Category Archives: Planning
BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Aitz Chaim Board Meeting Minutes
Sunday, 9/28 at 2pm at Celtic Cowboy
Attending were board members Aaron, Laura, Stephen, and Helen, and Joy, Aitz Chaim coeditor. We thought that the change in venue to a fun restaurant like the Celtic Cowboy was a good idea. However, it turned out that they have live music on Sunday afternoons, which was an impediment to our discussion. We thought another location for future meetings would be preferable.
- TREASURER’S REPORT
- CEMETERY
- HANNUKAH PARTY: We will check with Stuart to find out if he will still host it, and dates that will work.
- SCHEDULE FOR REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR
- EMPTY SLOT ON BOARD: We agreed to keep this slot open while we wait for a member to ask to join the board.
1) Accepted as submitted. However, an additional $650 was still payable to HUC from the rabbi program last year. That check will be sent this week, reducing the income from last year to $200. We noted that the income from the Passover seder was $200, and that profit was almost entirely due to guests and non-members attending the Seder. We decided to continue inviting a smaller group of non-members and guests to the Seder, as long as the majority of attendees are Jewish.
2) BETHEL BUILDING FUND
Bethel Lutheran Church is having a building fund and intends to make significant changes to our space, including moving our storage area in the building to an interior wall that will not be as subject to outside cold. We decided to double our annual rent for the year and send Bethel an additional $350. We did this with the understanding that our total income for last year was only $200.
3) PASSOVER SEDER
We agreed to continue having the Seder at Clark and Lewies. Due to congregational schedules, we decided to have the seder this year on 4/3/15 (First night) to avoid a conflict with the Showdown Mannequin Jump, which Aaron, Steve and Max are committed to attending. If the Thares are unavailable, we thought that Tuesday, 4/7/15 would be an acceptable alternative evening. Hanna, Sarah and Max have been asked to lead the seder this year.
1) We discussed the desire for a fence at the Mt. Olivet cemetery, and what the congregation might do to facilitate it.
2) We discussed upkeep and maintenance of the cemetery, and some possible changes concerning future burials there.
3) What is the correct amount to charge for burials at Eaton Road? We thought that $500.00 was a number which will allow us some funds for ongoing maintenance of the cemetery.
4) Max Weissman’s eagle project will likely be this Spring, and he would like to do fence repairs at the Eaton Road cemetery, as well as graveling in a parking area, and perhaps the road.
1) Rabbi Meriam will come during the weekend of November 21, 2014.
2) We will not schedule a March service this year due to costs and lack of attendance; however, we will try to have a Friday night Purim party and/or movie night in March. We would like this to be on 3/6/15.
3) We would like to have a Shavuos weekend during the weekend of 5/23/15. If Meriam is not available, perhaps we could ask Ruz to return.
YOM KIPPUR HOSPITALITY
Todah Robah to the following Congregation members who have offered their hospitality to Morah Ruz Gulko for Yom Kippur:
- Friday, 10/03/2014: Airport pickup for Ruz Gulko: Marty Foxman
- Friday evening, 10/03/2014: Dinner hosts for Ruz Gulko: Aaron and Wendy Weissman
HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE ON THE AITZ CHAIM BOARD?
Now, here’s your chance. As an Aitz Chaim board member, you can lend your voice to decisions that are made by the Board concerning this congregation, and Jewish life in general in this community. You will have a chance to get together with other passionate Jews and discuss and make decisions that directly affect you now and in the future. Topics before the Board typically include such things as the upcoming schedule for services, upkeep of the cemetery, holiday planning, and annual budget concerns. Any congregation member is encouraged to attend board meetings as a spectator, but imagine yourself being an actual participant in making decisions about matters directly affecting your Jewish life in Great Falls. You could go down in Aitz Chaim history.
The Board members who are up for re-election for two-year terms are vice president Bruce Breslauer, who has declined to run again; Treasurer Aaron Weissman, Secretary Nadyne Weissman, and board member Stuart Lewin. Elections are typically held between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and voting is done by secret ballot.
The next board meeting will be held on September 28, 2014, at 2:00 P.M. at the Celtic Cowboy, 116 1st Ave. S.
If you are considering running for election to the Aitz Chaim board, please let President Laura Weiss president@aitzchaim.com
or any other Board member know so that we can include your name on the ballot.
ROSH HASHANAH HOSPITALITY
Todah Robah to the following Congregation members who have offered their hospitality to Cantor Ruz Gulko and to provide the oneg:
- Wednesday, 09/24/2014: Airport pickup for Ruz Gulko: Aaron Weissman
- Wednesday evening, 09/24/2014: Dinner hosts for Ruz Gulko: Don and Helen Cherry
- Wednesday evening, 09/24/2014: Oneg, hosted by Ann Grobosky. Meriam Nagel will bring round Challah.
YOM KIPPUR SCHEDULE 2014
Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events.
Yom Kippur day schedule:
- Saturday, 10/04/2014, 10:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M.: Yom Kippur Morning services led by Morah Ruz Gulko at the Bethel.
- Saturday afternoon, 10/04/2014, 12:00-3:00 P.M.: Break
- Saturday afternoon, 10/04/2014, 3:00-4:00 P.M.: Discussion.
- Saturday afternoon, 10/04/2014, 4:30-5:30 P.M.: Yizkor
- Saturday afternoon, 10/04/2014, 5:30-6:15 P.M.: Neilah
- Saturday evening, 10/04/2014, 6:30 P.M.: Break the Fast Potluck, traditionally dairy (milchig.)
