Present: Penina Arbit, Randi Garber (chairs), Warren Burstein, Dov Cooper, Esther Edell, Donna Goldberg, Yonni Hammer, Neil Pearlman, Bobbie Silberklang, Debbie Weissman, Philip Yakar (administrator).
Apologies: Kobi Abelman, Jody Blum, Orit Elgavi
Agreed to repair our 'red' sefer at a cost of $900.
Suggested we ask Noomi Stahl's father (Shlomo Berlinger) to see if any European communities would donate s'farim.
As previously decided a non-member will pay 700 NIS for a seat. If wish to reconsider, need to do so, before membership forms go out next year.
Esther will circulate a draft schedule for comment.
Shliach Tzibbur, Billy Weisel.
Nigunim learning, hour before S'lichot.
Drasha – 'speakers group' will be asked to find someone. The name of Prof. Avigdor Shenan was suggested.
In future Rabbi David Golenkin should be approached for an appropriate occasion.
Shlichei Tzibbur are all allocated. For Kol Nidrei Gerald Cromer will be upstairs and Artur Frajnd downstairs.
Shofar blowers and Kriat Hatorah are under control.
For hospitality there is a need for more people to host. Penina will raise this with Angela Bryce.
Monitoring of children was not effective last year but there is a need to repeat (and improve) it.
Day of the Greenwald-Silver Bar-mitzvah. The Kiddush will be catered. There will be study groups which Debbie G. & Eti will be asked to organise.
Yom Kippur
Kol Nidre – downstairs service will be held with the dividers completely closed. A third mehitza will be added in the back to create a pathway to reach the men's section
The Gabbaim will fix the times and try to enable maximum break time.
A special meeting will be held to discuss Simchat Torah.
Rafi Rotman will be asked to recruit young volunteers to help build the Sukkah. Also two adults are needed. These needs will be put on the schedule.
For Simchat Torah some suggestions have been made for a 'happening' concurrent with the readings. However, there is a major problem of space. The only feasible activity could be hevruta study in the park. The possibility of story time for smaller children will be discussed with Yitzchak and Eytan.
As every year extra Sifrei Torah will be needed (and all have to be insured).
Approaches for borrowing Sifrei Torah will be made as follows:
Keshet – Randi
Daniel's – Neil
Women of the Wall – Dov (do they have a Yedidya Sefer?)
Nativ – Philip
Young Judea – Kobi
Akiva Garber – as required. Gabbaim will decide on total number required.
S'farim should be without a yad as they can go astray.
120 have renewed / signed up, plus 3 overseas. Some 39 replies are awaited. Income is approximately 130,000 NIS, and some 40,000 is outstanding, matching budget expectations.
This year single membership costs a little more than 50% of family membership. This will be adjusted next year to exactly 50%.
We have received the 24,000 NIS grant from Keren Ezvonot 2004. We are beginning planning work on the basement and are working with architects on prices for their work.
The organisation ðàîðé úåøä åòáåãä approached us for office space – which we do not have available – and other areas of cooperation. At this stage we agreed to store their office furniture and cooperate on programming evening events. In addition we agreed to explore the possibility of office-space for them in the basement, on the basis of joint fund-raising. It was agreed that we would set up a small sub-committee to enter into discussions with them; members – Randi Garber, Debbie Weissman and Marc Render.
Philip reported on an initiative to set up a new Amutah/Chevrah Kadisha in Jerusalem, in cooperation with Menuchah Nechonah. A meeting will take place this week with Rabbi Tzvi Graetz and representatives of Yedidya when the programme will be presented. We will then decide whether Yedidya will send a representative to the Amutah planning meeting in September.
Debbie Weissman reported that the Minhag Committee recommends that the reciting of the separate prayer be stopped since they are included in the general prayer for the welfare of our soldiers, and too many additions are a tircha d'tzibora. This change was approved.
An e-mail will be sent explaining the change and the new, changed version will be sent to Debbie Weissman for checking.
The Vaad expressed their thanks to Warren and the Webbers for the Hebrew version.
The reading of Eichah was very good and 30 people attended Rabbi Mirsky's Shiur.
Their community is moving back into their refurbished building. Agreed we should send our best wishes.
Randi will ask Ilana to follow-up on the condition of injured soldiers, relatives of members. Randi had sought help to families where relatives were called-up and there was a small, but welcome, response. In general, it was felt that our reaction to the situation should have been quicker.
In light of the situation in the North it was suggested we hold the Shabbaton in Tzfat. Donna will look into this.
An outside body organized a concert at Yedidya for the benefit of people from the North. Some 150 people attended and there were 'duchanim' in the downstairs hall. All elements of the evening were covered by donations.
Randi & Penina are about to end their 2 year term. It was proposed they stay on for a further year, but, meanwhile, new candidates MUST be sought.
October 22nd, 2006 at 20:00.