Temple Beth El Executive Director

Dear Temple Beth El Congregant,

I hope that the Holiday season has and continues to be enjoyable for you and your family.

In my congregational letter sent to you this past September 2014, I wrote about the Temple engaging Ms. Kathy Ridge of LevRidge Resources as our Interim Executive Director. For the four months Kathy has worked with us, I am deeply grateful for the positive contributions she has made for our Temple. One of our Directors, Brian Yesowitch, stated it well, “Kathy’s short involvement with our Temple staff, leadership and membership has yielded tremendous results. We will benefit from her experience and advice for many years to come.”

During the past few months the Search Committee, in recruiting a full time Executive Director, worked a thorough and diligent interview process. We had 24 individuals apply for the position. Upon the Search Committee’s unanimous recommendation and the approval by the Board of Directors, I am pleased and enthusiastic to announce we have hired Dr. Laura Bernstein to be our Executive Director. Laura will start January 12th.

Briefly, Laura’s background includes President and CEO of a multi million dollar firm in Des Moines, (a firm that provided media-based training solutions); HR Strategy Officer for a consulting firm; and Director of Education for the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines where she led the creation of a newly licensed community preschool bringing together Chabad, Conservative and Reform families.

Laura, her husband, Howard, and their daughter, Sanya, moved to Charlotte a few months ago and Sanya is enrolled in our Religious School.

Please join me in welcoming Laura!

My thanks to the Search Committee: Rick Glaser (Chair), Moira Quinn Klein, Ginny Rosenberg, Joe Machicote, Jena Coen, Brett Frankenberg and Mitch Rifkin.

Best Regards,

 

 

Jack Levinson
President

2 in 2 Challenge

In my Yom Kippur address to the congregation, I introduced the concept of “2 in 2,” meaning create two new relationships or strengthen two existing relationships in the next two years that you could call on in an emergency situation.

While not a formal program or initiative, I believe that striving for “2 in 2” is that one special thing we can ALL do to enhance getting to know one another within our Temple family and Jewish community.

This idea resulted from meetings and seminars presented at URJ conferences, from Past President Rick Glaser’s emphasis on “Relational Judaism” (based on Dr. Ron Wolfson’s book), and from conversations with congregants, clergy, board members, past presidents, staff and lay leaders where I asked, “What would you like our Temple to emphasize for you and your family?”

Temple Beth El offers numerous opportunities to meet and interact with fellow congregants, including Shabbat services, Shabbat Supper Club, Torah study, Tot Shabbat, committee involvement, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, LIBERTY, and SPICE events.  There’s an array of new offerings such as The Porch for singles and young families, the Shalom Park Environment Action group where many Shalom Park partners collaborate, and the Club Sandwich Jewish Living Group which invites those that are caught in the middle of caring for parents, kids and other family members.

While these programs can connect you to congregants, my hope and challenge on the “2 in 2” theme is to have us think deeply about reaching out and building community.  I challenge you to create or strengthen two relationships to the point where you can really count on these people, even in a personal emergency.  Do you have Temple friends close enough to call in the middle of a crisis?  Congregants to put on your child’s school emergency contact card?  Congregants to take care of your home or affairs if you must leave town unexpectedly?  Congregants to drive you to an appointment if you could not get there on your own?  Do you have Temple friends for whom you’d gladly reciprocate these favors?

Starting now, reach out to acquaintances you’ve known casually for a long time or to those people you’ve only recently met.  Be that close friend to a congregant who has just relocated to Charlotte or just lost a loved one.  Be that friend – and build a mutual relationship where you can count on each other in an emergency.  Whether you are 13 or 113, it’s doable.  You will be rewarded day-to-day, even if that emergency never happens.

Jack Levinson

Bridge the Gap-help close the deficit

Opportunity has come knocking at Temple Beth El in the form of generosity and an anonymous donor with a giving heart. Now, we need you to Bridge the Gap and make Temple Beth El whole!

As most of you know, we are facing the unhappy prospect of ending our fiscal year with a deficit. We have made tremendous progress on chipping away at the gap through spending cuts and carefully management of funds as well as your gifts toward the shortfall. But we are still left with a gap.

We now have a remarkable opportunity to bridge that gap. One of our sustainers has made an offer of anonymous Tzedaka that will allow us to wipe that debt clean.

