Temple Beth-El holds its 161st annual meeting

PROVIDENCE – Attending annual meetings is often a chore (or a bore), but Beth-El’s, held on May 18, was refreshing.  So many congregational leaders expressed heartfelt thanks for all that has been joyously and impressively accomplished.  And I, a committee chair, had nothing to do with the evening’s success!

Through her warm and gracious manner, Jill Tobak, Beth-El’s outgoing president, helped us scale new heights.  These included, for example, the festivities surrounding the retirement of our beloved senior rabbi, Leslie Y. Gutterman, the wide search for his successor, and the wonderful welcome extended to Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman and his family.  Of course later in the evening, Rabbi Howard expressed his own sense of gratitude and delight for his embrace by congregants and colleagues alike.     

The printed version of the 161st annual report was embellished with colorful photos of worship, learning, mitzvot and fun.  But a fast-paced video documentary, created by Judy Moseley, Temple administrator, captured numerous dramatic, touching and silly moments.

Dean Weinberg, Beth-El’s treasurer, reported on the ninth consecutive year of balanced budgets.  Stuart Feldman, vice president for fundraising and community relations, extolled the remarkable progress made in the campaign to endow the Gutterman Religious School.  Incoming president Rob Stolzman, both buoyant and somber, encouraged congregants to build deeper and stronger bonds of fellowship by recruiting new members.

Among others, Ellis Waldman, vice president of planning and development, praised Anita Steiman, a beloved educator, as she prepares for retirement.  After 14 years as a teacher and 25 years as the religious school’s administrator, she was encouraged to enjoy some leisurely Sunday mornings.  Anita, in turn, expressed her profound appreciation for countless opportunities to nurture children, young adults and faculty.

Yes, annual meetings are replete with plaques, pieties and proclamations, but Beth-El’s seemed special.  After 161 years, it is still a youthful, vibrant, and hopeful congregation. 

GEORGE GOODWIN, a member of Temple Beth-El and chair of the library committee, has edited the R.I. Jewish Historical Notes for 13 years.