Janet Widmaier's Writings

First, let me report back to you on the results of the fundraising appeal I made last summer.  Many of you will recall that I sent a letter to the congregation last June explaining that we anticipate replacing our aging HVAC rooftop units within the next few years, and asking for voluntary donations to our Building Maintenance Fund so that we can start accumulating reserves now to help us meet that anticipated expense.  I am happy to report that many of you responded generously to that appeal.  We have received $28,000.00 for the Building Maintenance Fund in response to our request for donations.  Although we anticipate that this project will cost significantly over $100,000, we feel that, with your generous help, we have made a great start in saving up for this expensive and necessary capital expense.  Thank you to all who contributed to the Building Maintenance Fund -- I am grateful to you for your dedication to our communal home.  If you are a new member and have not yet had the opportunity to contribute to this fund, please know that this is an important and continuing need.

Now, for those of you who are in the fortunate situation of being able to plan some additional year end charitable gifts, I have lots of ideas for you!  First and foremost, our “Puttin’ on the Ritz” Gala is coming up on February 2nd.  You can support the Gala in several ways.  Please consider a sponsorship package at the bronze ($250), silver ($500) or gold ($1000) level.  Also, this year we are adding a goods and services auction to the Gala.  The Gala Committee continues to receive generous donations for the auction, but we are eager for more!  Finally, the Gala is a wonderful opportunity to host friends (perhaps from outside the Etz Chaim community) to a festive and fun evening.

Of course, some of you may be thinking, “I’m planning to support the Gala, but what additional donations can I make to support the synagogue?”  We all know that difficult financial times are continuing, and for the past several years our Budget Committee has practiced stringent economies in order to present a balanced operating budget.  If you are in a position to give, a year end donation to our operating budget would help us a lot.  Finally, our donative funds are invaluable in supporting our creative and meaningful programming and projects, and those donative funds are wholly funded by donations.

However you have chosen to support the congregation in the past, or whatever gifts you are able provide in the future, we are so grateful to you for your generosity.  It is the love so many of us feel for Etz Chaim and the continuing commitment we have made to it that allow us to have this vibrant and nurturing communal home. 

It was taught in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua:

     The poor person (standing at the door) does more for the householder than the householder does for the poor person.

                                                Leviticus Rabba  34:8

How can this be?  As Alan discussed this question with the students, the group realized that, by providing the householder with the opportunity to engage in the mitzvah of giving Tzedakah, the poor person is giving the householder something more valuable than just money.  The householder is given the chance to be a Tzaddik, a righteous person.  So often we feel besieged by requests for money.  It seems that half of the envelopes that arrive at my house with the mail delivery contain requests for donations from worthy causes.  Of course, not all of these are causes I am committed to.  But, I wonder if I can approach these requests with a slightly different attitude, with an understanding that each of these requests is an opportunity for me to be a Tzaddik. 

These teachings were particularly timely because, right after Sunday School, I enjoyed a delicious bowl of soup and had the chance to give Tzedakah at the same time at the Social Action Committee’s “Empty Bowl” program.  With the goal of raising funds to support local organizations that combat hunger, the empty bowl program offered beautiful handmade bowls (and platters and trays and mugs), the empty bowls serving as a symbolic reminder of all the empty bowls there are in the world.  When I left the synagogue at about 2:00 PM, an initial rough count indicated that this innovative program had raised $3,800. 

We spend so much of our time caught up in thinking about our own affairs – our work, our families, and our troubles.  As many of you know, my father-in-law died recently, and as a result I have been very inwardly focused for the past month or so, on my family and on dealing with the practical consequences of this death.   For me, this day spent thinking about Tzedakah pulled me out of my own concerns and back into the community, and I felt refreshed by the chance both to study about Tzedakah and to engage in it.