We have the offer of a matching gift of $30,000. For every gift to “bridge the gap” between now and June 30, our donor will match, dollar for dollar, to $30,000. With a year-end deficit of $60,000 looming, this matching gift and your donations can wipe the slate clean and allow us to begin the new year in July 2012 with no debt at all.

Go to our website at http://www.beth-el.com/. You will see a countdown clock…every gift must be pledged and paid by midnight, June 30, 2012 to qualify for the match. You can pay on line, or send a check identified as “bridge the gap” funding. All Tzedaka is valued. But the highest form of giving is the giving with no expectation of recognition…the anonymous gift. I personally want to thank everyone who is stepping in and up to help us bridge this gap.

Please join us at the Annual Meeting on May 21 to hear about our new Strategic Plan and Sacred Gifts initiative. These thoughtful plans will keep our spiritual home vibrant and welcoming for generations to come. I look forward to seeing you all at the congregational dinner on the 21st and at the Annual Meeting. Please join us and thank you in advance for helping us build a bridge to the future.

Board Resolution Amendment One

Temple Beth El family…

The Board of Directors of Temple Beth El took a bold step on Monday evening, April 16. The Board voted to accept a resolution crafted by our Keshet Committee at our request, with input from Rabbi Jonathan, opposing Amendment One. Special thanks go to Sera Callif and Y’honatan Gimbel for their hard work. The resolution is below.

I am proud of this action and of the very deliberative and careful process we followed to get us to this point. We researched our position carefully. It was a long, emotional and difficult journey for all involved. However, the wrestling was worth it. The end product is a good one.

While we, as a congregation, are VERY supportive of LGBTQ families, congregants and issues, and we support Rabbi Judy Schindler’s advocacy on this issue, we do recognize that ours is a pluralistic congregation, representing many different points of view. We also know that not all congregants want a house of worship to take a stand on political issues of any sort. We respect that diversity of opinion.

However, you will be interested to know that the vote on this resolution was unanimous, through a roll call…each person, conservative and liberal alike, claiming his or her vote.

Please read the resolution and consider the implications. I hope you will go to the polls and vote your conscience. If you want to know who serves on your Board of Directors, here is a link to the list.
http://www.beth-el.com/officers_board.html

TEMPLE BETH EL AMENDMENT ONE RESOLUTION
(passed unanimously at April 16, 2012 Board Meeting)

WHEREAS Temple Beth El’s mission is to be a welcoming Reform congregation providing opportunity for ALL people to engage in Jewish life through social action, and its vision emphasizes inclusion and egalitarianism;

WHEREAS Temple Beth El seeks to be a sanctuary providing support, safety, healing, and justice, for the suffering and disenfranchised;

WHEREAS the Torah commands us to give the needy what they lack, in this case legal protection, civil rights and human dignity for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender individuals, so Jewish ethics demand us to act;

WHEREAS justice and human dignity are cherished Jewish values;

WHEREAS the Torah has one text, yet the interpretation is never fixed but ever in flux;

WHEREAS our Reform Jewish tradition teaches us that all human beings — man, woman, gay, straight, bisexual, transgender — are made in the image of God; that God and holiness can be present in all loving, permanent Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) and heterosexual relationships;

WHEREAS the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) stated: “All Jews are religiously equal regardless of their sexual orientation”;

WHEREAS in March 2000, the CCAR’s resolution on Same Gender Officiation states, “that the relationship of a Jewish, same gender couple is worthy of affirmation through appropriate Jewish ritual”;

WHEREAS the LGBT members of Temple Beth El are an integral part of our congregation, and that Keshet and its predecessor Chavurah Keshet have been active for over 15 years;

WHEREAS the current political climate challenges the human rights of members of our community and our nation because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and denies them legal rights;

WHEREAS Amendment #1 will appear on the North Carolina ballot on May 8, 2012, and it reads: “That marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State”; and this amendment clearly is antithetical to what Judaism and Temple Beth El stand for as outlined above;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Temple Beth El opposes Amendment #1 that will appear on the North Carolina Ballot on May 8, 2012;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the President, the Board, and the Clergy of Temple Beth El will go on public record, through a letter to the congregation, educating and advocating against this Amendment on May 8, 2012.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the President, the Board, and the Clergy of Temple Beth El publically endorse Keshet’s active engagement with, and support of, other synagogues and houses of worship in North Carolina as allies in the efforts to advocate against this Amendment.

budget Update

Temple Beth El family…

Thank you so much for everything you are doing to help us through this financial crisis. So many of you are already sending in donations and have told us you are willing to volunteer your time to and effort to build community here at Temple Beth El.

