I am available to all Kehillah members in times of joy and sadness. Please let me know when I can extend support and comfort to you and your family.

HIPAA information

Jane Neely - in honor of the birth of Zoey Lee Kirklin

Anonymous - in support of Leap Day Game Night

Marilyn Morris and Barbara Sharfman - in honor of Seneca Erman's 91st birthday and

7th Bar Mitzvah

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE _______________________

The message below was originally emailed to our congregants on January 7, 2020.

 

Dear Friends, 

Busy time, happy time, troubling times - First, Mazel Tov to Rabbi and family, especially to the parents Stephanie and Brian on the birth of Zoey Lee Kirklin on Friday, January 3rd.

 

Would some please tell me if the new decade has started or not? I'm confused, but at least I'm writing 2020 on my checks. Speaking of checks, we have been getting a steady stream of contributions in response to my request for 100% participation. As I've mentioned, making contributions by December 31st is now irrelevant for many members due to the change in the tax laws. I'll be making my contribution this month instead of December as part of our tax planning, so if you haven't yet contributed there's no time like the present.

 

On a much more sobering note, there have been a disturbing number of attacks against Jews and Jewish property. Anti-Semitism is up around the world and it is indeed alarming. We should all be proud to be Jews, but also be prudent about our personal safety. To that end, the safety modifications to our building recommended by the Department of Homeland Security will be installed over the next several months. Most of the costs will be reimbursed as part of our successful grant application. Many thanks to Dan Sommer for his tireless work on both the grant application and follow up details with the contractor. We will keep you informed as to the construction schedule, but it should not interfere with either services or YEP!.

 

Looking at the balance of Kehillah's fiscal year (FYI, our year runs from July 1 through June 30th, hence the renewal notices going out in June) I ask myself several questions. To me, the most important questions relate to activities, membership and facilities. All of these will be discussed at the Board meeting on Sunday as plans are in the works for each of these important areas. I'd like to focus on membership, because to remain healthy, Kehillah must grow its membership. This is where all of you come in. When you invite a friend or neighbor to services, that personal invitation means much, much more than advertising or a marketing campaign. Experience has shown that Kehillah literally sells itself. Also, our dues are considerably lower than other synagogues, which to many is an important consideration. Let's use the balance of the year to increase our membership and keep Kehillah vital and strong.

 

A few words about our upcoming Israel trip. Most congregants are aware that Rabbi has been organizing and leading amazing trips to Israel for many years. We're at a point now where just about everyone who wants to or is able to go has made the trip. It's a good dilemma, but it makes it difficult to fill those last remaining spots. We need four more people to sign up asap, or we lose some of the benefits Rabbi has negotiated with the travel agency. Here's the point worth considering. There is no other trip planned for the foreseeable future. This is basically the last of the Israel trips. I hate to be blunt, but if you've considered going, it's time to make that commitment. We will be looking outside of the Kehillah community to fill the seats unless congregants step forward. 

 

Lynne and I will be sponsoring the Oneg this Shabbat in honor of our birthdays . If you are interested in sponsoring an Oneg, please contact Renee. It's a great way to celebrate a milestone event! 

 

Hope to see everyone this Friday - and bring a friend!!

Gil Blumenthal