Nishmat Shalom CDM Notes 15
November 2011
Present: Vicky, Lea, Max, Carol, Alice, Alex, Emily
Regrets: Ed, Ethel, Hanna
Participated by speakerphone on item #9: Claire
Lea shared the sad news that Ethel’s neighbor Steve passed away
yesterday after an illness.
1) Treasury Report (Alice):
Contributions in this appeal cycle: $408, representing 13
households.
Outgo for Childcare ($80.00), Bank Charges ($3.00)
Balance: 1107.61
We note that last year we received a donation of $200.00 from Jewish
Gateways in consideration of use of our Torah scroll but do not have a
similar donation in this cycle, and also that several people have
donated in kind for expenses we would have paid over the course of the
year. We will review the annual budget in January.
2) Childcare usage report: Ed was not able to locate
his records. Emily will check in with Ed to make sure that he
reconstructs see how many times over the past year there has been a
childcare provider hired but no children present for our January
discussion. We noted that in August we had hired a childcare
provide but no children were present. In September, we had 3 children
present and there was a childcare provider; in October we had not hired
a childcare provider.
3) Dates for Nishmat Gatherings:
Carol, Steve and Bessie will take over hosting the Shabbat Service on
Decmber 17th.
Other dates already set (for reference): non-Shabbat morning dates in
Italics
December 23rd (Friday eve, joint Chanukah Shabbat with Beyt Chesed)
January 10th, 2012 (Tuesday) CDM
January 21st, 2012 (third Shabbat morning)
February 5th, 2011 (Sunday) Tu B’Shvat Seder
Future dates set tonight:
2/18 (Pres Wkend)- event to honor Vicky
CDM: Tues, April 24, 2011
3/17
4/21 (After Pesach)
5/19
6/16
We mentioned some potential hosts and Vicky will mention them to Ed.
4) Future of the newsletter: Hanna has
volunteered to produce the next newsletter which should come out toward
the end of January. Vicky will work with her.
5) Camping Shabbaton: was cancelled this year due to
low numbers, although a couple of members expressed that they would
have liked to have had it. Lea mentioned that it is very labor
intensive to organize, and there was a discussion of some
considerations that might meet various needs, pros and cons of going to
a hostel, date setting, issues of people who say it sounds like a good
idea but don’t make a commitment. Alex mentioned that the end of
Tishrei next year is Oct 13-14. Lea will explore options for this
date this idea and make a decision about whether to organize a
Shabbaton for next year based on the response.
6) Animals: We reiterated our policy to announce any
animals in the household. We request that additional animals not
be brought to events. At this time, we are not planning to put
this in each newsletter but will remind hosts of this policy.
7) Update on Torah repairs: The top of one Eitz
Chayim (roller) is broken. Soferet Julie Seltzer will examine it
to give her opinion on the overall strength of the rollers and also
determine whether it would be possible to trim the parchment to cut
down on the size and weight of the scroll. (Post
examination update, 11/16/2011: Cutting the parchment not
recommended. Since it seems that the newly broken roller is not
one that has been previously repaired, Max will fix it. Carol
will take the parchment off and sew it back on to the roller, and will
also research whether sturdier rollers are available as a longer term
solution.) Note: Research on ark alternatives will be agendized for a
future CDM if there is an update.
8) Speaker after services on 12/17, invited by
Ed: Dr. Dan Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, Associate Professor of Church
History, Graduate Theological Union will speak on 'Jewish and Christian
views on the Maccabean Martyrs, or, What do they have to do with
Hanukkah?' from 2 to 3 pm. Vicky will check in with
Ed. Lea will remind Paul to include this in the announcement.
9) Tu B’Shvat Seder: Claire will host on Sunday 05
February 2012, 4 to 7 pm. She will send out an email asking
for ritual food contributions. Lea and Vicky can send her
email lists to use. Claire is planning some activities that
kids tend to like (eg-marzipan fruit making).
10) Emily drafted spiritual introduction to Torah
service based on our discussion several months ago.
Suggestions: that we read it aloud this upcoming Shabbat instead of Bei
Ana; that we use it several times and consider at a future CDM
whether to adopt it as a regular part of our service. Here is the
text:
We open the ark to our Torah,
Our link to our ancestors,
Our guide to our traditions.
Our source of learning, reviewing, participating in now and what has
come before.
May this opening symbolize the opening of our hearts
to each other
and to the bond that we share
as we explore what lies within.
May we focus, and be receptive,
coming together in our community
to do, in our way, what communities are doing in their way,
all over the world.
May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts
be acceptable to each other,
In the spirit of community and in the spirit of good will.
May our study here today be for the benefit of all beings
everywhere.
May we live in peace.
11) We will add to official outline of Torah service
that the leader should delegate someone to announce pages in the two
most common books during the reading. (Carol will include in the
update she is drafting for the website).
12) Access to documents on website: Problems had
arisen when we changed servers in order to have more space. This
is fixed; it is now easy to access the brochure and appeal letters by
clicking on the link on the bottom left of the
webpage. Max will check to be sure that it is
protected from websearch indexing.
13) Shalom Bayit Adopt-A-Family Project for Chanukah: We will
again participate. Lea will communicate with the larger group and use
donated funds to buy requested gift cards for a family recovering from
domestic violence. Shalom Bayit will provide donation letters.
14) Carol reported that our website has been publicized to the
Women Cantors Network and to the Aleph network in response to a request
for feminine liturgy. Agreed that Carol will prepare the
first 3 paragraphs of the Amidah to add to our website.
15) CDM list: We discussed how to make sure that the
people actually on the "CDM list" receive the emails intended for that
list, including both possible changes of technology and checking in
with each other about the emails after they go out if there’s an
issue.
Note: You're on the CDM list (used for discussions that can't wait for
the next meeting) if you have attended a CDM or hosted a Nishmat event
in the past year. The CDM agenda is sent to the entire Nishmat
e-mail list; the draft notes for the CDM are sent to those who are
present at the meeting before the final version is sent to the whole
list and posted on the website.
16) Events: We will not have a 20th Anniversary
event. We will plan a Shabbat honoring Vicky for 10
years of service (including editing the newsletter) on February
18th. Carol will talk to some potential bakers, Max will ask Ed
about a song, Lea will think about a certificate.
17) Publicity: We will think about a hook for future larger publicity
efforts. We discussed briefly both larger and more personal
outreach efforts.
For future CDM Agendas:
January 10th CDM:
Treasury
Childcare
Dates
Annual review of non-consensus decision procedure
Set Budget for 2012
CDM list
Final planning for Tu B’Shvat Seder
Planning for 2/18
April 24th CDM:
Treasury
Childcare
Dates
Spiritual Introduction to Torah Service