For those who were unable to attend the Annual Meeting, I wanted to use this forum to share my Annual Report so all congregants are informed about how the leadership is managing our future needs at Congregation Ohav Shalom.
       First let me start by saying thank you for the opportunity to serve as President of Congrega-tion Ohav Shalom and work with so many caring and dedicated people here at the shul. I can’t say enough about the members of the lay leadership, or as I like to say ―my Bimah Buddies‖ for their support, insight and guidance. Together we have faced very challenging economic times, as so many of you have experienced as well, and made difficult decisions in the interest of securing our long-term survival as a congregation at Ohav. We have done so in a manner that has sought to be inclusive and transparent in an effort to unify the entire congregation. We have made great strides in that direction and we are committed as we move forward to continue in that spirit.
       The departure of Rabbi Meirovich at the end of December is no doubt a tremendous loss for so many of us. However we have come to recognize that his decision to accept this new full-time position in Toronto for a congregation largely made up of Holocaust survivors will not only allow his scholarly and vocal talents to flourish, but offers him a chance to live closer to his family. At the Hannukah luncheon immediately following this meeting we will have much more to say that expresses our heartfelt appreciation to Rabbi Meirovich for his years of service to Ohav and to wish him well at his new position.
       Together we …. made difficult decisions in the interest of securing our long-term survival as a congregation
       So now I would like to turn our attention as to what happens next at Ohav as we prepare for this change in our rabbini-cal leadership. First I would like to share with you how the leadership has responded to addressing our immediate needs.
       Pastoral Care or Bikor Cholim: Let me assure you that arrangements will be in place to provide for any congregant’s need for pastoral care. We are establishing a list of Rabbis in the community, who have offered their services to meet this need.
       (Note: As of December 29th, Rabbi Thomas Heyn has contracted specifically to provide pastoral care for our members. Rabbi Heyn is very skilled in this area given his previous 6-year experience at Cedar Village. This arrangement was made so that we could be confident these services were available whenever the need arises.)
       Religious Services: We are also putting a plan in place that will provide coverage of religious services for Shabbat, minyanim, and the Jewish holidays for at least the next 9 months. A special task force is being formed to assist in orga-nizing a rotation of the available lay leadership to oversee these services. Our Administrator Hank Lerer has already cre-ated a spread sheet to ensure that those who are capable of leading different aspects of the service have the opportu-nity to participate. However this is a task that goes beyond what the current members of the Ritual Committee and Hank can manage, so we are seeking others who are interested in assisting us.
       [Note: If you are available to help with the Special Task Force on Ritual Needs, please contact Hank Lerer at the Ohav Office at 489-3399 and let him know you are interested.]
       Life Cycle Events: We are committed to meeting the needs of life cycle events, particularly for those families who have a child who is becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah this coming year. We will work closely with each family to ensure that their simcha is meaningful and special for their child. Also funds from Ohav will be be made available to support rabbinical involvement that the family selects from resources available in our local community.
       Cantorial Needs for High Holiday Services: An ad hoc Search Committee has been established for securing cantorial services for next year’s High Holiday services.
       Now I want to present the process and time-frame for addressing our long-term needs for securing new rabbinical lead-ership at Ohav. We will begin by sending out a survey to all congregants in the next 3-4 weeks to get their input and also obtain an update on our demographics.
       During this same time period (December-January) we will be setting up an ad hoc Rabbinical Search Committee for selection of a new part-time Rabbi, with the goal that this committee be balanced and representative of our demographics. The ad hoc Rabbinical Search Committee will be made up of 9 members. They will in-clude myself as President, 2 members from the Executive Committee, 2 members from the Board of Directors, and 4 members from the congregation at large. For those interested in serving on this committee from the congregation, you can complete an application explaining why you feel you would make an important contribution to this committee. The re-sponsibilities of this committee are to complete the USCJ rabbinical application to identify potential candidates interested in a half-time position and have this submitted to USCJ by the end of January 2010. Also this committee will be exploring an interim option of having an HUC rabbinic intern.
       The next Town Hall meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 24th. At this meeting we will be presenting the results of the survey and giving an update on the activities of the ad hoc Rabbinical Search Committee.
       In February and March we will be offering focus groups led by members of the ad hoc Rabbinical Search Committee to ensure congregants have an opportunity to present their needs and desires related to future rabbinical needs at Ohav. So if you were not selected to serve on the Rabbinical Search Committee, there will still be forums available to let your voice be heard.
       In April and May the ad hoc Rabbinical Search Committee will review viable candidates (both local and distant appli-cants) and invite those to Ohav who are under serious consideration to participate in leading religious services and have other opportunities in a more informal setting to interact with congregants.
       If applicable, in June the ad hoc Rabbinical Search Committee will make a recommendation to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors in regard to candidates under serious consideration. Keep in mind that this process and time frame can be revised or extended depending on the options and resources that are available. What’s most important here is that we begin the dialogue and conversation about the kind of rabbinical leadership we want that would best meet our needs, help to secure our future, and resonate well with a broad range of congregants.
Shelley Kirk, President