Assess changes in religious school curriculum to determine effectiveness ..... âBiblical Sibling Rivalryâ discussion
Temple Beth-El
ANNUAL MEETING Written Reports
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 8 Tammuz 5778
Temple Beth-El Vision Statement Temple Beth-El, a reform congregation, is an engaging destination for connection, comfort, joy and spirituality. We are a home where all are encouraged to explore their knowledge, faith and activism within a safe atmosphere to find their place in Judaism. Mission Statement Working toward “living” this vision, Temple Beth-El’s services, programs and resources will strive to:
Find ways to continue to build an inclusive community among our membership. This includes the entire spectrum of our Jewish community: people of all ages, races, abilities, interfaith families, people who are single, partnered and the LGBTQ community. All who wish to explore their identity to Judaism are welcome.
Expand engagement among our membership as a progressive reform congregation through contemporary and innovative education for our students and through faith-based and life-based programming for our adults.
Build upon our commitment to Tikkun Olam (repair the world) and G’milut Chasdim (deeds of lovingkindness) and the celebration of life as a community through Avodah (in our worship) and Torah (in our study).
Provide support and solidarity for Israel through various programming and educational opportunities thereby giving our adults and youth the freedom and comfort to connect to Israel in a personal meaningful ways.
With clergy focused on its members’ needs, Temple Beth-El is the ideal place to express and explore your Jewish faith; a home to make meaningful connections to both our local and global Jewish community, to come together to lift up the human spirit, engage in life-long learning and participate in community service.
TEMPLE BETH-EL ANNUAL MEETING June 20, 2018 / 8 Tammuz 5778 7:30 pm AGENDA
I.
Call to order and welcome - Marty Pomerantz
II.
Invocation - Rabbi Weissberg
III.
Memoriam - Rabbi Helbraun
IV.
Approval of Minutes of 2017 Annual Meeting - Marty Pomerantz
V.
Gift and Award Presentations - Rabbi Helbraun - Matthew Schaffer Schwartz Tikkun Olam Award - 50 Year Members: Elaine & Mort Fink Doris Guthman Gerry Kuntz Hal Pastron Jeanne Sachnoff - Induction of 25 Year Members to Hevrat Weissberg: Dori & Mark Brownstein Betsy Liberman Michael Liberman Curtis & Cathy Maas Ellyce & Jim Olson
VI.
President’s Message - Marty Pomerantz
VII.
Legacy & Endowment Update – Jill Weininger, Chair
VIII.
Updates to written reports provided by officers, committee chairs, and affiliates
IX.
Old Business - Marty Pomerantz
X.
New Business - Marty Pomerantz
XI.
Election of Board Members and Officers: * Report of the Nominating Committee - Cindy Schoenstadt, Chairman * Installation – Rabbi Helbraun
XII.
Recognition of Outgoing Officers and Board Members - Cindy Schoenstadt & Marty Pomerantz Presentation of certificates to: * Outgoing President: Marty Pomerantz * Outgoing Officers: Doug Schwartz, Jack Kamm, Kirsten Gordon * Outgoing Board Members: Andy Cohen, Andy Doppelt, Melanie Mendelson, Mike Rubenstein
XIII.
Good and Welfare
XIV.
Closing Benediction - Rabbi Helbraun
XV.
Adjournment 3
Minutes TEMPLE BETH-EL ANNUAL MEETING June 21, 2017 / 28 Sivan 5777 7:30 pm
I.
Call to order and welcome – Marty Pomerantz - Called to order at 7:40 pm
II.
Invocation - Rabbi Weissberg
III.
Memoriam – Rabbi Helbraun
IV.
Approval of Minutes of 2016 Annual Meeting – Marty Pomerantz Motion made by Art, Second Kirsten Gordon, approved.
V.
Gift and Award Presentations - Rabbi Helbraun - 50 Year Members: not able to be here tonight Toby Blitz Phyllis & Mel Potash - Induction of 25 Year Members to Hevrat Weissberg: Erica & John Sinsheimer
VI.
President’s Message – Marty Pomerantz Marty spoke about the challenges of being a Jew and promoting the TBE vision and mission. Focus on membership and engagement in the last year. Legacy Fund task force led by Jill Weininger, now in place and exceeding the first year goal. Also focused on inclusion, led by Cantor Rudnick, have gained much exposure for this, our synagogue acts as a resource for other organizations. Education has moved forward with more flexible delivery and increased technology. Many Tikkun Olam projects, also the new initiative A Just Harvest. Coming year: continue to live our mission. Goal to increase TBE relevancy in all of our members’ lives.
