• Welcome new members Samantha and Jeffrey Golden and their children Cali and Wesley.
• Our goal is for the service on Friday, December 3..to be our first in-person/hybrid zoom service. We will celebrate Hanukkah with candle lighting at the December 3 service.
• Thanks to Mercedes Cohen, who is the new Chair of the Caring Community.
• Thanks to Michael and Mercedes Cohen, Rabbi Dean Kertesz and Louise Snitz for helping the Religious School students make challah.
• We are awaiting a second estimate to replace the heating and ventilation system. Anyone who knows of a commercial HVAC installation company, please contact Michael Cohen.
• Please send content for the web site to Wendy Roth.
• The GRIP Harmony Walk will be virtual between now and November 30. Register here.

Notes from the Board

The Board discussed:

• Open Sukkah at TBH Sunday, September 26 from 2 – 4:30 PM. No Simchat Torah celebration..

• Religious School has reopened; there are still openings for more students.

• GRIP virtual Harmony Walk fund-raiser, October 23.

• Many thanks to David Brown for taking on chairing the Buildings and Grounds Committee.

• Montessori School has reopened.

Huge thanks to Marilyn Hertzberg for her many years as Caring Community Chair. A replacement is needed.

Welcome New Member

• Sara Cleveland has been attending our services and participating in Food for Thought for some time.  We welcome her joining our community as a member.

High Holy Days

• Services will be hybrid, both in person outdoors in the courtyard, and on Zoom. Services will be structured similar to last year’s. Attendees are asked to make reservations with the office, whether planning to attend in-person or online.
• A packet of information will be sent to each member. For safety, all attendees must be vaccinated and wear masks.  People are encouraged to send their vaccination information to Louise Snitz.  Children under 12 must have  negative Covid test within 72 hours, and parents should contact the office so appropriate measures can be taken.
• Volunteers are needed for set-up and for greeters.
• We are hiring the tech people who facilitated our services last year to help again this year.

Events

• Marketing Committee has publicized High Holy Days and Religious School.
• Religious School is planned to be outside. If air quality becomes an issue, parents will be notified that classes will be on Zoom.

Food for Thought

• Food for Thought has received a 501(c)3 number as an independent nonprofit corporation, separate from the Temple, and has started to contact organizations that they could not contact previously as a religious organization.
• Donations in honor of Mel and Judy Feder’s wedding have reached $4,400. Donations are still going through the Temple, since Food for Thought does not yet have a bank account separate from the Temple.
• Food for Thought is working on storing program information on a Google Drive.

Building and Grounds

• We expect the installation of high speed internet in the rest of the building this week.
• The Montessori School has signed a new contract and expects to reopen in September. The Chinese Church is delaying reopening at this time.
• Our furnaces are almost 60 years old and may not last much longer. We have one estimate for replacement.  We plan to get additional estimates.
• Since High Holy Day services will be outside, we do not need HEPA air filters at this time. The replacement furnaces will include advanced filtration.  We will consider air filters for the Religious School classrooms.

Board Issues

• Board members began the process of sharing information about themselves.

Operations

• Welcome and orientation for new Board members; Discussion of what Board members need to know.
• Deficit for 2020-21 is approximately $29,000, mostly due to lack of rental income.We expect a deficit for 2021-2022 as well, even if we reopen by September.
• Reopening plans. Please submit vaccination record to Louise Snitz. Attendees will be asked to wear masks.  Please give advance notice of children attending, so logistics can be arranged. Greeters are being organized.
• Contract for Rabbi Dean Kertesz approved for 2021-2024.
• Agreement with Michelle Husby approved to continue as Office Manager.
• New Special Fund created for designated donations spanning more than one year.

Events

• Marketing Committee is working on publicity for High Holy Days and Religious School.
• Publicity will refer to web site for more information on schedule and COVID -10 protocols for High Holy Days. Streaming will be availa

Social Action

• Freedom School donation approved.
• Social Action Committee will discuss changes in role with changes in organization of Food for Thought.

Building and Grounds

• Chinese Church is working on plans for reopening.
• High speed internet is installed in the office, but installation needs to be completed and cables run to the rest of the building.
• Heating and ventilation system in the main building has been inspected. It is the original one installed in the building 60 years ago, and it is not likely to last much longer.  It is OK for COVID-19 safety ventilation with doors and windows open, but will need filtration when there is smoke from fires.  We are pursuing further consultations and estimates, and we are considering getting portable ventilators which can then be moved to the Religious School building when the main heating is replaced.

Welcome New Member

• Lucinda Casson has joined us as our newest member. She has been attending our Zoom services this year, and we are happy to have her join us.

Issues

• Plan to create Board member materials for new Board members and schedule Board orientation.
• Reopening Committee has updated guidelines. We need to follow up on technology needs to enable us to Zoom services, and we need to service our HVAC system and air filters.

Events

Marketing Committee will begin to publicize:

• High Holy Day services, which hopefully will be both in-person and online.
• Religious School tentatively planned to start Sunday, September 12, mostly outside to begin with, with regular re-evaluations. A video of the mensch awards has been sent out.

Finances

• We continue to have a deficit and expect it to increase by the end of the fiscal year, since we have lost significant amounts of rental income.
• We are likely to have a deficit again in the next fiscal year, since our rental income and other factors are uncertain. We have spent a considerable amount of our assets this year, and if this continues, we will have to re-evaluate the situation.

Food for Thought

• Food for Thought is planning to apply to be an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, which would make it separate from the Temple. This would give it more control over financial issues and enable increased fund-raising, since it would not be a religious organization.

