Submission #307 by Temple Beth Shalom Men'S Club - Livingston, NJ (941)
I have read the General Guidelines, "Nuts and Bolts" and Program Advanced Planning (Excel Spreadsheet) Documents
Best Overall Activities
Best Overall Programming
Page 1
The primary goals of our Club's overall body of work are to involve Jewish men in Jewish life by encouraging the involvement of our members in our wide array of innovative religious, social, educational and civic activities, to offer our members leadership opportunities, and to build community through enhancement of the spiritual and communal life of our synagogue.
The Men’s Club of Temple Beth Shalom of Livingston, New Jersey believes that we offer a nearly unmatched breadth and quality of religious, social, educational and civic programming that warrants consideration for the Torch Award for Best Overall Activities. We have approximately 250 members, an extremely active Executive Board and membership, and conduct programming and other activities in virtually every month of the year. One mark of a successful Men’s Club is a programming calendar that includes activities, events and opportunities for service and leadership that span the generations represented in the Club’s membership and addresses all their needs and interests. Our Club has active members whose ages range from the 30s to the 80s, and throughout the course of a Temple year, we estimate that well over 50% of our membership of 250 men participate in one or more Club activities.
Our programming and other activities can be grouped as set forth below (this list does not include our participation in almost every Regional and many FJMC events, including Region training sessions, Region retreats, Man of the Year Dinner, Presidents’ Dinner, Annual Convention/Ma’asim Tovim, Keruv, Rabbi Simon book sponsorship, and Sefer Haftarah). Please note that virtually all of these activities are conducted each and every year, and that our offerings are constantly evolving. For example, this year we originated the Talmud on Tap program with our Assistant Rabbi, Daniel Dorsch, and the Sunday morning minyan program that looks to capitalize on the success of the Worldwide Wrap.
Service to the Congregation
• Welcome-back-from-summer barbecue
• Sukkah raising and lowering
• Shomrim patrols on Halloween
• Build-a-Pair tefillin program
• Men’s Club Shabbat
• Purim Carnival
• Shoah Yellow Candle Holocaust Remembrance Program
• Men’s Club University
• Gifts to Bar/Bat Mitzvah children
• Donations to the Congregation and other giving
Service to the community
• Steven A. Gelman Memorial Health Forum
Club programming
• Bourbon in the Booth (fall barbecue in the Sukkah)
• Hanukkah Hilarity Comedy Night
• NFL and NCAA playoff games on our big-screen HDTV
• Worldwide Wrap
• Sunday morning minyan program
• Founders’ Day Brunch
• Talmud on Tap
• Spring barbecue and beer tasting
• Guest speakers
• Temple softball league
• Father/child activities
• Summer bike rides
• Year-round monthly Board meetings, open to our entire membership
Club initiatives
• New member development
• Executive Board development
• Fundraising initiatives
• Updating the Men’s Club Constitution
• Club website
Planning for each new Temple year begins in the summer. Our Executive Board meets every summer to plan our calendar for the coming year. Our calendars for the 2011 - 2012 and 2012 - 2013 years are attached. These calendars are living documents that are revised as events are added throughout the year (the attached calendars are as originally drafted in the summer of each year, and do not include the full breadth of programming that occurs throughout the year). What follows is an overview of our programming, with associated publicity where available.
Service to the Congregation
Welcome-back-from-summer barbecue. Every summer, on Labor Day Weekend, our Club puts on a barbecue for the entire Congregation, serving as many as 500 people. We set up tables and chairs in our parking lot, weather permitting, and barbecue hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and veggie burgers, which we serve together with side dishes, fruit, dessert and beverages, all free to the Congregation (guests of Temple members are welcome for a small fee). Barry Schwartz, our resident DJ, plays music and conducts games for the children who attend. We also conduct a raffle to help defray the costs of the barbecue. Raffle prizes have included iPads, HDTVs, and VISA gift cards. This is one of our Club’s signature events, and one of the highlights of the Temple year.
Sukkah raising and lowering. Each year, before and after Sukkot, our Club puts up and takes down the Temple Sukkah. Our Sukkah is quite large, measuring approximately 20 by 60 feet. We typically have at least 30 men participate, allowing for construction of the Sukkah in a mere three hours. The Sukkah is decorated and used by our Religious School children. It is also used for Sisterhood, Men’s Club, and other Congregational activities and programming, including Shabbat Kiddush in the Sukkah on Hol HaMoed Sukkot.
