This Fall, Union Temple is holding a gala Open House. In fact, September 25-26, the weekend after the High Holy Days, and right in the middle of Sukkot, will be a whole Open House Weekend. We start off on Saturday with a special family-friendly Chol HaMoed Sukkot service, complete with youth songleader. On Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., we throw open our doors to the community for a veritable festival of Reform Jewish culture.
Open House highlights include:
• A new, outside sukkah to be constructed by Brotherhood – possibly mobile, so it can be taken back inside the building at night.
• Decorating the sukkah. At the Open House, the Religious School s and Sisterhood will supervise our kids in creating harvest-themed decorations and hanging them in the new sukkah.
• Raffle for all attendees. One lucky congregant (or prospective member) will win a discount off Temple membership or Religious School tuition.
• Tours. Temple Administrator John Golomb will reprise his ever-popular trek through the hidden spaces of our vast edifice. And our intrepid 7th graders, experts by now, will lead a guided tour of the Religious School.
• Activity tables showing off all the programs and activities going on at the Temple, including Adult Education, Social Action, the Religious School, the Fourth Fridays program, family services, the arts at Union Temple, and more.
• Guest tables. We’ve invited the Eastern Athletic Club and the American Cancer Society, our friendly tenants, to set up shop at the Open House and promote their services. Does everyone know that Temple members get a significant discount at the health club? They will now.
• Goodie bags. Union Temple is providing eco-friendly grocery bags, emblazoned with our logo, for free, so our visitors can carry all the literature they pick up at our displays.
• Schmoozing with the Rabbi. Guests can take a moment to sit and chat with Rabbi Goodman, perhaps over coffee, in a comfortable corner of the Social Hall.
• Coffee and bagels. What else?
Save the date – Sunday, September 26, 2010!
-Beatrice Hanks, Treasurer
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Have you noticed the new feeling at UnionTemple? The growing enthusiasm is palpable.
Each event draws in more and more people. At two well-attended congregational meetings, the Strategic Planning committee led discussions of the plans for the next 5 years. Some of these plans are already underway. For instance, a beautification committee has been working hard on improving the exterior appearance of the temple. They plan to fix the doors, take down the faded awnings, put up new banners, install planters, and add lighting.
We are planning social and fundraising events, social action initiatives, and a host of artistic and educational programs. Changes are in store also for the ReligiousSchooland the Preschool.aim to grow membership to 200 families by 2011. We have applied for a grant to add a Synaplex dimension to Shabbat. (More on this next month, if the grant goes through.)Plus, with our new TempleAdministratorin place, we hope for a more streamlined, efficient, and effective administration.
Of course, the emphasis will remain on keeping services beautiful and trying new things to continue to attract members, old and new., there’s a lot of excitement about the future. But it will take a lot of work.We need your involvement – planning for events, attending programs and services, and lending a helping hand in any way you can. Together we can make Union Temple grow even better.
-Jeff Stein, Vice President and Ellen Kolikoff, Secretary  
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President
Doris Klueger |
Vice President
Henry Singer |
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Vice President
Jeff Stein |
Secretary
Ellen Kolikoff |
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Treasuer
Bea Hanks
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