President Howard Orlean Vice President Sherwin Alpert Treasurer David Kaplan SECRETARY Jim Gatlin members at large Brenda Bernstein Rebecca Garcia Archie Levine Carrie Bagatell
Parlimentarian Wayne Beresford
Past President: Sherwin Alpert
From Our President: Howard Orlean ho-gs@comcast.net
September is typically one of the busiest months in our year. This year it is particularly busy with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur occurring early and mid-month, followed by Sukkot at the end of the month and Simchat Torah (my favorite holiday) is on October 1st. I want to thank the many members who have stepped up and volunteered to help with our holiday services and all of the ―backstage‖ activities that need to occur to make our celebration and observance of these holidays a success at Bet Chaverim. There are flyers for the holiday services later in this bulletin.
On a sad note: Aaron Litowitz has passed away after a long illness. While Aaron was never ―formally‖ a member of Bet Chaverim, he had attended many of our services and has been a very significant donor to our Continuing Rabbi and other funds over many years. My condolences go out to his family and friends.
The By-Laws Committee has met and recommended several changes to the By-Laws to the Board to make them more consistent with the actual practices of our synagogue. The Board has accepted the majority of the recommended changes with only a couple of suggested changes needing further discussion. Once all of the recommended changes are accepted by the Board, we will schedule a General Meeting of all the members of our congregation where the By-Law changes will be discussed and voted on by our members.
The Membership and Outreach committee is busy planning an art sale and Jewish food fund-raiser for Saturday evening October 23. More information on this exciting event can be found in the Membership and Outreach Committee report further on in this Bulletin.
We have heard many concerns from our members about the poor lighting in the sanctuary. We are working with the UUs to improve the lighting. I doubt that this will be done prior to the High Holidays, but I hope that this can be accomplished as soon as possible.
Our next board meeting is September 12 from 2-5 pm at the Federal Way Regional Library where we will be meeting some of the time with the Sisterhood Board to discuss programs of mutual interest. All members are invited to attend.
Git Yom Tov (Happy Holidays) --
Howard
Thoughts from Rabbi Harkavy:
Message from Rabbi Harkavy:
harkavyr@earthlink.net 206-962-1436
Several years ago a congregant came up to me after the Rosh HaShana evening service and admitted being restless during the service. As we talked further, I learned that this congregant had been working late that day. After work, he had run home, changed quickly, got to synagogue just in time to grab a back seat, and then he wondered why, in fact, he had trouble concentrating during the service.
Our lives are so busy, so hectic, that rarely do we have a chance to sit down and really think—think about ourselves and our hopes and our dreams . What have we done in our lives and what remains to be done? It is never easy to take a full, honest look at ourselves and the lives we‘re living. Yet, it is precisely this difficult introspection that our tradition calls upon us to attempt during this time of year. The High Holidays are a time for personal reflection and a time to prepare ourselves for the coming year. The High Holidays should be a time when we remind ourselves what is truly vital within our lives.
The High Holidays are also a time for healing. Long ago I realized that many people attending High Holiday services have an illness and yearn for good health. Some people are at High Holiday services because their loved ones need our prayers and good wishes. And some folks are at High Holiday services because they‘re taking care of others. All of these people are at High Holiday services to ask God for inner strength in order to cope with life‘s difficulties.
In recognition of this need, this year Bet Chaverim will be hosting on Yom Kippur afternoon a service of healing and renewal. Many of us need healing in our lives. At this service of healing and renewal, we reflect on God‘s healing presence in our bodies and our souls.
May the New Year of 5771 be a fulfilling year for all of us. May this New Year be one in which we listen closely to the needs of our hearts and to the heartfelt needs of those around us.
Rabbi Richard Harkavy
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