to devote the time to train our members (Thanks Tim!).В  If you have not taken the 2-hour ALICE training, I highly recommend you sign up for the training on November 6.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054ca4ac2ba20-alice3More

October 2022 В  Keeping Connected

Happy New Year friends!

It’s hard for me to believe that is my 4^th time standing in front of you on Rosh Hashanah as President of Congregation Shalom, and for the record, my last time.  Every year, I struggle with what my message to the congregation should be.  This may sound crazy but I do think this is one of the hardest jobs of being President.  And with every year, it gets much harder for me to decide what I am going to say.  But, then, all of a sudden, you get an idea and it starts to come together.  So, this year, I want to talk about two things, community and gratitude.More

September 2022 В  Keeping Connecte

Hi friends,

It’s hard to believe it’s September already, although I think we say this every year…  The summer just goes by way too fast.  I hope you all had a chance to enjoy some vacation time this summer with your families and are feeling energized to begin the new year.

September at Congregation Shalom is a very busy time and if you just look at the on-line calendar on our web site, you will see the amazing amount of activity.В  School is beginning, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs are happening, Sisterhood & Brotherhood events are scheduled, and of course, high holiday season begins.В  I have been amazed each year that I have been President on how high holidays come together, the amount of planning needed, and the generous number of volunteers we have to make it happen behind the scenes.More