L’Shana Tovah everyone,
Yom Kippur is only a day away as I
am writing this message. I hope the beginning of the new year has been kind to
you and I wish for you only the best as the year progresses. We had a great
start to the holiday with a Selichot dinner and service on the Saturday night
before Rosh Hashanah. In prior years attendance for this beginning of the year
had decreased to the point of perhaps cancelling it. My oldest daughter, Amy,
stood up at a ritual meeting and said that was not a good idea suggesting that
a dinner might attract at least a few people so that the service would be
meaningful for Rabbi Mark and those that came. Well, lo and behold, we had 40 –
45 people at the dinner and over 60 for the service. All it took was someone to
come forward with an idea and a few people to make it happen.
Much goes on behind the scenes to
get the synagogue in a holiday mode: changing Torah covers and polishing the
silver, setting the chairs in the social hall, preparing and distributing the
tickets and pledge cards and many other things. All this is done by volunteers
who do it out of love for the synagogue. They don’t look to have their names
published and since I was under the weather and wasn’t there to help I don’t
know all who helped but I can imagine the names of most of them. I want to say
thank you from me and the congregation for your efforts.
Services have gone well this year
with some different people leading parts of the service. Rabbi has had one of
these nagging coughs but has been able to somehow belt out the melodies. I
expect to see all of you at Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur day services. As I
mentioned in the last newsletter there has been a change in the way we do our
appeals this year. Three of us will speak about the synagogue and our need to
have you provide as much support as you are able. However, when you come to
your seats you will not find pledge cards on them as in past years. A small
white pledge card was sent to you with your tickets so that you could fill them
out in the privacy of your home and either bring or send your pledge to the
synagogue. The High Holy days are the one time each year that we ask you to
think about Valley Beth Israel and what it has meant to you over the years.
Please contribute to the synagogue as much as you are able. Every year it gets
more difficult to satisfy our financial obligations.
Three things, at least for now, to
put on your calendar: Barbeque in the sukkah on October 8th
sponsored by the Men’s Club; 23rd Interfaith Service on November 20th
hosted by VBI; and the Return of the Big Bands on December 2nd.
Please remember these events and make plans to be at each of them if you are
able.
We look forward to each of you getting involved in the
services and events that are happening at your synagogue. Beyond attending functions, please volunteer for a
committee and help us get projects done.
Valley Beth Israel needs you so please get involved. If you want to be
on the Board of Directors of the synagogue and be a voice in the decisions that
affect the survival of VBI please call me.
I hope to see you at the synagogue
soon. To a healthy, safe, peaceful and
prosperous New Year.
Ron
No comments:
Post a Comment