Men’s Club President’s Welcome Message

 Welcome! Chaverim:

Thank you for giving me a moment of your time, to let you know all that the Kol Ami Men’s Club does with your $32 annual dues – which haven’t increased in years! First, as an arm of the shul, the Men’s Club provides service to Congregation Kol Ami. So, we provide ushers for services, when no simcha or b’nai mitzvah family is doing so; we set up the chairs and swap the Mahzorim in the Sanctuary/Social Hall for the High Holy Days; we set up the Congregational Sukkah; and we contribute to making a minyan every Sunday morning. With your help, we will continue and expand these services to Kol Ami. Second, as a Jewish organization, we are motivated by Jewish ethics, and so we donate time and money to our shul. For example, in 2006-2007, we donated $1,000 to Kol Ami for the purchase of High Holy Days Mahzorim. In 2007-2008, we donated $1,000 to the Kol Ami Yellow Candle Scholarship Fund, to subsidize needy families’ ability to have their children attend Jewish summer camp, and we purchased four new picnic tables ($450) to replace the old, rotting ones in the Sukkah. We coordinate the Yom Hashoah Yellow Candle boxing event. We also co-host an annual Joint Men’s Club/Sisterhood Shabbat, with members of both clubs leading services and doing the davening, and with a congregational kiddush luncheon afterwards. Our Men’s Club has sold Entertainment coupon books for over 20 years, and the proceeds are used to offset expenses and fund programs.

With your help, we will continue to expand our tzedakah of time and money. Third, as a group of men interested in a wide array of topics, your Men’s Club has had diverse speakers at various events: we had Matt Silverman, Vice President of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Ira Kaufman, NFL and Buccaneer writer/reporter for the Tampa Tribune, as speakers at our last two Joint Men’s Club dinners (to which Men’s Clubs from other Bay Area shuls were invited); we have also had financial planning experts, physicians speaking on topics of men’s health, and estate planning experts as well. With your help, we will continue to bring interesting people to spur interesting conversation at Kol Ami. Finally, as a social club, your Men’s Club has fun! We have hosted poker tournaments, the Congregational Picnic (in cooperation with other arms of the shul), and Chanukah parties. We also sponsored the Congregation Kol Ami Softball team to the JCC Softball tournament.

This year, we plan on both a Poker Tournament and a Casino Night. We will also have a number of other social events: bowling and comedy club trips. With your help, we will continue and expand these social activities as well. We greatly look forward to your involvement, financially and otherwise, in your Men’s Club this coming year. When you receive your Membership Application/Renewal, please remit your dues to the Kol Ami Office in the amount of $32, payable to Kol Ami Men’s Club;

B’Shalom,

     Alan Borden, President (2009-2011)

Men's Club Officers

Alan Borden – President
Steven Guindine – Vice President
Bob Rogin - Secretary
Chris Shulman – Treasurer
Chris Shulman – Immediate Past President
Board members:
Dan Zohar (Membership)
Dave Sklar (Sunshine)
Adam Shor(Publicity/Communications/Internet)
Bob Shaw (Entertainment Books)
Leonard Schuster (Blood Drives)
Chris Shulman (Ushering)
Leonard Plotkin (Joint Men’s Club adviser)
Gary Akrish (Joint Men’s Club adviser)
Dave Sklar (Joint Men’s Club adviser)
Rob Weinberg (Graphics)
Alan Borden (MC Shabbat)
Steven Guindine(Yellow Candle)
Bruce Kensky (at large)
Dan Ochman (at large, softball)