Shaloha and greetings,
What a year this has been! A year of so much - much loss, grief, resilience. We’ve had the ongoing war in the Ukraine, the Maui Wildfires and most recently the Israeli-Palestinian War. None of us know where things are going as we hope for shalom in the world and dignity and respect for all of us.
The Board at JCM had some turmoil in the last year which I saw from a distance, as only later, I was appointed to the Board to provide support and to try to help stabilize our rocking boat. Dorothy Tolliver, who took over as Board President has done an excellent job in stabilizing the Board, with
good limit setting and much graciousness--improving board relationships and keeping us going. In my view, the Board has settled down and now has a core of caring people. Of course, being Jews there are many opinions and the job goes on.
Over the years, the Jewish Congregation of Maui (JCM) has been blessed with many dedicated people, including founders Joel Richmond (who raised the seed money for our building and has read Parsha Jonah annually), Rabbi David Glickman (our Rabbi and really CEO for many years) and other core people especially Simon Vjodani, whose love over the years for Judaism and generosity in sustaining JCM is profound, Larry Fineberg, former Board President and creator of the annual Foodland Fund Raiser and so many others who have participated, managed, taught our children and have blessed our community with much aloha and sweat.
Two years ago, the Weinberg Foundation, which has provided so much support for mental and physical health programs on Maui and other islands, began a program to strengthen the functioning of our Jewish non-profit organizations. Through a program called Nitzavim, a few of us trained with and joined synagogue members from the other islands to improve and build connections and strengthen our non-profit functioning. The process has continued this year with further training by Rabbi David Freidenreich and others with the Center for Small Town Jewish Life formed at Colby College in Maine. We are getting training to improve financial understanding through the Three Pillars program. The Three Pillars represent Torah, Avodah and Gemilut Hasadim or as some translate: purpose, practice, and concern for people.
JCM is currently involved in some important projects including a grant from Homeland Security to strengthen our structure with new bullet-proof windows and doors and new fencing. We are also working to secure the remnant road behind the synagogue for our parking lot.
Currently, we have a $10,000 matching grant by wonderful supporters that ends December 18, 2023. I hope that you will join me in donating a year-end non-profit contribution to help us secure this grant. If the continuity of Judaism is vital to you, please help us support JCM by giving a donation of, $18, $36, $54, …, $180, $360…, $1,800, etc.
During Covid when I was depressed, I found that doing a mitzvah brought me out of it and it would be a mitzvah to donate to the Synagogue.
To quote brother Leonard Cohen, “…I’m the little Jew who wrote the bible, I’ve seen nations, large and small, I’ve heard their stories, heard them all and love is the only vehicle of survival.”
Mahalo, toda raba, thank you,
Mitch Berman, JCM Board