VII.
Updates to written reports provided by officers, committee chairs, and affiliates Doug Schwartz: please order high holiday books. Elaine Kofffman: please look for email and support Jewish camp in Russia program. Jim Weiss: Wendy Lake is leaving, we will miss her and appreciate her years of service. Standing ovation. Also, appreciation for the community garden which has doubled in size. Amy Tuchler: correct that Faryn not Mandy had a baby.
VIII.
Old Business - Marty Pomerantz - none
X.
New Business – Marty Pomerantz - none
XI.
Election of Board Members and Officers: Report of the Nominating Committee – Bruce Werner, Chairman Bruce read the slate of candidates. Marty accepted the slate and Amy Huck cast one ballot to adopt the slate. Marty then thanked the nominating committee. Installation – Rabbi Helbraun Rabbi called the officers and past presidents and board members to the bimah and gave a blessing over the Torahs.
XII.
Recognition of Outgoing Officers and Board Members: - Marty Pomerantz Presentation of certificates to: * Outgoing Officers: Amy Huck, Jodi Schulman * Outgoing Board Members: Elliot Bruckman, Paul Miller
XIII.
Good and Welfare – Janice Hadesman read a note from Jodi Schulman, thanking many TBE members. Doug Schwartz announced the Matthew Schaffer Schwartz Tikkun Olam award winners. Cantor thanked donors for the sound system, and spoke about upcoming music in the new year. Rabbi mentioned the congregation trip to Israel. He also gave tribute to Rabbi Weissberg and his 90th birthday. Rabbi Weissberg accepted a gift of a forest planted in Israel in his honor, and spoke about the importance of giving back to the temple in whatever way possible. If you want to be free, find an obligation you can devote your life to. Cantor led the singing of happy birthday.
XIV.
Closing Benediction – Rabbi Helbraun
XV.
Adjournment - Moved and second Rosely Kaiser
XVI.
Reception in honor of Rabbi Weissberg’s 90th birthday
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2017-18 Annual Reports Administrative Committee Report It is truly a privilege along with the Administrative Committee to be the “caretakers” for maintaining “God’s House.” It is a holy responsibility, which we all cherish. We all take the job seriously even with all of the challenges that come with it. Over the past year we have had several personnel changes. Shaina Farwell had big shoes to fill when she replaced Wendy Lake who moved to Ohio with her family. Shaina filled those shoes with finesse and expertise. Shaina has brought a new dimension to the position. She has become entrenched in our community as an avid member of our choir. We look forward to Shaina’s growth in the position in the years to come. Over the past year Marcy Chez who has worked in the office for years, chose to retire. We thank Marcy for her years of service in reaching out to new members and helping to integrate them into our Beth-El community. We are currently redefining the position and hope to identify a new staff member over the next month. These changes have made our Executive Director, Janice Hadesman’s job a bit more challenging having to transition to new employees. Our attempt to break up the Administrative Committee into different teams has not been an easy task; however we will work on this transition harder during the next fiscal year. Andy Cohen will continue to head up personnel matters, and assist in finalizing the revised employee manual bringing it up to date with policies that are more current. I will continue to work on sustainability issues. The summer will give us time to finalize the Greenfaith certification process. Mike Rubenstein and Andy Doppelt will head House and Grounds. Cindy Schoenstadt will continue to work on overall design issues that continually come up. David Levine, a newer member to the Administrative Committee, will head up landscaping projects. Additional members of the committee include Don Feinstein, who has a wealth of information in different areas. We are always looking for new faces for our committee. If anyone is interested, please feel free to give me a call and let me know where your interests lie. Over the past year we have renewed our space sharing agreements with The Board of Jewish Education Early Childhood Center, The New Tradition Chorus and The Jewish Genealogical Society. Most recently we are pursuing a space sharing agreement with another reform congregation which is looking for a new location. More details about this space sharing agreement will be discussed at our next Board Meeting. All of these agreements are crucial in affecting our overall financial bottom line. We continue to look for new opportunities that make sense. We are currently working on a Capital Expense Budget to present to our finance committee so they are aware of upcoming projects so that we are able to budget accordingly. We still have work to do on our roof. We have only completed phase one of the three-phase project. We must keep this on our radar before we have additional roofing issues. We continue to be an active participant with The Northbrook Community Garden and I believe they have rented out all of