How to fund the purchase of new High Holy Day maḥzorim

IN THE PROCESS of research what is the highest and best use for kosher Torah scrolls that Mishkon is not immediately using (a subject for another day), I came across a way to finance the replacement of our synagogue’s outdated maḥzorim with the Conservative movement’s newer (2010) edition — namely Maḥzor Lev Shalem, edited by Rabbi Ed Feld. 

In order for this Torah scroll to be usable again,
this passage had to be patched in 4 places.
(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Given that acquiring such prayer books has been high on our synagogue’s wish list for some years now, let me share what I just learned. It involves certain of the Torah scrolls in our possession, and ironically it relies upon their status as imperfect and otherwise unusable.…

HVAC (Mechanical heating/cooling system) in the sanctuary (Background Report)

WHAT’S THE CONFIGURATION of the heating/cooling system in our sanctuary?

This post gives you a basic picture, through verbal description and photos.…

Exposure of 3 pilaster bases shows corroded rebar due to moisture intrusion

THIS POST documents the condition of the newly exposed pilaster bases, on the south wall of the sanctuary. I provisionally interpret the findings as evidence of damage due to longstanding water intrusion — but not threatening the stability of the building itself. The structural engineer seems to agree with this assessment, but I believe he is withholding final judgment until he makes an on-site visit.

Here is a map of the south wall, showing which 3 of the 7 pilasters are involved. The labels “1st,” “2nd,” and “3rd” refer to the order in which the structural engineer and I have attended to them, rather than their position on the wall.

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Below the jump, I recap the uncovering process, and then show a set of photos for each base.…

Change the school building’s air filter every 2 months

After exactly 2 months, the hospital-grade furnace filter in our school building was caked with dust. (Happily, it was changed this week, on 2/9/23.)

Old filter on the bottom; new one on top, for comparison.
(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

So this is a brief note just to say: Hooray for routine maintenance! 👏