Shomrim patrols on Halloween. Each year, Men’s Club volunteers patrol our Temple grounds on the night before and the night of Halloween, to make sure there isn’t any mischief caused by neighborhood children.
Build-a-Pair tefillin program. Each year, our Club purchases a Build-a-Pair tefillin kit for every student in the Daled Class of our Religious School. The students construct their own tefillin, and are invited to wear their tefillin at the Worldwide Wrap that follows soon thereafter. A member of our Club who has a child in the Daled class usually attends the class at which the children construct their tefillin, and speaks to the children about the Club’s sponsorship of the program.
Men’s Club Shabbat. Each year, typically in February or March, our Club conducts Men’s Club Shabbat. We conduct the entire Shabbat service, both on Friday night and Saturday morning. Our Congregation is on an annual Torah cycle, and each year our members read the entire Parashah of the week - this year we read Ki Tissa, which comprised six full columns of Torah, no simple feat! We also deliver a D’var Torah Friday night, and a D’var Torah and D’var Haftarah Saturday morning. In addition, we have a Men’s Club Choir which sings both Friday night and Saturday morning. On Shabbat morning, the choir sings a doo-wop version of Adon Olam, together with our cantor, to the tune of Under the Boardwalk (this has become so popular that members of the Congregation start asking about it in the weeks leading up to Men’s Club Shabbat). Typically, about 50 men participate in Men’s Club Shabbat, which concludes with a Kiddush lunch paid for by our Club. Attached are the programs from the last two years’ Men’s Club Shabbatot (this year we did not conduct services on Friday night because of a conflict with the Temple calendar).
Purim Carnival. Every year, Men’s Club runs a game booth at our Congregation’s Purim Carnival, and volunteers at the refreshment stands.
Shoah Yellow Candle Holocaust Remembrance Program. Each year, our Club packages and mails Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles to every one of our Congregation’s approximately 750 members. Please see the attached note of thanks from our program chairman to those who volunteered at this year’s mailing.
Men’s Club University. Each year, our Senior Rabbi presents a lecture series on behalf of our Club, entitled Men’s Club University. These lectures are open to the Congregation, and attract large audiences. This year, Rabbi Spector is discussing “A Slice of Heaven - Jewish Views of the Afterlife.” Men’s Club provides a free breakfast before each lecture. Please see the attached publicity for this year’s Men’s Club University.
Gifts to Bar/Bat Mitzvah children. Our Club purchases and provides a gift of The Jewish Book of Why to every one of our Bar and Bat Mitzvah children.
Donations to the Congregation and other giving. This year our club donated $2,500 to our Congregation, which completed our $10,000 pledge to the building fund for our recently completed new school wing. We donated $250 to the Friends of the IDF, an organization that supports “lone soldiers” in the Israel Defense Forces who do not have any family in Israel. We contributed to Rabbi Simon’s Book, Understanding the Haftarot: A Layperson’s Guide, and we will sponsor the Unraveller for the week that the Sefer Haftarah will be at our synagogue later this year. In addition, we pay for the Build-a-Pair tefillin kits, Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles, and the not inconsiderable expenses required to stage the many events we put on for our synagogue and community throughout the year. This year’s giving is typical of our Club’s commitment to our synagogue and other worthy causes.
Service to the community
Steven A. Gelman Memorial Health Forum. In the year 2000, after the untimely passing of our member, Steven A. Gelman, our Club, in consultation with the Gelman family, created the Steven A. Gelman Memorial Health Forum, to promote awareness of health issues of relevance to our community. This annual event, now offered in conjunction with the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, is free and open to the public, and is presented by leading health care professionals. Approximately 200 people typically attend the Health Forums, many from the local community. A few years ago, representatives of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, one of the largest health care providers in the State of New Jersey, participated in this event for the first time. Saint Barnabas was so impressed with the quality of the event and the response from the community, they began partnering with our Club in planning for and presenting the event, and are now one of its co-sponsors. In 2011, the topic was “Holistic Health, Healing and Beyond.” In 2012, the topic was “Stroke: What is it? How can we prevent it? How do we treat it? How do families cope?” This year the topic will be “At Risk Youth.” Please see the attached publicity for the 2011 and 2012 events, and Fact Sheet prepared for last year’s Forum.