The address of the Bethel is 1009 18th Avenue Southwest. click here for map and directions.
ROSH HASHANAH SCHEDULE 2014
Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events.
- Wednesday evening, 09/24/2014, 7:00 P.M.: Arev Rosh Hashanah Services, led by Morah Ruz Gulko, at The Bethel. Oneg to follow.
- Thursday morning, 09/25/2014, 10:00 A.M.: Rosh Hashanah Morning Services, led by Morah Ruz Gulko, at The Bethel.
- Tashlich at Giant Springs to follow.
- Congregation no-host lunch to follow, at Maple Gardens, 5401 9th Ave. S.
The address of the Bethel is 1009 18th Avenue Southwest. click here for map and directions.
Torah Readers for High Holy Days?
How is it already the month of Elul? The year is really flying by, and before you know it Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur will be upon us!
I had the opportunity for a lovely conversation with our service leader and Cantorial Soloist for our High Holy Day services this year, Ruz Gulko. Ruz comes to us on Rabbi Fine’s recommendation, and has been leading services in the Seattle area for the past 25 years.
Ruz is putting her plans together for our Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, and would like to know if anyone would like the honor of reading from the Torah on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur mornings. She plans on using the High Holy Day trope for the services, and will be glad to send a written copy of the text and an mp3 of the trope to any volunteers. If you are interested, please send her an email at ruzgulko@comcast.net or place a comment on this post.
If there is anything specific you would like to see done at these services, please send me and Ruz a note, or just comment below.
L’Shana Tova,
Aaron
CEMETERY CLEANUP — TUESDAY, JUNE 24
The cemetery cleanup will be on Tuesday, June 24. We’ll meet at the cemetery at 5:30 P.M. Anyone willing to bring a lawn mower, a weed eater, a shovel, a set of working muscles and a merry heart is welcome. We’ll make it an evening of comraderie along with some hard work, and perhaps go somewhere afterward for some liquid refreshment. Sorry for the short notice.
Adendum, submitted by Jerry Weissman: We went out to the cemetery this afternoon for cleanup and mowing. For the most part it is done and great congratulations are due for Aaron, Stephen, Marty and Nadyne who did the work.
Marty Foxman suggests that we have a followup cleanup and perhaps picnic and watch the full moon on July 12.
BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
A board meeting of the Great Falls Hebrew Association (Aitz Chaim) was held at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday, June 1, at the Washington School. Following are some highlights of the meeting.
- The Board discussed having a cemetery cleanup evening on Tuesday, June 24, starting at 5:30 P.M. Anyone wishing to bring a lawn mower, weed eater, shovel, salad, or a cold drink is welcome to come. After the cleanup, then we can have the stones that have been vandalized repaired.
- We still have one more student rabbi visit left in our contract this year. Student Rabbi Bess Wohlner was not able to come back for another visit, so we are going to check into whether the next year’s student rabbi could come out the week end of July 25, since air fares are much less expensive in the summer. He or she may not be able to get here in time to do a Friday evening service, but we might do something Saturday morning the 26th and then a potluck that evening and perhaps something Sunday. We will let you know if such a thing materializes. This summer we may get together and do something socially as a community, with or without a student rabbi. We had thought we should do that more often anyway to strengthen our ties as a community, since we meet so few times a year and so irregularly now for religious services. Stephen Boyd offered to be our social events coordinator. We may even get together some time this winter to have a movie night. Stay tuned to your Ram’s Horn for further developments.
- Next year the second night of Passover is Saturday, April 4. We had such a fun Passover Seder last year, with several people signing up at the last minute to make up for some that weren’t able to come. We will have next year’s Passover Seder at the same place, and it will be led by Sarah, Max, and Hannah. We’ll let you know more as it gets closer.
So the tentative calendar for upcoming events looks like this:
- Tuesday, 06/24/2014, 5:30 P.M.: Cemetery cleanup and noshing.
- The week end of 07/25-27/2014: Possible visit from next year’s student Rabbi, but we’ll plan to do something anyway. TBA
- Wednesday, 09/24/2014: Erev Rosh Hashanah with Student Rabbi
- Sunday, 09/28/2014: Annual Board meeting and election of board members and officers
- Friday, 10/03/2014: Erev Yom Kippur with Student Rabbi
- November: Possible visit from Student Rabbi TBA
- Tuesday through the next Wednesday, 12/16-24/2014: Hannukah
- Wednesday, 12/24/2014: Christmas at the Mercy Home
- January and February: Possible social event(s) to be planned by our new social coordinator
- 03/05/2015: Purim, and possible visit from Student Rabbi TBA
- Friday through the next Saturday, 04/03-11/2015: Passover. Community Seder Saturday, 04/04/2015.
- May: Possible visit from Student Rabbi TBA
WEEK END PLANNING
Todah Robah to the following Congregation members who have offered their hospitality to Student Rabbi Bess Wohlner and to provide the oneg:
Airport Pickup: Marty Foxman
Friday evening,March 28, 2014, dinner with Student Rabbi Bess Wohlner: Jerry and Nadyne Weissman
Oneg: Jerry and Nadyne Weissman and Joy Breslauer
Saturday morning, March 29, 2014, after Torah study: Lunch with Student Rabbi Bess Wohlner: Laura Weiss
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 