A message from the President ...

Dear Members and friends,

Today, as we celebrate the "second day of Thanksgiving, not celebrated in Israel"*, we are not just reminded of the wonderful retail opportunities that are available to us, but are thankful for all that we already have.  For many of us this week has been an opportunity to share our table with family, friends and lots of food.  For many it has been an opportunity to think about our loved ones that we couldn't be with or that have passed on.  I hope we can all agree that this holiday of "thanks-giving" gives us that one brief moment between the turkey and the shopping to realize how fortunate we are to have what we have, and to cherish our memories and look forward to our dreams.

As you continue to read this Newsletter, you will notice that life at Bnai Israel is very active.  Our Renovation Committee has information sessions planned for December 2nd and 11th to present their plan for our renovated sanctuary.  Our Rabbi Search Committee has posted our need for a new Rabbi and will begin to review applications and resumes shortly, Sisterhood is in full swing with book club and many other programs, and we continue to reach out and help at Good Shepherd and Hospice.  Our annual Chanukah party is on December 22nd, and our Congregational meeting is on December 15th.

As we enter the new month of Kislev may God grant us a month filled with blessings and peace,  a month of goodness and health, and a month filled with joy and gladness for all. ..

.

Renovation Committee Announcement

The Renovation Committee has now presented its recommendations for the renovation of the synagogue.   The Committee has done a fabulous job! At last week's Board meeting, it was overwhelmingly agreed to forward the recommendations to the congregation to be voted on at the Congregation Meeting on Sunday, December 15 at 3 PM. We can then move forward with construction beginning in mid-January.

Each member unit will shortly be mailed a packet with a summary of the recommendations, a rendering, and a budget. The Renovation Committee and the Board will also be holding two informational sessions prior to the Congregation Meeting:

These sessions will give members a chance to look at a rendering and hear the Committee's recommendations, including the budget.   At the Congregation Meeting on Sunday, December 15 at 3 PM, the congregation will be asked to approve the Committee's recommendations.

Rabbi Search Committee Update

November 18, 2019

 

The Committee has completed the application seeking rabbinical candidates, and it will be submitted this week. Many thanks to Rabbi Kenter and Jo-Anne Tucker-Zemlak, our USCJ representative, for their helpful comments and suggestions during this process. Candidates begin their search typically in late November or early December, and we hope to begin receiving resumes shortly after.

We plan on sending out a short survey to the congregation in mid-December regarding attributes they wish to see in our new rabbi. This is to ensure that everyone has a chance to be involved in this process.

I want to thank my co-chair Steve Stein and everyone in the Committee for their dedication & hard work during this process: Barry Weiss, Ruth Smith, Jon Alper, Alan Gerberg, Jane Birnbach, Mike Medress, Barbara Waxman and Noa Alper.

 

Michelle Bannon

Sisterhood News

 

Sisterhood will present a program and potluck luncheon on December 1^st at 1 PM, at the home of Janice Kingoff, 1720 Hawthorne Road. The speaker will be Erica Julien, expert swordswoman.  See flyer below for more information.

 

PLEASE VOTE!

The proposed slate of officers for 2020 has been sent by email to all Sisterhood members. Please respond YES or NO, by reply email. Self-nominations are also welcome.  The proposed slate is:

 

Co-Presidents-Diane Gerberg and Sherry Padva

Corresponding Secretary-Dee Sherman

Recording Secretary-

Treasurer-Anita Liebeskind

 

If interested in serving on one of our active committees, please let Diane or Barbara know of your interest. 

 

The Sisterhood Book Club met on November 20^th. We discussed the first 8 chapters of Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel.  Our next meeting will be on January 29^th, place to be announced. We will discuss remainder of Part 2 and all of Part 3 of this fascinating biography. To be placed on our email list, please contact Barbara Waxman, barbarawaxman@gmail.com.

 

Sisterhood has donated three new books to the Bnai Israel Library: Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy, in memory of Warren Perlman, father of Debbie Smith; The Weight of Ink, in memory of Fred Feinstein, husband of Joan Feinstein; and Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel, in memory of Ruth Ambrose, mother of Alane Savod.

 

Cooking at Good Shepherd

Sunday, December 1, 4:30 pm

Please contact Alan Katz to join the team

alanritak29@gmail.com or 910.228.8999

or you can call or write to the synagogue office

910.762.1117 - kate.bnaiisraelilm@gmail.com

 

W e also need help cooking Christmas Lunch for the children and adults and delivering gifts at Good Shepherd on  December 25.

JOIN US!

Happenin's at the Shul

New Member Dinner Cooks

Bibles & Bagels with the Rabbi

 

We offer prayers of healing for the following:**

Steve Glaser Howard Neuwirth Gail Grotsky Gayle Ginsberg Walter Pancoe Lyne Glaser Sydel Gluck *

Ellen Emard Marvin Neuwirth Jackie Neuwirth Joan Feinstein Faye Sobol Fran Strauss Roberta Eichenholz

*Sydel Gluck

is living in Apartment 220, Champions Assisted Living, 1007 Porters Neck Road, Wilmington, NC  28411 at Plantation Village.  She would be so pleased to receive some company or a note from you.  She cannot be reached by phone.

**Each week we will show our  members and their families  who wish to be on the Misheberach list.  Names will remain on the list for 3 months unless you ask us to remove them earlier.  

Contact our office to add or remove names.

The names of those who are not members but whom you wish to