Club programming
Bourbon in the Booth (fall barbecue in the Sukkah). Every fall during Sukkot, our Club has a barbecue that we enjoy in the Sukkah, which begins with a D’var Torah from Rabbi Spector. In addition to a traditional barbecue menu, we enjoy a selection of premium bourbons and scotches. Please see the attached publicity for the 2011 event.
Hanukkah Hilarity Comedy Night. Each year around Hanukkah, our Club puts on one of the most anticipated social events of the Temple year. We transform the synagogue’s social hall into a New York City-style comedy club where we are entertained by three top-flight comedians. We provide refreshments and invite our guests to BYOB. This program is moving into its second decade, and in recent years, we have filled the social hall with more than 400 attendees. Please see the attached publicity from the 2011 Comedy Night, and the attached mailing that went to the entire Temple membership for this year’s Comedy Night.
NFL and NCAA playoff games on our big-screen HDTV. During the term of our Club’s immediate past President, Ira Sessler, we donated a new, state-of-the-art HDTV video and audio system to the synagogue. This system is used by all arms of the synagogue, including the Religious School, Adult Education, Sisterhood and Men’s Club. In the last two years, we began putting late Sunday afternoon NFL and mid-week evening NCAA playoff games on our calendar. We provide dinner and a large serving of camaraderie. The turnout for these games continues to improve, with several of our members bringing their sons. Please see the attached publicity for two of these events.
Worldwide Wrap. Every year, our Club participates in the Worldwide Wrap. This year, we had approximately 70 people attend the wrap (including children from our Religious School), some of whom put tefillin on for the first time. Several years ago, our Club conducted a tefillin donation program, asking Temple members to donate unused tefillin to the Temple. That program was very successful, and it has allowed us to have tefillin available for any Club member who does not have his own tefillin at the Worldwide Wrap. See the attached photo from a recent Wrap.
Sunday morning minyan program. Following the success of this year’s Worldwide Wrap, we commenced a program of designating three other Sunday mornings during the year (the first Sundays of May, August and November) as Men’s Club Minyan mornings. We want to build on and replicate the spirit and success of the Worldwide Wrap, and will invite and encourage our members to attend morning minyan on these additional dates.
Founders’ Day Brunch. In 2002, our Club began an annual event to honor some of the more senior members of our Club who made significant contributions to the Club in decades past (some of these men are still active participants in Club activities). We hold these “Founders’ Day” brunches on the Sunday of the Worldwide Wrap. In 2012, we honored Bernard Klausner, who was Men’s Club President from 1989 - 1991 (Bernie still attends every Men’s Club meeting and is an invaluable source of advice and wisdom). This year we honored George Weinberger, who was Men’s Club President from 1991 - 1993. The entire Congregation is invited to these events, which fill our Social Hall. The program includes remarks from current Club members, a D’var Torah by Rabbi Spector, a Township proclamation (presented by the Mayor of Livingston Township) in recognition of our honoree, the presentation of a commemorative plaque, and remarks from our honoree and family members. Please see the attached publicity and program from this year’s Founders’ Day event.
Talmud on Tap. This year our Club commenced a new program in consultation with our Assistant Rabbi, Daniel Dorsch, called “Talmud on Tap.” On two weekday evenings in February and March, we invited our membership to join Rabbi Dorsch at a local tavern to schmooze, have a beer and some snacks, and talk about issues facing men today and how the teachings of our faith can help in dealing with the stresses and challenges we all face. The topic of these sessions was “Tapping into the Work-Life Balance.” The program was very well received, with about twenty men attending the inaugural session. The program was so well received that we are considering making it a regular part of our programming. Please see the attached publicity for this event.
Spring barbecue and beer tasting. Every spring, our Club has a barbecue for paid-up members and their guests. Our 2013 spring barbecue was held just recently, on April 21. In addition to a meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, veggie burgers and all the fixings, we had a roving magician entertain the approximately 80 people who attended.