We also had an incredibly successful “Night in Las Vegas” last Saturday night! Close to 250 people came. We had great participation in the auctions (both live and silent) and ended up with a few items that we will be sending out as a “Second Chance” auction. So if you missed it, you have another chance. The really hot item of the night was a reserved space for High Holidays…we have a few more of those to put on the block! Watch your email and “This Week” for that. We are not sure yet what the final tally is…waiting for last invoices. We’ll let you know as soon as we do, but I think the news is good! Thanks to Brotherhood, Bette Andrews, Paige Cohen and the entire committee.

We sent out a congregational mailing, detailing the change in worship services leading up to the summer schedule. I have included it here, to be sure everyone received it. Thanks again for all you do. Remember, we are on our way to recovery, but still need your continued help and support.

Mailing:
We are at a crossroads and need your help. We are making a number of changes and cuts at Temple Beth El to responsibly respond to a severe deficit in our budget. We need our Temple Beth El family to join us as we work together to close this budget gap and get back on sure footing. More on how we are doing that is below.

First, an important short-term change driven by this budget shortfall will impact our Friday night worship. Starting on March 23, we are moving to one service on Friday nights at 6:15pm, preceded by a “preneg” starting at 5:30pm. The full schedule is on the back of this letter. If we are able to close the budget gap, we intend to reinstate the 8:00pm service.

We have received feedback from many congregants that 7:00pm is a better compromise for a service time. We have listened carefully and understand no one time will please all. The Clergy worked hard to come up with this schedule, at the request of the lay leadership. They used a lens of Jewish values to make these difficult decisions.

A 6:15pm time allows more families time for Shabbat dinners and seems to accommodate the schedules of the majority of congregants…even our working congregants who can join in progress, if needed. It accommodates our B’Nei Mitzvah families, who have made plans months in advance for their special event. We know from experience that hundreds of congregants can make it to a 6:00pm service. We have preserved the variety and richness of our worship services. Each service will have a Cantor and a Rabbi, and our organist Bill Ward will play often. Also, from a purely practical standpoint, the earlier time allows us to recognize the maximum financial savings, which is important. This change is short-term and will be evaluated.

There are several reasons for the shortfall, including lower than expected pledge income, higher costs to operate our building and higher than expected expenses related to returning home for High Holiday services.

When we began looking at this budget deficit, it was as high as $165,000. It has dropped to $100,000. We have identified more cuts and income opportunities that we believe will take it down to $65,000-$75,000. We have put those cuts into “tiers”, indicating their severity up to and including layoffs of staff. We are doing everything possible to avoid that final step. The full list of those tiered cuts is available on the website or by calling me or the Temple office.

However, we need your help. We are asking each congregant to do the following:
• Make a small donation of $18 or $36 to help bridge this gap (more if you can).
• Shop at the Temple Gift Shop.
• Donate to a fund or endowment.
• Join us for our “Evening in Las Vegas” fundraiser on March 17.

We will approach our sustainer families, but this is something our entire TBE family needs to help us address.

Needless to say, this is an extremely difficult and challenging situation that we all must face together. The staff and board have worked diligently to formulate a strategy to address this short-term gap and implement a long-term strategy for the future. Now it is up to all of us to see it through. We will keep you apprised of the situation as it develops. In the meantime, please contact me or any board member with your questions or concerns.

Yours,
Moira Quinn Klein
Rick Glaser
Rabbi Judy Schindler
Rabbi Jonathan Freirich
Cantor Andrew Bernard
Cantor Mary Thomas
Sara Schreibman
Susan Jacobs

A message from the President on our budget

Temple Beth El is a covenant community. We believe that we each have a responsibility…one to the other, and to our congregation as a whole. We are a family — a house of study, of prayer, and of communal gathering — bound by our love of Torah.

We are at a crossroads and need your help. We are projecting that, if we do not act, the Temple will finish the fiscal year with a 6% shortfall in our $2.3 million budget. That translates into a deficit of approximately $140,000. There are several reasons for the shortfall, including lower than expected pledge income and higher than expected expenses related to returning home for High Holiday services.

To bridge the gap, we have identified cuts to the budget for the remaining four months of the fiscal year, as well as potential sources of additional revenue. Both will be needed to avoid finishing FY2012 in the red.