the garden plots that are on the Beth-El property for 2018. With the assistance of Debbie Sandlow, last year the Temple Beth-El location provided approximately 300 pounds of fresh produce to the Northfield Food Pantry for their clients. We are continually looking at ways to decrease our carbon footprint. We have reduced energy costs by switching out a large number of lighting in the building to LEDs. We will be creating a sustainability report so that all parts of the community can assist us in making Temple Beth-El more energy efficient. We are also exploring the possibility of utilizing solar energy. Projects on the books for the next fiscal year include parking lot repairs and door replacements in the Sanctuary and Beider Hall. We continue to have normal HVAC repairs and will begin to look at possible replacements. None of this work comes easy, or can it be done in a vacuum. My heartfelt thanks go out to Heather, Nancy, Janice, Marcy, Joanne, Shaina, Rabbi Sid and Cantor Rudnick. Administrative Committee Members include: Andy Doppelt, Av Lamet, Andy Cohen, Cindy Schoenstadt, Don Feinstein, David Levine and Mike Rubenstein. Respectfully submitted, Jim Weiss, Administrative Vice President
Education Committee Report The objectives for the education committee this year were significant. The committee got to work quickly last summer to initiate work on the following priorities: Assess changes in religious school curriculum to determine effectiveness Improve parental involvement Improve student learning through more experiential learning Provide professional learning opportunities for teachers Improve Hebrew instruction and student preparedness heading into B’nai Mitzvah Develop an improved school handbook/policy guide Improved student and teacher safety including attendance and early dismissal policies Prepare a long-range strategy for Youth Programming Develop adult education opportunities to meet the needs of various temple constituents (young parents, seniors, etc.) While we didn’t accomplish every priority on the list, we were able to touch all but two of the items above. The committee started their work in small group committees last summer with a specific focus on the policy/handbook, Hebrew instruction, parental involvement, and experiential learning. The committee, in those small summer working groups, successfully updated the school handbook, improved the attendance and dismissal safety protocols, created a program to improve family relationships and parental involvement in the school community, identified improved Hebrew instruction ideas for incoming 3rd graders, and they initiated a more robust discussion around experiential learning which ultimately led to Mandy re-envisioning Sunday School for the 2018/2019 school year. Throughout the year Mandy made some meaningful adjustments for the school that will have a lasting positive impact into the future. For example, she purchased new, age-appropriate siddurim (prayer books) for the 3rd-5th grade students that will allow prayer leaders to significantly increase options in service leading by adding additional prayers and readings as they are appropriate for the mood of the day or upcoming holidays or festivals. These books can also be woven into classroom discussions to deepen conversations and help create meaningful prayer and learning opportunities for students. Mandy also lead a partnership with a few local colleagues to apply for another educational grant that will help fund a robust day of teacher education at our URJ camp Oling Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI). Mandy received $13,400 for this grant to support a day of learning that will bring teachers from multiple congregations together at OSRUI to inspire new ways of teaching and infusing the classroom with more of a camp style atmosphere and learning environment. Mandy also partnered with Tracy Coleman and the education committee to plan a successful Mitzvah Day program to end our religious school year. They coordinated several creative, new mitzvah activities that engaged students and their families to close out the school year on a high note. While we’ve done A LOT of great planning this year, we have many more plans in store for next year. In addition to the new and improved Sunday School program, Mandy is working on an improved program for our teens, more robust adult education plans for 2018/2019, and a new curriculum for our 7 th graders to improve post b’nai mitzvah engagement. We have A LOT to look forward to in the coming year! I’d like to offer very sincere thanks to the wonderful Education Committee and our amazing Director of Lifelong Learning, Mandy Herlich, for partnering together with me over the last 12 months. With everything we’re working towards, we have a very exciting year ahead of us! Respectfully submitted, Laura York, Education Vice President
7
