Temple Beth Sholom has the most dedicated and expansive core of volunteers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. When you look closely at other volunteer organizations, you find a very small core of people behind the scenes. In our case, the list of people volunteering for one thing or another extends to a large part of our membership list.

There many levels of volunteerism needed to keep our Temple running smoothly. There are what I like to call the official positions, the unofficial positions, and the special positions. The official positions are the Officers, Board of Directors, Trustees, Committee Chairs, and Men’s Club & Sisterhood Presidents. These are the slow-and-steady positions that require a level of involvement over a period of 2 to 5 years. The Officers and Committee Chairs typically have set roles and responsibilities that, combined, perform the functions necessary for the operation of the Temple. Without the proper execution of these critical roles, we would not be able to meet our obligations to our members.

The unofficial positions refer to the people that take it upon themselves to regularly perform a specific job. Whether it’s polishing the silver, leading services, calling people to the Torah every Shabbat, or making sure the Sukkah is up on time, there are things that just get done without anyone having to ask. Although these people do not have official titles, they perform their duties selflessly and with a level of dedication that is admirable. Without the proper execution of these critical roles, we would not be able to meet our obligations to our members.

What I refer to as the special positions are those that take on a single task or event. It could be taking ownership of a specific event like Comedy Night, the Hanukkah dinner, or the Mishloach Manot fundraiser; or participating as part of an ad-hoc or standing committee. These are the people that can be called on to help with specific events or tasks and always be relied on to pitch in. Together, they make up a “go-to” team that every President finds indispensable. Without the proper execution of these critical roles, we would not be able to meet our obligations to our members.

Thank you to all that have participated over the past year. Your efforts are valued and appreciated, and collectively you represent the best of the Jewish community.

Evan Wyner, President
Temple Beth Sholom