Annual Report th Anniversary!

Transcription

1 Beth El Synagogue Annual Meeting Annual Report In Celebration of our 85th Anniversary! Friday, June 13, :45 pm 15 Sivan, 5774

2 A message from the outgoing president, Lloyd Roitstein What an exciting two years it has been for us at Beth El Synagogue! Rabbi Abraham, Hazzan Krausman, and Eadie Tsabari have made such an immediate impact on the life of our congregation - spiritually, religiously, and educationally - and have done it all with a sense of fun! They join Larry DeBruin, Margie Gutnik, Judy Tully, Melissa Massey, Jeanne Shechet, Cait Leff, Laura Bair, and Betsy Goodman that make up our great team. They have helped shape Beth El as a Synagogue that meets our needs as families and as individuals, in addition to infusing our congregants with a renewed sense of what it means to live Jewishly. Believe me, many others in the Jewish community are starting to sit up and take notice! Please join me in thanking our entire staff and fantastic Board of Trustees. They have all worked diligently and with great enthusiasm to make everyone feel welcome and at home in Beth El Synagogue. They have been The Best to work with! We have a team that we can all be proud of in addition to committees that are active, functioning, and listening to our congregants to insure that Beth El Synagogue is on the cutting edge of what is innovative with an eye on preserving our traditions. This is OUR Synagogue. Let s continue to offer support, give suggestions and ideas, and volunteer, to help our future Board and our new President, Joel Rich. I know they will continue to do a wonderful job. And, finally, thank you for the opportunity to be your President. It has been a fantastic honor and experience. I look forward to remaining active with you and being a part of Beth El s continued growth and bright future. 2

3 Board of Trustees President Lloyd Roitstein Vice-Presidents Janie Murow Jon Jabenis Wayne Schwarz Treasurer Jay Gordman Secretary Michael Schop Immediate Past President Bev Fellman BESTT Chair Joel Rich Alyssa Cohen Bruce Kutler Karla Cohen Lisa Lieb Glen Fineman Sandy Passer David Finkelstein Roni Reiter-Palmon Beth Friedman Ari Riekes Jeremy Friedman Kevin Saltzman Andy Greenberg Caryn Scheer M Lee Hasslinger Howard Shandell Heather Kelln Ben Shapiro David Kotok Aveva Shukert Jim Zipursky 3

4 Board of Trustees President Joel Rich Vice-Presidents Jon Jabenis Ari Riekes Jim Zipursky Treasurer Jay Gordman Secretary Caryn Scheer Immediate Past President Lloyd Roitstein BESTT Chair Lisa Lieb Jason Blair Karla Cohen Glen Fineman David Finkelstein Beth Friedman Jeremy Friedman Miriam Gottlieb Andy Greenberg M Lee Hasslinger David Kotok Bruce Kutler Kevin Saltzman Howard Shandell Ben Shapiro Aveva Shukert Jim Wax David Weill Elissa Wiener 4

5 A message from the Incoming president, Joel Rich I want to thank the entire congregation for allowing me the privilege and honor of serving as the next President of Beth El Synagogue. It truly tugs at my heart. I take very seriously the task of leading and guiding our synagogue and its five hundred families. The Executive Committee and Board of Trustees together with our staff want to do everything possible to help Beth El grow and excel. Thank you to Past President Lloyd Roitstein and the Board of Trustees who have done a great job of positioning us for growth. Beth El is in an enviable position. Our professional leadership team is moving us in an extremely positive direction. Rabbi Abraham, Hazzan Krausman, Director of Congregational Learning Eadie Tsabari, Executive Director Larry DeBruin and Program Director Margie Gutnik are doing an impressive job of bringing Beth El into the community and getting people into our shul. The administrative staff take care of the details that make our great programs and activities proceed smoothly while assisting our congregants with their needs. And of course Laura and her crew make sure we re never hungry. I m looking forward to working with all of them as we lead Beth El into the future. Getting people involved and building relationships between our congregants is vital to our growth and success. We must do more than just scheduling programs where people show up and then go home. We must engage each other, get to know each other and develop and grow a community. Many of our programs: Our Shabbat Tables, Jews and Brews, and Have a Cup of Coffee with God enable us to do just that. If you have ideas on how we can do more, please let us know. We are in the midst of a campaign to fund our Cemetery expansion. We encourage as many families as possible to support this project. Complete information on how you can be involved is on our website. Together we can make this a successful campaign! Beth El is participating in the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation s Life and Legacy program for after-life planning with Lloyd Roitstein leading our efforts. We have a great congregation that has been part of Omaha for 85 years. We re always looking for your suggestions and ideas. If there is anything I can do to help you and your family to make Beth El better, just let me know! 5

