I was reminded of the importance of having a community place when I stopped by our synagogue in mid-December to buy some Chanukah cards on a quiet Wednesday afternoon. As I came into our synagogue, I heard the clicking of tiles and the sounds of laughter and talk. There they were - four or five of our most active members, gathered around a table, playing mah-jongg. I was aware that these ladies have been playing together for some time and I assumed that they met at each other’s homes but as I looked over the Chanukah items and listened to these friends chat, I was pleased that they had chosen to meet and spend time together at our synagogue. I have been told the story that my parents first met each other by chance on a bus in Washington DC in the mid-1940’s, each on the way to the Jewish Community Center! Just goes to show that these centers are important to Jewish people for making all kinds of connections. I hope that more groups will use our synagogue for informal get-togethers. Just remember please to check with Faith, keeper of the calendar for building use, to avoid conflicts.
As part of developing communities within BAJC, a number of women are planning now for a BAJC Women’s Group, which is expected to feature services, celebrations, pot lucks, and other special events. See the questionnaire in this newsletter to learn how you can be part of this new and important effort.
We are also reminded that creating community means reaching out to others. I am pleased to note that our recently established Gemillut Chesed fund to help families in need has received an impressive number of donations, both large and small, in response to just one e-mail sent out early in December. Jim Levinson, the administrator of the fund, can most easily be reached at jim@bajcvermont.org with questions or requests. Donations are welcome any time, whether to be used for this one particular family or for others in need.
Finally, at our last Board meeting, we agreed upon several changes in our annual calendar. Most importantly, we have decided to move our Hebrew School registration to coincide with the ending of the school year. If we can get students registered in the Spring, we can do better planning in the Summer in advance of school. We will be asking all of you to let us know of new potential students who might want to attend our Hebrew school next year. We will also be having the Annual Meeting in mid-summer, so the budget and other matters can be dealt with in advance of the end of our fiscal year and prior to the busy-ness of the fall holidays. More information about both changes will be forthcoming.
A happy (secular) new year to all. May all your resolutions, which hopefully may include or require spending time at our own Jewish Community Center, be achieved.
B’Shalom,
Paul
|
