July 31, 2010   20 Av 5770
 
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Board of Trustees  

The general functions of the board are to:

  • Define the mission of the synagogue, approve policy for fulfilling that mission, and take action to achieve it
  • Find and install congregational leaders, define their roles, motivate and support them and evaluate their performance
  • Evaluate the board’s own performance.  In order to execute these functions, the board will need to determine policy, develop resources, manage personnel, serve leaders in the Jewish community and be fiscally responsible.

Board members enable our congregation to fulfill its mission by assuming the following responsibilities: 

  • Accepting fiduciary duties
  • Being a leader and role model
  • Listening to the members of the synagogue
  • Transforming the needs of the congregation into realistic goals
  • Initiating programs
  • Planning effectively for the future
  • Establishing a sound organizational structure
  • Fostering solid management practices

The Board of Trustees generally meets on the third Tuesday of every month.

Tools for Board Members  
Meetings  
Tools for Committee Chairs and Members  
Members of the Board of Trustees  

 

President

John Lehr

jlehr@gracemayer.com
Vice President Mike Norton mike.norton@kiewit.com
Vice President John Waldbaum stonegate4@aol.com
Secretary Stacey Rockman stacey14@cox.net
Treasurer Katherine Finnegan kfinnegan@cox.net
Past President Jon Meyers jmeyers@nebraskawarehouse.com
Presidential Appointee Murray Newman murray@noddlecompanies.com
National Vice President, URJ Jane Rips jrips@aol.com
Trustee Ted Friedland tedfriedland@rbc-usa.com
Trustee, Sisterhood Regional Officer WRJ Marlen Frost minyfrost@cox.net
Trustee Jordana Glazer jordanaglazer@cox.net
Trustee Jill Idelman jillei.idelman1@mail.com
Trustee Judy Josephson judyjo612@aol.com
Trustee, URJ Board Member Gary Kaplan garyk@cox.net
Trustee Dan Marburg dan.marburg@bankofthewest.com
Trustee Lois Milder duckala@msn.com

Trustee, Social Action URJ

Magda Peck magdapeck@hotmail.com
Trustee Vicki Perlmeter vickp@webtv.net
Trustee Paul Rabinovitz Paul.Rabinovitz@btn-inc.com
Trustee Rob Reiss wnrss@cox.net
Trustee Susan Rothholz spredwood2@cox.net
Trustee Jeff Schweid jeff.schweid@conagrafoods.com
Trustee Howard Shrier

hhshrier@aol.com

Trustee Mike Silverman msilverman@rbjh.com
Trustee Mimi Silverman mimitaffet@cox.net
Trustee Dorothy Spizman dorothy26@cox.net
OTYG President Haley Burns

smile1234@cox.net

MRJ President Barry Streit

bstreit1@msn.com

WRJ President Susie Norton

susie.norton@cox.net

Past Presidents of Temple Israel

Councils and Committees  

Our council system was established in 2003 to promote collaboration, integration and communication among committees. Councils provide vision and tools to address mutual concerns of committees at Temple Israel.

The committee system in our congregation has many objectives, which include

  • Providing an opportunity for members to serve the synagogue
  • Establishing an environment for creative discussion
  • Using the special knowledge and talents of members for particular tasks
  • Giving individual members a better understanding of the mission, vision, accomplishments, and challenges of the synagogue
  • Providing a mechanism for the fulfillment of the mission, vision, and goals of the synagogue
  • Expediting the work of the Board of Trustees
  • Encouraging the flow of information back to the officers and Board
  • Training for future leadership positions
  • Stimulating the sharing of decision-making responsibilities by a broad group of congregants
  • Affording members opportunities for personal growth and increased Jewish learning

Temple Israel members are encouraged to participate on a number of Temple Israel committees.

Finance Council
Katherine Finnegan, Chair
  • Audit
  • Dues Equalization
  • Investments
Education Council 
Susan Rothholz, Chair
  • Adult Education
  • Religious School Steering Committee
  • Youth and Informal Education
  • Library
Synagogue and Outreach Council 
Dorothy Spizman, Chair
  • Membership
  • Caring Community
  • Outreach
  • Auxiliaries
Committees
Audit Katherine Finnegan kfinnegan@cox.net
Adult Education Paul Rabinovitz

paul.rabinovitz@btn-inc.com

Building and Grounds
Bylaws Mike Norton mike.norton@kiewit.com
Caring Community Sherrie Saag sherriesaag@cox.net
Cemetery

Tom Friedman 

jakesaly@aol.com
Dues Equalization Rick Fox rick@julios.com
Investments Bob Kully
Larry Roffman
bobkully@mac.com
sivilarry@aol.com
Membership Dorothy Spizman dorothy26@cox.net
Nominating Jon Meyers jmeyers@nebraskawarehouse.com
Personnel Practices Bob Freeman
Mike Norton
rfreeman@fraserstryker.com
mike.norton@kiewit.com
Religious School Steering Committee(RSSC) Wendy Vann wmvann@cox.net
Religious Practices Jeff Schweid jeff.schweid@conagrafoods.com
Social Justice Mimi Silverman mimitaffet@cox.net
Auxilaries
MRJ President Barry Streit bstreit1@msn.com
WRJ President Susie Norton susie.norton@cox.net
OTYG President Haley Burns smile1234@cox.net  