The budget cuts total $100,000 and have been divided into three categories by degree of severity. Tier 1 items, totaling $41,500, are relatively painless and are already being implemented. Tier 2 items, totaling $34,000, are more serious, yet may need to be implemented. The lone Tier 3 item involves the most serious action: temporarily laying off or furloughing our staff. Our dedicated staff is the lifeblood of Temple Beth El; we intend to make every effort to avoid this action.

On the other hand, we have identified at least four potential sources of additional income, totaling $62,000 – $92,000. At least $35,000 is assured, since it comes from spendable income from our endowments for the past two years. But most of the rest — $30,000-$50,000 — will come from additional contributions from the congregation. We will ask our sustainer families for assistance. We are also asking our entire Temple family for donations, as you can make them, to help bridge this gap.

The entire list of tiered cuts is available through the links in this letter, on the website and in This Week at Temple Beth El. The office can also provide the list.

The first and most obvious of our short-term cuts will impact our entire Temple family. Starting March 23rd until the Summer schedule begins in May, we will move to one service on Friday evening at 6:15, with a preneg beginning at 5:30pm. This plan was created by the Clergy, with the support of the Senior Staff, Lay Leadership, Past Presidents’ Council, and finance committee, in order to preserve a core set of values: enabling congregants of all ages and stages to build community through worship — from children to working adults to seniors; insuring that the service time allows for that most important Shabbat ritual — the Shabbat dinner; and maintaining the variety and richness of our worship services. Click here for the new service schedule.

We are also not printing and mailing the Voice or Whisper. Electronic copies will be posted on the website with a link from This Week at Temple Beth El. Congregants without email or computer will continue to receive copies by mail.

There are a number of other items in the first phase of fundraising, including our Night in Las Vegas fundraiser, where we have a chance to have fun and raise money to support the Temple at the same time. We hope all of you will join us March 17th, and shop in the Temple Gift Shop to help us close this gap. Many of you will receive a phone call or a more specific request. But we ask each member of our congregational family to help us with a donation. A chai or double chai gift of $18 or $36 dollars — or more — will make a big difference.

Needless to say, this is an extremely difficult and challenging situation that we all must face together. The staff and board have worked diligently to formulate a strategy to address this short-term gap and implement a long-term strategy for the future. Now it is up to all of us to see it through. We will keep you apprised of the situation as it develops. In the meantime, please contact me or any board member with your questions or concerns. Thank you for being such an important member of the Temple Beth El community.

I will be at Temple Beth El during services and on Sunday mornings into May to answer your questions, often joined by Rick Glaser or other members of the Board of Directors. We welcome your comments or ideas.

Sunday, March 11 – 9:00am – 10:00am
Sunday March 18 – May 13 – 9:00am – 11:00am

Please view my video message:

Strategic Vision and Planning – Chazon Beth El

We need your help to plan our future. Perhaps you are rolling your eyes just a little and thinking about other strategic planning sessions you’ve experienced elsewhere. Were you subjected to meetings, focus groups, consultants and questions, only to find that nothing ever changed? Was it still business-as-usual with the same problems, same reactions, and “band aid” fixes followed by promises to do it right the next time?

This time it will be different. We promise.
In fact, we’ve already begun the process and made strides…but now we need your guidance and input on Sunday morning, January 8, through two different sessions. They will be interesting and fun (and we will have food, of course). We need you there.
Consider these facts:
• Temple Beth El will be 70 years old in 2013. It’s time to stop and look at where we are and where we are going.
• We have a brand new building. As part of that building process, we did a lot of excellent planning and research. We need to put that work into a document that will guide us;
• We have access to a grant from the Federation to help us do this plan. Through them, we have engaged The Lee Institute, the premier strategic planning agency for non-profits in Charlotte;
• Other agencies on Shalom Park are doing the same thing with The Lee Institute, so together, we will have the collective wisdom to call upon;
• And, the Union for Reform Judaism, our parent organization, is lending us their top strategic planner for our effort…so we are also getting the wisdom and guidance of the Reform Movement.
We are calling this planning initiative “Chazon Beth El – The Vision for Beth El” to anticipate the Temple’s needs and ensure its future. “Chazon” is the Hebrew word for vision.
We are not just going through the motions. This is real and very important. With the opening of the new building and the expansion of our community, we have accomplished a great deal in the recent past, but we cannot take for granted our future. A blueprint will ensure we are doing the right things in terms of membership, leadership, programming, infrastructure, and financial resources. This also won’t be the last time you hear from us. We will keep you updated on our progress, and recommendations will be presented at the Annual Meeting in May 2012, months, not years, from now.