Building and Grounds

• We now have high speed internet in the office. We are working to determine what speed we need and to extend it to other areas of the buildings.

Thank you to Jane Kemp for her service on the Board.

Issues

• The General Membership Meeting will be Sunday, June 13 at 11:30 AM via Zoom. The Board is working on: committee reports; proposed nominations; proposed budget; and the calendar for next year.
• The Executive Committee has endorsed the recommendations of the Reopening Committee and hopes to reopen as soon as the recommendations can be implemented. The committee will meet again to deal with outstanding issues and questions. The Board decided against a rental on June 12, as it was too soon to have recommendations implemented.

Finances

• We currently have a deficit, and it is likely to increase by the end of the fiscal year, since we have lost significant amounts of rental income.
• The budget for next year is uncertain, because of the pandemic and resulting ongoing changes. We are likely to have a deficit again, since we cannot count on our rentals for the entire year, but we are expecting to resume programming.
• Leases and arrangements with tenants and contracts need to be negotiated.

Building and Grounds

• Internet has been installed in the building. We are working on extending the LAN from the office to the rest of the building and the school building.
• The storage shed was broken into, but nothing of significance was taken. A stronger lock has been installed.

Issues

• Linda Rose and Michael Cohen will chair the Reopening Committee, with Judy Windrix and Mel Feder. People involved in programs will be asked to make recommendations to the Committee.  The Committee will report at the next Executive Committee meeting on guidelines for reopening.
• Talent search. Members are urged to contact Michael Cohen, Jane Durango, or Linda Rose to discuss how they can contribute to shaping the Temple as Board members and Officers for next year.
• Discussed ways to improve Board functioning and making members, especially new members, feel welcome and included.

Finances

• Draft budget for next year distributed for review and comments. There are many unknowns, including when we will reopen and what reopening will look like.  Several contracts and leases are up and need to be renegotiated.
• The Chinese Church would like to resume services in June and would like to rent our space on a month to month basis.

Building and Grounds

Internet cable has been installed, and arrangements are being made for final internet installation.  This will enhance our security as well as enabling us to conduct virtual activities from the building.

Religious School

Two new students have started.

Online Events 

• Sunday, March 28 at 6 PM – TBH Community Seder.  A haggadah will be sent to each member household.   

Acknowledgments

We are pleased at how well we have adapted to the pandemic and have kept most of our community programs and events going. Thanks to Rabbi Dean and Cantor Shayndel and to     everyone who has stepped up with their talents, creativity, dedication and diligence to maintain     and appreciate our community. Most recently,

• Movie night, which was a wonderful successful experience. People had a lot of fun.    
• Dalia’s bat mitzvah. Dalia did a great job, and she and her family worked with the clergy to create a wonderful and meaningful service.

Issues

• Relevant people asked to make recommendations for various aspects of reopening and matters to take into consideration. Executive Committee will make the final decision.
  
• Succession. Michael Cohen, Jane Durango, and Linda Rose are working on potential Board members and Officers for next year. Contact them if you are interested.

Publicity

We have submitted our seder for the J‘s list of affordable Passover seders.

Social Action

Food for Thought will be meeting Monday to discuss expansion possibilities, geographically and/or through additional organizations; fund-raising; and updating marketing materials. People can and are still donating via online credit card link.

Building and Grounds

• Comcast started laying internet cable but ran into a problem. Michael Cohen will follow up on the next steps.
• The dead trees have been removed.
  

Religious School

Religious School students celebrated Purim and are planning to learn about Passover. Post-B’nai mitzvah class is planning to meet.

Events (on Zoom)

• Sunday, February 21 at 4:00 – 5:00 PM – Purim Celebration.  Rabbi Dean will introduce. Purim spiel Beware the Ides of Adar. (about ½ hour). Purim story and Megillah excerpt with Cantor Shayndel.    
  Spiel is being coordinated with the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley; rehearsals have started. Information has been sent out. Reserve your spot.  If you have trouble making a reservation, contact Michelle Husby.
• Sunday, March 7 at 5 PM – TBH at the Movies: A Night at the Opera. Copyright availability confirmed.       

• Sunday, March 28 at 6 PM – TBH Community Seder. A haggadah will be sent to each member household.    
  

Issues

• Action items from retreat were:
  

• Social events (See Movie Night above).           

• Technology infrastructure to facilitate a variety of ways of operating as well as security (See Buildings & Grounds below)            
     

• Ideas for re-opening more flexibly, e.g. outdoors. Not yet. We will develop criteria that we want to meet to operate safely and plan to set up a task force with the Chinese Church to deal with reopening.
         

• Succession.  Michael Cohen, Jane Durango, and Linda Rose will meet to discuss potential Board members and Officers for next year. Contact them if you are interested.

Publicity

• Generally publicity for events has been internal. Will pursue placing an ad in the J     for Passover.
     

• The website calendar is not working well. Wendy Roth is working with URJ to fix it. Contact her if you see a problem.

Social Action

Food for Thought evaluated the 2020 food distribution, which went very well in a difficult situation. Able to use two locations successfully. Will start planning for 2021 at the meeting next week. If we can start fund-raising now, we may be able to expand the program significantly.

Building and Grounds

• Comcast began to lay cable today for high-speed internet.  It will take a few more weeks to finish and activate it, but then we will have the bandwidth to do much more through the internet, as well as increasing security devices. Rabbi Dean will look into technology devices that may be useful for programming.    
• There are a number of dead trees on the property, some or possibly all of which may need to be removed. We are looking to get an assessment from the Fire Department and an estimate for those which will need to be removed.
• The clothing bin has been removed. Discussion of removal of trash on property     and person living on property who has been helping manage trash.