Council and Committee Function  


FINANCE COUNCIL
The Finance Council reviews the financial needs of the congregation, recommends investments, and presents the fiscal reports to the Board and the congregation

  • Budget Committee projects the temple’s annual income and expenses and makes periodic reports about synagogue income and expenditures to the Board for approval
  • Development and Planned Giving coordinates and administers the various funds of the synagogue. Enlists the support of the congregation for planned giving efforts
  • Dues Equalization reviews the individual dues adjustments and assessments and makes recommendations
  • Investment Committee oversees the investments of the congregation

SYNAGOGUE MANAGEMENT

  • Archive Committee is responsible for maintaining temple’s archives
  • Building and Grounds Committee supervises the buildings, grounds, and equipment maintenance and updates, as well as the use of the synagogue’s facilities
  • Bylaw and Policy Committee reviews and recommends amendments and changes to the bylaws and policies, as needed
  • Cemetery Committee oversees the administration of the cemetery
  • Leadership Development plans ways to identify, train, and motivate new leaders
  • Long Range Planning assures the continuity of the congregation by articulating a vision to address congregational needs and meet challenges
  • Nominating Committee recommends individuals to serve as officers and trustees, subject to congregational and Board approval
  • Personnel Practices writes and supervises the synagogue’s personnel practices code and recommends salaries and benefits for the staff

NEW BUILDING

  • Building Steering Committee is charged to study and make recommendations to the Board to determine and articulate the need for a new Temple, including all the details regarding site, size, design, costs, funding and related issues
  • Capital Campaign Committee will develop and carry out a campaign to raise the necessary capital funds necessary to cover expense of a new building.
  • Tri-Faith Steering Committee coordinates studying the feasibility and desirability of Temple's participating in a campus with identified partners, and will make recommendations to the Board with all relevant factors considered the benefits of collaboration, any detriments, compatibilities, timetables related to facilities/site master planning, fund development, strategic planning, community building and relations

MUSIC, WORSHIP AND RELIGIOUS LIVING

  • Religious Practices Committee assists the clergy in developing and shaping the worship life of our congregation

EDUCATION COUNCIL
The Education Council coordinates all Jewish education, including early childhood, religious school, informal youth, family education, and adult learning and the library

  • Adult Education Steering Committee develops and provides curriculum, programs and opportunties for involvement and enrichment in lifelong Jewish education
  • Religious School Steering Committee recommends and/or sets policy and reviews the activities of the religious school and oversees their operation; and participates in the supervision of the Director of Religious Education
    • Volunteer Council involves parents, grandparents, and others in religious education to strengthen and enrich the school experience
    • Family School provides discussion groups and programs in order to strengthen the sense of belonging and involvement of family school participants
  • Youth and Informal Education acts as the liaison between the synagogue youth programs and the Board of Trustees and oversees the youth programs; supervises the youth adviser or director
  • Young Families provides discussion groups and programs in order to strengthen the sense of belonging and involvement of young families

SYNAGOGUE AND OUTREACH COUNCIL
The Synagogue and Outreach Council provides programming vision and tools to that welcome, integrate, and enhance the Temple experience for members

  • Caring Community provides mutual help and support networks to congregants facing illness and crises and furthers the models for full Community inclusion of all Jews—regardless of their sexual orientation, age, or disability—in the community
  • Membership Committee solicits the membership of all eligible persons, shall welcome new potential members to the community, and shall be responsible for membership retention
  • Men of Reform Judaism strives to promote closer brotherhood among men, and to support the mission of the entire Temple Israel congregation by sponsoring religious, social, and educational activities that will enrich our connection to each other, to the broader community and to Judaism
  • Outreach Committee provides discussion groups and programs in order to strengthen the sense of belonging and involvement of Jews-By-Choice, Interfaith Couples and their families within our Temple community
  • Women of Reform Judaism strives to further the values and principles of Judaism, to promote closer fellowship among women, and to support the mission of the entire Temple Israel congregation by sponsoring religious, social, and educational activities that will enrich our connection to each other, to the broader community and to Judaism

SOCIAL ACTION
Social Justice Steering Committee promotes effective communication, coordination, integration and accountability of all for Temple Israel’s work for social justice

  • Advocacy provides resources and coordination for effective advocacy
  • Education explores the connections between Jewish texts and current events and develop and promote programming to educate members about the issues that shape our lives
  • Mitzvot provides opportunities to do the actual work of social justice –feeding the hungry, sheltering the poor, mentoring a child, helping those in need

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