Notes from the Board Sept. 16, 2020

September 17, 2020 by •

Welcome

  • Welcome new members Jessica Broitman and Gibor Basri. Jessica is a psychoanalyst, and Gibor is a professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley. They live in Berkeley and have been coming to High Holy Day services for several years.
  • We also welcome a new Religious School family. Chase and Hazel McCrary are joining our classes. Their mother Melinda McCrary, Executive Director of the Richmond Museum of History and Culture, organized the exhibit “Pioneers to the Present – Jews of  Richmond and Contra Costa”.

High Holy Days

  • High Holy Day boxes have been distributed and are appreciated. Thanks to Rabbi Dean for creating and organizing the project, and to the Ritual Committee and Michelle Husby for their efforts.
  • We have over 70 registrations for online High Holy Day services.

Publicity

  • High Holy Day information has been sent to members.
  • Ads have been placed in the J and Contra Costa Marketplace.
  • Jane Kemp has been updating our Facebook page regularly with information about the High Holy Days and Religious School and has placed information on local community sites.    
  • Wendy Roth has reworked our web site so the home page currently focuses on the High Holy Days with various links for participation, including a donation page. Several new people have signed up for the Weekly Update. She is also placing ads on Facebook, which have had many viewers.    

Social Action

  • Regular food distributions at the schools are seeing a great demand, about 3,000/week at one school.    
  • Food for Thought is working on a safe place to pack boxes, and ways to involve younger people and more community members.

Buildings and Grounds – Thanks to Josh Genser, Michael Cohen, and Neil Zarchin,

  • Exterior lighting and security measures are done.
  • New lights have been installed in the lobby, and the lobby has been repainted.
  • Bulbs in the main room have been replaced.
  • Electrician is coming to look at wiring problems in the main room.
  • Garbage dumped on property was taken to the dump.

Religious School

  • Started last Sunday, with tefillah with Rabbi Dean, breakout rooms for classes, and gathering together at the end.
  • Some teachers delivered packets to their students with hands-on projects.