Sign In Forgot Password

Light at the End of the Tunnel!

04/04/2021 10:09:56 AM

Apr4

Dan Herman

Spring is in the air, snow is bringing much needed precipitation and very good skiing conditions, and light is at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic tunnel as vaccinations increase, case numbers decrease and restrictions ease. Our CBE staff and Board has been proactively adapting to keep CBE flourishing, ensure our firm financial footing and maintain social connections. I wanted to highlight a few initiatives we have been pursuing in support of our strategic plan and our mission of fostering community and connection in the foothills and beyond with lifelong learning, meaningful service, and creative worship inspired by Jewish culture and tradition.

I’m delighted to announce that several new and returning families have joined CBE as Everywhere members. Since spirituality knows no distance, we have expanded meaningful communal engagement beyond our physical walls and geographical boundaries.  Our CBE Everywhere membership level is designed for friends, former CBE members, extended family members and others who reside more than 50 miles away from our Evergreen location. Just because you’re not close by, doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected. CBE Everywhere membership is another great way to be a part of the CBE Community.

We are investing in our online broadcast capability and upgrading our internet and phone service in the building through a dedicated fiber optic link to enhance quality and reliability. We have also upgraded several components of our audiovisual system and expect to connect the dedicated network by the end of May. This infrastructure investment supports our long-term plan to build our digital offerings and increase our membership base.

Thanks to your contributions to our High Holiday Appeal along with a very generous gift from Nate and Cindy Fineberg and a substantial donation from Marshall Fogel, we have raised nearly $60,000 to fund our outdoor “mini-Red Rocks” amphitheater which will take advantage of the space outside our social hall. We have engaged a landscape architect, Dig Studio, who developed the designs and artistic renderings (below).  We hope to select a contractor, obtain a cost estimate for phase 1 and begin construction this spring. Todah rabah to David Zucker, Nate Fineberg, Rabbi Jamie and Eve Mills for helping move this initiative ahead. We can’t wait to safely host religious services, life-cycle events, performances, guest lecturers, movies, and community events outdoors! If you haven’t yet contributed to the Amphitheater Appeal, it’s not too late! We do expect to need additional funding.

A long-term goal is for CBE to evolve into a regional, national and international hub for cultural Jewish education and intercultural dialogue via the internet – through recorded programming, podcasts and live-streamed events and educational resources and links. We are planning an ambitious, multi-year, grant funded initiative to promote positive Jewish cultural (secular) identity that lasts a lifetime, instills a deep connection and commitment to the State of Israel, and deepens and broadens interfaith alliances to combat anti-Semitism locally and globally. This initiative also targets a demographic that is often underserved by conventional Jewish institutions, namely teens between the ages of 13 and 18, and college-aged, young adults between 18 and 25.  

Additionally, we have been implementing our new membership management system, ShulCloud which is a widely used cloud-based application to support member communications, event scheduling, website updates and accounting. This tool will enhance the quality of communications with our members, streamline internal operational processes, improve reporting capability and reduce costs.  Our Safety & Security Task force has been meeting regularly, and we hope to be awarded a grant from the Department of Homeland Security to fund several security enhancements and training sessions. In anticipation of our religious school students convening in person, we are planning to acquire outdoor games such as a Cornhole set, basketball hoop and Gaga pit (Israeli dodgeball).  Lastly, we are currently recruiting a few new board members to serve in our next fiscal year which begins in July – if you have an interest in serving CBE in this capacity, please contact me (president@bethevergreen.org).

As you can tell, this pandemic is not holding us back from achieving our vision of building an innovative Jewish spiritual community! Looking forward to “seeing” you at CBE, on the slopes or out and around our community.

Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784