Finance Committee Report Thank you to our lay leaders and staff for their excellent work in maintaining a stable financial structure for Fiscal Year 2018 (July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018). We continued to experience struggles regarding revenue generation. Revenue is principally driven by (1) Membership dues commitments (2) school fees, (3) free will donations and (4) donations to commemorate life cycle events. Our cash reserve (or Rainy Day) account remained stable and ended the fiscal year with a balance of $136,000. There were no draws against these funds during the year. FISCAL YEAR 2018 OBJECTIVES 1. To ensure that the Temple’s budget is complied with and that expenses do not exceed revenue. 2. Encourage more Free Will donations. 3. Encourage Membership to meet their financial obligations. 4. Encourage the Fundraising Committee to be very “creative” in its selection and execution of fundraising activities in order to maximize net profit for each activity to meet the Fundraising budget commitment. 5. Review Membership Committee activities with regard to new programs to increase Membership. FISCAL YEAR 2018 ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 1. Prepared and presented the FY2018 balanced budget to the Board of Directors for approval in July of 2017. 2. Repurposed the Steinberg Parenting Fund into the Steinberg Education Fund. 3. Successfully renegotiated the URJ annual fee. 4. Approved request from Education Committee for disbursement of funds in the amount of $1,232 for Mishkan T’Filah books from the Steinberg Education Fund. 5. Opened discussions regarding the renegotiation of the Temple mortgage with the 3610 Dundee, LLC. 6. Finalized the Temple Beth-El Gift Acceptance Policy and recommended approval to the Board of Directors. 7. Approved the investment firm of Rappoport Reiches Capital Management Investment Service of Skokie, IL as the Investment Manager for the Temple Beth-El Endowment Fund based upon the recommendation of the Investment Committee and recommended approval to the Board of Directors. 8. Presented draft of Fiscal Year 2019 balanced budget to the Executive Committee in April of 2018. 9. Presented final Fiscal Year 2019 balanced budget to the Board of Directors in May of 2018. Approval pending the Special Board of Directors Meeting on June 20, 2018. 10. Continuous monitoring of the Temple’s financial statements to ensure compliance with the annual budget. 11. For the first time in TBE history, we will be able to draw a small percentage of the interest from our newly established Legacy & Endowment Fund to help balance our FY2019 budget. Respectfully submitted, Fred R. Rosenberg, Financial Vice President
Fundraising Committee We had several meetings to discuss and evaluate our goals and determine what the ingredients are for a successful program. We have concluded that: 1. The timing of our events is important so we do not overlap with other programs such as JNF, JUF, AIPAC, etc. 2. We need to avoid depending on the same people too often for sponsorships and to coordinate with other temple groups to avoid overlaps. This can be done by attracting new sponsorships and perhaps approaching possible donors with a yearlong commitment where they can choose programs for their donation. 3. We need to be aware of the costs of these events, as it pertains to those attending and sponsoring, as well as the costs to the temple. 4. We need events that are fresh, fun and engaging and have the “WOW FACTOR.”
We had four events this year. The Run/Walk in September, which generated a profit of $7,903, The Pop-Up Boutique (it was our first one in many years) generated a profit of $2,417, and Bingo Night in January was one of our best attended bingo functions with148 people attending and we generated a profit of $5,881. Our finale was the Artist in Residence weekend with Noah Aronson which was a huge success, generating a profit of $10,946. In total we raised $27,147. The Bulletin revenue through May amounted to $6,075 and was chaired by Don Solomon. A special thanks to those chairing the various projects and others who volunteered. We could not have achieved these results without their assistance. The members of the committee are: Jay Reil, Jeff Fishman, Kirsten Gordon, Judy Rosen, David Levine, Sue Hanover, Benjamin Kleiman, Murray Gordon, Rosely Kaiser, Andy Baker, Elliot Bruckman, Erwin Pearlman, & Michael Rubenstein, also a special thank you to Janice Hadesman, Shaina Farwell, Nancy Reil and the temple staff for their support. This year will be my last year chairing this committee. I want to thank everyone who has served on this committee for the past two years and has made my job so much easier by all their help. We could have not done as well as we did this year with all the above mentioned events without everyone's help, truly a team effort. Next year Av Lamet will be chairing this committee. The committee currently has several events in the works including Bingo and Boutique. Respectfully submitted, Jack Kamm, Fundraising Vice President
