April 2024

Spring has officially arrived and I’m enjoying the songs and sightings of more and more feathered friends who are migrating back. Soon we’ll be tackling our gardens, breathing more fresh air, and absorbing vitamin D the natural way again.

It’s a good time of year to exercise Jewish values through simple actions, like scheduling a Hartsprings Foundation donation pickup as we organize, recycle, reuse, and reduce, just in time for Earth Day on April 22, which happens to coincide this year with the beginning of Passover. Hartsprings Foundation gladly accepts clothing, shoes, linens, and cloth items without limitations and they’ll pull up to your mailbox or driveway to take your boxes away.

I love wearing my newish pair of sneakers as its memory foam truly makes logging 10,000 steps feel more effortless. I’m really looking forward to rejoining Sisterhood’s weekly walks at the Niantic Boardwalk as well as participating with our Temple Emanu-El team on April 28 at the Homeless Hospitality Center’s Walk to End Homelessness. Have you seen the Temple Emanu-El logo on the posters around town? We’re sandwiched between Mohegan Sun and the Rotary Club of New London. As co-sponsors this year thanks to a donation made in Sybil Nassau’s memory, this visibility allows us to communicate to the greater community that we care deeply about helping those in need. It’s also an opportunity to do outreach and perhaps meet some unaffiliated Jewish families as we do some good together with our neighbors. Please consider walking with us. Go to www.nlhhc.org/walk, click on Join A Fundraising Team, and select Temple Emanu-El when you register.

Thank you, once again, to Bruce, Lori, and Hillary Goldstein for hosting Rabbi Jonathan Rubinstein and Rabbi Linda Motzkin during our Bread and Torah Shabbaton weekend. Thank you to all the members of our Bread and Torah Planning Committee and our hosts for the memorable event activities that our congregants, students, and guests enjoyed: Rabbi Marc, Hazzan Sherry, Hillary Goldstein, Ben and Courtney Miller, Erica and Rich McCaffrey, Caryn and Steve Novick, Scott and Jennifer Zettler, and Emma Zelken. It was delightful learning about scribal arts, baking challah and bagels, and celebrating Shabbat in a deeply spiritual and meaningful way with our vibrant community.

Thank you to Barbara Wolfe, Janine Sitko, and Amy Perry and all of their volunteers who helped make the Mishloach Manot Purim Bag Fundraiser such a success. Many thanks to Barbara Senges for ordering and donating the delicious hamantascen for Purim. And special thanks to Sam Winograd for writing this year’s very entertaining Purim Spiel, the entire cast and crew for their time and skill on the Temple Emanu-El Players’ stage.

Although our fiscal year is quickly nearing its completion, we still have many activities to look forward to in the coming weeks. Be sure to schedule your portrait for the 65th Anniversary Temple Directory. Many thanks to Brian Alpert for lending us his talents – he’s an amazing photographer. And thanks to Sue Fornara and her communications committee for coordinating this effort. Soon we’ll be able to connect Temple names and faces and be able to reach out to each other.

I wish you all a wonderful time at your family Passover Seders.

Chag Pesach Sameach,
Armi

 

Top Board of Trustees Highlights

  • The Board of Trustees approved the Security Committee to spend up to $4,500 of our remaining Federal Security Grant funds to add a few more infrastructure upgrades to make our Temple safer (must be spent by end of month).

  • Membership Committee is exploring outreach opportunities to increase Temple Emanu-El’s visibility in the larger community.
  • The Nominations Committee will be searching for new candidates to fill Board of Trustees positions that will open up on July 1st. Please consider serving. We are all responsible for the welfare of our Temple Family’s home and its operations.
  • Building & Grounds Committee is exploring the feasibility of potentially converting the handicapped stall in the women’s restroom into a family/all gender restroom with its own private door. Building permit and zoning compliance inquiries are being investigated with the Town of Waterford.