Guest speakers. Our Club is constantly looking for guest speakers to enhance and attract our members to Club events. Last year, Sean Landeta, the punter for The New York Giants on the Super Bowl championship teams of 1986 and 1990, spoke at our Spring barbecue. He spoke of playing in the two Super Bowls, being a teammate of Lawrence Taylor and other Giants greats, and he brought his two Super Bowl rings for us to see. Please see the attached publicity for Mr. Landeta’s appearance.
Temple softball league. Our Club participates in the Temple softball league in our area. We have about 20 men on our team’s roster, most of whom are younger members of the Club. Softball serves as a feeder to further engagement with the Club and its other programs, as a well as a source of future Board members and leaders. The team’s manager of the last several years, one of our younger members, has served several terms on our Club’s Board, including three terms as a Vice President. Our softball schedule is now posted on our Club’s website, www.tbsmensclub.org.
Father/child activities. We have scheduled events that fathers and their children can attend together. These have included attending sporting events, and organizing trips to pick apples in the fall and ski in the winter. In addition, children are welcome to attend Club events that would be appropriate for them, and we have had children at the NFL and NCAA playoff games, the Worldwide Wrap, Yellow Candle packaging, and other events.
Summer bike rides. Last summer, we commenced a new program of organizing bike rides in our neighborhood. Twice last year, interested Club members met at the Temple on a Sunday morning and sped off on a ten-mile trip. The Club provided water bottles and a bagel breakfast. More rides will be scheduled for this summer. Please see the attached publicity for one of last year’s rides.
Year-round monthly Board meetings (open to our entire membership). On the first Tuesday of every month, twelve months a year, our Executive Board meets. These meetings are open to our entire membership and participation is very healthy and spirited. Just this month, approximately 35 men attended our April meeting. Each meeting begins with a D’var Torah by one of our members; then each officer reports on his area of responsibility, the President gives a report, all present are invited to introduce any new business, and good and welfare is offered. Minutes are taken and preserved on our website. Attached is a sample agenda from one of our meetings.
Club initiatives
New member development. Our President, Jeffrey Greif, has an unwavering commitment to increase our membership, which has led to a continuing effort to grow our Club beyond our already high levels. We heavily publicize our events, we plan events that will attract new, young Temple members to join our Club, we reach out to Temple members who are not currently active in our Club to consider participating, and we are identifying past members who did not renew their membership in an effort to address any concerns they may have and encourage them to join again. All these efforts have led to a membership that is 250 strong and growing.
Executive Board development. Every two years, our Club constitutes a Nominating Committee to nominate a slate of officers and trustees for the coming two-year term. This endeavor was just completed for the coming term commencing July 2013. The Nominating Committee considers it critical to the continued viability and success of our Club to infuse our Executive Board with new men in each new term. We strive for the right balance of “veterans” who have past experience on the Board with other members who have not been involved at the Board level previously. We often bring on these younger members as Trustees to start, assigning them to an activity or project under the supervision of one of our Club’s officers. Then, in future terms, we look to advance them to roles as committee chairs and, ultimately, as officers. This year we have selected what might be a record number of men for our Executive Board who have not had prior Board experience.
Fundraising initiatives. Due to the long list of programming our Club provides every year, many of which come at not inconsiderable expense, we are constantly looking for ways to finance our events and to raise funds for Temple, Region, FJMC and charitable donations. Our Vice President for Fundraising is busy throughout the year soliciting sponsors for our barbecues, comedy night, the Gelman Health Forum, and other events. We conduct raffles at our welcome-back-from-summer barbecue, and seek donations in honor of our Founders’ Day honoree. We also are frequently introducing new, innovative fundraising efforts. Last year, we commenced a partnership with a local wine merchant through which we are selling gift cards for use at the merchant’s store - the cards are used like cash at the store, and the merchant returns a small percentage of the cards’ cost to our Club. Please see the attached publicity for this program. We have also begun featuring the sponsors of our events on our website (http://tbsmensclub.org/supporters).
Updating the Men’s Club Constitution. Earlier this year, our Club commenced an initiative to update our Constitution and bring it in line with new policies and procedures that have been implemented over the many years since the Constitution was last amended. At our April 2013 Board meeting, a vigorous discussion was had about the amendments suggested by our Constitution Committee, and the many comments made by our members at that meeting will be taken into account as we continue with this process.
