Previous Messages from Temple President Steve Weiss

Greetings! As many of you know, in June I accepted the nomination for President of the congregation. While I know many of you, I thought in my first message I ought to tell you a little bit about myself, and how my “Jewish Journey” led me to Sinai, and why I’m honored to accept this responsibility.

My wife Carol and I moved to Longmeadow in 1986, when I entered private practice as a lawyer in Springfield. Like many members of the congregation, we joined Sinai when our oldest child, Eric, reached school age. He, Rachel and Matthew have all become B’nai Mitzvah at Sinai, have worked in the religious school, and have gone through confirmation. But while we initially joined for the sake of our children, Sinai quickly became important to Carol and me, too. We found spiritual and intellectual nourishment that had been missing in our lives. Carol eventually converted to Judaism. The Sinai community welcomed us, and many members of the congregation are now our close friends. In short, Sinai quickly became a major part of our lives, and we’ve been enriched by being part of the Sinai “family”.

As I begin my two years as President, I’m really excited, because this is an exciting time for Sinai Temple. We’ve hired a long time congregant, Sheila Shear, as our new religious school director. Rabbi Shapiro and Cantor Mekler provide wonderful spiritual and musical leadership, our board and committees are active, and our temple is a hub of activity. We have countless members who contribute to synagogue life in ways large and small. Next year is Sinai’s 75th anniversary, and plans are underway for a series of events to commemorate the occasion.

We’re also blessed with a strong Executive Committee: Dave Roberts, First Vice President; Roberta Hillenberg-Gang and Elliot Greenberg, Vice Presidents; Ann Jacobs, Secretary; Alan Gorfin, Treasurer; and Roberta Steingart, Financial Secretary.

Does Sinai face challenges for the future? Of course it does. Our congregation, like many in American Judaism, is experiencing some decrease in size,which in turn can create financial uncertainty. Over the course of the next year, we’re going to try to learn in more detail the reasons why, and what we can do to reverse this trend. Fortunately, with our clergy and our board, we’re well positioned to meet these challenges.

As the summer ends and the High Holidays approach, I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends and making many new ones.

    I had an experience this Summer that I thought would be worth sharing.
     My youngest son Matthew and I spent a week camping and canoeing in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in northern Maine with eight other members of his Boy Scout troop. The scenery and wildlife were spectacular, and the “quality” time in a canoe with my teenage son was a rare treasure.
     On the Saturday of our trip, I had a conversation with another member of the troop, who is a very observant Jew. He commented that spending Shabbat in the middle of the woods was not an appropriate way to spend the day; instead, the day should be spent in the synagogue studying and praying. I told him I respectfully had to disagree. The night before we had camped on an island in the middle of a large lake. I’m pretty sure we were the only humans on the entire lake; there were no other campfires, no lights, and no sounds of boat motors or cars. We were out of our guide’s radio range, and cell phones were non-functional. Mail and email were left behind. As darkness fell, I lay on the beach and looked up. The Milky Way was as clear as I’ve ever seen it, and several shooting stars raced briefly across the night sky. The only sounds were waves lapping against the shore and the haunting calls of several loons. It was, for me, one of the most meditative and spiritually refreshing moments I’ve ever had, and I do not need photographs to recall the images of that evening. It was for me a religious experience.
     This issue of the Bulletin comes out in the midst of the High Holy Days. More than any time of the year, this is a time that invites the effort to put aside the distractions and stresses of contemporary life, so that we can reflect and refresh our souls. Obviously, I think that Sinai provides a place to explore and experience our spirituality, and my hope for each of us during this season is that we all find some moments to make the days special.

I attended the URJ Biennial in Houston in late November, and all I can say is that the experience was unforgettable! While I feel I could fill up the entire Bulletin with my experiences and observations, I would like to share just a few of my thoughts with you.

