June 2019 Update

Dear Congregants,

We are fast approaching the final month of our fiscal year and with that comes a lot of outreach—for support and for celebration. As this will be a big year for transitions with both co-presidents stepping down, this will also be a big year of exciting opportunities for change.

We recently welcomed many of you to our Town Hall meeting where we discussed our plans for next year. Not only did we outline our thoughts and discuss our collaborative leadership model, but we invited feedback and heard your views and questions about our plans for the future. As a result of this meeting, even more changes have taken place and we are very excited to share them with you at our upcoming Annual Meeting scheduled for Sunday, June 2nd, immediately following Zimriyah, our Hebrew School Graduation. This is an important opportunity for all congregants to participate in a vote to decide who will govern our community along with discussing our proposed revised bylaws, the ongoing result of working to make sure our organization’s guiding documents more closely represent our actual operations and proposed Board structure.
The annual meeting brings us together for discussion and camaraderie, which has made us who we are as an organization. Childcare will be available, and the meeting is followed by a potluck lunch (watch your email for more information).

We hope you will join us on June 2nd when we will share all good things about what’s coming next!

Another matter that we are excited to address is the re-introduction of a program, “Shabbat at Home.” Many congregants remember when this was an active program at Agudas Achim with many participants. It brought families together and turned acquaintances into friends. “Shabbat at Home” will be a wonderful opportunity for families to get to know each other while also celebrating Shabbat. We would like to thank Cathie Cruz for working hard to resurrect this program as it was sorely missed. She writes:

“We’re looking for congregants interested in hosting Shabbat dinner in their homes and congregants interested in being guests. Hosts provide the meal; make it as simple or as fancy as you’d like, include the traditional Shabbat dinner rituals or any combination of blessings with which you’re comfortable. The goal is to experience Shabbat together. Please email me (ccruz@rcc-pcsupport.com) if you’re interested in hosting and how many guests you can accommodate. If you’re interested in being a guest let me know how many will be attending and your dietary needs. I will match hosts and guests and provide any information or support you may need.”

The first Shabbat at Home will be on Friday, June 14th. Please let Cathie Cruz know by June 1st if you’d like to participate. 

As a third item, we remind you that last month’s mailing included a letter asking for your support to help cover the congregation’s operating costs, which also helps to sustain our community.

If you have not yet done so, please consider making a donation—no matter how big or small. Everything does help.

Finally... a moment for us to thank you. We have been honored to serve as co-presidents for the last four years. We deeply appreciate the trust you placed in us and your support. With your help, Agudas Achim is strong and growing, living up to the promise of being “a warm and welcoming synagogue community.”

Rosanna and Sammi