Time goes by quickly

Joseph Henson, President

One day, 150 million years or so ago in the Mesozoic period, immense dinosaurs walked through vast savannas and forests with trees larger than today’s sequoias. This immensity was possibly due to the atmospheric carbon dioxide being two to four times higher than today’s level. Fred and Wilma Flintstone had yet to arrive, but everything was in place for the creation of the carbon-based world that we live in and use today. Skip forward to today and change is continuing. Now Fred and Wilma are working to move away from carbon to other provided sources like wind, sun and fusion. Change is continuous.

While quite likely less momentous than the geological movement over time, in mid-March, Beth Tikvah elected a new slate of officers and board members. After leading us through an active COVID period with all the extra obligations to synagogues members that came with it, Steve Chizzik is stepping away from the presidency. We thank him for his diligent service. After a hard-fought battle against no one, I was elected Beth Tikvah’s president for the next two years.

Another major change was that Harvey Rosenthal, who has been Beth Tikvah’s treasurer since the synagogue began 15 years ago, did not stand for reelection. Ours is a small congregation of currently about 175 members; it was even smaller when Rosenthal organized and initiated the treasurer’s function at its founding. It took a steady hand and clear vision to set the financial policies and procedures to guide us through those years. Understandably, he has decided that now is the time to pass on those responsibilities. We are very fortunate that Rosenthal will continue as a Beth Tikvah board member as he is an important source of institutional memory.

Harvey Jacobson has stepped forward to take on the critical treasurer function. With Jacobson’s extensive background in financial management, we will be going from strength to strength. Looking to the future, Jacobson and I hope to build an even stronger Beth Tikvah on the foundation our two predecessors have provided.

The remaining four synagogue officers are returning members. Stephen Meltz is vice president for administration and Lee Henson is moving up from membership chair to take over as vice president of programming and marketing from her very capable forerunner, Paulette Margulies. The remaining two senior officers are continuing in their prior roles — Shelly Goodman as past president and Roberta Miller as board secretary. The board is thankful and appreciative that they remain.

The 16 Beth Tikvah officers and board members are all volunteers who give their time to support Beth Tikvah. As president, I thank each one of them for stepping forward to serve their fellow congregants by managing Beth Tikvah efficiently, effectively and economically as we pursue fulfillment of our objective of offering a traditional religious service aligned with the ideology of the Conservative movement.

But, as important as the board’s volunteerism is, even more important is the volunteerism of our fellow Beth Tikvah congregants. While many alternatives are available, they voluntarily come and participate Friday evenings or on Shabbos morning either in person or, if needful, via Zoom. Without their ongoing voluntary participation, Beth Tikvah could fade, as many other congregations have, into merger or dissolution. Both are unacceptable outcomes.

Come join Beth Tikvah for an inclusive, egalitarian and participatory traditional service. Your welcome awaits!

Beth Tikvah is the affiliated congregation in Greater Naples of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ). We are grateful to the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples (JFGN) for support of our Scholar in Residence, Naples Jewish Film Festival and All Things Jewish programs.