Club Website. Two years ago, our Club created our own website, www.tbsmensclub.org. The site has been growing ever since, and now features a variety of information on Club officers, events, a President’s blog, and more. The site also offers the ability to purchase tickets to Club events on-line.
Conclusion
We respectfully submit that the foregoing program detail reflects a breadth, depth and quality of programming that warrants consideration for Best Overall Activities. We hope that we have conveyed the central role that our Club plays at our Temple, and the positive influence we have had on the religious, social, educational and civic interests of our members, the Temple as a whole, and the community at large.
Our programming and other activities can be grouped as set forth below (this list does not include our participation in almost every Regional and many FJMC events, including Region training sessions, Region retreats, Man of the Year Dinner, Presidents’ Dinner, Annual Convention/Ma’asim Tovim, Keruv, Rabbi Simon book sponsorship, and Sefer Haftarah). Please note that virtually all of these activities are conducted each and every year, and that our offerings are constantly evolving. For example, this year we originated the Talmud on Tap program with our Assistant Rabbi, Daniel Dorsch, and the Sunday morning minyan program that looks to capitalize on the success of the Worldwide Wrap.
Service to the Congregation
• Welcome-back-from-summer barbecue
• Sukkah raising and lowering
• Shomrim patrols on Halloween
• Build-a-Pair tefillin program
• Men’s Club Shabbat
• Purim Carnival
• Shoah Yellow Candle Holocaust Remembrance Program
• Men’s Club University
• Gifts to Bar/Bat Mitzvah children
• Donations to the Congregation and other giving
Service to the community
• Steven A. Gelman Memorial Health Forum
Club programming
• Bourbon in the Booth (fall barbecue in the Sukkah)
• Hanukkah Hilarity Comedy Night
• NFL and NCAA playoff games on our big-screen HDTV
• Worldwide Wrap
• Sunday morning minyan program
• Founders’ Day Brunch
• Talmud on Tap
• Spring barbecue and beer tasting
• Guest speakers
• Temple softball league
• Father/child activities
• Summer bike rides
• Year-round monthly Board meetings, open to our entire membership
Club initiatives
• New member development
• Executive Board development
• Fundraising initiatives
• Updating the Men’s Club Constitution
• Club website
Planning for each new Temple year begins in the summer. Our Executive Board meets every summer to plan our calendar for the coming year. Our calendars for the 2011 - 2012 and 2012 - 2013 years are attached. These calendars are living documents that are revised as events are added throughout the year (the attached calendars are as originally drafted in the summer of each year, and do not include the full breadth of programming that occurs throughout the year). What follows is an overview of our programming, with associated publicity where available.
Service to the Congregation
Welcome-back-from-summer barbecue. Every summer, on Labor Day Weekend, our Club puts on a barbecue for the entire Congregation, serving as many as 500 people. We set up tables and chairs in our parking lot, weather permitting, and barbecue hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and veggie burgers, which we serve together with side dishes, fruit, dessert and beverages, all free to the Congregation (guests of Temple members are welcome for a small fee). Barry Schwartz, our resident DJ, plays music and conducts games for the children who attend. We also conduct a raffle to help defray the costs of the barbecue. Raffle prizes have included iPads, HDTVs, and VISA gift cards. This is one of our Club’s signature events, and one of the highlights of the Temple year.
Sukkah raising and lowering. Each year, before and after Sukkot, our Club puts up and takes down the Temple Sukkah. Our Sukkah is quite large, measuring approximately 20 by 60 feet. We typically have at least 30 men participate, allowing for construction of the Sukkah in a mere three hours. The Sukkah is decorated and used by our Religious School children. It is also used for Sisterhood, Men’s Club, and other Congregational activities and programming, including Shabbat Kiddush in the Sukkah on Hol HaMoed Sukkot.
Shomrim patrols on Halloween. Each year, Men’s Club volunteers patrol our Temple grounds on the night before and the night of Halloween, to make sure there isn’t any mischief caused by neighborhood children.
Build-a-Pair tefillin program. Each year, our Club purchases a Build-a-Pair tefillin kit for every student in the Daled Class of our Religious School. The students construct their own tefillin, and are invited to wear their tefillin at the Worldwide Wrap that follows soon thereafter. A member of our Club who has a child in the Daled class usually attends the class at which the children construct their tefillin, and speaks to the children about the Club’s sponsorship of the program.
