NISHMAT SHALOM COMMUNITY DECISION MEETING
In addendance: Ethel, Carol, Max, Vicky, Lea, Alice, Miryam, Alex.
STANDARD AGENDA ITEMS:
Current treasury balance: we currently have about $720. We have spent about
$90 on child care and a newsletter in the last few months. We received $100
contribution. Appeal letter goes out around Rosh Hashana.
Membership update: 80 people on snail mail list. 50 people or so on email list.
Confirm schedule:
6/18 - Max's
7/16 – changed to Judy and Mitchell’s (CONFIRMED)
“Bring a friend Shabbat”
7/23 - Hot Springs (CONFIRMED WITH NATHAN)
8/20 – Carol and Steve’s
9/17 – Max’s
9/20 - CDM at Ethel's (to be solidified with Ethel)
10/22 Sukkot – at Claire Sherman’s (confirmed)
Keep an eye on the list-serv for announcement about Neila Service and Break-fast on October 13. It will be announced via the email list: stay tuned)
Vicky volunteers to help Carol with revising the Torah service page, while
doing the crossword puzzle and kibbitzing, and others are welcome to join. The
date will be
announced on the email list. (At next meeting, we’ll check on how it’s
going and move
forward.)
ITEMS CARRIED FROM LAST AGENDA:
Tzedaka project: In the past, we supported BAWAR (Bay Area Women Against Rape).
We also supported Dreamhouse (Jewish Family Children’s Services), a transitional
home for Jewish families needing a safe space to move out of violent domestic
situations. We supported them with monetary donations and supplies. One year
we did holiday oriented gifts for Pesach (plague bags) and Hannukah. Vicky coordinated
the dream house project.
New proposals: Shalom Bayit. (We have had advocates for Shalom Bayit visit our
minyan).
Comment: we’d like to have something more particular, rather than being
a tiny drop in a big bucket; for example, supporting a local shelter. We’d
like it to be something to
do with women, since we’re the feminist minyan. Jewish local projects.
Ethel will follow up with Julie Petrosky of Shalom Bayit: do they also have
a shelter?
Discussion of the difference between tikkun olam projects and tzedakah projects.
(Advocacy for peace or political causes or the woman torah scribe are tikkun
olam but not tzedakah).
Other ideas: Jewish women in prison project?
Meanwhile, we have been helping to publicize the first woman scribe torah project in Seattle.
Final decision on prayers for Country & Israel—they won’t be
in the text, but any leader who would like to can bring them in. (“Reshit
smichat gulatenu” is controversial for some individuals).
Prayer for peace and healing prayer will be expanded in the upcoming torah service
revision.
NOTE: Chavurah members are invited to submit your own translations and versions
of peace and healing prayers for inclusion in the new version.
Decision on PO Box
Max volunteers his home address for the checks for the time being. Max and Alice
will decide specific procedures for treasury and mail. Max will put his address
in the appeal
letter and on the listserv but not on the website. Alice will look into nearby
P.O. Boxes.
Can those who are comfortable having their addresses on the website do so? We
do put the addresses on the listserv. Some disagreement on this. For now, no
addresses on website; only phone numbers.
New Treasurer: Alice has agreed to be the new treasurer!
Thank you, Alice!
Outreach through Bayjews.org. Lea volunteers to look into posting on Bayjews.org; will post information from the brochure and our upcoming event dates.
Discussion: open event for new members? Call it an open house?
Suggestion: inreach to folks who have expressed interest or who have attended
once or twice but are not on our listserve.
Volunteer position? Still seeking volunteers to do this.
Raja’s idea: “Bring your friend Shabbat.” Vicky will ask Judy
and Mitchell if it’s OK to make 7/16 at their house the
“bring your friend Shabbat.”
Alex volunteers to make copies of the brochure for 6/19 post-Shavuot event
we are co-sponsoring, and will modify the
return address. We will make an announcement the day before at our Shabbat service
to find a volunteer to drop them off.
There are a dozen people who have not signed up for the listserv, but who are
on our email list. Paul or Miryam will
send individualized emails to this dozen people to see if they want to be on
the listserv. If this doesn’t work, we’ll call.
Follow up on several missing books: one was found by Paul. Currently missing:
Fox translation, Sim Shalom, some of the
old Hertz editions. Possibly misplaced at Reconstructionist minyan? Lea volunteers
to count the books and make an
inventory of the current library. Carol will email Shelly about these books.
Alice volunteers to check the Friends meeting house.
Something artistic contributed to label books? Miryam volunteered to make a design for a sticker on the outside. 1” or 1 5/8” labels. Max volunteers to print them.
New Item: Ethel invited Josh Gressel to come in the past. Should we invite
him back? Possible topics: “What does it
mean to be more religious?” Decision: Ethel will invite him to conduct
a discussion on his articles or on some aspect of
liturgy.
When there are in-between meeting queries, they can be forwarded to Paul, who
will bounce them to the Community
Decision group list (all the usual suspects, plus Alice and Lea). People have
a week to object to any proposals.