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President's Monthly Message
by Gary Lerman
September 2008
As a child I would dread the transition from summer to autumn; from outdoor play to indoor schoolwork; from limited responsibilities to a structured schedule; from the baseball diamond to the geometric shapes of a textbook. Ultimately, as children, we preferred to enjoy those moments when responsibilities were limited and we were free to spend more time pursuing the activities we loved, without limitation. Of course, we managed to adjust our mindset and adapt to the new seasonal rigors and requirements and, as we matured, perhaps found other distractions that would enable us to look forward with a positive attitude. The beautiful sunsets that seem to appear in September and October; the way the air becomes more crisp and vibrant; the way the leaves change to colors that cannot be duplicated; the way we are called to service during the High Holy Days.
You may or may not feel similarly about what I described above; after all these are my personal thoughts. But I do know that each of you reading this article are called to service during the High Holy Days and whether you go to services once per year or you participate in other services, activities or are involved in other ways here at Temple Beth Elohim, you are part of this family. We might have differing opinions about the transition from summer to autumn but we do have a common bond, a common heritage, common traditions, beliefs and goals. We might not agree on the September sunsets but we educate our children with the hope that they will live a life perpetuating our special common ideals and pass these aspirations on to future generations. We might disagree that the air seems to be more vibrant in the autumn but we share the same spiritual advisor and the one Almighty Creator. Our commonality cannot be disputed and we have all chosen to pursue our common goals at Temple Beth Elohim. On September 29, we welcome in the New Year 5769 and share the special moment together with our entire family in this special place. It is a tradition in our faith that the High Holy Days is a time of reflection and giving. We feel the need to express our gratitude for all the blessings we have received by supporting our Temple's activities that will enable us to pursue our mission "to be mindful of our Jewish heritage, develop a congregational responsibility to the extended community we serve and create an atmosphere of extended family for all our members." I ask all my brothers and sisters to please make sure you do your very best to offer what is needed to ensure the viability of this great organization.
As the calendar advances, we turn our attention to a flurry of upcoming activity; and I urge you to regularly check the Temple calendar that can be accessed on the website to stay abreast of the upcoming educational, programming, spiritual and social activities available throughout the year. This is what makes Temple Beth Elohim such an important presence in our Community; touching the lives of countless individuals and families. This is how you, by extension, perform the sacred Mizvot through Tikkun Olam. This is how we perpetuate our ideals to our children, by example. This is what makes us Jewish!
On September 7, our religious school classes will resume with Larry Hepner and Joe Greenfield at the helm as Co-Deans of our religious school. The Temple Beth Elohim teaching staff is dedicated to the education and growth of our children and has been working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year with the capable assistance of our aides. Providing administrative support, Nan Coulter and Roberta Mandel will continue to coordinate the countless responsibilities required to effectively facilitate the entire school operation. The enormous efforts, the bright talent and dedication of the many individuals that is the Temple Beth Elohim religious school staff is supervised by the experienced and qualified guidance of Rabbi Acrish.
Let this be the beginning of another sweet year during which we continue to share our common hopes and aspirations.
L'Shanah Tovah
Gary Lerman
July/August 2008
It has been my privilege to serve the entire Beth Elohim family during the past year. Rabbi Acrish, Nan Coulter, Roberta Mandel, the Board of Directors and the support of so many devoted volunteers serving on our many Committees has made the recent year a memorable one indeed! May I offer our acknowledgement of their service, energy and their many accomplishments with a great big thank you from us all, their Temple family.
I would like to remind you that events are planned for the summer months and that our Shabbat Torah study and service will continue each week. Our Friday night service on the terrace (weather permitting) is always a beautiful experience and please note, services start at 7:30PM. Please refer to our website or call the office should you have any questions.
Most of you reading this message have received the annual dues pledge form and you can see we have only minimally increased the dues level. Although our new facility requires a much higher cost burden, we are counting on increased membership and other revenue streams to fill the gap rather than asking our current members to bear the entire burden in the form of dues. That said, in addition to pledging your "fair share" dues amount, I ask that you immediately accept a direct challenge to help support Temple Beth Elohim's current financial needs and help ensure a strong future for our entire community.
I would like to offer three serious challenges to anyone receiving this Menorah or reading this message on our website. Let's call it a three step Mitzvah project. It need not cost you any money; it may not require any of your time; it may result in a benefit to you and your family. It will most certainly benefit Temple Beth Elohim and kick off a new fiscal year with great momentum and enthusiasm.
We are seeking new members and we need your help to direct unaffiliated relatives or friends in our direction. You can ask them to join you at a service or an event or just tell them about our open house schedule disclosed in the Menorah and our website. It is with your help that we will enjoy a successful membership campaign.
We are currently selling raffle tickets with the prize a new Ford Mustang convertible. To date the response has been dismal but I believe that our Temple family will answer the challenge to enable us to meet our goal of selling 800 raffle tickets; not necessarily by the direct purchase of raffle tickets but by asking relatives, friends, clients, customers and co-workers to take a chance. Each raffle ticket costs $100 and the odds are one in eight hundred to win a car worth $40,000. We need to move quickly as the drawing is scheduled to be held at the Kevin Acrish Memorial Golf Classic on September 10, 2008. With 250 members, selling 800 raffle tickets should be an achievable challenge if only we work together to realize our goal.
