Shalom everyone, and nice to speak with all of you again, For reasons I can’t fully explain, I find the word “penultimate” appealing. It simply might be its mellifluous sound, or maybe its melodic syllable construction, or it simply could be something that signals closure in what best can be described as a year fraught with items in need of addressing, some known and visible, others unknown and unanticipated.
We began with a daunting financial challenge, then had to confront on-going issues with our pool, and more recently had to navigate a change within our professional ranks. I will review all of this next month when the congregation assembles for our annual meeting, but thought I might share a preview of what I will cover when we meet:
Many of you already received my heartfelt L’dor V’dor appeal to help address a $75,000 budget shortfall. With our campaign ending next week, entirely due to the unstinting generosity of many of you, I am pleased, honored, and deeply humbled to report we have achieved 95% of our goal. I plan to thank all of you personally for contributions critical to the continued wellbeing of our congregation.In the meantime, I ask you to take a moment now: stand up and take a bow, knowing of the deep gratitude from all of us.
While we remain hugely proud to proclaim CBS as the shul with the pool, in truth there remain serious, ongoing matters to which we need attend, both with the management of the pool and its maintenance. I will share more when we meet, but I am pleased to report we’ve made great progress on all fronts, leading to what should be a happy outcome I hope to announce next month.
In retrospect, I should not have been at all surprised by our previous Director Lauren Snyder’s decision to leave our congregation. Lauren enjoyed Napa, but Los Angeles is her childhood home, so when the synagogue she grew up attending offered her a position, she had no choice but to accept.
We recently celebrated Lauren and husband Zack’s departure with a special Friday night service. Here’s a photo of Rabbi Niles and our Music Director Gordon with Lauren and Zack:
Gordon asked Lauren if she would join him in a final song; Lauren turned to the audience, summoning a group we now refer to as The Gordonettes to join her. Here’s a photo of all of us belting out Oseh Shalom:
Lauren’s departure easily could have served as an obstacle; we instead saw it as an opportunity, prompting us to promote our very accomplished and capable Education Director Marah Peresechensky to a new role, combining oversight of the synagogue as Director while continuing in her role as Education Director. Marah recently completed her first week as Director; I am not a fan of predictions, but if you were to ask me a few months now about the course we’ve set, I suspect it will be viewed by many of us as an inspired choice.
These are the items that rank as most pressing on the collective Executive Committee and Board of Trustees’ agenda, all of which are well on their way to successful outcomes. Before I sign off, I would be remiss if I did not mention that this coming Tuesday we will be conducting a second-night Passover Seder at the Synagogue, starting at 5:30 pm. I very much hope to see and greet all of you then, so if you have yet to register, please do so now by following this link (Second Seder ) to our website where you can sign up.
In last month’s message I opened with sobering news emanating from Israel and Gaza. This time I chose not to begin here, but it does not mean it is far from my mind and likely yours too. As I mentioned last month, I often turn to a trusted source – The New York Times – for news, guidance, and on occasion insight about the situation there. One of the opinion pieces I cited last month was from columnist Bret Stephens. I turn to him again to share another piece he wrote, “Netanyahu Must Go,” that I urge you to read. Here’s the link: NYT Article.
That’s pretty much it. I hope to see many of you at CBS next week for our second-night Passover Seder; until then,
