Submission #16203 by Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738)

I have read the 2021 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Club Name
Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood - Sharon, MA (738)
Overall Programming 2017-2019
Club Representative
Person completing form
Harold
Waisel
Club President at time of convention if known at this time
Scott
Shikora
Club President Now
Harold
Waisel
Best Overall Programming

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This application is to highlight the programming which the Brotherhood of Temple Israel completed in 2017-2019. Our mission is as follows:
Temple Israel of Sharon Brotherhood’s mission is to strengthen our members’ ties to Jewish values, to build communal ties, to support Temple Israel, and to build fellowship and camaraderie through social interaction, education, performing mitzvot, and a commitment to tikkun olam.
The Brotherhood of Temple Israel in Sharon offered a wide range of programming in the last two years to support our mission. The following is a breakdown of these events. Several are also submitted separately for their own Torch Awards.
* HMV - 5 or 6 sessions each year. Theme this year - Family Matters - explore our relationships with spouses, children, extended families
* Routes - 5 sessions each year - past year focused on our Ancestors and our Jewish Roots - included a presentation on genealogy, ties into Torah learning with Rabbi, includes breakfast.
* Breakfast Series - 2-3 breakfasts each year with local celebrities. Mike Reiss from ESPN, Tom Curran from Comcast Sports Network, Jeff Jacoby from The Boston Globe, Scott Shikora (incoming President - presentation and live discussion with one of the tank commanders from Yom Kippur War).
* Celebrated our 40th year as a club with a party on Brotherhood Weekend including live music, food.
* Community Service - spring cleaning at a local women's shelter; served meals at a local men's shelter; meal delivery on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
* Tikkun Olam - provided a scholarship to Ukranian woman who cleaned a Jewish cemetery. She used funds to write a book documenting the work.
* Provided scholarships to 2 teens each year to attend March of the Living
* World Wide Wrap and Super Bowl Parties
* Lift Your Spirits - program providing education on whiskeys, coupled with grilled steaks. One of our best-attended events. Builds community as we get many non-members.
* Improv Night - styled after "Whose Line is it Anyway". It was our first attempt this past March and exceeded our expectations with over 120 attendees. The program was led by a fairly new member.
* Peace of Mind - cosponsored with Orthodox synagogue to bring Israeli soldiers to the US for a week of intense counseling sessions, sightseeing, and camaraderie. Leader of program and one of the soldiers spoke at our annual Members Paid Up Supper as invited guests.
* Burgers and Beer in the Sukkah - Joint program with our Sisterhood. Another new event, modeled after another club's Steak and Scotch in the Sukkah. Brought in families and other Temple members.
* Annual Combined Temples Charity Golf Tournament - our biggest fundraiser, and permits other area organizations to benefit financially from players and sponsors they bring in.
* Social media - keep our Facebook page current with events, photos, other announcements. Use Mailchimp for email blasts, Doodle and SurveyMonkey for polls.
* Gold sponsor for our Synagogue's Holocaust Torah Restoration Project (March 2019)
* Funding for other members' interests - 1) Member trip to Egypt - subsidized breakfast talk; 2) Jewish War Veterans - subsidized breakfast
* Subsidies for the regional Retreat and biennial FJMC convention
* Annual club programs - Man of the Year, Brotherhood Weekend, Paid Up Supper, FJMC Yellow Candle Program, Yearly Brotherhood BBQ Kickoff meeting (hosted by a member at his lakehouse)
* Regional Programs - Keeper of the Flame, Tour de Shuls (we are a sponsor supporting Tikvah program at Camp Ramah), Chili Cook Off

Attachments
Self Assessment
We are very fortunate to have a vibrant club with many volunteers and many members with a diverse set of interests. Leadership at our synagogue knows that they can call the President for help, whether it's labor or other resources, in order to help them achieve a goal or run a program. Our monthly board meetings average 20+ attendees, and we make decisions and get work done. While there can be disagreements, we end the meetings friends. More importantly, we are open-minded and willing to try new things to appeal to a wider range of potential participants. That is how we partnered with Sisterhood for Burgers and Beer in the Sukkah, and it's how we tried Improv Night.
Our club's mission, quoted at the beginning, reflects the FJMC tagline. Our actions also support Innovation as we are willing to try different activities.
Thank you for your consideration.

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Other Source
Summary of our programs
Previous Submission
Yes