President’s Message Dear fellow members, We’ve just celebrated the 20th anniversary of Gary Golden’s employment at Temple Beth El.  Planning this event was a pleasure as was evidenced by the amount of people who volunteered to participate. The party we held in his honor was fabulous but not nearly as fabulous as the man himself. Gary is in charge of our building and grounds…the fix-it man, the set up and break down man, the electrician, plumber, gardener, builder, carpenter, painter, janitor…to name but a few hats worn by this extraordinary man.  I wonder just how many of us realize all that Gary does for our synagogue and its members….both during and after his regular work hours. When he is needed for special holidays or to make an emergency repair, Gary is just a phone call away and he does not keep a log of these extra hours worked. Important for our members to know, is that Gary is a salaried employee.  He is not paid by the hour and is not paid overtime. Gary’s work day begins each day before dawn.  Overseeing a building as large as ours (which includes the school wing) and maintaining the lawn and exterior of our building is no easy task for just one man. Yet, Gary does this with a smile on his face, acknowledging that this beautiful synagogue is like his second home and he is committed to keeping it in the best condition possible. It’s quite rare to have an employee whose capabilities in so many areas actually save you money. Gary’s ability to do minor construction work within our building has saved us the cost of hiring outside contractors.  He has also helped build sets for the Sisterhood plays and personally hand built, stained and finished the large meeting desk in our temple library. It was a lucky day for Temple Beth El when Gary Golden was hired.  And, we are lucky to have others on our staff whose commitment and loyalty contribute to the success of our synagogue.  Please be patient and respectful of our employees….they work hard for us all. Our staff also works well together and it is difficult when we have to say goodbye, as we must do, to Joe and Lynn Goldovitz, our Cantorial Soloists, who are leaving June 1st to pursue their music career.  We are excited to welcome Lawrence Dermer as our new Cantorial Solorist and we look forward to getting to know him as we enjoy his beautiful voice and exceptional keyboard talent each Shabbat.  While you will not be receiving a newsletter for July and August, we will keep you advised of summer events and will continue our planning for upcoming programs. High Holy Days are early this year so you will be receiving the special Holiday Newsletter edition prior to September. Wishing you all a safe and relaxing summer, Linda