6 A New Year Began Annual Meeting 2013 The Year in Review Blessing of Camp Kids & Summer send-off Rabbi & Hazzan Visit Beth El Camp Kids USY on Wheels Teens Visit Beth El & Omaha 6

7 Holidays and Holiday Celebrations Selichot Build-a-Prayer Workshop The Year in Review Sukkot and Simchat Torah Sukkot included lunch on the second day at the home of Hazzan Michael and Laurel Krausman. The Krausmans opened their home and Sukkah again on Saturday night for a special combined Dames & Drinks and Jews & Brews. Community Sukkah Hop The synagogue was full on Simchat Torah. Following the Hakkafot s singing and dancing, the Torah was unrolled in the Social Hall. Parents, Bubbies and Zaydes held it aloft while BESTT students recited the last few and first few verses of the Torah and we enjoyed a tour of the Torah led by Moses, Aaron & Miriam! (who looked remarkably like Andy Greenberg, Marty Shukert & Lisa Lieb) 7

8 Holidays and Holiday Celebrations The Year in Review Hanukkah Purim Megillah Reading 8

9 BESTT The Year in Review First Day of School - Seeing friends, meeting teachers and Waffles! Hebrew High Begins a New Year Excellent teachers Engaging, interesting topics Monthly dinners Seeing & being with friends 9

10 The Year in Review BESTT - Students Learning by Doing Shofarot Parashat Noach-Blessing of the Animals Lulav & Etrog Maccabiah Color Wars Trivia Hanukkah Dreidels and Gelt, oh my! Sufganiyot need jelly 10

11 BESTT - Learning by Doing! The Year in Review Making Tefillin It s a Wrap Hamantashen Purim Mishloach Manot We Made Tzdekah Boxes BESTT Model Seder Afikomen anyone? 11

12 BESTT - Living Jewishly together! The Year in Review Shabbatonim Learning + Friends Translation = AWESOME! Fabulous Family Shabbaton - More than 125 attended! 12

13 BESTT - Living Jewishly together! PJ Havdalah Following a yummy dinner and Havdalah, a Mad Scientist from the Children s Museum wowed the crowd tall and small! The Year in Review Kibbutz Chaverim A Social Group For 2nd-7th Graders Loads of Fun! 13

14 The Year in Review Beth El Teens - What would we do without them? We are proud of our teens who are active and involved in every aspect of our congregational life! Leading by Example As part of Junior Congregation, our Beth El Teens tutor younger students each Shabbat morning and lead them in a participatory Shabbat morning service, including a parasha play. They also led youth services for High Holidays. Our teens are excellent role models in BESTT serving as madrichim (teaching assistants), staffing Shul-ins and Shabbatonim. As part of OJC, our Beth El teens volunteered at the Food Bank Volunteering at the Rose Blumkin Home on Switch Day 14

15 BILU USY! The Year in Review United Synagogue Youth and Kadima inspire Jewish youth to explore, celebrate and practice ethical values, Jewish Living, Zionism and community responsibility based on the ideology of the Conservative Movement. Vala s Pumpkin Patch Havdalah & Bonfire Interfaith Program with Second Unitarian Church Purim Carnival 15

16 The Year in Review Social Action Committee (SATO) - Chaired by Karla & Dave Cohen We re always looking for new ideas & encourage your participation. JFS Food Pantry Donations - Collections based on their monthly needs. Habitat for Humanity - Congregant volunteers refurbish homes. Food Bank of the Heartland Cheryl Lerner organized volunteers to collect, sort and pack food for their pantry shelves several times this past year. Red Cross Blood Drive Chaired by Marcy Noodell, 10 were pre-scheduled; 20 donors showed up the day of the blood donating 18 pints of whole blood. We potentially saved 54 lives at our blood drive. Nebraska AIDs Coalition Chaired by Joan Marcus who cooks and serves lunch on the 4th Friday of each month. (Next volunteer day is June 27). Stephen Center Dinners Chaired by M Lee Hasslinger. Volunteers cook and serve Sunday dinner throughout the year. (Next volunteer day is June 29.) Caring Committee - Chaired by Diane Shandell Switch Day at Blumkin Home on Christmas so employees can enjoy the holiday with their family. Delivery of Mishloach Manot bags to residents of Remington Heights, Blumkin home, shut-ins and Holocaust survivors at Purim. Chef s Demo - An opportunity for guest chefs to strut their stuff for the residents of the Rose Blumkin home. Providing rides, mitzvah meals, Shabbat dinners when a new baby arrives. 16

