President’s Report: by Jonah Markowitz
About 50-60 people gathered for MCJC’s Chanukah celebration on Dec. 10, representing former, long-term, and new members. The morning featured songs, crafts, cookie decorating, and, of course, steaming hot potato latkes topped with applesauce and/or sour cream. As per usual, the latkes were excellent, as prepared by the Maintenance Men (and other volunteers) who operate like a ‘well-oiled’ machine. Years of fine-tuning the process means that all cooking is done outside in the garage, leaving the air free to breathe within the building.
The morning also included a Town Hall, allowing members the chance to have a frank discussion about the synagogue’s current financial shape and its long-term prospects. While I tend to be more optimistic than some about MCJC’s future, it is important for us to weigh our options, as we currently are spending more than we are taking in.
Some of the options we discussed were potentially merging with another congregation; allowing others to rent/use space in our building; selling our building and borrowing space as needed; and transitioning to a more informal/social havurah organization. We also discussed the future of the Religious School and options to permit our students to interact with others in other congregations.
The board will explore each of these options and share their findings at our next Town Hall on March 24 in conjunction with the Purim celebration. The members will be given the opportunity to comment on future directions via a survey following the next Town Hall. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
Other Transitions:
MCJC experienced a changing of its spiritual guard in early December as it bid farewell to Rabbi Donni Aaron and welcomed back Rabbi Maralee Gordon. In a kiddush in Rabbi’s Donni’s honor, we thanked her for her service to MCJC. The MCJC Board determined that we lacked the resources to continue her contract through its fiscal year. Fortunately, Rabbi Gordon will be able to provide rabbinical services to us on a part-time basis.
Our sincere thanks and best wishes to Sunshine Roth who recently moved with her husband Jay to Virginia to be closer to family. For the last couple of years, Sunshine was in charge of membership for MCJC, making her the initial (and inviting) point of contact when prospective members contacted MCJC for more information. She also served on the MCJC Board and helped around the congregation in many ways. During Covid, she did much to create a sense of community, if only virtually. Sunshine will be very much missed.