PRESENT: Dave Graubart, Dave Hoffman, Howard Fine, Jerry Bloom, Joanne Cornbleet, Lee Hirsch, Marshall Burak, Martin Sherman, Michael Leitner, Michael Schaffer, Norm Abramovitz, Rabbi Pressman, Rabbi Schonbrun, Rhonda Raider, Ricki Gafter, Ron Ruebusch, Steve Schlosser, Tanya Lorien (guest).
About a dozen congregants were present as part of the Noten Yad interest group. Also Matt Hammer, executive director of PACT.
DRASH
Rabbi Pressman spoke about windows, literal and figurative. A synagogue must have windows, to make members aware of the outside world, and keep them humble.
GOOD AND WELFARE
Bob Silver, former CBD president, passed away.
Diana Zitman’s mother passed away.
Michael and Heather Harris had a baby girl.
Former member Nancy Ackerman had a baby.
PROPOSAL FOR NOTEN YAD PROGRAM
Synagogue members gave a presentation about a potential new program for CBD, People Acting in Community Together (PACT).
- Motivation: Tikkun olam; “Do not separate yourself from the community; Beth David’s long history of civic engagement; we’re part of a larger community; this will contribute to CBD’s inreach and out-reach missions.”
- What is PACT: Provides leadership, training, and a methodology to meet our community’s goals. Has been in existence > 20 years. Works with 20 congregations (Jewish and otherwise) in Santa Clara County; good track record. As a not-for-profit, not allowed to do electioneering.
- What we do with PACT: 1) Form an organizing committee 2) implement a listening campaign in members’ homes to hear what issues resonate with them, such as low-cost dental care in the community 3) use PACT’s resources to find projects aligned with our top-of-mind issues 4) translate our values into action, for meaningful and sustainable change in the community.
- Benefits to CBD: Strengthen and unify the congregation, and attract members who are not currently engaged. Enhance CBD’s voice in the community. Effect positive changes for our neighbors and ourselves.
- Resources: Not significantly staff intensive. Uses congregation volunteers, and a core group has already been established.
- Funding: Membership costs $5,000 annually. We already have funding for half of that from a donation and money budgeted for Mitzvah Day, which will not be held this year. Dues are paid quarterly.
Motion to approve $5K for PACT membership ($2.5 of unbudgeted funds, $1.5K donation, and $1K that had been allocated for Mitzvah Day) for 2010 year, and ask committee to return by March meeting with policies to guide our PACT program. Discussion:
- Assign it to Social Action Committee? Answer: Social Action fixes symptoms (feed the hungry); PACT addresses root causes. Maybe eventually.
- Where do we find another $2.5K in the budget? Would be paid quarterly, so we don’t need anything for this fiscal year. Perhaps members would give extra for a program like this.
- Motion passed: 11 in favor; 0 opposed; 4 abstentions.
- Jan Lipson and Al Rosenzweig have offered to lead the PACT committee through the first few months.
FINANCE REPORT
- Hebrew High exceeded income projections
- Admin is $35K under budget because we are short one staff person, and have not spent budgeted custodial money.
- Upshot: brought in less than expected, but spent even less than that.
ANNUAL CAMPAIGN REPORT
- $239,600+ from 264 donors. Getting close to $250K target. We will contact nine more major donors in December.
MOTIONS
- Move that the board rescind the Special Assessment as soon as practical after the Annual Campaign reaches its $250,000 target. Discussion:
- The special assessment brought in $11K+ in three months
- The $11K is not “found” money. It was included in the budget.
- Motion passed: 15 in favor; 0 opposed; 0 abstentions
- Move that the board increase the amount budgeted for USCJ dues by $8,000, back to the original estimate of $32,000 that was expected for the year. [Note: after the meeting it was determined that USCJ has lowered our dues to $30,000, which means we need $2,000 less.] Reason: paying off the mortgage returned money to the bank, so CBD will not qualify for a hardship reduction. Discussion:
- Will have to replace heating and air conditioning, and repave the parking lot. Are we prematurely confident of our finances?
- Ron spoke to USCJ. Highly unlikely we’d qualify for hardship consideration because relative to other synagogues, we’re in good shape.
- Priorities: shouldn’t we be supporting parent organization (USCJ) instead of new programs like PACT?
- Question is whether we can ethically apply for hardship, when we have reasonable cash reserves.
- Motion passed: 11 in favor; 2 opposed; 2 abstentions.
- Move that the board increase the RS school budget by $7,000 for teacher salary, using donor sources that have been identified. Explanation: Iris has been teaching a class, which causes difficulty on Sundays when teaching conflicts with her role as principal. Donors have offered to bring back a teacher. Discussion:
- If the donor does not come forward again, the budget would NOT be increased next year. That is, the teacher salary will be contingent on donor funds.
- Motion passed: 15 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstentions.
MEMBERSHIP
- Two resignations for personal reasons: Torren and Naymark
- Motion to approve pending members passed unanimously. Welcome to:
- Lisa Goldstein
- Samantha and Ian Fagin
- Motion to thank Abe Bromberg for organizing successful Sugihara event. CBD received letter of thanks from Representative Mike Honda, and plaque from City of Saratoga. Passed unanimously.
- Magic Show: January 16, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
- Social Action Committee is collecting blankets in the lobby.
ADMINISTRATION
- Heat has been restored to the sanctuary! This required cannibalizing another furnace. Furnaces are old, and we’ll need to replace them in the near future.
- We have hired a new employee, Valerie.
- Staff has agreed to work on Sunday at the annual meeting. We’ll have an open house in the office afterwards.
- Website will be launched on Monday! Version 2 will follow in six months, and be integrated with the existing Religious School wiki.
EDUCATION
Hebrew High had opening program, with Scott Fried. Very well received by teens and their parents.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Board training that had been previously scheduled for the November BOD meeting has been moved to January to allow time on the agenda for a closed session at the end of this meeting.
December
- The Beth David Annual Meeting is on Sunday, December 6th at 10:30 AM at Beth David. A meeting notice with the Nominating Committee nominations has been mailed to the membership. Board meeting will follow. There are two open positions: VP Membership and Director at Large, Youth.
- The December Exec Board meeting will be chaired by Joanne Cornbleet. She will communicate time and place.
January
- There will be a board orientation meeting on January 31st for the new board slate that will be elected in the December membership meeting.
- Installation has been moved to Saturday, January 30, 2010 to accommodate the calendar of the rabbis.
February
- When Federation realized that Super Sunday conflicted with the Super Bowl, it moved Super Sunday from its previously scheduled date of February 7, 2010 to January 31, which conflicts with our previously scheduled Orientation meeting. Federation has decided to have the Youth Adults Division run Super Sunday this year. The Beth David Young Adults Group has agreed to participate representing CBD. Thank you, Aleeza and YAG.
Respectfully submitted,
Rhonda Raider
Recording Secretary