President’s Column for Nov-Dec 2024

Beth El Bulletin

October, 2024

Dear Members,

Shana Tova! I bring you holiday greetings from the Beth El Board of Trustees and leadership team. As you read this letter we have just finished a very successful High Holiday season, our 91st. During my Kol Nidre address I noted that it was certainly tranquil in our sanctuary but this belied the tumult that we have all been experiencing since last October 7th 2023.

Sitting in our main sanctuary we were surrounded by the faces of those still in captivity by Hamas. Our hearts remain broken over their plight. Our thoughts are with them daily and we pray for their safe release. We also pray for a rapid resolution that will return the hostages home and offer prayers for the souls of those who have been murdered.

At the end of the movie Apollo 13, Tom Hanks, playing the role of astronaut Jim Lovell, tells mission control “the ship is secure.” And that’s how I feel about Beth El. We ended last year in a secure position, in that we finished slightly in the black. Our membership, while aging, is still about the same as a year ago, not easy considering the challenges that many Conservative synagogues are facing.

We were thrilled during the past year to announce a five-year contract extension for Rabbi Paskind. Her leadership has guided us through the past months and we are excited about what the future holds for her and all of us.

We celebrated together last year, had outstanding programming and, with the help of our programming director, David Goldstein, and significant activities by Rabbi Paskind, we are making connections with young families and singles to try to bring them into our Beth El family.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our Executive Director, Jody Dietch, for all her help this year.

During the summer we read in parasha Pinchas that the Lord singled out Joshua to lead the people when Moses dies. Moses laid both hands on Joshua to signal to the people the leadership transition.

I have been honored to lead Beth El twice and I am finishing my third year. Leadership transition is set forth in our by-laws and is nothing quite as grandiose as is noted in the Torah. We designate our First Vice President to be next in line for the presidency. Many of you know our first VP, David Loewenberg, as one of our premier service leaders. He leads us on many occasions but most notably on the High Holidays.

You may also know of him as one of our knowledgeable teachers. This year will be a year of transition and you will be seeing David more frequently in a formal lay leadership position, and he will formally take office after our annual meeting in April.

This Yom Kippur marked Steve Stein’s 25th High Holiday appeal. I haven’t extensively researched this, but I suspect it is a record set nowhere else in terms of longevity. In honor of Steve’s accomplishment we have embarked on a “25 dollars for Steve” campaign. We hope every single member of the congregation will donate at least, you noticed I said, “at least” $25.00 to mark this milestone.

Let me wrap up this letter by wishing you a happy and healthy new year.

B’Shalom,

Keith