Select Photos by Carrie Bank

Table of Contents

Letter from the Rabbi | 3Letter from the Cantor | 3President Report | 4Executive Director Report | 5Year of Torah Financial Report | 52014 Annual Meeting Minutes | 6Temple Board Motions, 2014-2015 | 8Administration Report | 10Finance Fast Facts | 10Nominating Committee Report | 11Finance Report | 12Cemetery Committee Report | 14Religious Education Report | 16Religious Practice Report | 18 Membership Committee Report | 19Social Action Committee Report | 20Mitzvah Day 2015 Photos | 21Sisterhood Report | 22Brotherhood Report | 24Purim Parties | 26

TBE Annual MeetingWednesday, June 10, 2015

7 pm | Refreshments 7:30 pm | Meeting

If you have any questions, please contact Susan Gitterman, TBE President, slgtbe@gmail.com.

Letter from the RabbiWe have been busy reinventing ourselves

as Reform Jews

as Partners in Genesis

and as Citizens of our nation and the world.

Friends, our year has been marked by quality struggle. Our tradition teaches that a dispute for the sake of heaven is to be praised. We have moved past unease and discomfort with St. Clare’s, our Genesis partner, to creative dialogue over the real issues that are stressing our sharing. And back at TBE, I sense a renewal in our social justice agenda, allowing many of us the opportunity to partake in Tikkun Olam.

For me it is amazing to be a part of such vitality. In many congregations the idea of increasing activity in a year of transition would be thought of as unwise. Yet TBE is nothing if not busy. With the addition of Cantor Hayut and Avital Ostfield, our program and religious services have undergone change and revitalization. Our energy continues to carry us from strength to strength. For example, both our Sisterhood and Brotherhood are on the upswing of activity and engagement. We have met the transition with renewal. And our conversations with Genesis concerning costs, space sharing and governance continue in renewed faith for commitment to our shared ideal. I believe that after this year we will be past our struggles and in settled understanding of our future.

Thank you for the greatness of this place. We are only a reflection of your goodness.

Rabbi Robert Levy

Letter from the CantorThis has been an amazing year. I feel so honored and privileged to be the cantor of Temple Beth Emeth, working with and learning from our excellent professional staff, support staff, teachers, lay leaders, volunteers and friends. When I reflect on this past year, I feel truly blessed.

It is no surprise that TBE has been a bastion of great musical life for so many years. Our Youth Choir received a new name, Kol No’ar (the voice of our youth) and continues to be a light in our religious school program. Shir Chadash for middle and high school students has also been an exciting part of our programming and the middle school choir, high school choir and 6th-12th grade band have learned and grown so much with the expert leadership of many gifted and talented leaders. Kol HaLev participated in many exciting musical programs and services this year and brought tremendous beauty to everything they have done.

We have added a new musical group to the array of offerings, an all-volunteer band (called Mizmoret) who have worked hard this year to learn a full service worth of music and add to the joy and spirit of our Friday evening services. I am so grateful for their hard work and the enthusiasm that they bring to the music.

It is also a delight to be a part of our religious school education and get to know many of our younger students. It has also been a joy to lead the B’nai Mitzvah program and to have both witnessed and shared in the fantastic achievements of our students. Our tutorial staff is very strong and each tutor has been a great role model as well as cheerleader to the students.

Adult Education is a very important part of the life of TBE and I was blessed to be able to share in some of our offerings as well—both as teacher and as a student. Women’s Torah Study is alive and well and meeting regularly from September through June. I have enjoyed participating in several other opportunities and look forward to many more in the years to come.

This year has been so full. I have learned so much and have made so many wonderful connections with members of our community. In the words of Ben Zoma (Pirkei Avot 4:1)… “Who is rich?” One who appreciates what one has in life. Thank you for this opportunity. I think I may well be one of the richest people in the world!

Cantor Regina Hayut

President Report

This has been an active and challenging year as the TBE Board has worked hard to improve our relationship with our partner congregation, St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church. In addition, the Board has also been involved in the following discussions this past year:

Board Roles and ResponsibilitiesBecause it became clear during the previous year that we needed to clarify the roles and responsibilities of Board members, we dedicated our summer retreat to this. We were fortunate to have Lisa Borowitz come from the URJ to facilitate this discussion. Following the retreat, a working group was formed to continue this discussion and to create a document of Roles and Responsibilities for TBE Board Members. I want to thank Deb Katz, Lisa Lynch, Jordan Shavit, and Alex Wood for their hard work creating this. After review and revisions by the entire Board, this document was unanimously approved by the Board. This should prove very helpful to current and potential Board members as it outlines what is expected of their service to the congregation.

Proposed Bylaws ChangesIt was recommended that we update our current TBE Bylaws. Requested changes include such items as allowing the use of electronic means for communication to the congregation and voting by the Board, clarifying who is eligible for membership, changing the term of the Board President from one or two two-year terms to become one three-year term, adding two new Board positions, and authorizing the Executive Board to act in emergent situations. All of the proposed changes have been sent to the congregation and will be voted on at our annual TBE meeting. I want to thank Julie Steiner, Michele Forbes, and Steve Stancroff for their work this year on the Temple bylaws.

Genesis Renewal (Tri-Board) MeetingsFor a number of years, there have been conflicts between TBE and our partner congregation, St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church. This year, the TBE Board, the Genesis Board, and the STC Vestry voted to convene a series of meetings to better identify and address these conflicts. A facilitator, Peter Norlin, was hired to lead us in this endeavor. Peter interviewed all three boards as well as the staff of the congregations. A Design Team was created which consisted of David Clifford and Christine Modey from STC, Susan Gitterman and Allyn Kantor from TBE, and Annette Fisch (TBE) and Linda Klimach (STC) from the Genesis Board. This team spent much time and energy planning the three April meetings.

I want to thank the following TBE staff, TBE Board members, TBE members of the Genesis Board and other TBE members who participated in the April Tri-Board or Genesis Renewal Meetings: Allyn Kantor, Rabbi Robert Levy, Cantor Regina Hayut, SooJi Min, Alan Cotzin, Deb Schild, Alexandria Wood, Bonnie Keen, Jodi Wallo, Deb Katz, Robin Pollak, Joy Wolfe Ensor, Murray Rosenthal, Stephanie Newell, Bobbi Heilveil, Martin Stolzenberg, Phil Barr, Dave Gitterman, and Rich Friedman.

As a result of these meetings and of the Design Team meetings, there is a much better understanding of the conflicts that have created friction between our two congregations. These meetings were difficult at times, but they were informative and very helpful. A detailed report will be written and sent out later this summer.

Note that work is ongoing. A group working on equity of space and cost sharing is already formed, which includes Rabbi Levy and the Rev. Beth Scriven. Cantor Hayut and the Rev. James Rhodenhiser will be part of a group working on clarifying the relationship of Genesis to the two congregations. There will be at least one other group formed which will work on implementing the strategies suggested for improving trust.

