Ohav ya heard?
A Temple Ohav Shalom Blog
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Greetings, fellow members! Last month, we quietly launched our new Temple Ohav Shalom blog, aptly titled Ohav Ya Heard? (Get it? We knew you would!) You might be asking, "Why a blog? Why now?" The answer is simple: Connection. Our staff has a lot to say, our Board is hard at work, and most importantly, we know our congregation has incredible stories to tell. We launched Ohav Ya Heard? to give everyone a platform. What can you expect? If you scroll down the page, you’ll see a few posts we’ve already shared, including:
We want to hear from you! We invite you to submit your own articles. Whether it’s a reflection on a recent holiday, a thought on Jewish life, or news about a Temple committee, we want to read it. A quick note on guidelines: To keep the blog focused on our shared mission, please ensure submissions relate directly to the TOS community or Judaism at large. We won't be posting regarding personal events, politics, or outside business promotions. Ready to write? Email your submissions to [email protected]. We look forward to making this space a positive, collaborative project for the entire community. Check back often! L'Shalom! Sam Jacobs  Greetings from the boardroom! This month's meeting began with a deeply felt recap of the High Holy Days services and activities. The sense of shared pride in the room was palpable. I want to extend my personal gratitude not only to our Rabbi, Song Leader, the rest of the staff, and the entire board but also to every member of our sacred community who contributed to making the holiday season such a resounding success. It was wonderful to see so many of you at services—from our Shabbat regulars and new families to those we saw for the first time in a long while. Looking Ahead: Keeping the Momentum We all agree we have great momentum, and our focus now turns to the months ahead, particularly our youngest members. Mark your calendars:
L'Shalom! Sam Jacobs AuthorSam Jacobs, President, Temple Ohav Shalom  At our September board meeting, we discussed several subjects, including High Holy Days services and the Endowment Fund. And if you are curious about either of those things, please join us at tonight’s Erev Rosh HaShanah service and ask a board member. In this month’s installment of From the Boardroom, we wanted to direct your attention to committees. Sounds boring, right? The truth is that they’re only boring if you don’t have a vested interest in what the committee is working toward. Here at Temple Ohav Shalom, we are a community. And communities function best when everyone works together. That’s why, in addition to the committees you may already know — membership, fundraising or spiritual enrichment — we are reintroducing the Building and Grounds Committee as an effort to take better care of our building, the parking lot and the surrounding property. If you have ideas or have questions about how you can participate, please speak with a board member. Brian Kline, vice president-operations, will be chairing that committee. Also, Elizabeth Coslov, a member-at-large, will be leading an effort to clean out and make some sense of our kitchen. Community participation is needed and encouraged, and we hope that many of you have the drive and can find the time to assist in this and future building and grounds activities. L’shanah tovah! AuthorSam Jacobs, President, Temple Ohav Shalom  For Temple Ohav Shalom's August board meeting, the board welcomed longtime member Nancy Garber along with Eric Lidji, director of the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives at the Heinz History Center. They presented a plan to move several years worth of TOS board meeting minutes and other documents to the digital archives as part of a larger effort to archive Jewish history in Western Pennsylvania. The board agreed unanimously to move forward with this plan. TOS will begin by donating about five boxes of records, all of which will eventually be available to view on the Rauh archival website. We encourage members to reach out with any additional documents or photographs, etc. that they wish to donate to the archives. More information about the process and how to access the archive will be made available soon. If you would like additional information about the Rauh Jewish Archives project or have any other questions about topics discussed at the board meeting, please contact President Sam Jacobs at [email protected]. AuthorSam Jacobs, President, Temple Ohav Shalom  |