Winter ‘25/Spring ‘25
Hi there, it’s been a few months since my words met your eyes. Nice to share this space
with you again. It’s March, and after a few months of mostly cooler weather, the days
are feeling as if summer is closing in.
As some of my favorite programs of the year approach in the form of Gospel Shabbat,
Mitzvah Day and Quesadilla & Megillah, those involved in programing at TBE are
getting ready to convene for an ideation session pointed towards the fall and beyond.
We take this stuff seriously! We want a lot of things to be true in the context of how our
Temple fits into your lives.
We want to be inspiring and educational.
We long to be supportive and entertaining.
We wish to be useful and comfortable.
We aspire to make a difference…in your life and in our broader community.
Yes, there is much we wish to be, and being or becoming those things doesn’t happen
without intentionality. How do we maintain relevance in a world of Netflix, Amazon,
coffee shop drive-throughs, social media, yoga, dog parks, the gym, soccer practice,
piano lessons and so very much more. It’s not easy. But we try. Daily.
We are getting ready to welcome new members to our Board. We’re excited because
they have much to contribute to our success! We are doing some staff restructuring to
better utilize the talents of our team, and we are continually asking ourselves how we
can be a better “Community Center of Jewish Life & Culture” to those in the Hollywood
area.
I’d love to hear from you about things that interest you, that might possibly be turned
into programming at TBE. Do you love playing board games? Maybe you’d like to run a
monthly game afternoon. Do you love Film…a certain genre perhaps? Well then, maybe
you’d like to host a monthly “Munchies & Movie” series on a Wednesday morning. Let
me know. We are here to serve.
I’m currently reading “The Three Intentions,” by Rabbi Moshe Gersht. One of its primary
themes is how many of us live life in a way that is dictated by fear. Fear of change. Fear
of the unknown. Fear of discomfort, conflict or failing. Fear of rejection. And that when
we choose love over fear, happiness over fear...and make that a daily habit, made with
purpose and determination, we open the doors to so much more joy and fulfillment. So
much less stress, worry, anger, and resentment. It’s for certain easier said than done,
but this book has been so helpful to me on that journey. If you are searching for life’s
answers on a regular basis, this is one of many good resources out there.
God Bless,
Jeff