Membership Committee Report Our original goal for this past year was to increase total membership by ten. While we fell short of this goal, we did have a good improvement over prior years. We ended with a plus five membership gain. This is an improvement over our break even for last year and a vast improvement over the average annual membership loss over the prior few years of about 23 LOST per year. The number of new members was down slightly from the prior year, 29 vs. 33. Again, these numbers are much higher than the average of about 17 new members for previous years. In addition, the number of $360 memberships dropped from 17 in 2016-17 to 7 in 2017-18, which means we have a bigger percentage of full paying new members. Retention has improved somewhat. We had 24 members lost in the 2017-2018 fiscal year. This is an improvement over the 32 that were lost over the prior year which is about the average over previous years as well. There were two $360 memberships that were converted to full paying members at the beginning of the fiscal year. In addition, there will be four families converting to full paying members for the upcoming fiscal year. This program is slowly paying off. New Member Initiatives Purchased 100 car magnets and distributed them among the membership to help promote the congregation and gain name recognition. Redeveloped the $100 credit to current members that provide referrals that subsequently become temple members. From this offer, we received 25 referrals. Developed a stronger working relationship with the BJE Preschool in our building to help us both meet our mutual goals. We hope to develop stronger relationships with their families that will result in them joining TBE when they are ready. Provided idea for a Bring a Friend to School Day for the second grade class to help promote the temple to families that might not otherwise look at TBE. This was passed off to the Education Committee who implemented it. While only a few children took advantage of it, it was considered a success and will be implemented in the future as well. Volunteers met with parents after the Rosh Hashanah family services and collected about 50 names and email addresses to forward information to them about upcoming events. 9
Membership worked with the Finance Committee to extend the $360 membership offer to young singles and couples until they reach the age of 31. Newlywed membership was extended from 12 months to 18 months in hopes this would allow more time to engage with these couples. An offer was developed to offer former members a one year membership for a reduced dues obligation ($350 for singles, $700 for couples and families) as incentive to rejoin the synagogue. To date, we have a couple of former members interested, but none have joined at this time. Mitzvah Day was used as an Open House opportunity for prospective members. There were at least two prospective member families present. It was decided to have TBE march in the Northbrook Fourth of July Parade. Participants will walk and toss candy to parade goers. Each participant will receive a t-shirt and a banner has been made to put in front of our marchers.
Engagement Each board member was asked to call 10 to 15 temple members to wish them a Happy New Year around Rosh Hashanah and a Happy Purim in the spring. These calls were very well received and provided some information on any congregants that may need attention. A system has been developed to assign “mentors” to each new member family. They will contact the new members and offer to answer any questions they have and invite them to join them at events to help these families transition more easily to temple life. Social Media We continue to use social media to not only inform membership about temple related events, but also to increase our exposure in the community. ● Increased Facebook followers from 616 to 655. ● Used event posts and Invite feature to reach more temple members. ● Events and information posted to area Moms’ Facebook groups as well as other groups as appropriate. ● Continued to utilize Northbrook Patch, Northbrook Tower, Post to the Patch’s Town Square portal, updates, etc. when we have events to advertise. Upcoming Events Planned for 2018 Summer Recruitment Season July 20 – Shabbat Under the Stars at Wood Oaks Park August 3 – Shabbat Yeladim (Tot Shabbat) Dinner and Program August 24 – Shabbat Under the Stars in TBE Garden August 29 – Rosh Hashanah Lunch and Storytime at Barnes and Noble In Conclusion Thank you to all the members of the membership committee that helped out this year: Don Feinstein, Jill Weininger, Tracy Coleman, Lisa Rubinstein, Bob Resis, and Bryan Mittelman. A very big THANK YOU to Janice Hadesman for all the support. None of this could happen without you. As always, if you know of anyone looking for a new spiritual home, regardless of current affiliation, please pass their information along to one of us. We certainly appreciate everyone’s help and support in keeping TBE in the forefront of prospective members’ minds. Respectfully submitted, Don Solomon, Membership Vice President