We’ve assembled a talented team to work on the strategic planning effort, but they cannot do it alone. Congregational input and opinions are critical to building our future together. The next step occurs on January 8th with multiple, simultaneous focus groups facilitated by the Lee Institute, board members, and planning committee members. Please attend and help shape our dreams. Click here and register to let us know which session you can attend.

December State of the Temple…and help?

Happy Hanukkah to all of the Temple Beth El family! I offer wishes of light and love to you all.

You are an integral part of this warm and welcoming congregation. Thank you for your continuing support of your Temple home; your generosity and commitment ensure our ability to serve the congregation with outstanding clergy, diverse programs and services, and so much more. As you review your year, we are doing the same.

With the halfway point of our fiscal year fast approaching, we are writing with an update on the state of Temple’s financial affairs, and to ask for your help.

Income to date from annual membership pledges is $1.34 million or 92% of the budgeted goal. Although not unusual to have uncollected pledges going into the end of the calendar year, a deficit of 8%, representing $122,000, is troubling. The shortfall also reflects some congregants making smaller commitments than in previous years, no doubt a reaction to their struggles with the ongoing troubled economy.

There has been incremental progress in addressing the challenge of those who make no membership commitment or pay below the expected amount, currently estimated at near half of the congregation. Now in its second year, Temple policy is for staff to screen each abatement request and refer congregants to Jewish Family Services for a confidential consultation where appropriate.

On the positive note, income from religious school tuition and High Holiday Days ticket sales have already met or exceeded budgeted amount, and facility rentals are on track to meet or exceed projections.

Temple is holding the line on expenses with two major exceptions. The first High Holy Days season in the new building was a tremendous success with virtually no logistical hitches and minimal complaints. However, there were unanticipated expenses such as extra security and transportation needs that, while well received and appreciated, put us $25,000 over budget. Most of that budgeting was not under our control. We also continue to wrestle with pegging precise utility and other costs to operate the new building. Estimates are good and experience will be our final guide.

In summary, Temple is in generally solid financial shape but faces a significant projected deficit if current revenue trends continue. The major fundraiser of the year, Casino Night which will take place in March 2012, will help, but by itself will not be enough. If you are able, please consider making an additional, tax-deductible contribution to Temple to help us bridge the gap before December 31 or after. We believe our High Holidays investments were the right answers. We also hope that pledge income will begin to right itself as the year continues. But we do not want to be caught short.

As Hanukkah and the secular New Year begin, we ask your help and your generosity. As always, we welcome your questions or comments. Thank you for your continued support.

Rosh Hashanah – Join our Journey

L’ Shana Tova. What a journey it has been! Together, we are working through the multicolor tickets, parking passes and buses; we are seeing last minute additions to the sanctuary (many within the last few weeks); we have GINORMOUS screens in the social halls to give everyone the best view…but we made it!

And it is my absolute joy and privilege to be the President who welcomes each and every one of you home to our own Sanctuary for the holidays!

It’s also my privilege to thank those who are making these Days of Awe sacred and special:
– The Temple Beth El staff and Clergy
– Our lay leadership team, especially the Board of Directors and Jonathan Howard
– Our volunteers
– Incredible ushers
– All of our musicians, choir director and soloist Dr. John Blizzard, Bill Ward (organ sounds great!)
Thank you to all! Your hard work is making these holidays special.

I want to use our time together to tell you how far we have come, look at our shared vision for the future, the State of Temple Beth El, our finances and ways you can help and get involved.

We passed a balanced budget. It is aggressive and challenging, but it has new stress on it, with the unexpected costs of executing the High Holiday services here. As a team, we are committed to do what it takes to meet it.

I want to remind you that during the renovation, we built for flexibility. We never planned to build for the High Holidays. Building to accommodate the entire congregation for 4 days would have been impractical at best; irresponsible at worst.

We built for the other 361 days…and have an outstanding plan for using our flexible space to accommodate our congregation for the High Holidays. I’m pleased with this plan, and hope you are, too.

