Nishmat Shalom Community Decision Meeting, 12/9/08
Present: Alex, Lea, Carol, Ethel, Vicky, Raja, Emily, Max, Shana
Regrets: Alice
1) Treasurer’s report: Current balance is $1026. 64, with $544.34 in donations received from 12 households since appeal letter. Approved expenses still not paid: $57 for domain hosting, $18 for npo group hosting.
We note that we had a reserve remaining since last year, but that the income for the year so far does not cover expenses generally budgeted for one year.
2) Lea: Tsedaka Project – Seven households so far have pledged to participate in the Shalom Bayit "Adopt-A-Family" Chanukah program this year. MANY THANKS to Lea for coordinating this!
3) Website: Calendar is currently updated. Raja will be taking on the updating of the calendar and will continue posting minutes. Raja will investigate domain hosting issues.
Technical issues have delayed the posting of the last set of minutes. Raja estimates that he will have these issues resolved in a week or so.
We note that our organization holds 2 additional domain names that forward to our organization.
4) Listserve and mailing database: Max is currently continuing to maintain these. Note that once someone has joined the listserve, theoretically that individual should be able to change their own info but these have proved difficult. Info on subscribing is in each newsletter. Max will investigate how to provide clear info on the emails.
5) Calendaring: Feb-June events and June Nishmat CDM.
Shabbat Morning Services:
February 21 (3rd Shabbat)
March 21 (3rd Shabbat) –Notes: Purim is March 3/9-10; Paul & Miryam volunteer to host
April 18th (3rd Shabbat) –Note: First seder is 4/8
May 16th (3rd Shabbat)
June 13th (moved to 2d Shabbat due to Maya’s Bat Mitzvah)
CDMs
February Tues, 2/17 – Emily will host
June Tues, 6/9 ? host
Birkat Ha-Chamah: occurs every 28 years, commemorates “when the sun and the moon resume the position they were in when they were created.” Occurs day of Erev Pesach (4/8) this year. Per Max there will be a sunrise observance of Birkat Ha-Chamah in Cesar Chavez Park at the sundial, sponsored by Kehillah, Aquarian Minyan and Chochmat HaLev.
If members wish to co-sponsor this or other community events, they are encouraged to bring proposals to future CDMs.
6) Tu b’Shevat: arrangements for seder on Sunday evening, February 8th 2009, 5 to 8 pm. Robin will host and has offered to coordinate seder foods and lead. Vicky will call Robin to confirm timing. Alex will help publicize the seder through the listserve. We will be looking for volunteers to assist with setup and shopping needs.
7) Liturgy Resources: Shana has generously offered to teach interested Nishmat folk who wish to learn to lead services or polish their skills. She is available to coach on any of the three service segments, P'sukei d'Zimra, Shacharit, or the Torah service. Please contact Shana by phone to arrange. Carol will be working with Raja to make chanted feminine liturgy available through our website.
8)Hallel: We affirmed that we will continue to provide the full Hebrew text when we have Hallel, and service leaders are welcome to bring additional English. In order to avoid confusion, we will re-organize the box, and file differing versions of Hallel with our resource library.
9) Event: Aliza Lavie, Israeli scholar, “A Jewish Woman's Prayer Book”: announcement of reading at the JCC of the East Bay on Sunday 01 February 2009. This is a compilation of historical prayers from Hebrew and Yiddish sources.
10) Follow-up on letter of kashrut for Sefer Torah: We discussed information that has come to light regarding the soferet who worked on our scroll and so far has not provided a certificate of kashrut. Raja will send a letter from Nishmat via the internet.
11) Follow-up on inreach/outreach: some individuals are still making contacts. Regarding announcements of monthly Shabbat morning gatherings, Paul will be taking over this responsibility beginning in January.
13) After lunch discussions: Shana will be leading a discussion after services on 12/20. Lea would be happy for someone to take on coordinating after-lunch discussions beginning in January.
12) Inter-CDM decisions: Raja will be the coordinator until the next CDM.
On the Agenda for NEXT MEETING:
Annual item: Consensus decision review.
Annual item: Projected budget for 2009.
Annual item: Co-sponsorship of Bonfires.
Followup on letter of kashrut for sefer.
Consider gift or bonus or thank you cards for childcare workers
Followup on Gan Eden schedule of Friday evening shabbat services.