Planning Ahead for the High Holidays
September 5, 2009
I am in the midst of my third High Holiday Cycle at Havurah Shalom. The first year was a bit of a scramble as I figured out what I needed to deal with, what the volunteer logistic chairs take care of, and how best to make sure that nothing “fell through the cracks.” Last year, some of the key logistics volunteers continued for their second year so we worked together to fine-tune some of the details. I had a much better handle on what needed to happen so was able to help support all the volunteers in their work. Part of my role is assuring volunteer chairs that people will sign up for volunteer shifts! And that’s where I need your help. PLEASE fill out your High Holiday volunteer form and get it back to the office.
We always seem to have enough ushers and other volunteers in the end, but it is nerve wracking to the coordinators along the way! The usher shifts are 45 minutes. It’s an easy way to help out. Many of you know that you are willing to usher but hesitate to sign up for a shift ahead of time. That makes is hard for the usher coordinators to do their jobs since they are responsible for filling all the volunteer slots. Help your fellow members out by committing to a volunteer shift today!
This year we are finding that we need to redefine the job descriptions of some of the key roles so that they are manageable for people who work full-time. The only way that we are able to hold Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services at the Tiffany Center and open them to the entire community is if each one of us helps out. This is a pretty incredible undertaking, and we have a good structure to manage all the details. However, we need help from all of you to ensure everything runs smoothly. Many of you can help in small ways by signing up for an usher shift or bringing food for the breakfast. However, we need some of you to take on bigger roles of responsibility to pull this off.
Remember the beautiful flowers on the bima? Many congregations would call a florist and have arrangements delivered. Not Havurah! Nancy Chesler has chaired the flower brigade for many years. She has a dedicated crew of volunteers who meet at the Tiffany Center before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and put together the arrangements. Nancy would like to begin the process of passing the baton to someone else. She would love to work with someone this year to show them the ropes, with the intention of having them take over next year. Can you help??? Contact Nancy Chesler or Chris Coughlin.
I expect there to be a few moments of panic over the next couple of weeks as we worry about not having enough volunteers to get everything done. However, I am sure that we can count on you coming through at the last minute and pitching in to help! Without each of you taking a role over the High Holidays we couldn’t make services at the Tiffany Center happen.
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