Men’s Club Shabbat. Each year, typically in February or March, our Club conducts Men’s Club Shabbat. We conduct the entire Shabbat service, both on Friday night and Saturday morning. Our Congregation is on an annual Torah cycle, and each year our members read the entire Parashah of the week - this year we read Ki Tissa, which comprised six full columns of Torah, no simple feat! We also deliver a D’var Torah Friday night, and a D’var Torah and D’var Haftarah Saturday morning. In addition, we have a Men’s Club Choir which sings both Friday night and Saturday morning. On Shabbat morning, the choir sings a doo-wop version of Adon Olam, together with our cantor, to the tune of Under the Boardwalk (this has become so popular that members of the Congregation start asking about it in the weeks leading up to Men’s Club Shabbat). Typically, about 50 men participate in Men’s Club Shabbat, which concludes with a Kiddush lunch paid for by our Club. Attached are the programs from the last two years’ Men’s Club Shabbatot (this year we did not conduct services on Friday night because of a conflict with the Temple calendar).
Purim Carnival. Every year, Men’s Club runs a game booth at our Congregation’s Purim Carnival, and volunteers at the refreshment stands.
Shoah Yellow Candle Holocaust Remembrance Program. Each year, our Club packages and mails Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles to every one of our Congregation’s approximately 750 members. Please see the attached note of thanks from our program chairman to those who volunteered at this year’s mailing.
Men’s Club University. Each year, our Senior Rabbi presents a lecture series on behalf of our Club, entitled Men’s Club University. These lectures are open to the Congregation, and attract large audiences. This year, Rabbi Spector is discussing “A Slice of Heaven - Jewish Views of the Afterlife.” Men’s Club provides a free breakfast before each lecture. Please see the attached publicity for this year’s Men’s Club University.
Gifts to Bar/Bat Mitzvah children. Our Club purchases and provides a gift of The Jewish Book of Why to every one of our Bar and Bat Mitzvah children.
Donations to the Congregation and other giving. This year our club donated $2,500 to our Congregation, which completed our $10,000 pledge to the building fund for our recently completed new school wing. We donated $250 to the Friends of the IDF, an organization that supports “lone soldiers” in the Israel Defense Forces who do not have any family in Israel. We contributed to Rabbi Simon’s Book, Understanding the Haftarot: A Layperson’s Guide, and we will sponsor the Unraveller for the week that the Sefer Haftarah will be at our synagogue later this year. In addition, we pay for the Build-a-Pair tefillin kits, Yom HaShoah Yellow Candles, and the not inconsiderable expenses required to stage the many events we put on for our synagogue and community throughout the year. This year’s giving is typical of our Club’s commitment to our synagogue and other worthy causes.
Service to the community
Steven A. Gelman Memorial Health Forum. In the year 2000, after the untimely passing of our member, Steven A. Gelman, our Club, in consultation with the Gelman family, created the Steven A. Gelman Memorial Health Forum, to promote awareness of health issues of relevance to our community. This annual event, now offered in conjunction with the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, is free and open to the public, and is presented by leading health care professionals. Approximately 200 people typically attend the Health Forums, many from the local community. A few years ago, representatives of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, one of the largest health care providers in the State of New Jersey, participated in this event for the first time. Saint Barnabas was so impressed with the quality of the event and the response from the community, they began partnering with our Club in planning for and presenting the event, and are now one of its co-sponsors. In 2011, the topic was “Holistic Health, Healing and Beyond.” In 2012, the topic was “Stroke: What is it? How can we prevent it? How do we treat it? How do families cope?” This year the topic will be “At Risk Youth.” Please see the attached publicity for the 2011 and 2012 events, and Fact Sheet prepared for last year’s Forum.
Club programming
Bourbon in the Booth (fall barbecue in the Sukkah). Every fall during Sukkot, our Club has a barbecue that we enjoy in the Sukkah, which begins with a D’var Torah from Rabbi Spector. In addition to a traditional barbecue menu, we enjoy a selection of premium bourbons and scotches. Please see the attached publicity for the 2011 event.
