TO SPEAK about Mishkon’s facilities maintenance needs, I must claim my role as the purveyor of inconvenient truths. Because it’s so easy for most of us to ignore such needs, or put them off, let me spell out my basic approach…
My Basic Approach
I have started by doing triage. I keep asking myself: What needs to be done first, in order to stem any ongoing processes of degradation? (Classic examples of such processes: termites, dry rot, and sun damage.) Then I bring only the most urgent matters to the board's attention. (Fortunately, the board has in principle treated such cases as an expenditure priority that’s second only to making payroll.)
Of course, when there are safety issues, I try to make those a priority, as well. As I see it, the role of the Building & Grounds Committee is partly to manage risk. For example, I promoted the restoration of our front flagstone patio partly to get rid of the growing set of tripping hazards for passersby and our own members. This was not only to prevent injury, but also liability lawsuits against the synagogue.
Another consideration is the need for reliability, as discussed HERE.
A special challenge arises from the extended period of prior overall neglect of our facilities (due to a focus on other priorities), and the lack of institutional memory (due to staff turnover, as well as to occasional gaps in the volunteer commitment). Regular maintenance seems to have been spotty, while written records are difficult to come by. All of these factors mean that we need to spend some funds on testing and evaluation, in order to know the true condition of our facilities — what’s going on beneath the surface.
I carefully study the advice offered previously by independent experts; and I seek out knowledgable vendors who are intrigued by Mishkon’s mysteries. (In a situation like ours, we need partners who love to solve puzzles!)
A couple of years from now, after we have taken care of the most rapidly degrading portions of our facilities, then we can attend to more aesthetic aspects, such as interior repainting, and the hidden murals at the front of the sanctuary. But first we need to stabilize things.
I should also mention that I love to design interventions in such a way that they address multiple goals at once. I.e., I naturally take an integrated approach. With regard to how I conduct facilities management, I also have an eye on other objectives. Visible stewardship of the facilities has measurably increased confidence in Mishkon's leadership; it has reassured members who see the state of the facilities and felt a bit anxious about our synagogue’s future; and it has galvanized some members’ commitment to be involved as volunteers. In short, for me, chairing the Building & Grounds Committee is about much more than the physical plant. What we are building is community.
The reason that I like to refer to facilities restoration as a spiritual discipline is that it’s not easy. I wouldn’t do it just for fun. Rather, it requires determination and commitment. It’s a spiritual discipline because it connects me to something larger than ourselves — to my Jewish past, present, and future — and because its potential rewards are far greater than the effort required.
Let me close with three sayings that, taken together, express my outlook succinctly. One is from the Mishnah (the 1800-year-old centerpiece text of rabbinic literature); the other two, from a legendary UCLA basketball coach.
“In a situation where no participants are defining the situation, strive to be definitive.” —Mishnah Avot 2:5
“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” —John Wooden
“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” —John Wooden
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