As I’m sure many of you already know, the theme for the Biennial was outreach, to both non-affiliated Jews and non-Jews in our community and our congregation. Rabbi Eric Yoffie’s sermon on Saturday was inspirational. You can read or listen to his remarks on the URJ website, and I urge you to do so. During the course of his sermon, he referred to the non-Jews in our congregations, who decide to raise their children as Jews, as “heroes”, whom we need to recognize more completely.
The URJ debated and approved a number of resolutions, the most important of which was on the war in Iraq. Our movement overwhelmingly resolved to “Call upon the Bust Administration immediately to provide more transparency regarding all aspects of the war and a clear exit strategy to the American public with specific goals for troop withdrawal” after the completion of Iraq’s elections. The URJ also endorsed a resolution criticizing the politicization of science in the United States, resolving to “demand that public officials and appointees to governmental and advisory bodies respect the integrity of the scientific process and not manipulate scientific data and evidence to achieve political or ideological objectives”.
The week was tremendously helpful to me in my capacity as Temple president. I attended workshops on membership and retention issues, and brought back some publications that will help Sinai as we explore ways to enhance our retention of members and attract new congregants. Equally importantly, I had countless conversations with members of congregations as close as our neighbors in South Windsor and Northampton and as far away as Abilene, Kalispell, Montana, and New Orleans. I had lunch with the president of the Metairie, Louisiana congregation to whom we’ve send aid after Katrina. They are grateful for the assistance they have received; every prayer book was destroyed in the flooding, and their synagogue is only partly habitable. I came back grateful for what we have and full of ideas to strengthen Sinai.
On a more personal level, the week was tremendously enriching, spiritually and intellectually. There’s something indescribable about praying in unison with 5000 Reform Jews; the song and the prayer totally enveloped me, and I was able to totally lose myself in the moment. The Shabbat Torah study sessions were fascinating, and charged my “intellectual batteries”.

For those of us you attended previous biennials and told me what I was missing, I humbly accept your “I told you so’s”. For those who have never attended, I hope you can do so; you won’t regret it.

P.S. Don’t forget: Next year’s URJ regional conference is right here in Springfield!

As some of you may know, the Union for Reform Judaism has a program entitled “10 Minutes of Torah”. Subscribers receive an email message each weekday on different topics, such as the weekly Torah portion, Israel, Jewish ethics, and so on. When I was at the Biennial, I learned that when the program was started a few years ago, the target was to have 1,000 people signed up. By the time of the Biennial, over 16,000 people were receiving “10 Minutes”!

Upon returning from Houston, one of my resolutions was to sign up for this service. It takes only a few minutes on the URJ website. Now a brief article awaits me on my office computer each morning. The pieces are relatively short, but well written, thought provoking, and informative. I look forward to reading them, and they’re a great way to take a few brief minutes from the pressures of the day.

If you’re already receiving these articles, I’m sure you know what I mean. If you haven’t signed up yet, I encourage you to do so. It’s one of the many services that the URJ provides, and it’s easily accessible.

From The President Steve Weiss
April 2006

The beginning of spring signals not only the arrival of Pesach; for the Temple Board it is also the time of year when we start to prepare our budget for the fiscal year that starts on June 1, 2006. We thought that it would be helpful to take some of the mystery out of the process and provide some basic information about the congregation’s finances, and how we hope to address the future in a financially responsible manner.

      First, our budget for this year is $663,000. The primary operating funds come from the following sources: “base” dues, 81 percent; sustaining membership dues, 8.1 percent; income from the gift shop and other fundraising efforts, 3.8 percent; and miscellaneous items, 7.1 percent. While we try to have a completely balanced budget, to the extent that there is any shortfall, funds from the Sinai Endowment Trust, the Sinai Charitable Foundation, and the Sinai/Federation Charitable Foundation can be used to make up the deficit. During this current year, we expect to use approximately $22,000 of income from the endowment funds to supplement the operating budget. The Religious School has historically been entirely self-sustaining; however, because of a decline in enrollment, this is no longer the case.

      On the expense side of the ledger, there is no mortgage on Sinai Temple, and we’ve been diligent about keeping various operating expenses, such as utilities and insurance, in line, although they continue to increase. Not surprisingly, the dominant element of our budget (approximately 68 percent) consists of personnel expenses.