Here’s a snapshot of Temple Beth El:
– 1,160 families…about 34-hundred people.
– Welcomed about 62 new families since June…that’s a net gain of 72 since last year…but we don’t expect skyrocketing growth.
– Religious School: 480 students…up 10 from last year.
– Charlotte Jewish Preschool is finally a standalone 501(c) 3 and going strong
– We have the largest Confirmation class in Temple Beth El history with 30 students
– Youth programs are robust
– 65 will become Bar or Bat Mitzvah this year

THAT’S when we see this building work as it should. We often see 2 Kiddush luncheons or B’Nei Mitzvah parties going on at the same time. We are marketing the space and producing income.

– 80 Madrachim…teen tutors who stay connected, post B’nei mitzvah.
– More than 200 in our youth groups (70 more than last year)
– 20’s and 30’s through Next DOR.
– Their Facebook group has 177 members and their Vodka Latkes Chanukah Party drew more than 100, so it’s a vibrant group…that knows how to party.
– We have 360 Senior families or individuals…close to half belong to “SPICE”.
– Awesome Tot Shabbat program learning that coming to Temple is fun!

Temple Beth El cares about our community…here are just a few headlines:
– 465 participated in Mitzvah Day 2011
– We led the creation of the Shalom Park Freedom School
– We will host this year’s Interfaith Thanksgiving Day Service
– Judy took same-sex couples to Washington, DC for weddings

And so many more. Our values are reflected in all this vibrant congregation does. We have fun, we laugh, we care and we keep people connected across all age ranges. That rocks.

This year, we will capture all of that with a 3-year Strategic Plan. It is supported through Federation, URJ and the Lee Institute. I will call on many of you for input. By Spring, we will have a road map and framework for future budgeting, staffing and programs.

We are also looking ahead to our 70th Anniversary in 2013. We are planning to observe this milestone in a number of ways…including:
– Community-wide celebrations to focus on history
– Creation of a robust endowment campaign to secure our future
More on that later in the year.

Last year, I asked your help in a few targeted areas. Let me tell you a story about how you responded.

Sara took a call this year, before the Confirmation class trip to Washington. A congregant told Sara she had been blessed and wanted to do something specific for a family who was in need. Sara said one family couldn’t afford the trip to Washington and would the donor consider a scholarship so that the teen could be with her class and have that Jewish experience.

Done.

Mom was moved by the kindness and wrote a lovely thank-you note…delivered by Sara, anonymously. Came Hanukah and the congregant donor decided she wanted to help that same family again, so she sent a check of “gelt”, through Sara, as another anonymous gift.

Mom said…oh no, it’s too much kindness. We’re OK…I know there are others who need help more than we do. Please give to them.

So Sara paid the kindness forward and another family benefitted. These are the kind of congregants we have. This is the result of personal gifts and personal philanthropy.

You can:
– send a child on a confirmation trip who can’t afford it
– pay for a scholarship to provide a child with a Jewish education from preschool through high school
– help finish the repair and restoration of our precious Torahs
– You can even help offset HHD expenses with the help of a matching grant from lifetime President Norm Levin…thank you Norm…

It’s all important and all here. If you are so moved – you help create a richer experience for your fellow congregants.

I am SO proud to be President of Temple Beth El. This Congregation leads the way in so many areas. We are thought leaders in the Reform movement. We lead the way in Music and Worship innovation. We are leaders in the region, the Charlotte community and here in Shalom Park. This is a vibrant, growing and engaged congregation led by incredible Clergy and staff.

I value your thoughts and your commitment, at whatever level you make it. Commitment brings enrichment, I promise. Join me for this continuing journey. Leave your comments here of send a private message to moiraqklein@aol.com. L’ Shana Tova. May your year be a sweet one.

Renew, Rejoin and Recommit

What a journey this year this has been! Last summer, we were scattered throughout Shalom Park, figuring out the logistics of High Holiday services at two different churches and planning the major move into and celebrations to mark the February Rededication of our newly remodeled Temple home. That journey was worth the effort. Temple Beth El is a beautiful place filled with engaged congregants and vibrant programs.

While we are saddened to have lost Rabbi Micah and his family to his own congregation in Canada, we are overjoyed to welcome Rabbi Jonathan Freirich, his wife (and ketubah artist) Ginny and son Jude. We have also welcomed home Cantor Mary Thomas on a part-time basis. Mary, her husband Matt and daughter Johannah are now settled in. Our Clergy team and staff are strong, diverse and dedicated.

Our programs have never been better. Mitzvah Day was wildly successful. We are breaking ground nationally by creating the first Jewish Freedom School with a coalition of eight Jewish entities. And this Spring, we hosted the largest Kallah in the history of our region in NFTY. More than 250 teens came to Temple Beth El for a weekend to learn, to laugh, to pray and to play. It was a blessing. We are continually welcoming new members. This Temple is healthy and strong.

