|
|
President's Message
By Morris Babani
On Sunday, August 22, I attended (along with an impressive number of SBH members) the 100th
anniversary gala dinner for our sister congregation, Ezra Bessaroth. It was a very enjoyable
evening. I listened carefully to the various speakers talk about the EB story, and, more
importantly, about the future, the next 100 years, con bueno.
This got me to thinking about SBH. Our own congregation will be 100 years old in 2014, just
a few short years from now. What will our Kahal look like then, and 10, 20, 50, or even 100
years down the road? Will we continue to be the strong, vibrant synagogue that our pioneer
families built, and that we have today? Who will our religious and lay leaders be? Will we
remain in Seward Park? Will we have "branches" on the eastside and elsewhere?
Lots of questions, to be sure. I do not claim to have the answers, but I can tell you that
your leadership is actively addressing these and many other questions and issues.
Beginning last year, and continuing this year, our Strategic Planning Committee, led by Simon
Amiel and Menachem Maimon, launched two very important activities. The first was a membership
survey, aimed at learning what you, our members, perceived to be the organization's strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, etc. The second was a series of Town Hall meetings held at various
members' homes. The data from the survey and Town Hall meetings has been compiled and categorized.
It is quite revealing.
Detailed notes and comments were captured. Most of the comments seemed to fit into the following
categories, which for now have been labeled "stated needs" of our
members:
- Prayer/Religious practice
- Educational
- Social/Cultural
- Growth
- Single members
- Eastside
- Conversion
- Religious School / Youth
You should know that the next steps for the Strategic Planning Committee include (1) follow-up
meetings (on both sides of the lake) to share in greater depth the survey and Town Hall results,
and (2) proposing short, medium, and long term strategies and tactics for addressing the
"stated needs." You will be notified after the holidays regarding the details of these
next steps.
The input that you gave us will also inform the process and strategies to be implemented by our
Rabbi Search Committee, which will kick off officially later this year. I will communicate with
you on a regular basis as that process unfolds.
Strategic planning is not easy, and it is not quick; but it is extremely important in developing
the path forward for any organization. I would like to thank all those members who took time out
from their daily schedules to answer the survey and attend Town Hall meetings. We continue to
listen and hear your ideas, concerns, and hopes for our collective future. Thanks as well to
Simon and Menachem, and their committee, for the many hours they are putting into this process
to make sure it is done right.
I look forward to more conversations about our present and our future.
All the best,
Morris
e-mail 
|