Hanukkah Hilarity Comedy Night. Each year around Hanukkah, our Club puts on one of the most anticipated social events of the Temple year. We transform the synagogue’s social hall into a New York City-style comedy club where we are entertained by three top-flight comedians. We provide refreshments and invite our guests to BYOB. This program is moving into its second decade, and in recent years, we have filled the social hall with more than 400 attendees. Please see the attached publicity from the 2011 Comedy Night, and the attached mailing that went to the entire Temple membership for this year’s Comedy Night.
NFL and NCAA playoff games on our big-screen HDTV. During the term of our Club’s immediate past President, Ira Sessler, we donated a new, state-of-the-art HDTV video and audio system to the synagogue. This system is used by all arms of the synagogue, including the Religious School, Adult Education, Sisterhood and Men’s Club. In the last two years, we began putting late Sunday afternoon NFL and mid-week evening NCAA playoff games on our calendar. We provide dinner and a large serving of camaraderie. The turnout for these games continues to improve, with several of our members bringing their sons. Please see the attached publicity for two of these events.
Worldwide Wrap. Every year, our Club participates in the Worldwide Wrap. This year, we had approximately 70 people attend the wrap (including children from our Religious School), some of whom put tefillin on for the first time. Several years ago, our Club conducted a tefillin donation program, asking Temple members to donate unused tefillin to the Temple. That program was very successful, and it has allowed us to have tefillin available for any Club member who does not have his own tefillin at the Worldwide Wrap. See the attached photo from a recent Wrap.
Sunday morning minyan program. Following the success of this year’s Worldwide Wrap, we commenced a program of designating three other Sunday mornings during the year (the first Sundays of May, August and November) as Men’s Club Minyan mornings. We want to build on and replicate the spirit and success of the Worldwide Wrap, and will invite and encourage our members to attend morning minyan on these additional dates.
Founders’ Day Brunch. In 2002, our Club began an annual event to honor some of the more senior members of our Club who made significant contributions to the Club in decades past (some of these men are still active participants in Club activities). We hold these “Founders’ Day” brunches on the Sunday of the Worldwide Wrap. In 2012, we honored Bernard Klausner, who was Men’s Club President from 1989 - 1991 (Bernie still attends every Men’s Club meeting and is an invaluable source of advice and wisdom). This year we honored George Weinberger, who was Men’s Club President from 1991 - 1993. The entire Congregation is invited to these events, which fill our Social Hall. The program includes remarks from current Club members, a D’var Torah by Rabbi Spector, a Township proclamation (presented by the Mayor of Livingston Township) in recognition of our honoree, the presentation of a commemorative plaque, and remarks from our honoree and family members. Please see the attached publicity and program from this year’s Founders’ Day event.
Talmud on Tap. This year our Club commenced a new program in consultation with our Assistant Rabbi, Daniel Dorsch, called “Talmud on Tap.” On two weekday evenings in February and March, we invited our membership to join Rabbi Dorsch at a local tavern to schmooze, have a beer and some snacks, and talk about issues facing men today and how the teachings of our faith can help in dealing with the stresses and challenges we all face. The topic of these sessions was “Tapping into the Work-Life Balance.” The program was very well received, with about twenty men attending the inaugural session. The program was so well received that we are considering making it a regular part of our programming. Please see the attached publicity for this event.
Spring barbecue and beer tasting. Every spring, our Club has a barbecue for paid-up members and their guests. Our 2013 spring barbecue was held just recently, on April 21. In addition to a meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, veggie burgers and all the fixings, we had a roving magician entertain the approximately 80 people who attended.
Guest speakers. Our Club is constantly looking for guest speakers to enhance and attract our members to Club events. Last year, Sean Landeta, the punter for The New York Giants on the Super Bowl championship teams of 1986 and 1990, spoke at our Spring barbecue. He spoke of playing in the two Super Bowls, being a teammate of Lawrence Taylor and other Giants greats, and he brought his two Super Bowl rings for us to see. Please see the attached publicity for Mr. Landeta’s appearance.
