Summary of Executive Committee Meeting 26.01.2015

 

Present: Bruce Rosen (Chair), Yitzhak Avigad, Adina Golombek, David Gleicher, Kobi Abelman, Simon Caplan, Mark Nulman, Hana Levine, Avital Ordan

In attendance: Josh Schoffman, Eliezer Finer

 

Tu B’Shevat Activities

Hana Levine reported back on activities which took place over Tu Beshevat, A Tisch was held at the initiative of Tamar Stern and with the participation of Renee Atlas from the social action committee: Pinchus Leiser directed the subject of his regular shiur to the subject of the halacha on the protection Fruit Trees from harm during times of battle. / Brachot of the season were recited on the relevant fruits / Mordechai Beck played guitar and led us in songs of the season. He was joined by Michi and Tzipi Mannheim. Participation was over 30 people during the course of the evening, which included the regular attendees of Pinchus' shiur as well as 2 young members who also enjoyed the ID the tree activity run by Renee.  Thanks due to all who contributed their efforts to the event.

 

Budget Overview

Mark Nulman (MN) presented a budgetary overview (as attached to these minutes), noting;

·        The special cost of repairs to the stonework (100,000 NIS) included in the budget

·        Likely possible furniture / renovations to the entrance hall level as a result of future arrangements for Kabbalat Shabbat not included in the budget

·        15,000 NIS is allocated in the budget for website – this is an estimate only

·        Changes had been made to the way the budget documentation was structured and previously presented. Members were invited to comment on the changes

·        MN reported that the ‘bottom line’ was a deficit of 174,150 NIS, due mainly to resolving the issue of the stonework

·        MN reported the recommendation of the Finance Committee to cover the deficit as

-         100,000 from building reserves

-         47,500 transfer from programming reserves

-         Approximately 5% increase in membership dues

-         Fundraising focusing on members who had not participated in the building fund campaign

 

Points arising in discussion included:

-         The deficit can be covered by reserves. The projected deficit (excluding the issue of special repair to the stonework) is no more than the surplus in actual expenditure in 2014

-         Keeping reserves at a high level is not always a good thing – it can negatively affect fundraising efforts

-         Reserves have increased by 50% over the past three years – partly as a result of planned activities not taking place. An annual surplus is not necessarily an indicator of success in terms of a community budget

-         Should we be considering raising membership fees at this point in community life when there is a lot of residual tension and dissatisfaction to be resolved?

-         We should look more closely at the membership fee issue with a view to adopting a more focused approach (eg fees for foreign members, an organized membership drive and so on)

-         If membership fees are to be raised it should be on a percentage basis and not a simple across the board shekel figure

-         If there is to be a fundraising campaign, it should concentrate on the building issues, especially in light of stonework repair which is a ‘visible’ need

-         A separate fundraising effort for the library is planned for the near future – aiming to raise between 20,000-60,000 NIS

-         There may be a need to allow for paying for some services that had until now been provided on a voluntary basis

-         Regarding format, some information on reserves should be provided in the budget documentation

-         Should we consider taking certain items which are balanced income/expenditure (costs and fees for Shabbaton for example) out of the body of the budget?

 

It was concluded that;

-         A decision on a raise in membership fees will be delayed to May 2015

-         The Chairman will begin to put together a fundraising committee

-         The website cost will be established after due diligence – approval to be made by the Treasurer

 

The Budget as presented was approved unanimously

 

 

Programming Hub

BR reported on progress:

·        Terms and conditions were already discussed and agreed by the VM (as attached to minutes)

 

·        It was proposed to appoint David Silberklang (chair), Renee Atlas-Cohen and Kobi Abelman (on the understanding that he step down from the building Use Committee) as the initial members of the Hub

 

·        Points arising in discussion included;

 

-         The need for a person representing the younger constituent to be added to the group

-         The Hub could be expanded to up to 5 people in order to accommodate the younger element, the first step being to look for one or two people from the Youth Committee to join the Hub

 

·        It was agreed to appoint the three individuals recommended for a period of two years, and ask them to recruit up to an additional two people as per points raised in discussion

 

 

Women’s Led Kabbalat Shabbat

BR reported on recent efforts to arrive at a ‘compromise’ agreement which would come closest to satisfying the various needs of members who felt strongly about the issue.