17 Habitat for Humanity The Year in Review Red Cross Blood Drive Switch Day at Blumkin Home Food Bank Lunch at NE AIDS Coalition Photo Credit: Howard K. Marcus; courtesy marcusofomaha.com 17

18 The Year in Review YAC - The Young Adult Committee Adult Programs Mexican & Margaritas - Dinner, Margaritas & Salsa dancing lessons Matzo Ball on December 24 (with Young Jewish Omaha) Brix & Funny Bone Comedy Club Lucky Bucket Brewery Tour No Bad Veggie Cooking Class at Whole Foods Family Events Vala s Pumpkin Patch Storm Chasers Baseball Game Lag B Omer Track and Field Day with BESTT 18

19 The Year in Review Weeklong Visit from Artist-in-Residence, Mordechai Rosenstein Youth Scholarship Concert Chaired this year by Sally Zipursky, this annual event drew more than 300 people to Beth El for the music of Hazzan Krausman and the Beth El choir and our guest soloist, Cantor Gaston Bogomolni With Alan Parsow s dedication to this cause, we raised over $35,000 to send our youth to Jewish summer camps and on Israel trips. 19

20 The Year in Review Sisterhood Highlights - a revitalized organization looking to the future! Dames and Drinks A monthly ladies night out - purely social, purely fun under the leadership of Melissa Schop for ALL Beth El women! Annual Honey Sale for Rosh Hashanah We again partnered with ORT International this year, raising funds for Beth El and supporting the work of this vital Jewish organization. Hamantashen Bake-a-palooza Chaired by Linda Fischer, this one-day event produced over 3,000 hamantashen for the synagogue s Megillah reading(s) and Purim Carnival. All bakers were entitled to take home 1/2 dozen free! Hamantashen Bake-a-Palooza! Women s Rosh Hodesh Group Programs included a tour of Project Harmony and blanket making, hosted by Shira Abraham and Diane Malashock; What s in a name? hosted by Laurel Krausman; a book swap hosted by Patty Nogg and Wendy Berenson and a trip to Fertile Crescent Farms hosted by Betsy Goodman. June 30 will be At Grandmother s Table hosted by Helen Epstein and Alice Kosowsky. 20

21 Men s Club Highlights The Year in Review Jews and Brews - Social get-togethers for all Men of Beth El chaired by Ari Kohen. Sukkah Building - Annual construction of Beth El s Sukkah December 25 Dinner - More than 130 congregants were treated to a Chinese buffet dinner on December 25. Arts and craft activities were provided, compliments of Sisterhood. The men were in charge of all setup, cooking and cleanup. Men s Club Shabbat - Chaired by Doug Smith with high membership participation. World Wide Wrap - Teaching our youth about the mitzvah of wrapping tefillin Scotch Tasting - Learning while enjoying, we were treated to knowledge and tastes, thanks to Ari Kohen and Hazzan Krausman. Yellow Candle Project - To commemorate the Holocaust and to memorialize its victims. Funds raised support Beth El youth projects. 21

22 AND... So Much More! Adult B nai Mitzvah Students Worship & Ritual Family Shabbat led by our BESTT students Back to School Shabbat Have a Cup of Coffee With God Shabbat morning learning service Community Second Seder attended by more than 175 people Unique, Engaging Adult Education Classes Rabbi Abraham s Wrestling with the Rabbis of the Talmud Adult B nai Mitzvah class led by Hazzan Krausman A series of Back to Basics classes led by Rabbi Steven Abraham on topics such as Kashrut and the Laws of Mourning Vibrant Scholars-in-Residence Sunday Scholars Series with local and long-distance presenters The opportunity to learn from engaging Scholars-in-Residence: Rabbi Elliot Dorff Rabbi Joel Levy Rabbi Hayim Herring Expanding and sharpening our focus on Beth El s future Meaningful and in-depth study of the sources with the clergy regarding the cemetery policy. Launched a Cemetery Expansion Campaign to plan for future generations. Sponsored our first Sulam class for emerging leaders. Introduced mini-minyannaires Shabbat morning educational initiative for the very youngest congregants. 22