Messages from Vice President & Executive Director

MESSAGE FROM DAN DEUTSCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As we enjoy the last few lazy days of summer and return from the beach, lake, and mountains to resume our work as lay leaders of the congregation, the officers thought that this was a good opportunity to provide a brief overview of Temple Israel’s governance structure.

Like all not-for-profits, Temple Israel has by-laws that guide us in our governance. The by-laws under which we are currently operating were last revised in 2005, having been revised several times before that in our 162 year history to reflect changes in the times. and priorities of the congregation are considered and measured.

The Board of Trustees has the default authority to conduct business on behalf of Temple Israel, but in some instances, input from a larger set of people is necessary. Hence the Leadership Council votes on certain issues, such as approval of the annual operating and capital budgets, approval of contracts, amendments to the by-laws, and the recommendation of Senior Rabbi.

Among a variety of other specific instructions, the by-laws provide rules about the qualifications of members, how money should be handled, the composition of the Board of Trustees and Leadership Council and how to nominate and vote for those groups, how to vote for Senior Rabbi, and, indeed, how to make amendments.

The most modern change to the by-laws in 2005 was made to reflect a sentiment that a smaller working board was in the best interests of the congregation. The smaller size was consistent with evolving best practices at not-for-profits generally and synagogues in particular. A more typical board of 15 members and 3 officers replaced one with more than 100 people. A new body called the Leadership Council was added and the specific charges of each of these two groups was prescribed. The Leadership Council serves as the guardians of the congregation’s mission and a forum in which the plans Another interesting aspect of the by-laws has to do with the shared authority between the board, the Senior Rabbi, and the Executive Director. Both the Senior Rabbi and the Executive Director report to the board, both have responsibility for hiring and firing of their staff, and both have autonomy in their own operations. The Board and Council set a budget and approve theirs and other long-term contracts, but the freedom of the pulpit and the latitude to run the organization are specifically delegated to those who can best perform these critical tasks. This sharing of work is typical for large congregations.

We hope you have found this overview useful. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at president@tisrael.org. On behalf of all the officers, it is an honor to serve our congregation.

As we close the books on this past fiscal year at Temple Israel, I’m pleased to report that we had a terrific year on many levels. The development strategy group (chaired by past president Leah Rosovsky) has worked together with the Friends Annual Fund chairs, the Stepping Out committee, and the Rabbi Ronne Friedman Innovative Programming Fund committee to raise over $1.7 million dollars. This is an amazing accomplishment for Temple Israel. We are now focused on working on a fundraising plan for fiscal year 2017 focusing on ways that we can increase donations, member participation, and how to sustain Temple Israel for the next generation. This next year promises to be a prosperous one for our community.

I want to extend an invitation to join us on Friday evening, September 16, as we install Rabbi Zecher as our new Senior Rabbi. It will be an evening to remember as our congregation starts the next chapter of our 160+ years of tradition. This is a once in a generation opportunity to collectively launch Rabbi Zecher into the next phase of her rabbinate.

In this issue of Insight, you will get a taste of some new programs that are in the works like the Justice League - a new and exciting social justice program for our Temple Israel youth, the re-launch of our adult education program, and more. We are also looking to hear your Temple Israel story: let us know just how awesome this place is.