From the Executive Director
Mike Kanarick

In the December issue of The Voice, we kicked off the newly-created "Committee Spotlight" column to share on a monthly basis the details about the interesting, exciting and varied work of our committees, with the goal of encouraging more of you to get involved by volunteering at OZ. Eight months have passed, and I'm excited to report that we have had unprecedented committee growth this year.

Our Membership & Outreach, Hebrew School, Interfaith & Social Action (ISAC) and Technology Committees, to name a few, have been significantly strengthened by your commitment to OZ. A review of the Membership & Outreach spotlight on page 9 should lead folks to say, "Wow! It's great that so much is happening at OZ." Our Hebrew School Committee recently grappled with an important issue concerning the frequency with which our second graders should be attending Hebrew School. The ISAC created an incredible publication, "A Transportation Resource Guide for Chittenden County Seniors & the Mobility Challenged," outfitted countless newcomers to Burlington with clothing from our rummage room and hosted a very meaningful film series. And, if you've been in the library or the lounge lately, you've been able to appreciate the work of the Technology Committee that brought Wi-Fi to OZ.

In line with the fact that "[a] community is too heavy for anyone to carry alone" (Deuteronomy Rabbah 1:10), we will continue with concrete efforts to grow our committees, to create expanded and improved programs, and to reach out to our existing and potential new members in many ways during the 2008-09 synagogue year.

First, please mark your calendars for the inaugural, the first annual Ohavi Zedek Synagogue Open House on Sunday, September 7, 2008. Our Open House will coincide with the first day of Hebrew School and will take place from 10am to 12 noon - so parents, plan to park your cars when you bring your children to school and come on in! Each OZ committee will have members at a table ready to showcase the work of their committee. Join us and engage our OZ leadership in conversation learn more about upcoming programs and events and stock up on presents from our Gift Shop. Refreshments will be served. Immediately following our Open House, please join us at noon, as we welcome our newest OZ members at a New Member Brunch. All are welcome. Stay tuned for more information about this great day.

Second, congratulations to our own Barbara Hammond, who has taken on a restructured role at OZ. Barbara, who has served as our Office Manager, has many talents. Upon close examination by our professional staff, the Human Resources Committee and the Board, we decided it was important to create more time for Barbara to work on program and event planning, membership issues and Hebrew School administration. Barbara, formerly called Office Manager, will now be called Program and Membership Administrator. She will continue to support our professional staff with an expanded administrative function as she assists Rabbi David with Hebrew School administration (Lynn Modica, last year?s Hebrew School Assistant, is no longer working at OZ).

Barbara's role in laying out The Voice has been picked up by OZ member Naomi Barell (welcome Naomi - look for a fresh, new look for The Voice in the coming months), freeing up time for Barbara's new responsibilities. For example, Barbara will be creating a new and user-friendly membership directory, as well as working on a new prospective membership packet. She is excited about working with the Membership & Outreach Committee on new member recruitment and will continue to put her event planning skills to work on the multitude of programs OZ offers each year. Despite the changes in Barbara's job, you'll still be able to find her sitting just outside Rabbi Joshua's office.

Third, our strategic planning process, Tikvah 2020, is well underway. Our consultant, Bob Leventhal, of the Alban Institute, visited with us at OZ on July 10thand 11th, meeting with the strategic planning task force, as well as members of our clergy and professional staff. The key ingredient to creating OZ's roadmap to the future is significant congregational input. We invite you to take advantage of the many opportunities that will come your way to share your thoughts about what OZ should look like and feel like 12 years from now, when Fern Hill reverts to the synagogue.

Please consider getting involved or more involved in the important work of our OZ committees and Tikvvah 2020. Remember, we need your help to carry our community forward.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of the summer!