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Doreen Feldberg

Many Thanks

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was looking forward to assuming the role of Temple Solel president. As you read this, amazingly I will officially be just weeks away from handing the reins over to our new temple president, Rae Rader. My goodness time flies.

Back then the board was preparing for, and anticipating the exciting work ahead of us. We looked forward to hiring a new associate rabbi, creating a new strategic plan, updating the bylaws, amongst other responsibilities. Then the pandemic hit. All presidents are faced with unpredictable challenges during their tenure, but a pandemic?! I guess I pulled the short straw!

Yes, we were fortunate to hire Rabbi Stiel, but this new environment brought us down a different path. We were faced with unprecedented challenges and complex decisions to make. Being in lockdown did not diminish the workload of the board. To the contrary, we found ourselves navigating unchartered waters.

I’d like to thank those leaving the board this month: Bettina Chow, Larry Fink, Judy Gold, Lisa Lerner, Bobbi Moss, and Steve Slogoff. Their strong leadership, dedication, and passion as they served the Temple Solel community will
forever be appreciated. I sure hope they find ways to stay engaged, sharing their special gifts and talents.

We’re excited to be presenting a new group of board leaders to be voted on at our Annual Meeting, May 20 at 5:30 pm. I’m sure their enthusiasm and optimism will add new and coordinated focus to the board of trustees.

I’d also like to thank our hard-working clergy, staff and numerous lay leaders. It has been a tremendous honor collaborating with you, making sure we were doing our best to serve our Temple Solel congregation.

Please join me in sending a big thank you to our incoming president, Rae Rader, for taking on the challenge. I know Rae will do an extraordinary job.

And to my amazing husband, Harley, thanks for being my sounding board. Your calmness and logical demeanor came in handy many times!

Once again, I want to express my thanks and gratitude for the opportunity to serve this wonderful community. It certainly was a rewarding experience, full of challenges and opportunities at the same time.

Wishing you a wonderful summer,
Doreen Feldberg

 

Temple Solel Annual Meeting via Zoom
Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 5:30 pm
Join us via Zoom and hear updates about the congregation, vote to approve the annual budget, and vote to elect the new board slate. Each member of Temple Solel is encouraged to attend this important session. RSVP and register via a link that’ll be provided in a special email to members prior to the meeting.
We want your participation and your vote is important!
To participate in our annual meeting one must be a member in good standing. A “member in good standing” is a member whose membership unit is not more than 60 days in arrears on its financial obligations to Temple Solel and no more than 30 days in arrears on such sums on June 30th, unless the unit has been granted a financial adjustment.
Members who are paying their financial obligations in accordance with an automatic payment program are considered to be in good standing. Members in good standing are eligible to vote in membership meetings.

April21

Madrichim at Religious School

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Temple Solel is known for its Madrichim program. Madrichim, which means teacher’s assistant, has been a training ground for our 8-12 graders who want to take an active role in working with students and families in our temple. It is a role they take on when they want to give back to the temple, continue their own Jewish education, and become leaders within the Jewish community.

This program is led by Andrea Eisen, an outstanding educator, who has taken the Madrichim class to a higher
level. Not only does she work with our Madrichim as to how best to engage the students, but she works with our faculty as to how best to use the Madrich/cha in the classroom. Andrea, who has given structure and purpose to the Madrichim program brings years of experience to our religious school. She is a wonderful resource for our students and for that I thank her.

Tobee Waxenberg
Director of Religious School

As a long time Jewish educator, I have learned along the way that the key to making the temple feel like “home” to our children lies not just with our teachers and rabbis, but with our teens. Keeping our post b’nai mitzvah students engaged and involved with the religious school and youth group helps not only the teens themselves, but our whole congregation.

Before the pandemic, Temple Solel was a very busy place on Sunday mornings! Filled with teenagers, as they were setting up to work in the classrooms, office or Bistro, they brought a level of enthusiasm that made the day feel special. Those teens are part of our fabulous Madrichim program. Madrichim is a Hebrew word that has come to mean student aides. Teens that participate in our Madrichim program serve as role models for the younger students.

