News & Announcements

On Sunday May 21, nearly 60 Guardians and guests gathered in the charming backyard of Nancy and John Carlton for our “Summer Comes Early” event.

A few days prior to the event, the weather was predicted to be warm and sunny, but by the day of the event, there was a grey sky and some thunderstorm warnings. Two hours before the event it started to sprinkle and then drizzle (or is it drizzle, then sprinkle?). I was concerned. What should we do? Cancel the event? Oy Vey!

As the Guardian chair, I needed to make a decision. I called Nancy. “What should we do?” I asked. “Well, we have all the food already and the Temple is locked up, so the rain better stop she said.” I had a great idea. “We can turn the meal into all take-out” I offered. “Let’s just wait another half-hour” Nancy said.

I’m happy to say that miracles do happen, and even Mother Nature knows not to upset Nancy Carlton. By 5:00 pm it was sunny skies, our event took place as planned, and it was delightful.

John barbecued more than 60 brochettes of swordfish and veggies and they were colorful and delicious. The Cantor started us off with a melodic song and Motzi prayer, and after the meal of four different salads, delicious herbed rice and the brochettes, Sondra Dreshner single-handedly staffed our wonderful ice cream sundae station. She did a lot of scooping.

Our program after the meal was brief. I spoke a few minutes thanking the volunteers including Nancy and John Carlton, Andrea Mark, Aty Rotter, Elizabeth and Andrea Carlton, Sondra, and the Cantor. I thanked our non-Guardian guests who came and encouraged them to join us. Jeff Landau spoke about Ohr Tamid, the Temple’s planned giving society. Then Temple President Jack Singer provided us the latest updates on the Temple budget and repairs.

Briefly, the future budget appears to be balanced (yeah!) and the repairs to the roof and some of the building interiors are all going great too. Jack thanked the clergy and the staff and especially Melissa, our new executive director who has worked so very hard these past months.

We invite and encourage all Temple members to consider becoming a Guardian. Any member on regular dues can be a Guardian if you pledge or donate at least $1,000 to the Temple General fund (also referred to as an unrestricted donation) over and above your dues. Yahrzeits, tributes, admission fees for events, Purim greetings, High Holiday tickets, and all the other types of donations we make are important and helpful to the Temple, but they do not qualify you to be Guardians. But a pledge to the Temple equal to $20 per week makes you a Guardian. More is okay also!

The new fiscal year starts July 1, 2023. Join us. Become a Guardian. Pledge forms will be sent soon. For more information, send an e-mail to me: drbryan@drjick.com or ask any Guardian member whom you know.

Why be a Guardian? We are proud of our role in helping sustain the financial viability of our Temple not just for the present but for the future as well. We donate because the Temple needs the money. We donate because we want the Temple to be here for our children and for their children. We donate so the Temple can keep providing services, programs, activities, and support to all members. To put it plainly, the Guardians need the Temple, and the Temple needs the Guardians.