I want to thank the TBE Board, the TBE staff, and the many dedicated congregants who gave their time and energy to our congregation this past year. I would like to give special thanks to Cantor Regina Hayut who succeeded Annie Rose as TBE’s cantor this past year, which was not an easy task! However, Regina has seamlessly blended into our TBE family, and we have greatly benefitted this past year from her voice, her leadership, and her wisdom.

Susan Gitterman President

Executive Director ReportAdministrative Staff• David Monroe (account manager) departed in January 2015

• Amie Brockman (contract bookkeeper) came onto staff in January 2015

• Alyssa Wealty joined as communications coordinator in March 2015

• Victoria Gross (completing 3.5 years at TBE) was promoted to account administrator in March 2015

• Sarah Krell (6 years at TBE) started her maternity leave on May 15, 2015

• Tressa Hart (school assistant) departed in June 2015

• Sarah Wright joined as the school coordinator in June 2015

Administration Highlights• Switched over to electronic billing statements

• Switched over to electronic publishing of the Bulletin (bulletin printing/design costs when I joined in 2011-2012 were $8,000 now they are $1,000)

• Streamlined and simplified the TBE budgeting process

• Secured a 3-year continuation in MUM Dues reductions

• Migrated to electronic recordkeeping

• Awarded a Ross School of Business Consulting Club project on membership outreach

• Revised TBE’s employee handbook

Leadership Development• Awarded a full scholarship for an 18-month long Jewish mindfulness teacher training program, run by the Jewish Institute for Spirituality and the Awakened Heart Project

• Attended Leading With Zing, Zing Train’s leadership training program (half price)

• Led two off-site administrative staff retreats

• Led a 36-hour meditation retreat for the Selah Network, alumni of a leadership program for Jewish social justice leaders run by Bend the Arc, Rockwood, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation

SooJi Min Executive Director

Year of Torah Financial ReportIt is the responsibility of the president of Temple Beth Emeth to report to the congregation each year at the Annual Meeting regarding expenditures from the Year of Torah funds.

The income for this past year was $37,745.68.The expenses for this year were $15,852.90.

The following projects and items have been funded this year through the Year of Torah funds:

$529.56 Beyond the Pentateuch series of classes

$12,970.30 Expenses related to the cantor search/move/installation

$328.09 Sofer on Site Torah repair expense

$2,024.95 Hand-in-Hand event

The Year of Torah Balance = $158,871.72Susan Gitterman President

2014 Annual Meeting MinutesStaff present: Rabbi Levy, Rabbi Delson, Cantor Rose, Education Director Terri Ginsburg, Executive Director SooJi Min. Call to Order 7:37 pm.A blessing was led by Susan Gitterman.Minutes and ReportsThe 2013 Annual Meeting minutes were approved.President’s Report – Susan Gitterman • We are looking forward to an exciting year. • Cantor Regina Lambert-Hayut would like to meet as many congregants as possible. Julie Steiner will be arranging group meetings for this purpose. • Special thanks to: -Marc Kessler for developing our first Annual Report and for helping us to start to change our long-standing funding model where 80% of TBE’s expenses are paid through dues, and 20% are paid through other sources. The typical and more sustainable model is for dues to account for 60% of income, with the other 40% coming from fundraising, endowments, etc. -Don Levitt for investigating alternative sources of income for TBE. -Julie Steiner who guided the transition of two senior staff members. -Robin Little, Judie Lax and Marc Kessler for helping to establish the Music and Spirituality Endowment in Honor of Cantor Annie Rose. -Robin Pollak, Jack Billi, Ariel Saulles, Stephanie Newell and others on the Strategic Planning Committee. -SooJi Min and the office staff – and especially Megan Kalmbach who is leaving TBE to further her education. -Also thanks to the TBE Board, Rabbi Levy, Rabbi Delson and Cantor Rose.• See “The Year of Torah Financial Report – 2014” for a summary of expenditures from the Year of Torah Fund.Executive Director’s Report | SooJi Min• Megan Kalmbach will be leaving after five years. • David Monroe started June 2 as Account Manager. • Sarah Krell has moved to the position of Clergy and Administrative Coordinator. • Tressa Hart will serve as the Religious and Hebrew School Assistant.Rabbi’s Report | Rabbi Robert Levy• The transition of our senior staff has been successful because of the graciousness and strength of character of Rabbi Delson and Cantor Rose. This will be a year of transitions. • We have extended a contract for the Director of Congregational Services to our preferred candidate and it has been accepted. • We will be discussing several important issues with St. Clare’s during the coming year. Strategic Planning Report | Robin Pollak and Jack Billi• A working version of the “TBE Mission, Vision and Values” was presented and comments were invited from those present at the Annual Meeting. This document will also be posted online so others can provide their comments. This has been “Phase One” of the strategic planning process. • “Phase Two” will focus on specific goals and metrics which can be tracked to determine our progress in fulfilling the strategic plan.Sisterhood | Helaine Reid• The cookbook created in honor of Cantor Rose, entitled “A Song in my Heart, A Kugel in the Oven” has sold well. Proceeds will go to youth programming. Over $5,000 has been raised to-date.Development | Marc Kessler • Slides were presented which indicate that membership in TBE has declined from 704 family member units in 2007-2008 to 629 family members units in 2013-2014. • There will be renewed efforts to recruit and retain a diverse membership. • There will be efforts to diversify our income to a 60-40 balance (60% from dues; 40% from other sources) by developing additional sources of revenue.New Business Recognition of outgoing board members and Genesis representative | President Susan Gitterman• Susan thanked the following people who are completing their terms and will not be continuing on the board next year: Virginia Murphy, Martin Ludington, Don Levitt, Marc Kessler, Rich Friedman, Jack Billi, Ariel Saulles and Rebecca Shriberg. She also thanked Howie Saulles for his service on the Genesis Board.

Election of Board of Trustees | Past President Deb KatzThe Nominating Committee nominates the following people for election to the Board of Trustees for two year terms beginning in 2014-2015: VP for Membership | Rachel Glick VP for Religious Practices | Alexandra Wood VP for Social Action | Bob Milstein VP for Finance | Ronnie Shapiro Secretary | Elaine YeglicMembers at Large Joe Pollak Michele Forbes Deb Schild Sarah CohenThe committee nominates the following person for election to the Genesis Board for a 3 year term beginning in 2014-15: Richard FriedmanThe committee nominates the following people for election to the Board of Trustees for one year terms in 2014-15:Members at Large Lisa Lynch (completing the term of Rachel Glick) Steve Stancroff (completing the term of Alexandra Wood) Bonnie Keen (completing the term of Elaine Yeglic)The committee nominates the following person for election to a second term in her office:Martha Weintraub | Member at LargeContinuing on the Board of Trustees and completing their terms in June 2015: President | Susan Gitterman VP for Administration | Julie Steiner VP for Religious Education | Lisa Newman Treasurer | Larry Yonovitz Immediate Past President | Deborah KatzMembers at Large Jeffrey Morenoff Marjorie Lesko Phil Barr (Genesis Liaison) Jordan ShavitContinuing on the Genesis Board and completing their terms as noted next to their names: Dave Gitterman (term ends June 2016) Annette Fisch (term ends June 2016)Motion & Second to Approve Board of Trustees and Genesis Board | Approved by congregation

Presentation of 2014-2015 budget | Ronnie Shapiro• The proposed budget is a balanced budget.• Tzedakah is a separate line item.• Total salary costs are similar to last year. -Transitioning from a Rabbi to a Director of Congregational Services reduced the salary cost of that position. -The addition of an administrative support person added to salary costs.Motion & Second to Approve Proposed 2014-2015 Budget | Approved by congregation

Meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.Donald B. Levitt Immediate Past Secretary

Temple Board Motions

The following are the motions passed by TBE Board of Trustees September 2014-May 2015.