If you have a child in 6th or 7th grade and you have been wondering what happens after b’nai mitzvah, the Madrichim program is the next step in your child’s Jewish education. When your child signs up for the Madrichim program they do not just help in a classroom. They must also be registered for religious school and continue their own Jewish education. I teach grades 8 and 9 and the rabbis teach grades 10-12. Their class time is during Religious school and it is an important piece of the Madrichim program. As role models they are showing the younger ones that Jewish learning does not stop after b’nai mitzvah. These classes explore things like Comparative Religion or Jewish Communities Around the World and cover current issues in the world looking at them from a Jewish perspective. They help our teens to go out in the world feeling like they have a deeper understanding of Judaism and about their own beliefs. Madrichim receive training on how to work in a classroom during our Madrichim meetings 4-5 times a year. These meetings take place on a weeknight separate from the bustle of Sunday morning religious school. We share dinner together while we troubleshoot what goes on in the classrooms and in the office. They learn about what it means to be a role model, how to create and present lesson plans, how to work with children, and how to be most helpful to the teacher. The best thing about these meetings is that I see the older Madrichim helping the younger ones with their words of wisdom from years of experience in the program. I see our Madrichim as the Jewish educators and leaders of the future.

I am particularly proud of our Madrichim program because of the commitment I see in the teens who participate. Currently we have 36 students participating in grades 8-12. This year has been a real challenge for our Madrichim since we did not have in-person learning. Many Madrichim actually chose to join their teachers on Zoom helping with breakout rooms and with some of the technical issues of being on the Zoom platform.

In August, when we are back in the building for classes, 8th grade Madrichim will work on a voluntary basis and get community service hours for their time, if they need it. Beginning in 9th grade, they can be paid a quarterly stipend or continue to volunteer as some choose to do. Paid or not, these teens take this job seriously and the children they work with grow to depend on seeing them each Sunday morning. They look forward to telling them about their new puppy or what happened to them in school and the Madrichim look forward to seeing their smiling faces, helping them learn the Alef-Bet, Jewish history or the next Jewish holiday. It is truly a win for both sides and helps to foster good feelings about time spent in religious school and at Temple Solel.

I truly hope you will talk to your 7-11 graders about joining the Madrichim program. Please feel free to contact Tobee Waxenberg, Director of Raker Religious School, if you have any questions or if you would like to talk with me, she will facilitate that as well.

Andrea Eisen
Madrichim Coordinator

February21

Ensuring Our Future Temple Solel Endowment Foundation

In my over 20 years as a member of Temple Solel, I have served in various positions trying to give back to a community that has always meant a lot to my family. I was honored to serve as Vice President of Education on the Temple Solel Board of Trustees and found great satisfaction and fulfillment organizing Mitzvah Day for the Raker Religious School for many years. My Sunday mornings volunteering at the Boker Tov Bistro proved to be a delightful way of “serving” the temple community while making new friends and learning some coffee making skills. More recently, I found my place on the Temple Solel Endowment Foundation Board where I have served as Secretary and Vice President. And it is now my honor to serve as the foundation’s president.

The Temple Solel Endowment Foundation held its annual meeting and elected its officers in early December. I would like to offer congratulations and gratitude to the new executive board members: Scott Cohen as Vice President, Jim Moss returning as Treasurer and Gail Zucker as secretary. Your time and devotion to the foundation and Temple Solel is invaluable. I would also like to express unending appreciation to outgoing President Nelson Lerner and board member Dick Lamden for their initiative, guidance and perseverance that helped develop the foundation into what it is today. Finally, I would like to thank the entire board for your commitment to the foundation. This certainly is not an easy task but I appreciate all the talent you bring to the team.