Temple softball league. Our Club participates in the Temple softball league in our area. We have about 20 men on our team’s roster, most of whom are younger members of the Club. Softball serves as a feeder to further engagement with the Club and its other programs, as a well as a source of future Board members and leaders. The team’s manager of the last several years, one of our younger members, has served several terms on our Club’s Board, including three terms as a Vice President. Our softball schedule is now posted on our Club’s website, www.tbsmensclub.org.
Father/child activities. We have scheduled events that fathers and their children can attend together. These have included attending sporting events, and organizing trips to pick apples in the fall and ski in the winter. In addition, children are welcome to attend Club events that would be appropriate for them, and we have had children at the NFL and NCAA playoff games, the Worldwide Wrap, Yellow Candle packaging, and other events.
Summer bike rides. Last summer, we commenced a new program of organizing bike rides in our neighborhood. Twice last year, interested Club members met at the Temple on a Sunday morning and sped off on a ten-mile trip. The Club provided water bottles and a bagel breakfast. More rides will be scheduled for this summer. Please see the attached publicity for one of last year’s rides.
Year-round monthly Board meetings (open to our entire membership). On the first Tuesday of every month, twelve months a year, our Executive Board meets. These meetings are open to our entire membership and participation is very healthy and spirited. Just this month, approximately 35 men attended our April meeting. Each meeting begins with a D’var Torah by one of our members; then each officer reports on his area of responsibility, the President gives a report, all present are invited to introduce any new business, and good and welfare is offered. Minutes are taken and preserved on our website. Attached is a sample agenda from one of our meetings.
Club initiatives
New member development. Our President, Jeffrey Greif, has an unwavering commitment to increase our membership, which has led to a continuing effort to grow our Club beyond our already high levels. We heavily publicize our events, we plan events that will attract new, young Temple members to join our Club, we reach out to Temple members who are not currently active in our Club to consider participating, and we are identifying past members who did not renew their membership in an effort to address any concerns they may have and encourage them to join again. All these efforts have led to a membership that is 250 strong and growing.
Executive Board development. Every two years, our Club constitutes a Nominating Committee to nominate a slate of officers and trustees for the coming two-year term. This endeavor was just completed for the coming term commencing July 2013. The Nominating Committee considers it critical to the continued viability and success of our Club to infuse our Executive Board with new men in each new term. We strive for the right balance of “veterans” who have past experience on the Board with other members who have not been involved at the Board level previously. We often bring on these younger members as Trustees to start, assigning them to an activity or project under the supervision of one of our Club’s officers. Then, in future terms, we look to advance them to roles as committee chairs and, ultimately, as officers. This year we have selected what might be a record number of men for our Executive Board who have not had prior Board experience.
Fundraising initiatives. Due to the long list of programming our Club provides every year, many of which come at not inconsiderable expense, we are constantly looking for ways to finance our events and to raise funds for Temple, Region, FJMC and charitable donations. Our Vice President for Fundraising is busy throughout the year soliciting sponsors for our barbecues, comedy night, the Gelman Health Forum, and other events. We conduct raffles at our welcome-back-from-summer barbecue, and seek donations in honor of our Founders’ Day honoree. We also are frequently introducing new, innovative fundraising efforts. Last year, we commenced a partnership with a local wine merchant through which we are selling gift cards for use at the merchant’s store - the cards are used like cash at the store, and the merchant returns a small percentage of the cards’ cost to our Club. Please see the attached publicity for this program. We have also begun featuring the sponsors of our events on our website (http://tbsmensclub.org/supporters).
Updating the Men’s Club Constitution. Earlier this year, our Club commenced an initiative to update our Constitution and bring it in line with new policies and procedures that have been implemented over the many years since the Constitution was last amended. At our April 2013 Board meeting, a vigorous discussion was had about the amendments suggested by our Constitution Committee, and the many comments made by our members at that meeting will be taken into account as we continue with this process.
Club Website. Two years ago, our Club created our own website, www.tbsmensclub.org. The site has been growing ever since, and now features a variety of information on Club officers, events, a President’s blog, and more. The site also offers the ability to purchase tickets to Club events on-line.
Conclusion
We respectfully submit that the foregoing program detail reflects a breadth, depth and quality of programming that warrants consideration for Best Overall Activities. We hope that we have conveyed the central role that our Club plays at our Temple, and the positive influence we have had on the religious, social, educational and civic interests of our members, the Temple as a whole, and the community at large.
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