Religious Activities Committee A special thanks to the members of this committee who gave of their time, advice, ideas and leadership: Rabbi, Cantor, Janice Hadesman, Craig Hahn, Sue Hanover, Barb Harris, Erwin Pearlman, Jay Reil, Judy Rosen, Cyndee Schaffer, Leslie Schlesinger, and Hugh Shonfeld. Year in Review: Botanic Garden Program for young families led by Mandy Herlich on July 30, 2017. “Shabbat Under the Stars” on July 14, 2017 and “Shabbabaque” on August 18, 2017 sponsored by the Membership Committee. New prayer books were used during High Holiday services. “Ruach Shabbat Services”, October 20, 2017, December 15, 2017, February 16, 2018 and April 20, 2018. The Beth-El community gathered for communal dinner and singing after Friday night Kabbalat services. The April 20 Ruach Shabbat included Siddur Blessings for our Third Graders. “Shabbat in the Home” on October 27, 2017. Veterans Day Shabbat led by Mark Trachtenberg, with Cyndee Schaffer as guest speaker and Jane Heyman guest soloist on November 10, 2017. “Blanketed by Love” on November 29, 2017. The RAC Committee worked to make 20 blankets. The blankets will be donated to congregants in the hospital or who have experienced a recent loss. Artist in Residence weekend featuring Noah Aronson on April 13 & 14, 2018. Shabbat Service featuring The Selah Choir on May 4, 2018. Camp Sendoff & Teacher Appreciation Shabbat Service on May 18, 2018. Shabbat Service celebrating Cantor Rudnick on June 1, 2018. Throughout the year, our Friday night Shabbat Services also featured: baby namings, aufrufs, special birthdays & anniversaries, and guest singers accompanying Cantor Rudnick. Friday Night Shabbat Services: Kabbalat Services (Early Oneg at 5:30 PM) Shabbat Services Shabbat Yeladim
6:00-7:00 PM 7:30-9:00 PM 5:30 PM
Wednesday Morning Minyan led by Mark Trachtenberg 6:30-7:00 AM Saturday Morning Minyan led by Adam Bryer 9:30 AM Third Friday night service honors members celebrating birthdays that month Fourth Friday night service honors members celebrating wedding anniversaries that month Other Highlights: Implementation of the new High Holiday Prayer Books. Added Shalom Memorial’s funeral policy in addition to Chicago Jewish Funerals policy. Erwin Pearlman and Hugh Shonfeld have completed a long needed inventory and photographed all of the Temple’s torahs, covers, yads, breastplates, etc. They compared their inventory with the inventories already on file and insurance records. Shiva Training classes will be held on Monday, July 30th and Monday, August 6th, 2018 to train temple volunteers to assist the Rabbi in leading Shiva services. Tzedakah has been given increased focus through the use of 12 insert cards on the Tzedakah box in the lobby. The card is changed monthly to reflect one of the 12 organizations Beth-El supports throughout the year. Announcements at board meetings, Friday night services, Friday Shabbat inserts as well as in the monthly Bulletins has resulted in increased amounts collected for each organization. As you can see, we offer a wide variety of opportunities to come and pray with us as a community. We foster a sense of 11
family within our Temple community by acknowledging recent deaths, planting a tree in Israel in memory of your loved one, offering minyan services, and a wonderful Adult Grief Support Group led by Noah Weinstein. A special thank you to our Board of Directors who serve as the Temple’s Representative and Ambassador/Greeters for all the Bar and Bat Mitzvah services this past year. They made sure that the logistics of getting the guests in and out of the sanctuary ran smoothly. A thank you to all of the people who assisted in the High Holiday services last year: from the entire office staff, the fifty or so volunteer ushers, and Jeff Fishman, our High Holiday Gabbai. Most importantly, I would like to thank Rabbi and Cantor for their leadership and commitment to the Temple both spiritually and musically. This truly has been a remarkable year for both of you and the synagogue. Respectfully submitted, Douglas Schwartz, Religious Activities Committee, VP
Temple Beth-El Men’s Club The TBE Men’s Club had a very busy year once again…and accomplished some great things for our temple and community. After a great deal of planning and work, we finally were able to install a beautiful new sign on Dundee Road for the temple! In the near future, we’ll see it landscaped in a manner to support its look and our campus. The Men’s Club was also a proud sponsor of the Artist in Residence and other TBE programs. Our calendar was packed (as usual) and offered something to appeal to just about everyone. Here’s a quick look at our year in review: · · · · · · · · · · ·
September 11th – The BIG Breakfast, a program for our religious school parents. September 24th – The 17th Annual Golf Outing (our ONLY fundraiser of the year) & The BIG Dinner. October 9th – Annual Sukkah Building event + Fall BBQ & our Annual Meeting. October 31st – Boys Night Out event #1; Monday Night Football, Bears v. Vikings. December 3rd – Sunday Brunch, ‘Caring for Mom & Dad’ - a program with CJE Senior Life staff. January 21st – Sunday Brunch, ‘Jews in the Sports Media’ - a program with members of AM670 The Score. February 8th – Annual Winter BBQ at BBQ Supply Company. April 8th – Sunday Brunch; Yom HaShoah event with Felix Weil of the Illinois Holocaust Center. May 6th – Sunday Brunch; ‘The Future of a College Education’ - with 5 panelists of stature. June 13th – MC Annual Meeting & Summer BBQ (at TBE). July 22nd – The 18th Annual Golf Outing & The BIG Dinner (at Chevy Chase CC).