Our full “base dues” for the current fiscal year for a family between 30 and 70 years old are $1,575.00. Our research indicates this is in line with other similarly situated congregations locally and nationally. However, the Board and the Executive Committee are sensitive to the “cost of being Jewish”, and that congregants have many other important financial concerns. Moreover, only approximately 55 percent of our members pay full dues, based upon their personal situations. Thus, when we raise the base dues rate, we don’t see all of the increase in increased revenue. For example, this year’s dues represent a five percent increase from the previous year; however, the actual “real” increase in revenue realized will be slightly over 2 percent. We are also very much aware that the congregation has declined somewhat in size over the past few years, with the potential result that fewer members could bear a proportionately larger share of the financial burden for the synagogue.

So what are we doing to keep Sinai financially sound? There’s no “magic wand” or single solution to these challenges; thus, we’re doing many things. We’ve reestablished the Membership and Retention Committee (ably chaired by Jeff Cossin) to explore ways of retaining and enhancing Temple membership. We’re looking at ways of increasing sustainable fundraising on an annual basis. And, of course, we’re trying to continue to keep costs in line; several members of the congregation as well as our office manager, Karen Sprenkle, have achieved significant savings for us. Hopefully, these efforts will enable us to keep any dues increase to an absolute minimum while continuing to serve Sinai and the Springfield community in the way to which we are accustomed.

I’m writing this not to solicit funds, but rather to let you know that the Board is being both prudent and imaginative in managing our Temple’s finances. (Of course, if you have any ideas, please do not hesitate to let me know!)

From the President Steve Weiss
May 2006

Sometimes events that we hold at the synagogue have unintended (but positive) consequences.

On April 9th the temple had a breakfast for new members. Ironically, there were more long term congregants than new members in attendance. During the course of the breakfast, Jeff Cossin, the chair of our Committee on Membership/Synagogue Community, asked Rabbi Shapiro, Cantor Mekler, and several committee members to describe a little bit about what we do. As I listened to presentations from the Social Action Committee, the Ritual Committee, the religious school, the Brotherhood, and others, it served as a timely reminder to all of us “old” members about how much is going under Sinai’s roof. Here’s a small sample of what’s going on: We’ve recently raised $6,000.00 for the Springfield School Department for the construction of a playscape at the Washington Street School; we’ve got an ongoing relationship with the Alden Baptist Church; we have a Caring Community that provides assistance to members of our congregation who need help; and our World Crisis Fund raises thousands of dollars as the need arises, most recently for victims of Hurricane Katrina. In between everything else, we find time to educate our children, to have Purim festivals, Sukkot hayrides, Showcase Shabbat, Torah study, and a 75th anniversary celebration.

We all have a tendency to let the fast pace of modern life obscure the daily blessings that are a part of our Sinai life, and it made me both proud and thankful to be a part of Sinai. I hope you share these feelings as well.

From the President Steve Weiss
September 2006

For the last several months, I was expecting that I would use this month’s article to describe the experiences of our congregation’s trip to Israel. Obviously, and unfortunately, we had to cancel (or at least postpone) the trip. It was an agonizing decision for all of us, especially for Rabbi Shapiro, who spent considerable time and energy planning the agenda; however, as events in the Middle East have unfolded, it was also clearly the correct decision to keep our families safe.

So I can’t tell you what we saw, heard and learned while in Israel; however, the experience still provides me with opportunity for observation and reflection. While I was not literally looking skyward for Ketushah rockets, and while my family is not living in shelters, the attacks by Hezbollah have nonetheless affected the lives of my family. And it necessarily provides some perspective. We were anxious about whether to travel to a region in which we might not be safe, but we had a choice. Our fellow Jews in Haifa, Nahariya, and other communities in northern Israel didn’t have that luxury. We may have lost some money because the trip was cancelled, but countless people in Israel have lost their businesses or have no jobs to go to. A day does not pass without me wondering and worrying about how those in the combat zones are coping with these terrible times.

