Shalom!
As we endeavor to live our lives through these unprecedented times that have been profoundly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, I wanted to provide a brief update from BA’s executive management team.
We have been in constant contact with our Klei Kodesh and Professional Staff. We applaud and recognize the flexibility, creativity and sound decisions that our Klei Kodesh and Professional leaders have demonstrated during this difficult time. The one constant has been their laser sharp focus on making sure we look after the health and well-being of our congregational family. As we all know, the news reports we have to digest daily influence us and demand that we be fluid and adaptive on an almost daily basis.
The Klei Kodesh and Administrative teams have come together to achieve this goal by developing access to daily prayers, education for infants, youth and adults, joyous song and stories, and most importantly, counselling, care and support for all the members of our Kehillah.
Our Klei Kodesh have amazed us as they continue to provide the spiritual, educational and emotional support that we count on. They have expanded their technological expertise to reach us on Zoom, Facebook and ongoing live streaming. A virtual Kehillah can still stir your soul, edify your mind, tug at your heartstrings, provide daily worship opportunities and bring a much-needed smile to your face.
The Professional Staff under our Director of Operations, Vickie Shuchart’s leadership, have not missed a beat. The educational staff continues to provide a ray of sunshine in our lives each day, while planning for the days ahead when we will all be together again. Our Adult education program continues to redefine itself and will be even more impactful in the coming weeks. The LRECC and MKLC programs have brought joy and laughter to our children, although we miss hearing their voices and seeing their faces in our hallways.
As we continue to meet our spiritual and educational challenges, I wanted to share a few of the topics that would have been discussed at our annual meeting, which was, out of necessity, postponed.
In the spirit of providing full transparency to the financial aspects of the operations of BA, we are open to providing a breakdown of our current financial situation. We are, however, reluctant to publish the numbers in writing, but are open to taking phone calls to disclose any and all information. Here is the 100,000-foot analysis; we have lost over $400k over the last two fiscal years.
Current Operating Budget: At this time, during the shutdown of the building, we are continuing to pay our full-time staff. The staff has been able to work off-site and provide the IT support, creative suggestions and support for our ongoing programming and our congregants. This year, we have a surplus against budget of $50,000 and expect to maintain that surplus over the balance of the program year.
We have applied through our current financial institution for the financial assistance being offered by the CARES Act. Our controller, Beth Janzer and Treasurer Alan Fine, worked diligently to ensure that B’nai Amoona was one of the first not-for-profits to submit an application to our bank. I want to personally thank them for the hours of preparation and attention to this crucial matter.
Capital Campaign Update: The construction is complete, and we have created a beautiful space that awaits the opportunity to facilitate sacred, joyous activities and celebrations. The fundraising has surpassed the $9.0 million mark, and we have achieved 75% of our goal. Numerous additional fundraising phone calls have been made with limited success. Bottom line, we need your help. Please reach out to us as we need pledges. If you are one of the 218 families that have donated, thank you and a special Todah Rabbah to the families who have increased their initial pledges. To the rest of our Shul family, please reach out now. We need your support!
Where else do we need your help? Your voice is important to us! So please let us know what is being missed, what can be added, what are we doing too much of or not enough of. Here comes the ask...we need money for our operations. We cannot simply rely on the CARES act loan program. Unfortunately, a significant portion of our construction dollars needed to be allocated to cover operating expenses. No amount is too big or too small, we are appreciative of every donation, and we thank you in advance for your continued generosity.
As we begin to celebrate the holiday of Passover Wednesday night, we want to wish everyone a Chag Sameach! At this year’s Seders, as we remember and retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt, we will each be creating our own memories of the challenges we are facing today. Like our forefathers and foremothers, we will learn from our experiences, embrace the time we have together, and develop stories of our own freedom and liberation to share with future generations.
For now, our BA building will remain closed until
April 30th. We are constantly monitoring and evaluating the situation to make sure that our re-opening will be a success. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support.
All the best for a peaceful and health filled Yontiff and to paraphrase the Haggadah, Next Year with our Families!
Jeff Singer and the BA Executive Team
jeff@bnaiamoona.com
314-249-9607