We are already working on our schedule for 2018/19 and promise a series of programs and events to continue to serve our mission, congregation and community. A huge thank you goes out to all of the members of The Men’s Club’s Executive Committee. It’s difficult to measure their contributions, but all find a way to contribute in a meaningful way. The group includes: Ric Bachrach, Jim Tuchler, David Rosen, Steve Levin, Andy Cohen, Mike Rubenstein, Jeff Fishman, Darren Mende, Jay Reil, Todd Wegner, Elliot Bruckman, Paul Miller, David Levine, Stu Caine, Andy Baker, Scott Glickson, Larry Orleans, Bob Resis, Steve Szaks, Mark Trachtenberg, Dan Gregerman & Bruce Weininger. Thanks also to Mark Fishman, Jeff Wolfson and our exceedingly generous group of sponsors and supporters. You are the fuel for our engine! Respectfully submitted, Ric Bachrach, Men’s Club President
Sisterhood We’ve done a lot this fiscal year… Gift Shop: Thanks to Leslie Schlesinger, Lora Placik and Debbie Finelsen Honey Sale: Thanks to Sue Hanover. Book Discussion/Club: Judy Katz and Judy Rosen Game Night: Thanks to Amy Noren and Lori Haberman. College Connection: Thanks to Amy Noren and Sharon Porter. Mitzvah Moms: Thanks to Karyn Lev. “Biblical Sibling Rivalry” discussion with Cantor: Thanks to host Sue Hanover and leader Cantor Faryn Rudnick. White Elephant: Thanks to Helen Melnick. Mishloach Manot: Thanks to Leslie Schlesinger and Shannon Miller, and all of our packers & deliverers. Sisterhood Seder: Thanks to Leslie Schlesinger. Shopping at Payton Rose: Thanks to Diane Bachrach. Special thanks to Janice Hadesman and Shaina Farwell for posting our announcements online and in “The Bulletin.” I’m sure I have forgotten several people to thank, and for that I apologize. July begins our new fiscal year. Barb Harris will be the new Sisterhood president. I wish her well in her new endeavor! We will be mailing and emailing membership renewal forms in the beginning of July. We hope you’ll join us for another interesting and fun year with the Sisterhood. Respectfully submitted, Amy Tuchler, Sisterhood President
Social Action Report During the past 12 months, the Social Action Committee (SAC) has been involved in many projects. I’ll give you a brief summary of some of our work. The Uptown Cafe. The SAC coordinates Temple Beth-El’s (TBE’s) volunteers for the JUF’s Uptown Cafe. Since its last annual meeting, TBE has sent five groups of waiters and waitresses (29 volunteers) to the Cafe, and volunteers will be going on Sunday, July 15 and Sunday, October 21. Volunteers, at least 12 years old, are still needed for both of these dates. Please email or telephone me if you are able to participate in doing this good deed (
[email protected] or 847-679-8525). Blood Drive. On February 12, 2018, SAC member Joan Freud directed the synagogue’s seventeenth annual blood drive in memory of Robert Kaiser, the late husband of our former synagogue president, Rosely Kaiser. Forty people donated or attempted to donate blood this year. These donations are in addition to the 748 donations made by TBE members and their families and friends in our past blood drives from 2002 through 2017. Since LifeSource says that “A single donation can save up to three lives,” TBE’s donations are a very meaningful accomplishment. Purim Carnival. The SAC had a table at the March 4, 2018 Purim Carnival, where members of the committee “sold” containers of fruits and vegetables for the Ark. Both the containers of food, and the $81.50 earned when we sold them, were warmly received by the Ark. CJE Senior Life. SAC member Stewart Schram is the facilitator of the SAC’s close relationship with CJE Senior Life’s Robineau Residence, which we visit every month and do activities such as Geography Jingo, the Wheel of Fortune, and Yiddish Bingo. In addition to Stewart, SAC members who regularly participated at Robineau Residence this year include Doris Guthman, and I. Every Purim we make a tasty shaloch manot plate for each of the residents. In memory of their 13
father and grandfather, SAC member Joanne Gold and her daughter Rachel created and run a project in which people make fleece blankets for nursing home residents and hospital patients. On June 19, 2017, Joanne instructed the sisterhood and the SAC in making fleece blankets for the people who live in Robineau. On August 9, 2017 we took our Robineau friends for ice cream at the kosher Baskin-Robbins in Chicago’s West Rogers Park. SAC member Marcia Kanarek coordinates volunteers who help out at the birthday parties held at CJE Senior Life’s Gidwitz Place on the third Wednesday of each month. Contact Marcia to volunteer (
