Happy New Year everyone,
Believe it or not we have reached
the beginning of a new year. It was a year of ups and downs at Valley Beth
Israel (or maybe it should be downs and ups) because we’re ending the year on a
definite upswing. Before we begin to pat ourselves on the back let’s get a
taste of reality. We have come back from the depths of despair during the first
quarter of 2018 to seeing a lot of positives at the synagogue.
First
we put together a special committee of individuals who had the forethought and
the desire to make changes that would turn around our future. We looked at ways
to pay off our major debt (Department of Water & Power) while continuing to
pay our monthly bills on time. Thanks to our city councilman we were able to
strike a deal with the DWP to pay the past due bill over 24 months with no
additional fees while making our monthly payments. That was a huge relief.
Then
we had to find ways to bring in money to keep us solvent. We turned to you, our
members, to help. And help you did in tremendous fashion. You paid off
outstanding balances; at High Holy Day appeals you responded with everything
you could pledge and paid them as soon as you were billed; and, you have
supported the synagogue by attending the many fundraisers we have had. We have
been able to take care of all our financial obligations as they occur which is
a great feeling.
For
the first time in many years we actually had excitement in the synagogue with
something other than dinners. Don’t get me wrong; the dinners brought people to
Valley Beth Israel and this camaraderie led to a lot of people coming to the
major fundraisers: The Variety Show, The Chanukkah Story, La Boheme all made
money for us. A huge amount of work went into the organization and presentation
of these events and I commend those that worked so hard to make them
successful.
There
are a lot more events already planned for the January through June timeframe.
You will see dinners, celebrations and also a special event or two that we have
to firm up before I announce them. There is something scheduled for almost
every month and the cost involved to attend is very reasonable. To keep the
ball rolling as we continue to push forward think about becoming a VBI-VIP.
There is a flyer in this newsletter showing all that is planned. Even if you
can’t become a VBI-VIP make note of the events and plan to attend as many times
as possible. It’s always nice if you can bring someone with you. Guaranteed you
will enjoy them.
I’m
asking you to be a part of the revitalization of Valley Beth Israel. Each of
you is so important to our success. Please do everything you can to support all
that we are doing. Have a wonderful new year and I hope it is one filled with
health and happiness.
Ron
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