News

When I was given the privilege of becoming the President of Temple Israel, I was often asked, “What are your goals?” My primary goal was to not screw it up! I thought with a fantastic senior staff, our Torah Center bursting at the seams, growing membership, and financial stability, what could go wrong?

And then, October 7th happened and just like that – the honeymoon was over. Temple Israel’s response has been intentionally measured, given the diverse views of members of our congregation. We have supported community programs at the Alpert JCC, continue to light a blue candle every Friday night to remind us of the hostages, encourage members to participate with the Run for their Lives group every Sunday morning, and have had discussions and interviews both here at the Temple and online. And yet, we hear that the “Temple” is not doing enough. If you have further ideas as to what else we can do, please share them with me.

For the most part, the chaos in the world has made our community stronger over the last year. And what a year it has been! Our centennial celebrations were amazing, with great speakers, diverse programming, and the annual Gala which was the most successful in our history! Your support of The Next 100 Years Campaign brought in cash donations and legacy gifts to our Foundation, helping to strengthen our financial footing.

Our Temple maintains a delicate balance between a spiritual home and a business. As your former Treasurer and now President, I am acutely aware of the importance of both items. With your ongoing generosity, we are stable, yet there is always the desire to do more, to serve the congregation better. Communication has been an area where we know we can improve. To that end, we are in the final stages of hiring someone to manage print and digital media, to better inform you of the many activities we have every month.

I am excited to tell you that Rabbi Fox has hired a Student Rabbi Intern, Leah Julian. She will be leading services, helping with our B’nai Mitzvah students, leading classes, and teaching Torah Study, along with many other programs. Rabbi Julian will bring her knowledge and training to our Temple, but we have the responsibility to her to give her the opportunity to learn from us as well. Introduce yourself, be kind, and above all, treat her well!

On the business side there are two new programs and one old program I would like to tell you about. I have asked Temple member Gabby Meghiddo to lead an effort to establish a robust volunteer program to work in our office. If you have time and the desire to give back to our Temple in this important way, please contact Charmaine who will put you in touch with Gabby.
Our Temple has a variety of spaces that are not used to their full potential. The Temple staff are skilled at helping our members with their simchas. People of a certain age will remember the famous American Express ad: “Membership has its privileges.” And so do you; Temple members enjoy a significant discount when using our facilities. We also know that many companies downsized their office space as many employees now work from home. With the end of the pandemic, companies are realizing the importance of face-2-face meetings, but find they no longer have the space to host them. If your company, or if you know of a company, that could use our space, contact Eric in the Temple office or Jon Gotz, VP of Resource Development directly.

Oneg sponsorship isn’t just for families celebrating a B’nai Mitzvah. If you would like to honor a family member, celebrate an anniversary or a milestone event such as graduation from High School or College, consider becoming a partial sponsor of a Friday evening Oneg. To sign up, call the office and we will make sure you are listed in the Friday night bulletin.

Last year I mentioned that our sages tell us the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, but the next best time is now. As Temple Israel begins its second Centennial, now is the time to “plant trees” to support the Temple so that our children, and their children, will have the opportunity to sit in the shade that we make for them today.