[email protected] or 847-945-6754). She was helped this year by Randy Barr, Andrea Brown, Joan Freud, Lynn Herling, Julie and Susan Schneider, Sharyn Trachtenberg, Amy Tuchler, and me. This is an activity that is appropriate for children of any age. “Blanketed by Love.” The SAC was involved with the project again in September and October of 2017. On September 11, SAC and Sisterhood volunteers made fleece blankets to go with the Maot Chitim boxes that would be delivered by TBE volunteers. On October 10, the SAC assisted Helen Melnick’s seventh grade religious school class in making blankets for Rabbi Helbraun and Cantor Rudnick to leave as gifts when they visit people who are ill or recovering from a loss. Partnership with Jews in Russia. For the past twenty-three years, TBE has had a partnership with the liberal Jewish community of Yekaterinburg, Russia. On December 23, my friend Dr. Natasha Stonov and I helped the fifth grade religious school students make Chanukah cards for Hatikva, our Yad L’ Yad partners in Yekaterinburg. The students decorated the cards and we taught each of them to print his/her name in Russian. I took a photo of every child holding his/ her card and my husband scanned the cards. Then I emailed these to Dr. Michael Oshtrakh, the head of Hatikvah. He printed the cards and photos and used them to make a poster that was displayed in Hatikvah’s facility. The young people in Yekaterinburg reciprocated by making Chanukah cards for our students, which Dr. Oshtrakh photographed and emailed to us. We have recently been collecting money to help make possible our partners’ week-long overnight Jewish Children’s Summer Camp again this year. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in supporting this worthy project! If you haven’t as yet sent in your support, please make out a check to TBE and write on the information line that it is for the Jewish Children’s Camp in Russia. The checks should be sent to TBE to the attention of Nancy Reil, TBE’s accounting manager. Mitzvah Day. On May 6, 2018, the SAC had a table at TBE’s Sunday School’s Mitzvah Day. We talked about our projects and distributed information about the SAC’s tikkun olam opportunities. Joanne Gold informed children about making blankets. Joan Freud, my friend Dr. Natasha Stonov, and I helped children (and several adults) make Shavuot cards for our Yad L’Yad partners in Yekaterinburg and sign their names using Cyrillic letters. I would like to express my gratitude to the wonderful members of the Social Action Committee: Lil Cohen, Joan Freud, Joanne Gold, Doris Guthman, Marcia Kanarek, Bennett Koffman, Leslie Leiter, the Leshner Family, Jack Rudnick, and Stewart Schram, for their excellent ideas and hard work! A sincere thank you also to the many TBE congregants, both children and adults, who have participated in our activities! Respectfully submitted, Elaine Cooper Koffman, Social Action Chair
TEMPLE BETH-EL NOMINATING COMMITTEE 2018-2019 Slate of Officers & Directors Executive Committee President: Executive VP: Administrative VP: Religious Activities: Education VP:
Judy Rosen Don Solomon Jim Weiss Erwin Pearlman Laura York
Financial VP: Membership VP: Fundraising VP: Recording Secretary: Immediate Past Pres:
Don Feinstein Benji Kleiman
Directors - 3 Year Term Murray Gordon Craig Hahn Lisa Lavin Jen Raimi
Fred Rosenberg Lisa Rubinstein Av Lamet Tracy Coleman Marty Pomerantz
Bob Karp Jill Weininger
Bruce Brown Jack Kamm
Directors - 2 Years Remaining Jeff Fishman Amy Huck David Levine Bob Resis Bruce Werner
Ken Henry Diana Mayer
Directors - 1 Year Remaining Sue Hanover Elaine Koffman Jay Reil Debbie Sandlow
Deb Kushner Leslie Schlesinger
All past presidents are lifetime members of the Board, including: Marty Pomerantz, Cindy Schoenstadt, Wayne Shapiro, Harold Israel, Ric Bachrach, Jerry Levin, Rosely Kaiser, Herb Cohen, Robert Fisher, Randy Podolsky, Scott Glickson, Sid Brichta, Estelle Holzer Shore Men's Club President: Sisterhood President:
Affiliate Board Representatives Ric Bachrach & Bryan Mittelman Barb Harris
Respectfully submitted by the 2018-2019 Nominating Committee: Cindy Schoenstadt - Chair Mindy Dapin Don Feinstein Jeff Fishman Barb Harris Ken Henry Harold Israel Deb Kushner Av Lamet Diana Mayer Lisa Rubinstein Jarmila Singer Andi Solomon
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