Shana Tovah (Rosh Hashanah Address to the Congregation)
Submitted by President on Sat, 09/19/2009 - 9:51am
Shabbat
Shalom and Shana Tova
It’s that time of year again – Time for the president’s address, State of the Temple speech….or better put, whatever I want to talk about…
And that is, the concept and practice of “involvement.” Many of you know that I spent 25 years working in corporate human resources departments, and I saw many initiatives come and go during those years.
One of the more interesting programs implemented in the early 90’s was called employee involvement – an effort by businesses to get employee input - the theory being that employees have good ideas should be listened to, and if they are, they will be more committed, more productive, and ultimately more rewarded (emotionally and financially)– a win-win for all. There are studies that show this has worked in many organizations and my own experience says this is right.
This theory holds true for non-profits, too. When people get involved, get invested, put their energy into something - there is a positive spiral of commitment, satisfaction, happiness and quite possibly, good health.
So I was especially pleased when Rabbi Annie told me recently that one of the things that most impressed her about Temple Sinai is that we are a “high involvement” congregation – lots of people engaged, doing lots of things…this is a great strength in our community.
So, when we reflect on the highlights of the last year, let’s think about them as great moments of involvement:
The biggest standout of the past year was our rabbinic transition. In a short year’s time, we developed a strong bond with Rabbi Diamond, shared some great moments, and we were also able to say goodbye in a joyous way and send him on his continued trek in the consulting world…
And then, we got involved with our new Rabbi – Annie Belford. From the first interview we felt an instant connection and it has been an ongoing act of warmth and caring as we have welcomed Annie, Ari, Lev and Eiden with open arms to Temple Sinai. It has been a joy for all who have connected with her.
Perhaps the greatest act of engagement by the congregation was the attendance of over 40% of our members at parlor meetings held in 2008. Your thoughts were the basis for the 5 year strategic plan, published in November of that year. The board has used that plan to develop annual goals and objectives and will continue to use it to guide our efforts in the future.
Other highlights of great involvement include:
- Our Open-Dor Shabbats designed for maximum involvement of congregants
- Our religious school featuring one of the biggest post confirmation classes in all of Houston
- Lots of great social activities - Fiddler on the Roof, Dynamo and Astros games, eating together as a dining havurah, and a great gala in March, celebrating our 30th anniversary
- From an administrative end, we now have a revamped website, and a new format for the Shofar
- The board has worked hard to strengthen financial controls and manage expenses wisely and
- The building made it through the torrential rainstorm in April.
- During these difficult economic times, we have seen members Helping Members – conducting job search workshops, the launching of the Hanukkah in August program and our caring committee attending to people in need
- I am especially proud of our involvement and designation as an ADL Community of Respect, recognizing our commitment for respect and diversity in the community. Activities in this area have included: participation in interfaith dialogues, a joint social action program with St. Basil’s Greek Orthodox Church, and our ongoing work with the Westside Homeless Partnership.
WOW ! that’s a lot of involvement……. a lot of investment by our volunteers (and our staff) …
I know if you ask any member of the rabbi search committee, any person who has taken furniture to a member in need, anyone who has participated in an interfaith dialogue - they will say that they themselves benefited from their effort, and in more ways than one. And of course, it goes without saying, their actions benefited Temple Sinai and the Jewish community.
Some of you may be thinking right now…mmm, makes sense. I’ll get with Robin Converse, our volunteer coordinator and have a discussion about what I can do ! Bravo, I say. But others of you are thinking: I don’t have time, I’m not sure what I’m interested in, I’m not motivated quite yet….
What does motivate us as individual members to become more involved in the life of the Temple? We’ve asked and some have said that they have volunteered to thank the synagogue for an act of kindness. Others to serve as a role model for their children, others to fulfill a passion and many to gain fellowship as part of the Temple Sinai community.
I hope that by thinking about what does or could motivate you, you’ll consider getting more involved in the great ongoing activities and terrific special events we have coming up:
- Not only our great Friday night services, but once a month Torah study with Rabbi Annie
- Our fantastic school programs led by our dedicated director Rina
- New Adult Ed programs, including Yiddish classes, a geneology class, a field trip through Jewish Houston, a class on Jewish law on shopping at the mall (which I’m insisting my teenager daughter attend) and a series taught by our own Rabbi Annie – everything you thought you knew about Judaism and forgot – or never knew in the first place.
Some special events coming up in the next month include:
- A Temple Sinai team walking in the Susan B. Komen Race for the cure on October 3rd
- An Art Auction hosted by the Brotherhood on October 17th
- A west Houston Book Fair Event, featuring Steven Roberts (husband of Cokie Roberts) discussing his new book - on November 11
- Rabbi Annie’s formal installation at Temple Sinai, in a special Shabbat service on November 20th
Last but not least we have just begun a new Capital Campaign effort – the ultimate effort to Burn our Mortgage. It’s been 10 years since we began our last major campaign and we had an outstanding participation rate of 87% at that time.
Now is the time to make another big push at raising $1mm to pay off the mortgage. And this time we are looking for nothing short of 100% participation. We have already had contributions from some Bnai Mitzvah, and a handful of families. We’ve raised over 100,000 dollars already !!!
So, just when you thought there wasn’t another activity you could possibly squeeze into your life or another dollar you could possibly squeeze out of your wallet, I challenge you to try it. Start small with the activity - something new and different or apply your proven skills in an area of expertise.
And start wherever you can to give to the capital campaign. We’ve come up with a creative way to structure giving opportunities, paying off a day, week, or month of the mortgage. We want and need everyone to be a part of it, each at your own capability.
Finally, I would be remiss to talk about all this involvement and not publicly thank the involved people. But one side effect of having a “high involvement” congregation” is that there are too many to list – it’s about all of us.
So,
To all our volunteers and everyone in this community for all that you have done and will do,
To the past and present boards for your leadership and abundant sense of volunteerism,
To our staff – Rabbi Annie, Rina and Cindy who keep the place running every day
Thank you.
For tonight, thank you to Betsy Hoover and the Ritual committee for coordinating all the preparation for these High Holidays,
For Susan Markowitz for providing the lovely flowers,
Thanks to the brotherhood and others for preparing the sanctuary for these services
and thanks to Tunisia James and our Sisterhood for the Rosh Hashana Oneg and to all who brought sweets to share.
Finally, thank you to Rabbi Annie for leading us in this beautiful service ..and to Steve Dropkin for sharing his music and spirit with us again this year.
Thank you all….
And may you have a sweet and joyous new year !
Emily Deakins
September 18, 2009