The Temple Beth Emeth Board of Trustees accept Jodi Wallo to fill the recently vacated position on the board until the end of the current term. Motion passed unanimously.

Temple Beth Emeth Board of Trustees will send a letter to the Genesis Board encouraging them to engage the necessary external guidance to resolve the current deficiencies. Motion passed unanimously.

Temple Beth Emeth Board authorizes the President to expend up to $4000, if requested by the Genesis Board, for an equal share of expenses to hire outside resources to resolve differences. Motion passed unanimously.

Approval that Rabbi Levy be granted a parsonage allowance of up to 75% of his total compensation for the period of January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015 and that Cantor Lambert-Hayut be granted a parsonage allowance of up to 50% of her salary for the period January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. Motion passed unanimously.

The TBE Board of Trustees will submit the appropriate form requesting a Special License for Consumption on the Premises for the adult Purim Party on 2/7/15. Motion passed unanimously.

Requested monies of $874.00 from the Year of Torah Spiritual Life Fund will be allocated to the Hand-In-Hand planning committee to defray costs of the visit to the Ann Arbor Jewish community by Lee Gordon, co-founder of Hand-In-Hand Schools, from March 20-22, 2015. Motion passed unanimously.

The revised Board Roles and Responsibility document was adopted. Motion was unanimously passed.

Requested monies of $180 from the Year of Torah Spiritual Life Fund will be allocated to fund a sixth adult educational session in the series Beyond the Pentateuch: The Rest of the Hebrew Bible. Request was granted by a unanimous vote.

Revised TBE by-laws were accepted by the TBA Board of Trustees to be presented to the congregation at the June 2015 Congregational Meeting for approval. Motion passed unanimously.

Approval of financial policies including Whistleblower Policy, Business Expense and Reimbursement Policy, Cash Disbursement Policy, Cash Receipts Policy, Gift Acceptance Policy, Endowment Investment Policy, and Conflict of Interest Policy. Motion passed unanimously.

Acceptance of the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2015-2016 to be presented to the congregation at the Annual Meeting on June 10, 2015. Motion unanimously passed.

Approval of a one-year extension of transferring $21,000 from the Building Capital Fund to the General Operations Fund for the purpose of covering the additional Genesis Operational Assessment for budget year (2015-2016). Motion passed unanimously.

Acceptance of nominees for election to the following positions pending Congregational approval at June 10, 2015 Congregational Meeting:

Board of Trustees for two-year terms beginning in 2015-16: VP for Administration

Joe Pollak

Members at Large

Yuni Aaron

David Lewis

Richard Corson

Steve Lonn

Jodi Wallo

Bonnie Keen

Genesis Board for a three-year term beginning in 2015-16: Ed Davidson

Board of Trustees for one year terms in 2015-16: Members at Large

Joy Ensor (completing the term of Joe Pollak)

Board of Trustees for second terms in their offices: VP for Education and Youth

Lisa Newman

Member at Large & Genesis Liaison: Phil Barr

Pending approval of recommended bylaws amendments, the committee recommends a one-year extension of the term of Susan Gitterman as President of the Board of Trustees. Motion passed unanimously.

Approval to accept 27 family units as presented by the Membership Committee into Membership to Temple Beth Emeth. Motion passed unanimously.

Approval of request for $4,080 from the Year of Torah Spiritual Life Fund to support a two-year Spirituality Book Club led by Cantor Emerita Annie Rose. Motion passed unanimously.

The TBE Board of Trustees will sign the petition presented by Rabbi Levi on behalf of Sonya Lewis supporting a favorable vote on State of Michigan House Bill 4261 making Michigan schools gun-free zones. Rabbi Levy will write a letter to all congregants requesting that each consider signing the petition. Motion passed unanimously.

Elaine Yeglic Secretary

Administration

This has been a busy and exciting year for the VP of Administration. We began the year with two new (very important) staff members: Cantor Regina Hayut and Avital Ostfield, Director of Congregational Services.

The year has sped by as we have oriented, introduced, indoctrinated, and most importantly, warmly welcomed these two women to our TBE home. Many thanks to the congregants who opened their homes and their hearts to provide introductions to our community to Regina and Avital.

The work continues as both Regina and Avital help to make (and keep) TBE a warm, comforting and inviting place for all who may wish to join us in worship, learning and socializing.

Other (much more mundane) work that has been tackled and accomplished this year includes a complete review and revision of the congregation by-laws (which you will be voting on at the Annual Meeting if you join us), the finalization of employee contracts for the senior staff who (lucky for us) were willing to work without for many years, and working with our Executive Director, SooJi Min, on employee policies and procedures as well as annual review systems.

I leave this position feeling that TBE is in a great place. SooJi has the capacity, the know-how, and the skills to manage all that comes her way in administratively running our temple. She has developed a wonderful staff and a new budget that is easier for us non-finance-types to understand and is moving forward with many other improvements to our systems (I’m sure she will report on these herself ).

I will be leaving the next VP of Administration with notes about key functions of the position and key administrative tasks that occur during the year.

Thank you for this opportunity to serve our congregation.

Julie Steiner VP for Administration

Finance Fast Facts

• TBE needs to shift from a 80/20 income model to a 60/40 model.

-Approximately 80% of our budget ($1,120,000) arises from dues and approximately 20% ($300,000) comes from other sources.

-Most other reform congregations our size have only 60% of their budget coming from dues. The 60/40 model lessens the financial impact of membership fluctuation.

• Operating reserves are at $242,500. TBE spends approximately $111,500/month, so the current operating reserve is at about 8 weeks. It is recommended to have at least 3 months in operating reserves or about $334,500.

• As of June 30, 2014, the Capital Fund Account has a total fund balance of approximately $259,000.

• TBE received a $20,000 (23%) hardship reduction in TBE membership payments to the Union for Reform Judaism for the third year in a row.

• 28 Sustaining Members each contributed at least $1,000 for three years over and above their income-based annual pledge.

• December 2014 year-end donations reached almost $6,300, and almost $1,900 of this come from non-members.

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee works each winter to ensure that a qualified and diverse slate of officers is in place to be approved by the TBE Board and later by the congregation at the annual meeting in June. The committee is led by the immediate past president of the board and comprises board members who are not about to finish their term, congregants who are not members of the board and the presidents of Sisterhood and Brotherhood. This year the committee members were Joe Pollak, Alexandria Wood and Elaine Yeglic from the board, Larry Biederman, Robin Pollak and Nancy Szabo from the congregation, Hillary Handwerger from Sisterhood and George Brieloff from Brotherhood.