As we enter the High Holy Day season, I hope you share my prayers that real and sustainable peace will come quickly to the land of Israel.

From the President Steve Weiss
October 2006

When people find out that I’m president of Sinai, the remark I get most often goes something like this: “Wow! That must be an awful lot of work!” And, yes, sometime it is. However, now that I’m into my second year as President, what strikes me more and more is how much of what makes Sinai vibrant is made possible by the efforts of the entire congregation.

What brought this home most recently was our furniture and accessories sale. In the Summer of 2005, this was nothing more than a new fundraising idea. A year later, we had an enormously successful sale, which was one of our best fundraisers ever. Its success was not due to action by the Board of Directors, other than authorizing the event and encouraging the planners. The real credit belongs to the committee chairs, Mark Stone and Sue Chanin (until she moved), and to the many people who worked long hours on the committee to ensure the success of the event. There are countless other examples: the swimathon to raise to provide lessons for Springfield children; the drive to build a playground at the Washington Street School; and last Winter’s “Showcase Shabbat”, to name but a few special events.

Then there are the “standing” committees. At last count, we have 16: Adult Education; Bar/Bat Mitzvah; Brotherhood; Caring Community; Cemetery; House; Committee on Community and Retention (a/k/a Membership); Finance; Fundraising; Personnel; Religious School; Ritual; Shalom; Social Action; Women of Sinai; and Youth. (and if I’ve left anybody out, I apologize!) Each of them makes vital contributions to our synagogue, financial, practical, spiritual, and educational. If I tried to single out the efforts of all of the committee chairs and members, it would take up the entire bulletin.

And I can’t forget about some special members who may not serve on any formal committee, but make special contributions. They operate our gift shop, create our annual engagement calendar, and act as our unofficial photographers, archivists, and cooks. Even this bulletin and our website are made possible by the efforts of volunteer congregants.

Even though I’ve been an active member of Sinai for 15 years I don’t think I really appreciated how much is really going on inside our walls until I became President. I do now. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and personally, I want to express gratitude for the collective efforts of all of our volunteers. Your efforts are not taken for granted.

From The President Steve Weiss
November 2006

As you may remember from comments by Rabbi Shapiro and me during the High Holy Days, outreach continues to be a major focus for our congregation.

As part of this effort, I’m pleased to let you know that Sinai has been chosen by the Membership Study Task Force of the Union for Reform Judaism to participate in a major effort to understand the dynamics of why people join synagogues, why they stay, and (sometimes) why they leave. We’re the only congregation in the Northeast that has been chosen for this project.

Over the next several months members of the URJ Task Force will be meeting with temple leadership to become acquainted with Sinai’s “culture”; what’s important to our members, and how we present ourselves to the community and prospective members. They will also want to speak with many current (and some former) members. In “exchange”, so to speak, we’ll have the opportunity to learn about what other congregations are doing to attract and retain members. The URJ’s goal is to establish a body of reliable information based on facts, not conjecture, and to document what works and what doesn’t.

I think this is a “win-win” for us, because by assisting the URJ in this project, we’re sure to benefit not just the URJ, but ourselves as well. I hope that if, in the next few months, you are asked to participate in the gathering of information, you will assist the URJ in this important initiative.

From The President Steve Weiss
December 2006

WE HEAR YOU!

Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur the Board of Directors attempted to contact almost every adult Sinai member and for the most part we were successful. The vast majority of the members were very pleased to be called and thought it was a really nice thing to do. A number of members had special requests and suggestions, and, of course, some had concerns and criticisms. There are some issues that cannot be addressed. For instance, when we have one member say, “there’s too much Hebrew in the service” and another who says, “there’s not enough Hebrew”, it would be quite a feat to make both congregants happy. I ought to add that the board enjoyed making the calls, too.

However, there are many things that we can do to make Sinai a more welcoming and responsive synagogue, and I’d like to respond to some of the comments to let you know that the Rabbi, the Cantor, and the temple leadership are listening and responding to congregants’ concerns. “

There should be a confidential way that members can air grievances or address sensitive problems”. The Board and the Committee on Membership and Synagogue Community recognize that the best time to address the concerns of a dissatisfied congregant is before that member thinks about leaving. The Board and the Executive Committee serve the entire congregation; if members have particular suggestions or problems, they should feel comfortable calling or writing us.

