Dear BRS West Family,
With Hashem's help, our shul has continued to grow. We are excited to share some of the developments in our shul leadership and invite you to get involved. With so many new faces, many have been asking questions about how our shul works. Below is a short intro to BRS West; where we are, where we've been, and where we're going.
QUESTIONS:
What is our relationship with Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS)?
BRS is the umbrella organization of BRS West. As such, we share administrative resources and work together to provide higher levels of programming for the entire community. Members of BRS West are fully-fledged members of BRS.
When I give money to BRS West, where does that money go?
BRS West is financially independent. All money collected from members of BRS West goes towards BRS West costs, programs and salaries.
What is our relationship with Katz Yeshiva High School (KYHS)?
We are privileged to be able to daven and run programs at KYHS. We rent from KYHS, which includes the costs of space, utilities, custodial and cleaning staff, printing, and disposable goods. Our good relationship with KYHS is essential to the functioning of our shul, and as such we endeavor to ensure that we do not cause any damage to the facility. (Please help us with that!)
Who runs BRS West?
Historically, BRS West was governed by a Liaison Committee that reported to the Board of BRS. This worked well when our shul was still a small satellite community.
As our community has grown so rapidly in the past few years, this model is no longer sustainable and is certainly not scalable.
We need an elected board, representing the diversity of our membership.
To that end, we, the transition committee are helping to lay the foundation for an independent, fully functioning shul community.
Who is on The Transition Committee and how do I get involved?
The Committee is: Joey Averbook, Jennifer Epstein, Dovid Feld, Mark Klinger, Debbie Klinger, Yossi Lapko, Avi Schlager, Holly Seidenfeld, and Todd Slesinger.
We are NOT the Board of BRS West. If you would like to be involved in the transition process, please get in touch with one of the members of the Transition Committee. After Shavuos, we will be opening up nominations for Shul Board positions (בלי נדר).
What can I do to help and get involved?
There are three ways for members to help grow our community. You can give of your: Money, Expertise and Time
Money: The money that you give helps to pay for basic operations, as well as special events and programs. You can donate to sponsor learning, kiddush, scholars-in-residence, Yom Tov programming, etc…
Expertise: We rely on members for a number of functions:
How can I get in touch with Rabbi Blumenthal?
Rabbi Blumenthal has set up a direct line exclusively for members of BRS West: (561) 755-7802. He can also be reached at [email protected]. Please do not share this number with people outside of our shul membership.
When are we having a community meeting?
We are planning on having a full membership meeting on Sunday, May 15th. (Times to be confirmed after Pesach.) There, we will discuss the future of our shul and our lay leadership. If you have questions or items to add to the agenda please send them to [email protected].
Our primary goal is to ensure that our community is transparent and that every member has a voice. We are so excited for this next stage of our growth, and we are looking forward to building our community together.
The Transition Committee
With Hashem's help, our shul has continued to grow. We are excited to share some of the developments in our shul leadership and invite you to get involved. With so many new faces, many have been asking questions about how our shul works. Below is a short intro to BRS West; where we are, where we've been, and where we're going.
QUESTIONS:
What is our relationship with Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS)?
BRS is the umbrella organization of BRS West. As such, we share administrative resources and work together to provide higher levels of programming for the entire community. Members of BRS West are fully-fledged members of BRS.
When I give money to BRS West, where does that money go?
BRS West is financially independent. All money collected from members of BRS West goes towards BRS West costs, programs and salaries.
What is our relationship with Katz Yeshiva High School (KYHS)?
We are privileged to be able to daven and run programs at KYHS. We rent from KYHS, which includes the costs of space, utilities, custodial and cleaning staff, printing, and disposable goods. Our good relationship with KYHS is essential to the functioning of our shul, and as such we endeavor to ensure that we do not cause any damage to the facility. (Please help us with that!)
Who runs BRS West?
Historically, BRS West was governed by a Liaison Committee that reported to the Board of BRS. This worked well when our shul was still a small satellite community.
As our community has grown so rapidly in the past few years, this model is no longer sustainable and is certainly not scalable.
We need an elected board, representing the diversity of our membership.
To that end, we, the transition committee are helping to lay the foundation for an independent, fully functioning shul community.
Who is on The Transition Committee and how do I get involved?
The Committee is: Joey Averbook, Jennifer Epstein, Dovid Feld, Mark Klinger, Debbie Klinger, Yossi Lapko, Avi Schlager, Holly Seidenfeld, and Todd Slesinger.
We are NOT the Board of BRS West. If you would like to be involved in the transition process, please get in touch with one of the members of the Transition Committee. After Shavuos, we will be opening up nominations for Shul Board positions (בלי נדר).
What can I do to help and get involved?
There are three ways for members to help grow our community. You can give of your: Money, Expertise and Time
Money: The money that you give helps to pay for basic operations, as well as special events and programs. You can donate to sponsor learning, kiddush, scholars-in-residence, Yom Tov programming, etc…
Expertise: We rely on members for a number of functions:
- Ritual: davening, leining and serving as gabbaim.
- Social: Our volunteers plan and coordinate social events and holiday events.
- Kiddush: Planning menus, coordinating with vendors and communicating with KYHS.
- Chessed: Arranging meal trains, setting up shiva houses, serving as neighborhood liaisons to ensure that the Rabbi and shul know of pressing needs within our neighborhoods.
- Hosting and Welcoming: We have many families visiting and moving in. We need your help to host them and make them feel welcome.
- Youth and Teens: Parent volunteers to assist in programming, education and coordination of youth and teen activities.
How can I get in touch with Rabbi Blumenthal?
Rabbi Blumenthal has set up a direct line exclusively for members of BRS West: (561) 755-7802. He can also be reached at [email protected]. Please do not share this number with people outside of our shul membership.
When are we having a community meeting?
We are planning on having a full membership meeting on Sunday, May 15th. (Times to be confirmed after Pesach.) There, we will discuss the future of our shul and our lay leadership. If you have questions or items to add to the agenda please send them to [email protected].
Our primary goal is to ensure that our community is transparent and that every member has a voice. We are so excited for this next stage of our growth, and we are looking forward to building our community together.
The Transition Committee