The committee nominates the following people for election to the Board of Trustees for two year terms beginning in 2015-16: VP for Administration | Joe PollakTreasurer |

The committee nominates the following person for election to the Genesis Board for a 3 year term beginning in 2015-16:Ed Davidson

The committee nominates the following people for election to the Board of Trustees for one year terms in 2015-16: Members at LargeJoy Ensor (completing the term of Joe Pollak)

The committee nominates the following people for election to a second term in their offices:VP for Education and Youth | Lisa NewmanMember at Large & Genesis Liaison | Phil Barr

Pending approval of the recommended bylaws amendment regarding the term of President, the committee recommends a one-year extension of the term of Susan Gitterman as President. If the bylaws amendment regarding the president’s term is NOT approved, the committee nominates Susan Gitterman for a 2nd 2-year term as President.

Continuing on the Board of Trustees and completing their terms in June 2016:VP for Finance | Ronnie ShapiroVP for Membership | Rachel GlickVP for Religious Practices | Alexandria WoodVP for Social Action | Bob MilsteinSecretary | Elaine Yeglic

Also continuing on the board as Immediate Past President (ex-officio):Deborah Katz

Continuing on the Genesis Board for 2015-16 and completing their terms as noted next to their names:Annette Fisch (term ends June 2016) Rich Friedman (term ends June 2017)

The committee, the board and the congregation would like to thank the following people who are completing their terms and will not be continuing on the board next year: Julie Steiner, Larry Yonovitz, Lisa Lynch, Marjorie Lesko, Steve Stancroff, and Jordan Shavit. We also thank Dave Gitterman for his service on the Genesis Board. Thank you all for your dedicated service to our community.

Members at LargeYuni Aaron David Lewis Richard Corson Steve Lonn Jodi Wallo Bonnie Keen

Members at Large Sarah Cohen Michele Forbes Deborah Schild Martha Weintraub

Finance

2014–2015 Budget and FinancesThroughout the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the Finance Committee has focused on monitoring membership commitment income and, with the assistance of the Clergy and Senior Staff, tightly controlling expenses. Another focus this year was drafting and updating our financial policies so that we can be assured that we are operating under “best practices”. Larry Yonovitz, TBE Treasurer, took the lead in this effort. Thank you, Larry, for your many hours of hard work on this project.

Membership Commitment ProcessThe Membership Commitment pledge forms for 2015-2016 were sent out to the congregation in March, in line with a board decision to move the timing of the Membership Commitment process to earlier in the year. As of June 8, 2015, approximately 45% of the congregation responded with Membership Commitment pledges for the 2015-2016 year. The early response from our members allows the Finance Committee to have a better sense of actual income before we present the budget to the congregation at the Annual Meeting.

We have continued the Sustaining Member category on the 2015-2016 Membership Commitment form. For 2014-2015, 29 families were Sustaining Members.

Projected 2015–2016 BudgetThe budget for 2015–2016 is a program-based budget. We have simplified the budget format for 2015-2016 and made modifications to facilitate our understanding of where our dollars are spent.

Income1. Membership Commitment and Tzedakah are shown separately; Tzedakah is included with Donations to get a clearer picture of our membership commitment.

2. Fundraising income and expenses are shown as a separate line item with a net placeholder amount of $1,000.

3. We are projecting a stable number of member units (620) and a stable amount of income from membership commitments. We are keenly aware of the economic issues that many of our members continue to struggle with, and believe that this is a reasonable approach.

Expenses1. We were able to keep printing and mailing costs at a minimum thanks to the increased use of the internet and email, and particularly thanks to our members’ willingness to receive information in those formats. We were also able to reduce the expenses for the monthly bulletin by using a new format.

2. On the recommendation of the Genesis Cost-Sharing Committee, a one-year extension of the negotiated differential of $21,000 is included in Genesis expense. For the past three years, the Genesis differential has been paid from TBE’s Building Capital Reserves instead of operating funds. In May 2015, the TBE Board again approved transferring the differential from the Building Capital Reserve to the General Operations Fund for budget year 2015-2016, subject to congregational approval.

3. We requested that the 20% decrease of the MUM dues to the URJ be continued until such time as our income increases.

4. We will continue to use Restricted Funds to pay for appropriate activities. We need to be careful not to deplete these funds.

Ongoing ActivitiesThe Finance Committee will continue to meet throughout the summer to evaluate our financial situation and recommend appropriate changes if they become necessary. We will be working throughout the 2015-2016 fiscal year to further refine the Membership Commitment system. We will also continue to work with the TBE Board and clergy to identify potential savings.

Ronnie Shapiro Vice President for Finance

CemeteryOverviewThe Temple purchases interment rights (burial lots) in our designated Jewish section of Arborcrest Cemetery for burials for members in good standing, members’ families, and other eligible persons per our Cemetery Rules and Regulations. The Temple’s cemetery operations are governed by a standing Temple Cemetery Committee reporting to the VP for Religious Practice.

Lots are purchased from the self-sustaining Cemetery Lot Fund account from lot sales and does not require any Temple General Fund subsidy. Lots are sold to eligible persons on a three-tier schedule: • Pre-Need • Immediate Need • Non-Member

Lot Status for Period 7/14 – 6/15• Lots purchased from Arborcrest Cemetery: 6 (Signed another 3 year contract to purchase 6 lots per year 2015 -2017. Arborcrest has held their prices to the Temple for over 10 years). We purchased: -Four “regular” lots -Two new “cremation lots” (See Major Accomplishments Section below) • Lots Sold: 6 • Regular Lots in Inventory for Members & Eligible Others: 41 -Single Lots: 7 lots -Double Lots (Adjacent): 14 (28 lots) -Double Lots on Hold: 3 (6 lots) • New for 2015/2016: -Cremation Lots: 2 (12 cremation spaces per lot; 24 cremation spaces total)

Financial StatusTwo separate accounts are maintained for the cemetery through the TBE accounting system—a Cemetery Lot Fund (designated solely for lot acquisition) and a Care Fund (for maintenance and appearance matters not covered by the cemetery): • 4/15 Lot Fund Balance: $46,364 (receivables: +$425) • 4/15 Care Fund Balance: $2,598

Major Accomplishments/Highlights During Fiscal Year• Undertook a comprehensive audit, update, and consolidation of cemetery master records. • Established new processes for updating and maintaining the cemetery master files and map. • Initiated steps with Sooji to incorporate cemetery records into the Temple’s regular master data base system. • Conducted a cemetery committee visitation with the Rabbi to discuss various matters, including future expansion. • Reviewed, revised, and updated Cemetery Rules & Regulations and the Cemetery Information/Price List Handout. • Resolved paperwork and other administrative matters regarding certain lots sold with vaults several years ago. New vault certificates and/or deeds were prepared as needed. • Held multiple meetings with Cemetery Administrator Wanda Hagen to discuss: -Cremation lots -Multiple maintenance matters -Future lot expansion & acquisition intent -Green Burials

• Cremation Lots (New) -Designated two of the six lots purchased this year as Cremation Lots. -Each lot is partitioned into 12 spaces to be used either for a single or double cremains with a paved walkway between these lots. -Price for these spaces includes coping, the in-ground granite memorial (engraving of the plaque for the granite memorial is paid by the purchaser), and paved walkway between the two cremation lots. -Communication of this new option in our section of Arborcrest will start in the fall of 2015.

