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
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