Beth El Blog

Dear Beth El Congregants,
 
I wanted to give you a brief update on the status of the sanctuary project, which is well underway. The contractors broke ground on January 7, as scheduled. More importantly, I am pleased to report that, almost two months into the process, we are on target to complete the work by our original goal date of May 1. Temporarily holding services in the Crystal Ballroom has to this point been seamless. We know at times it may feel out of place to daven in the Crystal Ballroom and we thank everyone for accommodating. I also want to thank Rachel Casanova, Nancy Mayerfield, Adam Abeshouse and Marilyn Russell for all their time and effort, and a special shout out to Aaron Fleishaker for the hours of work he’s already put in as construction lead on the project. 
 
So far, the contractors have torn up carpeting, removed the fixed seats, and removed the ceiling. New ductwork is being installed, new wiring for lighting and sound is well underway and new steel has been welded for our new skylight as well as our new handicap lift. Another exciting development is we have been working with a Grammy Award winning sound consultant (don’t worry he is a volunteer member of our community and a good friend of Rabbi Schuck) who has designed a fantastic new sound system which even includes microphones that are halachically acceptable on Shabbat. At the same time, the committee has been very busy selecting carpeting and millwork, and finalizing the chair order.  We are pleased to report that we settled on the Sauder chair, which was the overwhelming preference of the congregants who tested out the sample chairs.  The order consists of a combination of armed and armless chairs. Placed in an alternating pattern, each person sitting will be able to rest his or her arms on either side.  Each chair will be fully upholstered, and will provide both under-seat and back-mounted storage for books and tallis bags. 

I periodically enter the sanctuary to check on the construction process.  Even without carpeting and seats, and with debris and equipment strewn about, I still feel the same sense of majesty that I have always felt, especially when gazing at our beautiful Aron Kodesh.  I can only imagine how incredible the room will look when it is fully restored, with beautiful new carpeting and chairs, a center Bimah, and a new skylight.  I hope you are excited as I am about the first time we gather as a community to daven in our reimagined sacred space.

Feb. 13 - Working on the ceiling.