May 31st 2008, 00:00

I say this every year, but it’s hard to believe another school year has gone by.  It literally seems like yesterday we were celebrating our High Holy Days, cooking the latkes, booing Haman, and hiding the afikoman.  Now, it’s time to prepare for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur once again.  I know we have the whole summer ahead of us, but once the calendar turns to June, the real preparation begins. 
   
This past year, we have seen a lot of changes here at Temple.  We remodeled our kitchen, social hall, and the bima.  Everyone is delighted with the changes we have made and how beautiful everything looks.  It is a tribute to the many people who worked to get it done. 
   
This coming year will bring even more and substantial changes around the Temple.  Most significantly, Project Legacy will finally come to fruition and our new school building will finally be built.  Temple Beth Tikvah has adopted the new prayer book of the Reform Movement, Mishkan T’filah, and this will mean some changes to our worship services.  I have previously mentioned that we will institute two new worship opportunities beginning in the fall: Tot Shabbat and Intergenerational Shabbat Service, and we will continue our very popular Musical Shabbat services.  I will also offer a new learning opportunity, Lunch with the Rabbi, once a month beginning in September. 
   
Many people make note that for a “small” temple we sure do a lot of activities.  “Small” is only relative, and what we do here is create and build community.  Clearly, larger congregations have more staff and a bigger budget and can thus offer even more programs and services.  What makes Temple Beth Tikvah unique is the culture of Jewish values we create and the expectations we place upon ourselves. 
   
In today’s day and age, Temple leadership is a thankless job.  Although the rewards can be enormous, the day-to-day tzuris can sometimes seem overwhelming.  We owe a great deal of gratitude to those who serve our congregation.  This month we begin our new fiscal year and with it a new Board of Directors.  We thank those who served us in the past and honor those who have stepped up to assume the mantle of leadership. 
   
On Friday, June 13th, at our 6:00 p.m. Shabbat Service, we will install our Board of Directors for the coming year and honor our outgoing board members.  Our very special guest that evening will be Rabbi Alan Henkin, Director of the Union for Reform Judaism Pacific Southwest Council.  Rabbi Henkin has been here before and we are honored that he will be with us again for that special evening. 
   
I hope everyone has a wonderful summer vacation.  As I say every year, please remember that God does not take vacation, so we will be here every week.  Please join us for Shabbat services, and remember that this is the time that people “Temple shop,” so invite a friend or neighbor to experience what makes TBT the place to be!