When the prior men's club president resigned suddenly, Grant Raskin readily accepted the position of men's club president without hesitation. He quickly went to work assembling his all-star leadership team - Alan Blitz as Executive VP, Brad Seiden and Dr. Michael Fishman as VPs, with Larry Jakubowitz and Jeff Workman staying on as secretary and treasurer respectively.

Neither Grant nor Alan had prior experience leading a men’s club but knew they wanted an organization that was inclusive, social and active. Prior to Grant and Alan taking the helm, meetings were infrequent and were not well organized. They also needed to improve communication to ensure that all members knew what was going on. Meetings were new regularly scheduled to start at 8pm on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Grant and Alan work on agenda to make sure that the meetings run smoothly and are run efficiently. They communicate with members about upcoming events thru Facebook, email and by calling/texting the members. They have learned that they cannot rely on any single mode of communication to reach all members.

While the challenges were many, the most significant hurdles facing the club were lack of engagement, and membership. How do you rebuild a social organization when you can't be social in person due to COVID restrictions? That was the question facing the leaders of the club. Grant and Alan organized Zoom happy hours where we could hang out and chat. One of best thing about these happy hours was when we hired a local guitarist to play live music during our event. You don’t realize how much you miss live music until it’s gone. The most popular and memorable Zoom happy hours were always the ones with the live music. Additionally, they found local restaurants with outdoor seating where they could socialize from a distance.
Together, the men’s club board has organized both social and religious events. We hosted our first Friday night Shabbat via Zoom and it was a huge success. Over a dozen members (and their children) participated in the Shabbat service. Alan, the club’s Vice President, delivered his first D’var Torah since his bar mitzvah (so many, many years ago). In addition, the men’s club coordinated with the Sunday school to distribute the yellow candles for Yom HaShoah.

Currently, Grant is spearheading a committee to review and revise our group's constitution that was written over 40 years ago. The document is severely dated and in desperate need of updating. He and a small committee of dedicated members are currently undertaking the task of rewriting the club’s rules and guidelines using the FJMC’s example of what a club constitution should look like.

Grant, Alan and the board of Temple Sinai Men’s Club are excited to lead the change for our organization. We are excited to build a club that we are proud to be a part of. We are excited to build a club that welcomes all members regardless of age, race and political affiliation. Finally, we are excited to lead a club that will bring positive and meaningful change to our synagogue, our community and our families.

Thank you for your consideration.
-Alan Blitz, VP of Temple Sinai Men’s Club