Committee Membership Changes• Eileen & Herb Pritzker moved out of the area. • Gretta Spier joined the committee.

Administrative Support to the Committee by Sooji The Committee thanks Sooji again this year for all her administrative support in maintaining the current cemetery map, burial records, financial accounting of cemetery accounts, and overall liaison to the Cemetery Committee and for her excellent support to membersand families who require information or support on cemetery matters.

Cemetery CommitteeKen Handwerger | ChairHarriet Charson | SecretaryGary Charson | TrusteeMarty Ludington | TrusteeAndrea Ludwig | TrusteeRonnie Simon | Trustee

Gretta Spier | Trustee

Religious Education

Religious Education CommitteeCommittee Members: Janice Lieberman (chair), Abbie Egherman, Kathe Shwayder, Terri Ginsburg, Melina Adler, Lisa Newman (VP of Religious Education), Sarah Cohen, Staci Kennedy, Rabbi Ilana Baden, Michelle White, Carrie Hammerman, Natalie Iglewicz, Rosie Bellovin

Religious Education Committee Focus• Traffic control during beginning of school. Committee members volunteer to direct traffic as parents get used to traffic patterns.

• Religious Ed Committee ran Sweet Beginnings , a program developed by Sisterhood (Elizabeth Sikkenga) to celebrate the beginning of Hebrew School. The event went smoothly on both Monday and Wednesday and kids had a great time.

• Sponsored holiday tzedakah gift card collection project for Safe House and sock collection for rotating shelter.

• Recruited 3 new members for the committee! We like to have several members with young children on the committee.

• Discussed ways to stagger the tzedakah collections so parents aren’t constantly being asked to give money or goods.

• Discussed issues of school safety including a no gun policy, communication equipment for between classes or office to classrooms, and training teachers and staff on an annual basis in terms of fire and intruder safety. Issues are being followed up in appropriate places.

Religious and Hebrew SchoolEnrollmentReligious School | 293/320 (includes madrichim), Sat. Students | 169, Sun. | 128 Hebrew School | 120, Madrichim (teen age classroom aides) | 34

StaffDirector of Education | Terri GinsburgReligious School Assistant | Tressa HartCoordinator of Saturday Religious School | Emily Alter

New Developments• 11/12th grade seminars: Sam Molnar taught a class about The Shmita: A Year of Release and Liberation. Students learned about the concept of the sabbatical year and how it relates to modern issues of debt, oppression and environmental stewardship. First semester the seminar was Jews on the Edge, taught by Aaron Jackson, a long-time TBE teacher and Youth Advisor.

• 5th Grade Tashlich Family Program: The timing worked for Cantor Hayut and me to spend a shabbat morning in the Arb with our 5th grade families. She led a lovely Tashlich service and everyone enjoyed hanging out and playing games in the Arb.

• Mitzvah/Tzedakah Projects

• Rosh Hashannah cards and Purim baskets: JFS seniors (3rd grade)

• SafeHouse tzedakah drive

• 7th grade: Food Gatherers, NAP (National Area Preservation) mitzvah projects

• Back Door Food Pantry Food Collections-On the first day of Religious School, Saturday morning students visited the garden and took donations of food to the Back Door Food Pantry where they received a tour and explanation of the Pantry’s mission. Middle and high school students brought in donations of food during their tours of the pantry.

• Over $1,000 collected from tzedakah collections in each grade with students determining recipients of the money. This year’s money was donated to Creature Conservancy, Ann Arbor Public Schools, Humane Society of Huron Valley, World Wildlife Fund, Ozone House, and Back Door Food Pantry.

Professional Development • TBE Teacher Inservice: Terri and Emily Alter led a workshop for all teachers on Using the Power of Relationships to Transform Your Classroom. The workshop was based on the work of Dr. Ron Wolfson.

• Scholar in Residence: City-wide inservice organized by Jewish Educator’s Council and funded by Jewish Federation with Marilyn Price, a nationally known Jewish storyteller and Puppeteer. Marilyn did a workshop for teachers on how to make and use puppets in the classrooms and came to each of the Jewish schools in Ann Arbor and worked with the students.

• Individual meetings with teachers on campus or at TBE throughout the year.

Parent Education • Small Children Disturb Your Sleep, Big Ones Your Life (Yiddish proverb) Ruth Moscow Cohen L.M.S.W. facilitated this well-attended workshop about parenting teens.

• Jewish Parenting Program—It’s Not Just a Good Deed, It’s a Mitzvah, facilitated by Terri Ginsburg. Discussed how to use a Jewish framework to shape the values that you want your children to have.

Terri Ginsburg Director of Education

Making Hebrew name bracelets with Rabbi Baden.5th graders making Hebrew name bracelets.

9th graders relaxing after an intense discussion.

Religious Practice

This year, Marty Ludington, the immediate past VP of Religious Practice, chaired the Pulpit Committee. Members of the committee were Larry Biederman, Susan Harris, Bobbi Heilveil, Deb Katz, Marc Kessler, Carol Milstein, Ruth Petit, Gretta Spier, Martha Weintraub, Alex Wood, and Elaine Yeglic.

One of the Pulpit Committee’s goals this year was to embrace the URJ’s ideal of “audacious hospitality.” Audacious Hospitality seeks to go above and beyond in creating a welcoming environment for congregants. To this end, we set a few new programs in motion. During the High Holy Days, a member of the Board or Pulpit committee worked as a “greeter” on each bus to Pease Auditorium, making a few small announcements and welcoming everyone. We received a lot of positive feedback about this. We also made a push to open up the Shabbat honor system. We created a special TBE email address, honors@templebethemeth.org, so that people could volunteer for candle lighting and aliyot more easily. We also put the information out through the weekly emails and Shabbat announcements.

A small group from our Pulpit Committee (Marc Kessler, Marty Ludington, Martha Weintraub, Alex Wood) worked hard over the summer to revise and streamline the HHD mailings. We were pleased with the resulting packet and received positive feedback from both the office and congregation.

The High Holy Days services this year, both at Pease Auditorium and at TBE, were a continued success, thanks in no small part to the addition of our new cantor, Regina Lambert-Hayut. The addition of Cantor Hayut and her family was a great blessing and we look forward to sharing many more years of High Holy Days Services (and beyond) with them. Thanks again to the clergy, Kol HaLev, and the soloists who made these services so wonderful. Generations After continue to provide a moving service in the afternoon on Yom Kippur at TBE.

Thanks again to the Pulpit Committee members, office staff, and congregants for their help in moving to, setting up, and returning from Pease, and to EMU and EMU Hillel for hosting us. We will continue to hold the majority of services at Pease in 2015.

This year we introduced a new adult worship band, Tzimoret. They have added a wonderful layer to our already deep musical tradition. The response has been positive and we look forward to their continued contributions to the beauty of Shabbat.

