President's Message October 2018

Shalom everyone,

                As Ripley said: “Believe It Or Not!”  Yes, September is over and with it we have concluded the High Holy days of Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur. We go through this every year and the first month of the Jewish new year is filled with a lot of praying. As if those days of awe weren’t enough we still had the follow-on holiday of Sukkot ending with Simchat Torah. We didn’t have great attendance at Sukkot and Simchat Torah services. Was it because you don’t know about these holidays, or was it because you didn’t get enough information about the holidays including times of the services? I really would like to know so that we can do whatever it takes next year to get more of you to attend the services.

 Regarding the High Holy day services: I think they went very well and I have heard a lot of praise for the Rabbi and his sermons as well as for the choir that sang with a lot of enthusiasm this year. As you know we had three appeals given at various services plus when you got your tickets there was an appeal card there also. If you did not have the opportunity to pledge at any of those services remember that you can make pledges and or donations to Valley Beth Israel at any time during the year. Know that the synagogue is always in need of money to keep our doors open. Thank you to all who have already made pledges; billings will be going out shortly.

 We had two dinners during September: one on the night of Selichot and the other on the Friday night of Sukkot. We had a very nice attendance and the food was delicious. Thanks to Mona and her staff for all the hard work in planning and executing all that it takes to make the dinners successful. 

 You will see on the “Upcoming Events” flyer in this newsletter that November and December are loaded with exciting programs for your enjoyment. Please invite your family and particularly your friends who may not be members of our synagogue to join you. As fundraisers it is important to attract as many people as possible from outside the temple.

On a sad note our son-in-law Rey Ayala (Amy’s husband) passed away unexpectedly on September 27^th. We are all still in shock but our family wishes to thank everyone who has sent their condolences to Amy, Isaac, Mona and I. Rey was a very lovable fellow and we will miss him greatly.

So that I don’t end this message on a downer let me give you some good news. The synagogue will be going solar. Installation of the system is scheduled hopefully within the first two weeks of October. Besides helping the environment it should also relate to some monetary savings for Valley Beth Israel. Plan to join us for as many services and special events that you can.         

Ron