“Why do we have two sessions for the religious school? It’s inconvenient.” Actually, the Religious School Committee has already started looking into this. When the religious school had 300 students, we simply didn’t have the space to consider one session. However, at our current enrollment, we may be able to go to one session, if we can do so in a way that doesn’t compromise our educational goals. “

Sinai needs to do more to attract new members and make them more comfortable.” We agree wholeheartedly, and we’re starting to implement some new ideas. We’re revising the “package” that is given out to new members, and the Committee on Membership and Synagogue Community hopes to develop an “ambassador” program in which new members are paired with existing members so that the latter can make sure the former are integrated into synagogue life.

“Sinai ought to have more low-cost events for synagogue members.” It’s a very good point. We’re aware that sometimes being Jewish seems to be very expensive. We’re looking at events that we can schedule for little or no cost to congregants. These are just a handful of the comments.

There were many other suggestions that we’re looking at to see how we can respond. After all, Sinai belongs to all of us!

From The President Steve Weiss
January 2007

I wanted to let everyone know about some recent, very positive developments concerning Sinai's Cemetery.

About two years ago we realized that the perpetual care fund was not generating enough income to meet current operating expenses. We also realized that the problem needed to be fixed because, if left unsolved, the cash flow problems would become worse over time. So last year the Cemetery Committee investigated how best to remedy the situation. One obvious measure was to reduce expenses where possible, without diminishing the aesthetics of the cemetery. Second, and more significantly, we realized that the Cemetery had more land than we'd likely ever need. So, with the support of the Board of Directors, the Cemetery Committee undertook a quiet sales effort. Obviously, we were extremely conscious that the Sinai Cemetery is a spiritual, indeed sacred, place, and we took care to ensure that any sale would not be disruptive.

I'm pleased to advise that in December we sold an undeveloped portion of the Cemetery land. The net proceeds have been deposited into the perpetual care fund. The sale, coupled with reductions in operating expenses, brings us a long way toward our goal of making sure that the Cemetery has sufficient funds to provide for perpetual care and maintenance, so that we can fulfill our fiduciary duties to our congregants, past, present and future. So the next time you visit the Cemetery, you may notice the change, but I think you'll agree that the Cemetery continues to be a special space.

Special thanks in this complicated endeavor go to the Cemetery Committee, and especially to Dave Roberts, whose financial analysis and projections discovered the problem before it became a crisis. I also want to express my gratitude to my partner, Steve Shatz, who handled the legal work to complete the sale without any charge.

From The President Steve Weiss
March 2007

     While I did not write for last month’s bulletin, the Board of Directors has been busy this winter, and I thought I would share some of the activities with you as we move into the new year.
     It’s hard to believe, but I’m now in the last few months of my two-year term as President, and we’re at a juncture that many of the things that the Board is discussing now will not come to pass until after my term is over. As many of you already know, Dave Roberts is in line to be my successor in the next fiscal year starting June 1st. Those of you who know Dave won’t be at all surprised to know that he’s already starting to look toward Sinai’s future, especially on matters relating to membership and dues. At our most recent board meetings, we’re starting a series of conversations that are designed to explore some of the “big picture” issues so that we can develop priorities for the next few years (and then strategies to fulfill these priorities). We expect that these meetings will culminate in a session facilitated by a representative from the URJ this spring. Obviously, this is a process that won’t be finished in one or two meetings, and I’m sure the priorities will evolve over time.
     Sinai’s leadership is working to create at Sinai’s future in other, more specific ways. The Board recently unanimously endorsed the Religious School’s proposal to move to single session Sundays; this, obviously, is a momentous (and exciting) change. The Legacy Society is renewing its efforts to facilitate planned giving to ensure Sinai’s future. The Membership and Retention Committee is in the process of rolling out a new package for prospective new members. And this is the time of year when the Nominating Committee (chaired by Linda Kay) is putting together the slate of officers and directors for next year, and when the budget for the next year is being developed.
     These activities often take place largely behind the scenes; but they’re the “nuts and bolts” of maintaining and enhancing our Sinai community. Thanks go to all the Board and Committee members who make this possible.