And believe it or not, we have another Simcha in our near future: in 2013, we’ll celebrate our 70th Anniversary. More coming on that soon.

While we celebrate our accomplishments and milestones, we still have a few miles to go to finish our journey. There are still some items to be completed in the new building and those are on the list. We are still working on the Capital Campaign Endowment; many thanks to all who are investing in the long-term future and stability of Temple Beth El. We need everyone to stay with us on this journey.

The greatest joy from our renovation this year will be that we’ll be celebrating the High Holidays in our Temple home. It has been years since we have been able to congregate in our sanctuary for the Holidays. But that joy means we will have to be both adaptable and disciplined. We will spilt our congregation evenly to accommodate our numbers, for both morning and evening services. Please pay special attention to those instructions as you sign up for the services. There are not enough parking spaces at Temple and Shalom Park for all of us (including Temple Israel)…although all will be accommodated with remote parking and shuttle buses. Take note…those who renew their Temple pledges at the higher “Sustainer” levels in their categories will have first choice for the coveted reserved parking spaces for the High Holiday services.

Also, please note one other new item on your pledge form. This year, we are trying a new approach for Brotherhood and Women of Reform Judaism (Sisterhood). The membership dues are listed in your renewal. You have the choice to “opt out” of membership if you like. Both organizations are vital to the support of our religious school, teen programs, and the overall vitality of this Temple. I hope you will stay members of both organizations.

Last year, I talked about K’hilah K’doshah, or holy community. We continue to aspire to this goal. Integral to this process are congregants, each of whom has a covenantal relationship with Temple that comprises an ongoing, mutual commitment to every other member of our community as well as to the community as a whole. The Temple has a responsibility to support and care for the congregation; and the congregation also has a responsibility to support and care for the Temple.

As has become our practice, membership dues will increase in all categories to cover higher operational costs from inflation and other factors. Our annual budget is $2.3 million dollars this year. Approximately 65% of that comes from membership dues. That is lower than the average Reform congregation of our size. Also, our operating expenses and dues are comparable to or lower than other Reform congregations of our size.

However, as this fiscal year begins, we continue to face difficult realities. Nearly half of Temple Beth El’s 1,100 congregant families annually pledge less than the designated amount for their membership category, resulting in more than $500,000 in lost revenue for the Temple last year. There are always those in the congregation who are under distress and cannot fully meet their financial obligations. Even though the economy is beginning to turn around, this continues to be…and will always be…a reality and one we understand. We welcome all, regardless of ability to meet their financial commitment.

However, our board has the responsibility to address this ongoing shortfall that challenges our congregation’s long-term wellbeing. We pledge to you to do the following:

1. Make sure the 2011/2012 budget is as lean as possible. Temple staff, the board and finance committee have spent countless hours finding ways to trim. The budget is balanced.

2. Continue the graduated dues structure for those age 32 and under. We realize young people who are beginning families and careers cannot afford full dues. This dues rate structure helps remove this obstacle and encourage them become full members of the congregation. It has been well received.

3. Offer Budget 101 Sessions this summer. We want all to understand how the budget of this Temple works and how our resources are invested in programs and the future of our Jewish families. Sessions were well attended in June; another session will be offered after HHD’s.

4. Ask those who can to meet their full financial responsibilities to do so. This commitment is critical to the covenantal relationship each of us has to help Temple meet its ongoing operational needs. We thank you for doing so.

5. Work closely with those in need. With the help of Jewish Family Services (JFS), we will expand this process for screening requests for abatements on annual membership pledges, religious school registration or bar/bat mitzvah fees. If you need financial relief of any kind, we will ask you to provide an explanation and may ask you to meet with a JFS counselor. The process will be discreet, professional and highly confidential. Please talk to us about this. We want this process to streamline the road to membership.

Your leadership team at Temple Beth El is working hard to make sure this remains a warm and welcoming place. We believe that each person is created B’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God; to be treated with respect and understanding; and capable of making a unique contribution to the whole. We need your engagement as a congregant and volunteer.

If you have any questions or comments about anything in this post or otherwise, please contact me or our Executive Director, Sara Schreibman. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, thank you for your continued support and the privilege of serving your family’s spiritual and religious needs.

Sincerely,
Moira Quinn Klein
President