Leadership

Do you URJ? Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents eimley@yahoo.com   swartzplace@gmail.com What? Who? Might be the first questions you ask. The letters stand for the Union for Reform Judaism which encompasses almost 900 congregations across the U.S. and Canada. ‘OK, so what? What does that mean to me as a congregant?’ you ask. The URJ […]

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Tis the Season Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents eimley@yahoo.com  swartzplace@gmail.com This is the time in the Jewish calendar when we take stock of where we were, where we are and where we want to be going. Many will say, us included, that this is the busiest time of the Jewish year with a time […]

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Elul-minating T’Shuvah Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents   eimley@yahoo.com   swartzplace@gmail.com When contemplating this month’s message, we are on the cusp of the month of Elul, the very beginning of the time for t’shuvah. We have heard many folk lament that the Holy Days are especially ‘late’ this year. Actually, they are the same time […]

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Welcome! Bienvenidos! B’ruchim Habaim! Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents eimley@yahoo.com   swartzplace@gmail.com This summer will prove to be a busy time in our TBE family! On July 1, 2019, we officially welcome Rabbi Cassi Kail, husband Josh, and children Noam and Talia. Our Rabbinic Transition Welcome Sub-Committee, led by Dina Dreizler, has been very […]

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Good Bye and Hello Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents eimley@yahoo.com   swartzplace@gmail.com We sit here humbled as we reflect on all that has happened in this year of transition and are tremendously grateful for the friendship, leadership and wisdom of our ‘coach and cheerleader’ Rabbi Kohn. “Great is the art of beginning, but greater […]

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Hearing Voices Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents eimley@yahoo.com  swartzplace@gmail.com While we’re not ready to make a detailed announcement quite yet, there has been a ‘Leadership Development” committee that has been working hard over the last several months. The purpose of this committee is obvious by the name, however, there are many different ways to look […]

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Passover: A Recent Family Tradition Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents eimley@yahoo.com   swartzplace@gmail.com One of our families, the Imley family, took a more progressive approach where we utilize less of a traditional Haggadah. We do use select themes, songs, and liturgy and then we add our spin to the Haggadah. Did the seder get any […]

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Anybody Have a Map? Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents eimley@yahoo.com  swartzplace@gmail.com Two former corporate level managers walk into a temple presidency…” Sounds like the punchline of a joke, doesn’t it? One of the great things about working together as Co-Presidents and each having managerial background is that big questions that we grapple with in […]

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The Second Half Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents president@bethelsp.org If recent history is any guide when you read this, we will be just over halfway done with our presidency. Don’t get us wrong; the board has to re-appoint us and we have to be willing to be presidents for another year when the decision […]

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Working for the Future Eric Imley & Gale Swartz, Co-Presidents eimley@yahoo.com  swartzplace@gmail.com The Rabbinic Transition Committee, led by Andy Kauffman, continued working on the next phase of our multi-year process to find and welcome our new “Settled Rabbi.” The process is generally the same as the one used for the “Interim Rabbi,” with a few changes […]

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