Submission #21726 by Congregation Beth Israel Men's Club - Scotch Plains, NJ (961)
I have read the 2021 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Mens Club
Health and Wellness
Page 1
Because of the pandemic and the limitation on indoor activity, CBI Men's Club was eager to conduct programming in the fall in a safe, fun way. Moreover, we were very interested in engaging young members. We noticed that on Sunday mornings, many young members dropped their children off for Hebrew School and drove away. With a park and tennis courts, a short walk from the synaogue, we introduced the "CBI Mens Club Tennis League."
The program - which had a $50 budget for tennis balls - was simple. Anyone who paid their dues to Men's Club was a memnber of the tennis league. We began playing 10 minutes after Hebrew School began and played through Sunday mornings on the outdoor courts. We typically reserved 2-3 courts and all members - no matter if they were beginners or experts - played together. We taught each other, we laughed, we welcomed new members and the league grew and grew until mid-December, when the weather forced us to shut down the league. But it will be back in mid-March. We typically have been 10-15 players a week and expect it grow in the spring as word spreads.
Page 2
Original Program
This was all new. Never done before