KA CC Archive Sep 2022

Shalom Kol Ami,

Things are ramping up as we prepare for the High Holy Days. The office has been buzzing with activity preparing the building and the congregation for the Days of Awe. All the honors letters have been sent out, and if you have received an honor, please reply as soon as possible, so that the Honors Committee can make sure the honor is filled or will be able to ask others to be honored. Our air filters have all been replaced and the air conditioners tuned up. We have replaced three of our water fountains with bottle fillers to reduce the risk of disease spread and making it easier for all to hydrate. The silver is being polished and the Torahs re-covered. The grounds are trimmed and manicured. The Rabbi and Nachum have been practicing and determining how services will proceed. Now all we need is for you to be there. I look forward to seeing many of you in person.

We have two new staff members; Mercedes Martin is our new Bookkeeper and Tamar Blomster is our new Youth and Programming Director. The office is running like a well-oiled machine. We wish Rosie Grumbley, our previous Bookkeeper, and Maci Morris, our Youth Director, well in their new positions at Congregation Schaarai Zedek and the Tampa JCC, respectively.

Our Endowment Committee, headed by Dr. Steven Specter, has been reactivated and will be contacting many of you to discuss Kol Ami’s future and presenting options that allow you to help those ideas come to fruition. We will be seating a Nominating Committee soon in order to present a new slate of candidates for the Board of Trustees and the Executive Board. We have a group of future leaders that have been meeting and having very fruitful discussions about forthcoming ideas for our Kehillah. It appears that we are going to be in trusted hands with our up-and-coming leadership. The Fundraising Committee, under the leadership of Roberta Baer, has been very busy planning for our Fundraising Gala, set for Saturday evening, December 10, 2022, and many other smaller events that will allow us to have fun together.

As we approach the New Year, Ethel and I want to wish you all a Shana Tova u’Metuka, a good and sweet year, and a magnificent future for our Kehillah.

B’yachad, Kalman