In addition to the above, the Pulpit Committee also performed their traditional tasks of distributing Friday night service honors, recruiting ushers, helping with Second Night Seder, and organizing the summer, lay-led services and providing the onegs for them. Tot Shabbat services and dinners have continued again this year and are very much enjoyed by tots and parents.

Alexandria Wood Vice President for Religious Practice

Membership

This year, the membership committee had new leadership, as I assumed both the role of VP for Membership and Membership Committee Chairmanship. We also had three new members: Bonnie Keen, Wendy Lawrence Morgan, and Joe Pollak. These enthusiastic new members joined active returning committee members Patty Benson, Ketl Freedman-Doan, Sooji Min and Virginia Murphy and assisted with all aspects of our work throughout the year.

TBE had 621 family units that pledged in 2014-15. (A family unit can be an individual, couple or family.) We have welcomed 27 new member family units since July 1, 2014, including five individuals, four couples, and 18 families with children.

Forty family units did not pledge in 2014-15, and in conjunction with the ad hoc financial development committee, the membership committee spent some effort looking into the reasons people choose to leave. Most non-renewals happen at the point in time when member’s children advance to new life phases. Given this, the committee explored ways to retain members even as their children complete Hebrew school /B’Nai Mitzvah or graduate from high school.

The membership committee sponsored a number of events, including Welcome Back/Welcome Shabbat Service (Patty Benson scooped the ice cream for the oneg, once again!), a New Member Service, and a Learner’s Service. Patty Benson hosted a New Member Brunch and Bicycle Ride at her home, and Virginia Murphy led the efforts to staff a table at the JCC’s Apples and Honey event.

Most of our discussions this year focused on recruitment, retention and engagement. Joe Pollak took the lead on creating a volunteer database and spearheaded an effort to begin a volunteer of the month column in the temple newsletter. Led by Wendy Lawrence Morgan, we designed a flyer to use for recruitment as we realized we did not have any materials to hand out at various events. We reviewed the suggestions put forth by The Ross Business School student group looking at recruitment of new members, updated all applications materials as was recommended , and are moving forward with using direct mail lists to invite families with young children from our area to Tot Shabbat. Finally, we have begun discussions about ways in which we might change the yearly pledge process for efficiency and to support retention of members. We will continue these discussions in the fall and then take our ideas to the finance committee and TBE Board for broader discussion.

Overall, it was a successful year with lots of enthusiatic discussion of new ideas and approaches. I have been honored to serve the Temple Beth Emeth Community in this capacity and look forward to another busy year of membership committee work in 2015-16.

Rachel Glick Vice President for Membership

Welcome Back Welcome Shabbat ServiceFriday, August 28 | 7:30 pmJoin us for our first shabbat service of the 2015-2016 liturgical year!

FRIDAY NIGHT IS TEMPLE NIGHT!

Social Action

TBE’s Social Action Committee (SAC) had another busy year as we focused on the theme of assisting and advocating for vulnerable populations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. The highlight of the year was the weekend long activities to learn about the bilingual Jewish-Arab Schools in Israel called Hand In Hand. At the Social Action Shabbat, co-founder Lee Gordon spoke on the topic of Continuing Together, without Hate and without Fear. Mr. Gordon spoke at a community-wide interfaith dinner. He also met with children of the religious school during the day and spoke at the JCC.

The Social Action Committee, along with St. Clare’s Episcopal Church, sponsored an Ann Arbor Mayoral Forum, hosted the Niagara Foundation’s Dinner of Abrahamic Traditions, and co-sponsored a showing of the movie, The Homestretch. The Social Action Committee also sponsored a showing of the documentary film, Refusing to be Enemies. This film features Arab and Jewish women of the Ann Arbor based group Zeitouna. They share their views, dialogue, and become friends. Following the showing there was a question and answer session with members of the group.

The Social Action Committee also sold fair trade, Kosher for Passover chocolate. Fair trade products help to secure a better life for farmers and workers in poor countries by offering the farmers a fair price that covers the cost of sustainable production and provides a premium to be used for community needs. A portion of the profits also benefits T’ruah, the rabbinic call for human rights organization, Fair Trade Judaica, and the SAC’s activities, including Mitzvah Day.

This year’s Mitzvah Day returned to Alpha House. Founded by TBE members, Alpha House is part of the Interfaith Hospitality Network. It provides shelter and services to local homeless families. Members of TBE painted guest rooms, organized the playroom, art room, and family room, repaired bicycles, created new curtains, and landscaped the grounds while residents enjoyed a day at the Toledo Zoo. More than 100 congregants participated in Mitzvah Day activities. See photos on next page.

As in past years, the SAC has supported the following organizations both financially and through numerous hours of volunteer assistance:

The Back Door Food Pantry (BDFP) (Jointly with St. Clare’s Episcopal Church)On Mondays volunteers receive weekly deliveries of previously ordered non-perishable and frozen foods, organize, and restock the pantry shelves and freezer. On Wednesdays volunteers select additional perishable and non-perishable food items from Food Gatherers’ pantry, deliver them to the BDFP, and restock the shelves. On Thursdays, 3-7 pm, volunteers meet and assist patrons with their food choices. On average, food is provided to about 120 families each week.

The Genesis Faith and Food Garden (Jointly with St. Clare’s)Volunteers plant, water, weed, and harvest vegetables for distribution to the BDFP. Over 600 pounds of produce were grown and donated from the Garden.

Alpha House (Jointly with St. Clare’s Episcopal Church)Four times a year, for one week, volunteers provide meals, supervise playtime and provide overnight hosts for the residents.

Community Kitchen at the Delonis CenterOn the first Mondays and second Saturdays throughout the year, volunteers prepare and serve meals to the residents of the Delonis Center and clean up the kitchen. The Delonis Center provides temporary emergency housing for homeless men and women through the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County.

Rotating Shelter (Jointly with St. Clare’s Episcopal Church)For a one-week period during the week of Thanksgiving, volunteers host up to 25 men from the Delonis Center. Congregants provide dinner, conversation, snacks, and games. Transportation to and from the building as well as overnight sleeping accommodations at Genesis is provided.

Bob Milstein Vice President for Social Action

Mitzvah Day Alpha House | May 31, 2015

Sisterhood

So what did Sisterhood accomplish this year? Even if you have been an active part of the Sisterhood leadership, you probably don’t remember everything we did.

Before moving on, I want to thank this year’s board for all they’ve done. They were flexible, fluid, and energized. Thank you to Bobbi Heilveil, Yuni Aaron, Carol Milstein, Laura Wallace, Noreen DeYoung, Fredda Unangst, Jackie Moore, and Emily Miller. We have accomplished so much this year and we would not have been able to do any of it without your help. And thank you to all the chairs that stepped up and helped us meet and exceed our goals.

We started out last August with our Installation Service and in September we had our Challah braiding and sculpting workshop. Our new TBE Sisterhood website became a reality in September as well.

