Shana Tova,
We live in a world of change. The international community is still struggling with the fall of the Berlin Wall 21 years ago and the subsequent task of integrating half the world’s population into the global economy. This challenge is far from over as our current high level of unemployment attests. The global discussion over the impact of carbon in our environment continues and has the potential to require significant adjustment in our lifestyles pushing many of us outside our personal comfort zones. The disparities between the richest and poorest among us continues to grow to historically record levels as the evolving globalized world economy rewards some skills and punishes others. And, the rate of technological change continues to accelerate. It’s hard to remember life without a cell phone, email, and the internet, but somehow we did just fine only 15 to 20 years ago. Despite the fact that we are located in Silicon Valley and so many of us are personally contributing to that technological change, it can be unsettling to us as well. In periods of uncertainty, we frequently reach out to the known, to our traditions. This is what membership in a Synagogue like Beth David is all about. Beth David an oasis of stability, providing the comfort of the known to our membership when it feels like much of the world outside is changing. Occasionally, a member asks, “My children have finished their religious education, why should I continue to be a member of a synagogue?” My reply is straight forward, “because Beth David is our home”. A place where you are welcome and comfortable even when the rest of the world seems to be spinning out of control. It is a known, in an often unknowable world with the side benefit of being even more known as you invest more time into it.
Conservative Judaism is a thinking person’s religion. It challenges us to examine and learn. Our religion is not a cube in which there are only six sides, but rather we are like a sphere, with an infinite number of possible orthogonal touch points. Turn the sphere slightly, and the touch point is different. This is the beauty of our tradition and why it is so engaging, mentally stimulating, and fun to be a Conservative Jew.
You may think that with all this talk about comfort and tradition, Beth David is not evolving, but that is not true either. Whether one examines us as an entity or as a community we are evolving. As an organization, we have been going through trying financial times over the last two years. In fact, there are times when I think I have a few things in common with President Obama. No, I’m not a community organizer or a great orator. I don’t play pick-up basketball, nor am I slim. Haven’t won a Nobel prize either. But, after spending a couple years thinking about and perfecting the vision of what we’d like to accomplish when we became your presidents, both of us were side swiped by the worst economic climate in 80 years.
It has been a period of change. But we have worked together as a community and are stronger for the effort. Our Beth David budget in the year ended in June 2010 was balanced and at a level that was about 10% or $160K less than that of June 2009. We accomplished this adjustment because as a community we planned ahead with the formation of our endowment which allowed us to retire the cemetery debt. We have also been aggressive in our efforts to look for other cost savings. For example, in the ten year period just ended, a period in which PG&E raised electricity rates by a factor of 3, our total annual electric costs have dropped from over $41K to under $14K. We have also changed insurance carriers for our employee benefit programs in order to keep our insurance costs flat for several years now while maintaining benefits. These are but two examples of how we have saved money and done more with less.
Other changes have been bigger challenges. One area that is still a work in progress is communication. We are feeling our way through the transition from a paper based communication methodology to an electronic one. There is a committee working diligently on improving our web site and they are making very good progress. I want to thank Aleeza Abramovitz, Ricki Gafter, and Tanya Lorien among others for their work in this regard. We have also been emailing to the entire membership the Board of Directors’ meeting agendas and minutes each month now for about a year. Despite these and other efforts, there is still more to do and we welcome your ideas and offers to help.
Our community is changing also. People approximately my age, remember the TV show “Ozzie and Harriet”. The family unit portrayed in that sitcom, while relevant to some members of our community, is not applicable to other members today. In the 21st Century, the life styles embraced by our community are much more diverse. For that reason, the Board of Directors has formed a committee to examine our by-laws for the purpose of making them more welcoming and relevant to the wider range of household circumstances that are more typical today. The committee is charged with reporting its findings and recommendations back to the Board for consideration in an upcoming meeting so that any proposed changes could be considered by the total membership at the Annual Membership meeting on December 12th. So, while holding on to tradition, we continue to evolve. Please plan to join us at the September Board meeting and the Annual Membership meeting for a discussion of these topics.
At this time of year it is particularly appropriate that we thank both of our rabbis for their wisdom, guidance, and service. Day or night and any day of the week, they are always there when we need them. Thank you Rabbi Pressman and Rabbi Ohriner. I also want to thank the members of our staff and teachers who with the rabbis provide the trunk and branches that allow the Beth David community to form a truly awesome tree. And surely, no tree is complete without its leaves. All of us. Also, a very big thank you to Michael Leitner and the Rabbinic Search committee for bringing us Rabbi Ohriner. This was a very large and important task that consumed many hours earlier this year. Thank you!
As a community we are very fortunate to benefit from four very special organizations that do so much for us. We are truly blessed to have such vibrant organizations as Hazak, Sisterhood, Men’s Club, and the young adults group which is now known as Jews Next D’Or. Each of these organizations provides programs for their targeted membership and assist Beth David in so many ways. Thank you for everything you do for us.
You know, Beth David is a special community. It owes its vitality and existence to the support, efforts, and commitments of all of us, its membership. That’s why I want to thank every one of you for your commitment to Beth David both financially and with that most precious commodity, your time. Everyone on the Board of Directors finds your commitment of time and treasure personally inspiring.
I have been occasionally asked if the membership’s time contributions are valued as much as its financial contributions. I’m sure if you asked any member of the Beth David Board they would give you a resounding “Yes!” We surely know that it is only through all of the volunteer efforts of the Beth David community that we are able to provide the services all of us enjoy. Although our dues and extra financial contributions are substantial, Beth David simply could not afford to provide the services we do, without the many hours so generously donated by our many volunteers.
As just one very important example, the time and work involved in getting ready for, organizing, and making sure that each of us has a proper High Holy Day experience is enormous. Just a few of the many tasks (all handled by volunteers I might add) such as printing the tickets we have received, organizing the usher corps, arranging for the security outside and medical emergency readiness inside, and the distribution of the High Holy Day honors, (and this is just a partial list) requires a significant investment of volunteer efforts and of time. These are but a few of the many activities that are handled at this time of year and year round by volunteers working with the Ritual committee. Thank you!
We have many, many people involved in our various award winning membership, education, and administration programs such as social action, our religious school and Hebrew High, Chevrat Chesed, and adult ed to name just a few. We are all the beneficiaries of the efforts of our friends and fellow congregants in these and many other programs. I could not possible name them all, and you would not want me to try. Suffice it to say our volunteer corps is strong and vibrant and makes Beth David the place we all appreciate. Thank you to everyone who has contributed that most precious item in the busy Silicon Valley lifestyle, your time. On behalf of the Rabbi’s, the staff, and the entire Board of Directors, thank you. We could not serve you without your help.
Similarly, Beth David has been additionally blessed by a strong cadre of committed financial supporters. Despite the economic whirlwind battering our economy, our Annual Campaign last year exceeded its budget. The campaign for this year has begun. When our volunteer contacts you, please be generous.
We have also received a number of incremental donations that have funded some special projects, some of which are the new storage containers located outside, the complete upgrade and replacement of the air conditioning and heating systems in the sanctuary and social hall, the hearing enhancement system in the sanctuary and social hall, and our new sanctuary LED lighting which will further reduce our energy bills. The Board, the Rabbis and the staff want to thank our many donors. Your contributions give our volunteers and staff the financial wherewithal to turn their precious hours into the programs and services we all enjoy.
There has been a lot accomplished in the past twelve months and there is a lot more to do. With your continuing help and support we will continue in our quest to grow, helping Beth David flourish as the vibrant synagogue community it is.
Thank you and Shana Tova.