Dear Temple Members,
What a great honor it is for me to serve as your 65th Temple Board President for the next two years. This position represents not only an important milestone for me personally but also continues my family’s longstanding commitment to our Temple.
Many of you know me; for those of you whom I have not had the opportunity and pleasure to meet, I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you. I have been an active member and volunteer in this Temple and this Jewish community for most of my adult life except for my college years and a brief period after law school, working in Washington, D.C. My family’s longstanding commitment to and love for our Temple’s spiritual, communal, and educational offerings extends across several generations. My parents, Marvin Braverman and my late mother, Kay Braverman (of blessed memory), became members of this congregation in 1978. Both of my parents were active members of the Brotherhood and Sisterhood and served as co-chairpersons of the annual Jewish Food Fair, a valued and important fundraising tradition held at our Temple for many years.
My children–Ben, Jacob, Alex, and Josh–all of whom I share with my husband Joel (who had his conversion ceremony at the Temple many years ago), all grew up and were very active in our Temple community. Our sons all attended our Jewish community preschool and Sunday and Hebrew schools (where I taught for many years, but they lived through that), celebrated their consecrations, Bar Mitzvahs, and confirmations in our sanctuary, and spent many of their summers at our beloved Goldman Union Camp in Zionsville, Indiana, with many of their Jewish friends from our Temple. Our family is thrilled that our son Alex and daughter-in-law, Claire (who were married in our Temple), and their daughter, our precious granddaughter, Ashira (who was blessed by Rabbi Schuster at her Simchat Bat last October), have recently joined us as some of the newest members of our Temple community. L’Dor v’Dor—from generation to generation.
I know that our family’s experiences with our own life cycle events, worship, learning, and social connections reflect those of many of our members. For over 150 years, our historic Temple has been our communal home for marking Jewish holidays and personal milestones. It is where we pray, remember, commemorate, study, connect, grieve, and celebrate our Jewish culture, tradition, and heritage. Now, more than ever, in these particularly challenging and difficult times, our Temple provides a haven of comfort, belonging, and spiritual connection for all of us.
During my initial two months as president, I’ve met often with Rabbi Neal, Shaynna Grund, our new Director of Programming and Communications, Erin Plank, our Director of Administration, Charles Stanton, our Director of Facilities and Maintenance, several board members including Brad Goldman, whose dedication as our board treasurer has been exceptional, and many members of our congregation. Our discussions have included a range of important topics such as the Temple budget, upgrades to our software and payroll systems, security matters, membership, worship, fundraising initiatives, and community caring programs. These meetings have deepened my appreciation for the collaborative spirit and dedication that define our staff, leadership team, and congregants. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside such talented and committed individuals as we continue to guide and nurture our Temple community. I am also grateful for all our former Temple presidents, whose leadership and dedicated service have established a strong foundation for our congregation. Over the years, I have benefited from collaborating closely with many past presidents—including Judy Deutch, Emily Kruse, Dana Dickson, Bill Grund, and Alan Adato—and I look forward to their ongoing counsel and support in the coming two years.
As we prepare to welcome our High Holidays, we are entering a time of reflection, renewal, and reconnection. This is our time to pause, reflect on this past year, and look forward to new opportunities and possibilities. Whether you joined our congregation decades ago or just last week, I invite you to join me on this journey—to bring your energy, wisdom, and passion to our Temple community. In the coming months, I welcome your ideas for how we can continue to grow spiritually, educationally, and as a community.
Thank you for trusting me with this stewardship. May we continue to go from strength to strength—chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek.
Shanah Tovah Umetukah.
Rachele Braverman Hjelmaas
president@tbjdsm.org
