03/09/2023 07:18:14 AM
Shalom Chaverim,
The past four weeks have been a busy time for me and Kol Ami. On February 8th, there was a special Board of Trustees meeting to approve Jeremy Nelson as the Interim Treasurer and an outside accounting firm to help in the preparation of financial reports. Jeremy has taken the bull by the horns as the Interim Treasurer and agreed to be a part of the new slate of officers with the election that took place at the Annual Congregational meeting. He brings a new set of eyes to the Treasurer position and is taking a very active role, going through all our investments, trying to maximize our revenue, and finding new ways to cut costs. We welcome him to the Executive Board.
Conversations were held with a group of congregants who want to help Kol Ami to thrive and take an active role in that process. Hearing from the group last month made me think about how we communicate with our congregants even more than I have during the past 2 years. Almost every time I meet with Mitch and Rabbi Blatt, we discuss how we can improve communication in the office, to the congregation, and among congregants. We have discontinued the ChaiLites and put more in the Weekly Watch, send out more texts, use Constant Contact every day, post on Facebook, use Instagram, and even snail mail, and still, people are unaware of many of our programs and what we are doing at Kol Ami to benefit our members. I know we are all inundated with all kinds of information every day, but I would like to make a special plea that you all open and answer all the communications that you receive from Congregation Kol Ami in order to stay up to date with what is going on in the Kehillah.
Planning for our Purim Carnival and Megillah Reading, and the Scholar in Residence program has been both creative and productive. We held our Annual Congregational Meeting at the end of February, which was informative and successful. We heard from the Professional Staff Review Committee and the work that they are doing and hope to accomplish, the Recharge Committee presented what they are doing and hope to accomplish, Sisterhood and Brotherhood spoke about some of their upcoming programming, and I spoke about the importance of all of us being part of a community (Kehillah). The new slate of officers and four board members, led by incoming President Kevin Cross, was unanimously elected and is filled with excellent leaders. Best of all, there is a pipeline of leaders that has arisen and should make sure that Kol Ami is in good hands for years to come. At the end of the meeting, there was a challenge presented by a family that they will donate $1000 to Kol Ami if at least 9 other families donate at least $1000 by the 10th of March. So far 7 families have met the challenge, and we hope that many more of you will do the same. If you are up to the challenge, please call the office or email our Executive Director, Mitch Weiss. It is a generous offer and much needed by Kol Ami. Please consider meeting this challenge!
The Purim Carnival and Megillah Reading were well- attended and successful. I want to thank all those who planned and did the work to make them popular, and I also thank everyone who participated. Also, remember that the Scholar in Residence program is the weekend of March 24-26. Please consider attending, as we will have Rabbi Elyse Goldstein enthusiastically teaching us when we are all
B’Yachad,
Kalman
