This newsletter article was written jointly by the rabbi, the president and the membership chairperson following a mistake made by an over zealous membership chair at a synagogue in the region.
At this time, the issues have been resolved. The article, although part of the public record of Betenu, is included only the private pages October 2006 Article.
Rabbi's Note for Rosh Hashannah Greeting Booklet
Welcome to Betenu.
I remember 5-years ago, just following 9/11, synagogue attendance took a big upswing. People need people; people need a community and there is nothing like a crisis for people to take steps to actualize these needs. Would that we could predict life's problems, both personal and world-wide. For the difficult physical problems of life we all have insurance policies: medical, life, automobile, homeowners, etc.
For the difficult spiritual problems of life, we at Betenu offer ourselves and our community. The "insurance premiums" for a spiritual community should certainly include fiscal support. However, the common denominator is: those who get the most out of Betenu are the ones who put the most into Betenu. To paraphrase an adage popular in last decade: The key to success is as simple as "showing up." "Showing up" builds a network of people with common identity and common values. Then whenever we need the spiritual support, we have developed the tools to get it!
To all, best wishes for the New Year and to our guests from the region, please give serious consideration to joining Betenu.
Joshua L. Segal
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