PRESIDENT'S CORNER by Garry Cohen June 2003 gmcohen61@yahoo.com

Dear Friends,

   The annual congregational meeting was held on May 14, 2003 , with over 80 people in attendance. The major issue of the meeting was the vote on the Assistant Rabbi.

                 More information about the Assistant Rabbi will be posted as it becomes available. 

   Also at the annual meeting, numerous bylaws changes were made. Most of these changes dealt with the creation of the position of Second Vice President and were approved.  Other changes included an article on Conflict of Interest, which was approved, and proposed changes under “Duties of the Treasurer” which were not approved.  

    Congratulations are in order for those elected to the Board of Trustees. The new members are: First Vice President - Carl Lazerow, Second Vice President – Stephanie Egly, at-large members – Bruce Zavos, Paul Kane, Lynn Bevilacqua.  Marty Potash and Richard Kessler will be returning as Trustees.

     The following are the highlights from the last Board of Trustees meeting.

Bingo: Our Bingo games continue to generate impressive income for Beth Sholom. We do however have a great need for new workers. If you are able to donate one Sunday or Monday night a month to bingo, please contact the office.  Thank you to Michael Elkon, who has agreed to be the new captain of the 2^nd Sunday team.

Membership: Please welcome Janet and Robert Zucker as the newest members of the Beth Sholom family. The Zuckers live in Hagerstown MD and have three children who will be enrolled in our Nursery and Religious School programs.

Youth: The youth committee organized a bowling party in April at Walkersville Lanes. Over 30 children were in attendance. Thanks to Sue Peltz for organizing the event. The next event, a swim party, is scheduled for early June at the Cloverhill pool.

Gala Committee: The Awards Gala is scheduled for November 1, 2003 . The committee is generating different ideas for the event.

Board of Education: Due to increased enrollment, the Nursery School continues to add additional classes. There will be a fourth 2-year-old class added this fall. Amazing!

Mitzvah Club: The Mitzvah Club, lead by Stacee Springer, honored the children who participated with an awards dinner. This event on Wednesday May 7, recognized the outstanding deeds in which these children and parent volunteers were involved. The honored guests were a local family. They spoke about how the Mitzvah Club babysat for their children through the Arc’s parents’ day out program, one of which has special needs. This family was grateful for having some quality time while their children were being watched. These words of thanks by this family reinforced to the Mitzvah Club members the positive impact of their deeds. We are very fortunate to have Stacee leading this group. We hope that the Mitzvah Club will continue to operate for many years.

Beautification/Dedication:  The Holocaust Torah has been placed on the wall to the right of the Bimah. Two plaques explaining the significance of the Torah and how Beth Sholom obtained it have also been positioned above and below the Torah case.

Communications: On Sunday May 4th, the Washington Post ran an article in the Maryland edition of the Metro section about our Synagogue. I believe that it was an upbeat assessment of the local Jewish community. The writer, Elizabeth Williamson, was impressed with the positive attitude inherent throughout the Congregation. If you haven’t seen a copy, please stop by Community Center and read it.

Volunteer of the Month – Marty Potash. Marty is wonderfully dedicated to Beth Sholom. He has been a hardworking member of the Board of Trustees for over 10 years. He is now completing his second term as Vice President. As chairman of our Long-Range Planning committee, he has spearheaded the search for the Assistant Rabbi. A tireless bingo worker, he remains a favorite caller among the players. He leads Friday night services, and will fill other roles as needed to help our Shul. Please join me in thanking him for all his good work on our behalf.

Next Meeting – At the annual congregational meeting it was requested that I advise the Congregation, through the forum of The Presidents Corner, of important issues that may be discussed at upcoming Board of Trustees meetings. It was an excellent suggestion that I intend to incorporate. In that spirit, the next BOT meeting is scheduled for June 11, 2003 , 7:30pm at the Community Center. Among the topics to be discussed will be a finalized copy of the Assistant Rabbi contract.

Final thought: This month was the last meeting for some of our board members. On behalf of the entire Beth Sholom Congregation, I want to thank Adam Treiber, Sylvia Haber, and Sharon Botkin for their years of hard work. I am also glad that our retiring Vice-President, Marty Potash, has agreed to continue on the Board of Trustees as an at-large member.