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Thoughts Upon Becoming Your Board President (Excerpted from Installation Shabbat Comments)
July 2007
By New CBI Board President Amy Corton
Who would have guessed that 15 years ago when my son Cameron and I
stepped into the 3rd and Laurel temple for a Mommy & Me class, that I would
become the president of this congregation? I was a lawyer, a new mother and not a
particularly learned or observant Jew.
With the support of the Beth Israel community, my husband Carl and I have
embraced Jewish traditions and made them an integral part of our family life.
Our daughter Emily recently became a Bat Mitzvah and now I am ready to take
on the responsibility of serving as your temple president.
I feel an immense responsibility to this institution and to the families we
serve. We are the oldest synagogue in San Diego. We are one of the most
prominent Reform institutions in this country. We are the place of worship for
all types of families. What more important institution is there to serve
than one that ensures Jewish continuity, values and community?
My priorities as president are focused. First and foremost, we must
build and retain our membership by creating a warm, welcoming and caring
congregation. We must foster community and connectedness to Judiasm and to
each other. We must ensure our financial stability. Our financial future depends on
having more members. Fulfilled members are more likely to contribute to the
synagogue. We are also in the midst of examining all facets of our governance,
from the role of senior rabbi, executive director, and board to how our
committee structure works. This process will hopefully result in a collaborative
model for our clergy, staff and lay leaders and the trust of our congregants. And of
course, it is the Board's job to ensure the smooth transition of Rabbi Berk, by
providing venues for him to meet congregants and by supporting him in
his job.
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Our Long Range Planning process helped us determine and summarize
how we can build our identity and community:
Be a warm and welcoming place
where service and hospitality to
members and visitors is paramount.
Increase opportunities for more
meaningful connection to Judaism
with the temple as the centerpiece
for Jewish life.
Inspire our youth through Jewish
education.
Be personal enough that each
congregant can connect to the clergy.
Embrace our congregants in need.
Create and sustain an environment where congregants want to participate in temple worship
To achieve these goals we must have a consistent clergy presence; an excellent
staff, a dedicated Board and many committed volunteers. These are the things
that I hold closest to my heart and that is why I am privileged to be your President.
Recently we read Beha'alotecha, a Torah portion dealing with the complaints of the Israelites while in the wilderness. In every stage of their journey the
Israelites struggled to create an identity, to establish a community and to
determine the standards of leadership. Similarly, our congregation has struggled
over the past 15 years to create stability, identity and community. We yearn for
consistent stewardship by a senior Rabbi.
We have a rich history, a solid foundation of committed families, the
largest congregation in San Diego County and we have distinct programs, services
and activities that serve our diverse members. We can be so much more. I call upon all of us, clergy, staff, Board members and congregants, to be proactive and forward thinking and to build the community we all hope for.
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