As promised, this month we introduce a new addition to the Temple Beth Hillel monthly bulletin. Your Board of Directors has been working very hard on a number of crucial issues in the governance of our synagogue. We want to share with you how we are tackling the business of running the Temple. You’ve read or heard me speak throughout this year about these issues and now you can learn what steps we are taking to resolve them.

First and foremost on our agenda has been addressing our financial difficulties.
Here are the steps we have taken so far:
1. Working with the bank to readjust our mortgage.
2. Reducing cost of electricity through an energy audit and implementation of their recommendations.
3. We have applied for and received a reduction in the amount of MUM dues that are paid to the Union of Reform Judaism

Our next course of action has been to address our fundraising efforts and ways of generating more income for the synagogue.
1. Retire the Mortgage Fundraiser – We will be selling the handcrafted bowls of Irv Kurtzman and dedicating the proceeds of this sale to help retire the mortgage.
2. Publicizing and promoting purchase of memorial plaques and leaves on our Tree of Life. You may have noticed that our memorial board is now lit due to a donation made for that purpose. V.P. of our House Committee, Joe Alpert was in charge of making this happen.
3. Thanks to V.P. of Development, Howard Dickstein and his committee, we will begin our Bingo fundraiser sometime in February.
4. Approval of the Board to establish a Music Fund. The first event to benefit the Music Fund will be a concert of 3 Choirs on May 3. Cantor Mekler is producing this event. We are anticipating a wide participation from the community.

In other Board Business, we continue to look for someone to head up our Social Action Committee and run our SWFTY High School program. The yearbook is being updated and we are looking for more ads to be placed. The Religious Practice Committee in conjunction with the Religious School Committee is updating our B’nai Mitzvah, Mitzvah Mate and Confirmation policies.

Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors,
Stanley J. Goldberg, President