October brought the Congregational New Year’s Card and Break-the-Fast, as well as our Opening Event. Thank you to Pat McCune, Gretta Spier, Bobbi Heilveil, Emily Waschberger, Laura Wallace and all their committees for what you accomplished. And I think it was October when we started our “Come to” series—meeting for lunch monthly at different restaurants around town—coordinated by Sandy Harlacher. In November we had a community-wide Kugel Cookoff—thanks to everyone who brought kugels in for tasting and judging! Thanks to Deb Schild for making the rest of the meal and everyone who helped with set up.

December brought the Chanukah Bazaar, DAMES Dinner (paid up membership dinner), our donation of $2000 to camp scholarships, and our present to our students away at college. Thanks to Amy Paberzs, Helaine Reid, Ava Adler and the Chanukah Bazaar helpers, Laura Wallace for a beautiful DAMES dinner, Susan Henkin for the College Connections program, and to everyone for enabling us to have the money to contribute to student scholarships.

In January we had an educational program on genetic testing and a fantastic Cello-bration event and fundraiser—thank you to Carol Milstein for the genetic testing program and to Yuni Aaron and the UM Cello Ensemble for Cello-bration. We also introduced the concept of Trinkets & Treasures—helping many of you with the overabundance of “goodies” in your home.

In February we held our Tu B’Shevat Seder, had an extremely informational program on CyberBullying, created a wonderful Sisterhood Shabbat with Sharon Benoff, VP of WRJ, and held a Workshop the next day, led by Sharon Benoff who came in from Philadelphia. The Social Action Committee of TBE participated, as did other temple sisterhoods in the area. Sandy Adland, President of WRJ Central District, also came and took part. Thanks to Noreen DeYoung, Carol Milstein, the Sisterhood Shabbat committee—Stephanie Newell, Tina Bissell, Pat McCune, Gretta Spier—and participants. We also went together to hear Mendelssohn’s Elijah, a rare privilege.

In March we sold hamantashen; with our new website, congregants were able to purchase and preorder their favorite flavors online as well as purchase them during the carnival. Thank you to Janine Chey and her crew for so ably pulling this all together. The Bulb Sale began in March and bulbs were available to purchase at tbebulbsale.com.

April included our Dinner and trip to the Jewish Film Festival. Thank you to Simone Yehuda for coordinating. Then Trinkets and Treasures happened, a happening with a lot of work and effort put into it. Thanks to Yuni Aaron, Bethany Steinberg, and Janine Chey for all the time that went into this exciting and successful fundraiser. And thanks to our artists, Kathi LeSueur, Marcia Polenberg, Cantor Hayut, Marianne Aaron, Yuni Aaron, and more who donated to the silent auctions and sales, and everyone who helped us by deciding what they could do without and contributing treasures for others to enjoy. A special thanks also to Jackie Moore, whose contributions kept us entertained as well as surprised. And thanks to our helpers who assisted in the transform of the social hall, in a little over an hour, to what people saw when they came in the door for Trinkets & Treasures. At the end of April we introduced the first stage of MarketPlace online. Many items that were not sold at Trinkets & Treasures are finding their way into MarketPlace which will be growing and morphing—stay tuned on this. You can check it out at tbemarketplace.com.

In May we went to the Kelsey Museum, with a lunch beforehand. The Bulb Sale ended at the end of May.

While we were doing all this, we contributed to the Religious School, to TBE, to the Purim Party, to WRJ (dues and YES Fund), Mazon, WUPJ, Jewish Braille Institute (JBI), Tsur Hadassah, Alpha House, Jewish Family Services, and Break-the-Fast. We sent some of our women to National and District WRJ conventions and we ran the Gift Shop. Plus we are working on creating closer ties with other women in other Sisterhoods in the Detroit area.

And June brings us to our Installation Dinner and Service and a continuation of Come to Lunch. We are also starting a knitting program at the end of June.

The new operating year begins again with our new officers on July 1:

President | Noreen DeYoung VP Admin | Bobbi Heilveil VP Programming | Carol Milstein VP Fundraising and Community Support | Yuni Aaron VP Membership | Harriet Charson Treasurer | Stephanie Newell Recording Secretary | Tina Bissell

Stay tuned to our website—tbesisterhood.org for ongoing information. It will be invigorating next year. Join in the fun.

Hillary Handwerger Sisterhood President

Brotherhood

As stated in the Temple Beth Emeth Brotherhood Constitution: The purpose of the Temple Beth Emeth Brotherhood shall be to:

1) Serve the Congregation in stimulating, supporting, and furthering the highest ideals of Judaism through service to our Temple and its congregants.

2) Foster cultural and educational advancement among its membership and the Jewish community.

3) Engage in congregational and community activities supporting the principle of Tikun Olam;.

4) Promote the spirit of comradeship and good fellowship; and, 5) Support and endorse the policies and activities of Temple Beth Emeth.

How does TBE Brotherhood achieve this? Through many planned activities throughout the year. These activities include:

• Men’s Torah Study | Meets twice a month and is facilitated by those that attend.

• Men’s Seder | In 2015, we were host to attendees from four local congregations (Beth Israel Congregation, Ann Arbor, Kol Ami, West Bloomfield, Shaarey Zedek, Southfield, and TBE). This year, thanks to Rabbi Levy, we used a new Baseball Haggadah which attendees thoroughly enjoyed.

• Latke Dinner | Brotherhood has taken to making latkes from scratch. We typically serve around 200-240 congregants who consume around 1000 latkes, 300 grilled hot dogs/300 hot dog buns, five pounds of pickles, four containers of ketchup, four containers of mustard, many pounds of home made applesauce, four pounds or sauerkraut, and a tremendous amount of sour cream. All in all, a wonderful event for all who attend!

• Brotherhood Shabbat Service | Brotherhood members facilitate a service as well as some of the music. For 2015-2016, Brotherhood Shabbat Service will be held in November 2015.

• Breakfasts and Dinners | The guys get together for some schmoozing, laughs, and food once a month. For 2015-2016, we have a schedule of guy’s night out dinners each month.

• Toledo Mud Hens | Brotherhood sponsors a Mud Hens game yearly for all to attend. This year, we’re eating inside the stadium for a catered, all-you-can eat meal in the picnic area. After dinner, we’ll go to our seats and watch the game as well as fireworks after the game.

• Joint congregational picnic between the TBE Brotherhood and the Beth Israel Congregation Men’s Club | We are getting together at Ann Arbor’s Southeast Park for food, kickball, softball, and schmoozing. It is our hope that this will become an annual event with Beth Israel.

• Tikkun Olam Projects | Brotherhood purchases and prepares breakfast a couple of times a year for families at Alpha House. We have also completed Mitzvah Day projects at Alpha House. Brotherhood has a yearly collection during latke dinner of much needed toiletry items for families staying at Alpha House.

• Blood Drive | Brotherhood does an annual blood drive in conjunction with the Red Cross. The annual blood drive takes place in February. During the 2015 blood drive, a total of 26 people gave 23 pints of blood which was outstanding considering there was a snow storm on the day of the blood drive.

• Sukkot | Brotherhood sets up and tears down the sukkah every year. Additionally, Brotherhood facilitates a Men’s Sukkot Service and dinner, which is always well attended.

• Havdallah Service: Brotherhood facilitates a couple of Havdallah Services throughout the year for all to attend.