It was proposed to extend the ‘freeze’ on phase two of the introduction of WLKS from February 8th as originally agreed, to the end of March, and to make every effort to conclude the issue by the end of March latest

The proposal was carried six in favor, none opposed, one abstention

 

 

Appointment of a Deputy Chairman

BR proposed the appointment of Adina Golombek as Vaad Menahel Deputy Chair. It was explained that the main reasons for the appointment were:

-         Providing the Chair with a partner with whom to discuss issues

-         Improve the track record in recruiting the 30-50 age group

-         Be a potential future ‘Chairman in waiting’

The proposal was carried by six in favor, none against and one abstention

 

 

Draft

 

Roles of the Yedidya programming hub: overview

 

1)    Playing a lead role in the development of overall programming policies and an annual programming budget

2)    Deciding how the general programming policies/budget should be applied to specific events, as needed

3)    Identifying the need for various programming support systems and promoting their development; taking advantage of potential programming synergies

4)    Facilitating programming innovation, and responding to ad hoc programming proposals, in concert with Yedidya principles and priorities

 

Note: The programming hub would initially be adopted on an experimental basis, subject to review and modification after 6 months and again after 12 months. The review would include, but not be limited to, the extent to which the specific roles described here have been fulfilled and the impact on the community.

 

Roles of the Yedidya programming hub: details


1)      Playing a lead role in the development of overall programming policies and an annual programming budget

a)      Developing a proposal for an annual programming budget, for consideration by the finance committee and the VM[1]

b)      Developing proposals for programming policies and guidelines, for consideration by the VM (e.g. speaker fee guidelines, what constitutes a Yedidya event, etc.)

2)      Deciding how the general programming policies/budget should be applied to specific events, as needed

a)      Allocating the approved annual programming budget among specific Yedidya events[2]

b)      Determining any other financial arrangements for specific Yedidya events, such as speaker fees, whether to collect monies at the door (either on a voluntary or mandatory basis), in coordination with the event organizers

c)      Determining when events proposed by individual members should be adopted as Yedidya events[3]  

 

 

3)      Identifying the need for various programming support systems and promoting their development; taking advantage of potential programming synergies

a)      Convening an annual or semi-annual programming forum - open to everyone in Yedidya engaged in programming - to identify common needs and ways to address them

b)      Considering opportunities for annual programming themes, in concert with others involves in Yedidya programming

c)      Catalyzing the development of various systems and capacities that are relevant to a broad range of specific programs (e.g. a Yedidya Events facebook page, and an evolving, annual programming plan/calendar); coordinating, as relevant, with the office (e.g. scheduling and receipting procedures), the building use committee (e.g. locking-up procedures), the greeters team, etc.

d)      More generally, supporting the work of existing teams already involved in programming, when asked to do so, without necessarily becoming involved as additional event management volunteers

 

4)      Facilitating programming innovation and responding to ad hoc programming proposals, in concert with Yedidya principles and priorities

a)      Identifying new programming opportunities and recruiting people to run with them, in consultation with relevant committees

b)      Responding to ad hoc programming proposals from individual members; working with proposers to refine the concept/plan; providing guidance on implementation

 


[1] This would be in effect starting with the 2016 budget planning cycle, as it is too late to apply it to the 2015 cycle.

[2] In 2016 and onwards, this would apply to a comprehensive programming budget. For 2015 it would apply only to a budget set aside for initiatives falling outside the purview of existing budget-holding committees.

[3] Any event planned by an official Yedidya committee is, naturally, a Yedidya event.