Our store gift card program has not had the support we hoped to achieve. Without regard to other available store gift cards, we have considered the grocery store option that nets the Temple a return of 4% while costing the recipient zero, a revenue source that has great potential. To date, the volume has been surprisingly low given the zero cost and we need to dynamically increase our participation. Since each member, their relatives and friends regularly shop in grocery stores, Temple Beth Elohim's potential revenue stream just from those gift cards is significant. This is not a gimmick; the Temple simply purchases a gift card at 96% of the face value, receives the full value when sold and the gift card is presented as payment at the register for an amount equal to the face value. The Temple website has all the information you need to order including a complete list of the extensive inventory of gift cards available. Just click the "Books, Music & More" button, place an order and gift cards will be set aside for you to pickup either at the Temple or at a location convenient to you. Or, if you prefer, call the office and place an order verbally. Your Temple needs you to enthusiastically support this zero cost initiative that could benefit this congregation for many years to come.
I urge you to accept these challenges and with each of us doing our share, we can achieve a collective accomplishment that will benefit our entire Temple family and the community in which we live. Enjoy a wonderful summer season and I hope to see you at events and services during July and August.
December 2007
Leading up to this Thanksgiving holiday, I am struck by the continuous support that I receive while trying to accomplish my daily objectives. Of course, my family has always supported me unconditionally and I'm sure I can never thank them enough. But my Temple family has also offered me overwhelming support and for that I wish to thank you all very much.
I am also quite thankful for the opportunity to serve Temple Beth Elohim in various capacities. Those of you reading this who have served in any organization for the greater good understand the feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment. But I am also given the opportunity to work with very special people. That has, over the years, made me a better person. Our organization has a core leadership group that is second to none and serves our entire community with an admirable selfless devotion that cannot be achieved without a love for our Temple and a firm belief in its Mission. Our spiritual leadership has been admired and respected in this community for many decades and is loved by one and all. Our employees are the most devoted I have ever encountered and are a blessing to our entire organization. It is my privilege to serve with all these loyal and devoted individuals and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their tireless efforts and unyielding support.
On behalf of my family and the entire Board of Directors and employees of Temple Beth Elohim, we hope you find much love and happiness during this holiday season and may the secular New Year bring peace and joy throughout the world.
November 2007
Our energetic Committees have been busy planning events and programs to offer our Temple family and, in some cases, the entire community. I recently asked that you keep an eye out for announcements regarding upcoming events and consider participating and perhaps, also asking a friend or neighbor to join you at the event, if appropriate. During the month of November alone there are two special events have been enthusiastically attended in the past and should be well attended this year as well. On November 11 we will have a Jewish Book Fair from 9 am to 12 pm and on November 18 in conjunction with the second week of the Jewish Book Fair we will also host a Vendor Fair where Temple members, family and friends will showcase and sell their wares. Hope to see you there!
I have a personal preference for the ecumenical service we will host on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and expect this event to be well attended by our members and the other participating organizations. I also make sure to attend the Men's Club billiard night at Boston Billiards where we rent a private room, eat some finger food, play rock music and, oh yea, shoot pool. That will take place on November 18 from 6 to 10 pm and will leave the attendees enough time to recover before preparing (and no doubt tasting) the famously delicious Temple Beth Elohim Men's Club latkes for the entire school on December 9th. Please make sure to mark your calendars!
One final thought regarding another request I recently made to the entire Temple family. You have recently received a letter and brochure regarding our social hall, Vista on the Hill. If you or someone you may know is looking to book a social hall for a future social or speaking event, please consider looking at our facility. We have received rave reviews from those who have used the facility as well as those attending the events.
I hope to see many of you participating in the November events mentioned above and the many other weekly and monthly programs that are offered. Please refer to the calendar on the website to reference all the activities and programs scheduled.
October 2007
I am honored to stand before you on this Yom Kippur and Shabbat. On behalf of the entire congregation, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rabbi Acrish and Rabbi Leah for their inspired spiritual leadership and Robin, Richard, Rollo and the entire choir for the memorable and moving music that enhanced the beauty of these services during the High Holidays.
While trying to greet as many people as I could prior to these holiday services, I realized that although I may not know a good number of the members and guests entering this sanctuary, we all share common beliefs and choose to answer God's call to worship and pray together on this Day of Atonement. We consider the importance of a Jewish education for our children and embrace the Jewish traditions that seem to be a great comfort to us. We cherish our Torah and try to live our lives by the high standards set by God's law. We believe in the importance of service to the community through Tikkun Olam. We honor the memory of our loved ones who, with great care passed our heritage to the next generation, in many cases at great peril. We are linked together by these common threads that have endured thousands of years of Jewish history. We have accepted the responsibility to continue this legacy and we have chosen Temple Beth Elohim to be our home.
