My Return to the Building & Grounds Committee

Originally published in the High Holy Days 5782 issue of the Galim (Sept. 2021)

SO THERE I WAS, in March of this year, happily serving as chair of the Communications Committee. It was a good fit for me: not only did it draw upon my experience in the field of marketing communications, but also it reflected how my mind naturally works—noticing communication gaps that warrant attention. 

In the process of identifying some of those gaps—and then bridging them—I saw that some longstanding water-intrusion problems in the sanctuary building were not getting addressed. Everyone seemed to be in favor of doing something, yet little was happening.

Happily, with regard to the condition of our facilities, I found both good will and good intentions among the board, officers, and staff. So during the remainder of my first year of board service, I served as a catalyst. I rekindled an awareness that attending to routine maintenance and minor repairs—before such problems get bigger—is the prudent thing to do; and we have developed and committed to both a general plan and a financing mechanism for the restoration of key run-down aspects of our facilities. The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were already on the table; they just needed to be assembled and snapped into place. We were able to fit together the outer frame’s pieces, so to speak.

Then one of Mishkon’s officers, Ira Schreck, observed, “You know, it would be more suitable if proposals to the board about facilities management came from the Building & Grounds Committee.” He was right. So in June—after checking in with the existing members of the committee and with our president—I became co-chair of that committee.

My commitment is for a 2-year stint in this position. I actually served on this committee once before, about 15 years ago, alongside Phyllis Sorter and Sandy Helman, back when Phil Raider z"l was its chair. I have many pleasant memories of our working together.

Nowadays the committee offers an opportunity for additional people who like to take on a project or two (of smaller or larger scope, as they choose) and then run with it. Some projects involve working with staff and/or contractors and other vendors. I can promise few committee meetings and a lot of autonomy, after initial parameters are agreed upon. If this prospect appeals to you, please get in touch via the office.