• Other upcoming activities to look for during the 2015-2016 year:

-Road Rally in late October 2015. Everyone is welcome.

-Mensch of the Year Award: In June 2016 we will have the first annual Mensch of the Year award given to a Brotherhood member who has given above and beyond to TBE and the Jewish community.

-MLK programming in January (on MLK Day). Everyone is welcome.

-Super Bowl Party. Get together with the guys for some football, food, and laughs.

-Break the fast at Pizza House in late April 2016. Everyone is welcome.

-Bowling outing and Euchre Tournament. Everyone is welcome.

As you can see, Brotherhood has a lot to offer. Please think about joining us for any, or all, of our activities. The complete 2015-2016 schedule of events will be on the TBE Brotherhood website as well as the TBE website. If you have any questions regarding anything Brotherhood, please contact George Brieloff at gbrieloff@gmail.com or via cell phone: 478-7859.

JOIN BROTHERHOOD!

George Brieloff Brotherhood President

The Band of Brothers!

Purim Parties The Twenties and Thirties group (TNT) hosted another annual Purim party. This year LIVE nightclub graciously hosted us by donating the space. We had a DJ spin some tracks for the party as well as a photo booth with costumes and a photographer! Our costume contest was a success as well. Ariel Saulles won the competition with a homemade version of “The Dress,” an optical illusion that was trending on the internet at the time of the party. Some of our other winners included “Blackmail” (an all-black outfit with the address of a friend’s father) and Thing 1 and Thing 2. People really got into it! Our costumes spanned many decades and genres, from flappers to Missy Elliot. We also had wristbands and t-shirts made. It’s an occasion that will be remembered for a very long time!

Purim for the congregation this year included the carnival like it has in the past, but also included a Saturday evening fundraiser to celebrate Purim. It had a casino theme, complete with amazing handmade decorations by Sally Brieloff and real life black jack and roulette. The sanctuary turned into one of the most impressive karaoke nights with a pianist and folk jams. The social hall had food from around the world—everything from samosas to guacamole. Everyone ate and was satisfied! There was even a table of people playing Trivial Pursuit! The Instagram feed projected onto the wall highlighted the costumes that were out of this world. Frida Kahlo met Moses with Rabbi Levy and Jo Ellin as Google Maps. The Freedman Doan family came as Adam and Eve and the Apple (or The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree)! The silent auction featured items like homemade meals with our clergy, ceramic originals and parking for Michigan Football games (Go Blue!).

We hope to continue this tradition. Be on the lookout for the date of next year’s event!

Avital Ostfield Director of Congregational Services

Thank YousAuction Items/DonationsTina Bissel Shlomit Cohen Colonial Lanes Compassionate Care Animal Hospital Elephant Ears Eeta Gershow Susan and Dave Gitterman Rachel Glick Cantor Hayut Marjorie Lesko/The Ann Arbor Independent Kathleen LeSueur Rabbi Levy Nancy Margolis Orbit Hair Design Robin Pollak/Journeys International Alex Roberts/Pet Supplies Plus Ronnie Shapiro Lori Shepard/Simply Scrumptious Julie Steiner Ryan Sullivan Michael Susanne Salon TBE Brotherhood Stacy Williams/WhatscookingA2.com The Performance Network

Financials Adult Purim $1,653.47 $6,428 $4,774.53 TNT $302.42 $592 $289.58 Carnival $1,609.01 $1,130 ($479.01)

Purim CommitteeSally Brieloff George Brieloff Carol Milstein Heidi Ruud Alex Wood

Affiliate GroupsR&R Sisterhood Brotherhood TNT

In KindHaifa Falafel Tios

Expenses Income Net Income

Marc Kessler Reverend & Jane Rhodenhiser

Annette Fisch

Jo Ellin Gutterman & Rabbi Levy

Bobbi & David Heilveil

Patty Benson & Brian Chodoroff

Michele Forbes & Todd Berg

Sarah & Jeff Cohen

Ronnie ShapiroCarol & Bob Milstein

Marc Kessler & Rabbi Levy

Greg Ohl & Bobbi Carey

Angela Johnson & Adam Gitterman

Alex Wood and Card Dealer Mike

Scott & Lori Shepard

Barry Fuller & Christine Modey

George & Sally Brieloff

Avital Ostfield & Makelle Barski

Paul & Irene Adler

Lizzie Gitterman-Bigham & Daniel Bigham

Rachel Katz and Katie Brieloff

Dave & Susan Gitterman

Avishay & Cantor Regina Hayut

Kibichii Chelilim, Sean Klug, Tyler Lycan, and Makelle Barski

Rabbi Robert D. Levy ___________________________ reblevy@templebethemeth.org

Cantor Regina S. Lambert-Hayut _______________ cantorhayut@templebethemeth.org

Executive Director SooJi Min _______________________sjmin@templebethemeth.org

Dir. of Education Terri Ginsburg __________________tginsburg@templebethemeth.org

Director of Congregational Services Avital Ostfield_aostfield@templebethemeth.org

Clergy Coord. Sarah Krell _________________________skrell@templebethemeth.org

Account Manager Amie Brockman ______________abrockman@templebethemeth.org

Account Administrator Victoria Gross _______________vgross@templebethemeth.org

Communications Coordinator Alyssa Wealty_______awealty@templebethemeth.org

School Asst. Tressa Hart ___________________________thart@templebethemeth.org

Saturday School Coordinator Emily Alter_________________tbeschoola2@gmail.com

Library Coordinator Clare Kinberg _____________ tbe_library@templebethemeth.org

General Office Questions __________________________tbe@templebethemeth.org

Website_________________________________________www.templebethemeth.org

Family Shabbat Table Talk ___________________________________urj.org/shabbat

TNT Group Website ___________________________www.templebethemeth.org/tnt

Add your name to these TBE e-mail lists by calling the office

Announcements___________________Weekly announcement of events and servicesHotline _________________________Births, deaths, emergency news (members only)TBE Tots __________________________________________________www.tbetots.orgBeth Israel Funeral Notices_____________________________________Call the office

TBE’s Staff and Resources

Rabbi Robert D. Levy

Cantor Regina S. Lambert-Hayut

Cantor Emerita Ann Z. Rose

Director of EducationTerri Ginsburg

Executive DirectorSooJi Min

Officers and Board of TrusteesPresidentSusan Gitterman

VP for AdministrationJulie Steiner

VP for Education and YouthLisa Newman

VP for Finance Ronnie Shapiro

VP for Membership Rachel Glick

VP for Religious Practice Alexandria Wood

VP for Social Action Bob Milstein

TreasurerLarry Yonovitz

SecretaryElaine Yeglic

Ex-officio:Immediate Past PresidentDeborah Scott Katz

Sisterhood PresidentHillary Handwerger

Brotherhood PresidentGeorge BrieloffMembers at LargePhil BarrSarah CohenMichele ForbesBonnie KeeneMarjorie LeskoLisa LynchJoe PollakDeb SchildJordan ShavitSteve StancroffJodi WalloMartha Weintraub

Report Editor & DesignAlyssa Wealty