We are fortunate to have this great organization available to help us all achieve our common mission as stated in our Temple mission statement… "to be a focal point for Jewish worship & prayer, Jewish education, Jewish community and Jewish family life". This organization known as Temple Beth Elohim, represented by the beautiful people in this room, continues to offer whatever is needed for all of us to pursue these common goals as a family. This year we have had the good fortune of welcoming many new members into our Temple family. I want to assure all of our new members and perhaps future members who can hear my voice that we plan to make you feel at home. Our membership committee will extend a hand to each new and prospective member to try and help you comfortably acclimate yourselves to your new home and your new extended family.
This is a very exciting year in many respects. Now that space is no longer an issue during Sunday school, more programs are being planned to enhance the educational experience of our children. At the same time other activities and meetings can take place without interference to school related activities including an adult education class. We are hopeful that instead of just dropping off your children for classes, you will park the car, come in to the building, and get to know other parents. As you have heard, our auxiliary groups, Men's Club and Sisterhood are very active and welcoming and now meet regularly in our building during school hours. Sunday mornings is not the only time we have a flurry of activity in this building. There are many more activities and programs that take place on weeknights like the Great Debate Society, the Women's Rosh Chodesh Group, adult B'nei Mitzvah class and a conversational Hebrew class to name a few. Friday nights of course, is when we celebrate Shabbat and each week the service may include the junior, teen or adult choir or as we do on the first Friday of each month, a family service. Each Saturday morning there is a Torah study class and a Shabbat service and a new teen program, High School Experience is also planned for Saturday mornings. Exciting junior and senior youth group events are being planned as are many other adult social, spiritual and educational programs. Invitations and announcements will be forthcoming and all information is kept up to date on our website. Please get involved and participate!
It is apparent this facility affords us the space to do many things we could not do in the old facility. We must now utilize our investment to generate a revenue stream that will help service the debt and allow us to maintain all the services we currently offer without any significant future change to the dues structure. To that end, we need to encourage those in need of classrooms or a social hall, both Temple members and outsiders, to rent our facility and we need each of you to promote that notion wherever possible. We are also seeking membership growth so we ask you to reach out to prospective new members and invite them to join you at a Friday night service or any Temple event. To enhance the work being done by our membership and publicity committees we ask our Temple family to reach out to their neighbors.
Fundraising is an issue that every non profit organization must address. About six months ago a "State of the Temple" letter was sent to each membership household to make certain our entire Temple family was informed regarding the financial position of Temple Beth Elohim after the conclusion of the construction phase of the project. To address the issues raised in that letter and to try to pay down the mortgage to a more palatable level, we are going ahead with a third and final capital campaign. We are also in the process of completing all remaining town requirements regarding the exterior landscaping with a related fundraising and perhaps naming opportunity campaign. Lastly, this past week you received a letter from me regarding the High Holiday appeal to which I hope you will respond.
Traditionally, at this time of introspection, Jews all over the world are asked to respond to these appeals. Regarding the capital and landscaping campaigns, I ask two things of everyone sitting in this room. First, please understand that we must fundraise like every other non-profit organization. Second, try your best to honestly determine what you can pledge, if anything, and promptly respond to the inquiry you will receive. For that you have my undying gratitude.
In closing, I just want to urge you to embrace the spiritual, educational and social opportunities that the Temple makes available to all of you. Become involved and, I promise, you to will feel the warmth of Temple Beth Elohim.
On behalf of Benay, Allison and myself, the Board of Directors and all the hardworking employees of Temple Beth Elohim, I want to wish you all a happy and healthy new year 5768.
L'Shanah Tovah
September 2007
Now that the summer season has come to an end and the month of August becomes a memory, we turn our attention to the flurry of upcoming activity during the busy month of September. I urge you to regularly check the Temple calendar on this website to stay abreast of the upcoming educational, programming, spiritual and social activities available throughout the year.
On September 9, our religious school classes will resume with some very significant changes to our faculty that, we expect, will enhance our already fine education program for all ages. To replace our previous Principal, David Furash, we have retained the services of our very own Larry Hepner and Joe Greenfield to act as Co-Deans of our religious school. Both Larry and Joe are certified teachers and bring a measure of professionalism, enthusiasm and imagination that will, no doubt, benefit our children's educational experience. The Temple Beth Elohim teaching staff is dedicated to the education and growth of our children and has been working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year. Rabbi Leah will be more directly involved in our children's classroom experience in addition to many planned adult education programs. Providing administrative support, Nan Coulter, with the help of her staff, will continue to coordinate the countless responsibilities required to effectively facilitate the entire school operation. The enormous efforts, the bright talent and dedication of the many individuals that is the Temple Beth Elohim religious school staff is supervised by the experienced and qualified guidance of Rabbi Acrish. The education of Temple Beth Elohim has never been in better hands.
On September 12, we will welcome the year 5768 in our new sanctuary. That sounds great! This is the first year in more than a decade that we will be able to enjoy the high holidays in our own home. I hope to see each and every one of our Temple Family proudly enjoy the dream you all have made come true.
L'Shanah Tovah