The Temple Solel Endowment Foundation only exists due to the generosity of our donors. Through donations big and small, you have greatly impacted the future of our beloved temple. On behalf of the Endowment Foundation Board, Temple Solel community and future congregants, I extend a heart-felt thank you for your gift.
Temple Solel is a home, which fulfills many needs including religious, educational, emotional, therapeutic and social. Pick your own or add to the list, there is no right or wrong reason to belong to such a strong vibrant community. And as members of this community, we all have a responsibility to ensure it stays strong for our children and our children’s children (L’dor va’dor).

As of December 31, 2020, our managed portfolio value has exceeded $1.5M. This impressive number is a good start, but we have a long way to go to create a foundation which can sustain Temple Solel. After extensive research and calculations, the endowment foundation board has determined that a portfolio of $10M would sustain Temple Solel for the future. But, baby steps…, so the foundation is asking for your help in doubling our current portfolio value over the next 12 months.
Starting this year, I would like to create initiatives which increase the value of our legacy gift portfolio. A legacy gift is a gift left to the Temple Solel Endowment Foundation as an addendum to your will or an insurance policy. There are many ways this can be done. The benefit of a legacy gift is that there is no immediate cash transfer so your current estate value remains intact. A legacy gift is testamentary in nature. With legacy gifts, we can shore up Temple Solel against any future economic downturn. May I suggest you discuss such a gift with your financial advisor?

I am looking forward to serving as your foundation president. Together we can bolster our temple’s financial future.
“As a torch is not diminished though it kindles a million candles, so will he not lose who gives to a good cause”- Midrash.

Robert Siamon
Temple Solel Endowment Foundation Board President

As We Welcome 2021!

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I’ve heard many say the year 2020 will be one  for the record books. It’s been a year that was  anything but predictable.  

As I write this, not much has changed on the  Temple front since my last article in October.  We did however, get to share beautiful productions of the  High Holidays, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, and Hanukkah  celebrations together.  

We’ve enjoyed distanced “meet and greets” with Rabbi  Stiel, as well as “drive by” graduations, to name a few.  We’ll continue to plan and bring you our many virtual  programs, including Shabbat Services, Life Cycle Events,  Educational Programs, as well as opportunities for you to  engage with our Clergy and with each other. We’ve all  worked together to adjust and learn new ways of  communicating. Virtual Happy Hours is one of my  favorites! 

Yes, it’s a new reality and most of us are “Zoomed out”!  We miss our family get-togethers, traveling, dining in our  favorite restaurants, as well as enjoying our Temple family  in person. 

What IS different today is we aren’t sure what tomorrow  might look like. How much of this ”new normal” will  prevail? As things change and evolve, we’ll continue to  adapt, as we’ve all done so well.  

What we DO know is Temple Solel remains a strong and  vibrantly engaged Congregation. We’re grounded in  relationships and deeds, elevated by Shabbat and Torah. 

Ushering in 2021, we undoubtedly expect to face new  challenges that will come our way. As our Annual  Campaign winds down, we want to thank all of you for  your generosity and support during these times. We have  begun our budgeting process for fiscal 2021-2022. Please  know your financial support all year long is critical and  important to us. We also thank you for supporting the  many programs and events Temple Solel presents  throughout the year. Attendance has been strong. 

For now, we will continue to connect with each other and  the Jewish Community, celebrating our Jewish holidays  and milestones, mostly in a virtual way. Please be sure to  regularly check our calendar at templeSolel.org/events for  the many ways to participate. Also, don’t forget to look for  your weekly eNUZ emails that are sent on Thursdays. They  are full of Temple and Community information. 

Sadly, this pandemic has affected so many people in many  difficult and tragic ways over the past 10 months. Let us  not forget the personal heartache they have endured.  Let’s keep them in our thoughts and prayers.  

All of us have been tested in many ways, but our resolve is  strong! We have each other, and we have Temple Solel. I  know you all join me in looking forward to the day we can  be together again, in person, in our beautiful Sanctuary. 

Stay safe and healthy. 


Doreen Feldberg
Temple Solel President