From The President Steve Weiss
April 2007

At various times during my almost two years as President, I’ve commented on how much I’ve come to appreciate how essential the work of volunteers is to our Sinai Community. There’s no question that without the help of our volunteers Sinai would be a far less active and inviting congregation.
The Board of Directors has agreed that it’s time to honor all those who selflessly provide their time and energies, often without any recognition. For a number of years, our annual meeting was a rather perfunctory affair. Last year, for a change of pace, we used the occasion to honor families who had been Sinai members for 50 years or more, and the meeting became not just a necessary piece of business but a celebration of families who have long been essential to the Sinai community. This year we’ve decided to continue the same tradition (if something done two years in a row can be called a tradition). Our annual meeting this year is on June 14th, and we’re dedicating the meeting to ALL SINAI VOLUNTEERS. There will be a family picnic at 6:00 p.m., followed by the meeting, at which we hope to honor and recognize the countless congregants who make Sinai an exciting and vibrant place. The event is being planned by Roberta Hillenberg-Gang, Carol Roberts, Belle Rita Novak, and Susan Goldman. If you’re a of Temple member who has volunteered, they invite you to share your experiences by sending a note describing your activities, why you decided to volunteer, what it meant to you, and you what you learned and gained from their involvement. We hope to be able to share these during the festivities. I hop

From The President Steve Weiss
June 2007

e that you’ll join us!

It’s a bit hard for me to believe, but this is my last message in the Bulletin, as this article will be coming out at about the same time as our annual meeting, when Dave Roberts will be elected as our next President. I can’t help but reflect a bit over the last two years. Obviously, there have not been any momentous changes at Sinai during the last two years. Rabbi Shapiro and Cantor Mekler are, of course, still with us, and there have not been any dramatic changes to the synagogue itself. That’s a good thing, because we have a strong, vital congregation. But there have been changes; some are obvious, while some are more subtle.
     When I began my tenure, we had no active membership, personnel or fundraising committees. Now we do; I’m grateful to Jeff Cossin, Rina Miller, and Diane Friedberg, respectively, in agreeing to chair these committees, which are now all functioning wonderfully. We sold some excess land at the Cemetery; the proceeds were used to enhance the Cemetery’s Perpetual Care Fund. Through the efforts of Sheila Shear and the Religious School Committee, in the fall the religious school will transition to single session Sundays. And one of the things I’m proudest of is that I think we’ve changed the “culture” of board meetings; they’re now much more participatory, productive, and exciting (relatively speaking).
     On a more personal level, I feel both lucky and blessed to have been Sinai’s President for the last two years. Lucky, because I happened to be President during our 75th anniversary. We had all sorts of special events and projects: the service honoring all our past presidents; the scholar in residence weekend; the project to build a playground at the Washington Street School; and the Big Splash (which resulted in a photo of me that will take a while to live down!). And I’ve been blessed to be President at a good time in Sinai’s story. The Reform Jewish world is worried generally about congregations in which members are mostly “consumers”; that is, they view a synagogue most in terms of what it provides. I don’t think that fairly describes Sinai. If I were to try to list all the many ways that individual members contribute to and enrich Sinai life, I’d quickly run out of space. Sinai is far more than simply a collection of congregants; it’s a vibrant community. During my two years, I’ve developed a deep appreciation and gratitude for all the people—our Rabbi and Cantor, our Religious School professionals and staff, office staff, board members, committee members, and countless “other” volunteers—who make Sinai unique.
     While I’ll admit that I will enjoy having a bit more time to spend with Carol and with Matthew during his last year of high school, I will miss my regular breakfasts with Rabbi Shapiro, my meetings with the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors. Thank you for the privilege of being able to serve as President.