Click the photo to watch the original speech.

Last year when I spoke with you, none of us could have anticipated what we have been through during the past eight plus months. Last year when I spoke with you, I shared with you many of the things that make B’nai Tikvah a community. Most of that community discussion was about you, my friends, my colleagues, my mentors and my fellow congregants.

The pandemic has provided us with many challenges. The flip side of that is that it has provided us with many opportunities to express ourselves as a community. First and foremost, among these, was how to deal with the pandemic: the office, services, religious school, our Menachem Cheder school renters.

Luckily, we have many passionate and skilled people who are members of our Executive Committee, Board and wider membership. Gordon Heit, our Vice President for Ritual, volunteered to lead our Reopening Task Force. The first order of business was to determine what safe circumstances we would need to obtain to be able to re-open for in-person services, i.e., what was the CBT standard. Even at the point the government would indicate we could re-open, what would we allow and limit for everyone to be safe.

As I said, we are lucky. In addition to Gordon chairing the Committee, the following people stepped up by volunteering to serve:

  • Rabbi Wolkoff
  • Cantor Rockman
  • Steve Levin, MD
  • Neal Gittleman, DDS
  • Lori Sookerman, RN
  • Kevin Krane, Logistics Executive
  • Melissa Kessler, Co-VP for School & Youth (Attorney by training)
  • Amanda Uniman, VP for Ways & Means (Human Resources Executive)
  • Ben Gottesman, Technology professional & Chair of the Technology subcommittee
  • Kim Riemann, Technology professional & CBT Webmaster
  • Charlie Valan, VP for Administration
  • Lesley Lewkowicz, Administrator, beginning August 1
  • Lynne Weiss-Marshall, Executive Director through July 31

 

The Technology sub-committee consisted of (and/or was aided by):

  • Ben Gottesman, Chair
  • Kim Riemann, Webmaster
  • Rob Blackin
  • Paul Zankel
  • Danny Greenberg
  • Gary Bergman
  • Mitch Frumkin
  • Andy Jackenthal

 

That is an amazing group of professionals and volunteers who brought their expertise and passion to the challenge of how to re-open CBT safely for daily minyan. Ultimately, the Task Force reached a consensus that anyone in the building must wear a mask and that social distancing should always be maintained. While the consensus was 15 should be the maximum number of people at services in the sanctuary, for now, Rabbi Wolkoff and Charlie Valan marked off 18 spaces that were very socially distanced from each other. In addition, we have implemented a far stricter cleaning and sanitizing regimen than pre-pandemic. Thank you, Lynne, Lesley and Julio, our maintenance worker. Again, our main concern is for safety. Understandably, many of us are reluctant to be inside with even a small group of people wearing masks, while the pandemic is ongoing.

To maintain our sense of community while we did not have in-person services, Rabbi Wolkoff and Cantor Rockman thought of many ways to keep us engaged. Literally, there was something for everyone: Daily minyan with a special prayer in lieu of Kaddish; Tuesday evening “Ask the Rabbi” Zoom; Wednesday “Lunch and Learn with the Rabbi” Zoom; and Thursday evening “Topic of the Week” Zoom with Rabbi Wolkoff. Oh, and WAM came up with Trivia Night Zoom.

Once the Task Force had reached that decision, it morphed into the High Holy Day Task Force and more challenges. Among the answers were multiple Zoom accounts, Danny and Ben as Co-Executive Producers of High Holy Day services streaming; 70 volunteers packaging and delivering High Holy Day “Care” packages to our members who live in the vicinity of CBT; individual iPads for Rabbi Wolkoff and Cantor Rockman to stream from and the last-minute addition of a Sanctuary cam, courtesy of Danny.

From our Torah and Haftorah readers, Rabbi Wolkoff, Cantor Rockman, Executive Producers Danny Greenberg and Ben Gottesman, PJ Library Torah for Tots Zoom, Junior Congregation Zoom, through the parking lot Shofar service on RH II, Rosh Hashanah service went extremely smoothly. We even overcame the one technical glitch that occurred on day one.

Speaking of the Shofar service in the parking lot, it was great (and freeing) to see so many of you (although socially distanced) in-person. Community. It brought that sense of community full circle, having me looking forward to when we can safely meet like that inside our sanctuary.

I outlined the reasons why your High Holy Day pledge, perhaps, is more important than ever in my letter that you received a few days ago. Restrictions on our long-term partner, Classical Caterers, combined with our increased cleaning/sanitizing expenses and more limited opportunities for fundraising events are the principal factors.

Please turn down the pledge tab that you are comfortable with. No amount is too large or too small. Having 100% participation, regardless of any individual amount, is my goal or make your pledge using the form below.

May each of you and your family members be inscribed for a safe and sweet new year.
Thank you!