Dear Friends,
As the summer winds down, the committee steering the sanctuary renovations continues its work of ensuring that the proposed changes meet the dual goals of promoting reinvigorated prayer services while preserving the beauty of the existing space. Since the congregation-wide forum that took place on August 14, at which several people requested a more open and transparent process, we have redoubled our efforts to improve the way in which we listen to, and hear, the wider Beth El voice. To that end, we have had an extensive follow-up meeting with the architects at which we discussed all of the feedback raised at the forum, in individual conversations, and in emails to the sanctuary email account.
To highlight just a few of these subjects, we addressed ensuring increased accessibility in general and specifically with respect to the bima extension. We also talked about how to minimize heat and glare that could possibly be generated by the proposed skylights. Additionally, having heard loud and clear the desire that the chairs which are to replace the fixed pews be beautiful as well as comfortable, stable and able to accommodate storage of siddurim, chumashim and tallitot, we plan to display at some point in the near future an array of chairs that include all these features, which you can try out, and about which you can provide your feedback. In this way we hope to achieve a congregation-wide consensus on this all-important feature of the project.
Finally, although the Board of Trustees already voted to go forward with the renovations on the condition that sufficient funds were put in place to achieve the full $500,000 match so generously offered by the Loewentheil family, we plan to nonetheless return to the Board to present the changes that were made as a result of congregational input. The Board vote will be held at the next regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting, on September 13, which will begin at 7:00 p.m. Before discussion and the vote, the Board will be presented once again with the architectural plans. Again acknowledging the call for greater transparency in this process, this item on the Board meeting agenda will be open to the entire congregation (Board of Trustees meetings are normally closed). Congregants are invited to join the Board in hearing about the updated plans, and to voice their opinions to the Trustees before the Board meets and votes. For those who cannot attend the meeting or would prefer to share written thoughts, we encourage you to submit your comment to sanctuary@bethelnr.org. Emailed comments will be compiled and distributed to the Board before the meeting.
We thank you once again for your engagement in this process. We recognize the significance of this change at Beth El, and, with your help, we aim to get it right. We hope to see you at the Board of Trustees meeting on September 13 at 7:00 p.m.
Shana Tovah U’metukah.
