I’ve got to admit it’s getting better…
If you were around Temple Emanuel this August, you couldn’t have missed all the renovations. Floors in the Social Hall and swing space were being removed and then replaced with very attractive tiles. The ceilings of those rooms were being painted and a new roof was put on the Sanctuary building. In addition, the building’s duct work was cleaned, and arrangements were made to fix the gutters.
Outdoor lights were also installed so that we can have evening events on the TE grounds (Hopefully you will be at our September 9th barbeque to kick off the celebration of our second half century.) The improvements are not only visual. As membership grows, members are sitting further back in the Sanctuary. On the High Holy Days we expect that people will be sitting deeper into the Social Hall. And those members will now be able to hear. We have purchased a new speaker system that will be utilized in the Social Hall. Arrangements are also being made to improve the acoustics of the room now as well.
The improvements are not limited to the Sanctuary building. The TE House is also being renovated. Though the TE Board had planned on making changes to the House, we were forced to make the changes sooner than intended as a leak from below had caused a flood in the step-down room. As a result the carpet had to be removed and the walls opened up to both remove soggy materials and locate the leak.
The educational system at TE has also been revamped. New teachers have been hired to replace those who have retired, and a new curriculum has been put in place. Exciting programming for all members is also on the way.
Some of this work is being paid for by insurance proceeds (I’ve discussed this in a previous column), some by our operating budget, and much of it is funded by the Second Half-Century Fund. By now you have undoubtedly figured out what comes next—a very gentle reminder that if you haven’t already made a commitment to the Second Half-Century Fund, please do so now. While I would prefer that the commitments be large, you are hereby reminded that commitments of any amount are appreciated.
Getting so much better all the time.