From The President

Oy, what a month! When I became President, I had some personal goals for the next two years. The obvious ones were to grow the congregation, attract younger members, and create a vibrant community. The other unstated goal was to not lose any members for any reason. Sadly, the last month has been a very difficult period for CBS.

On June 29th, we lost David Kitzmann, who died suddenly while on vacation in Michigan. David was a longtime member of CBS, and a loving husband and father to Marla and Alex, as well as his children and grandchildren from a previous marriage. Many of us had watched David struggle with lung cancer and had great optimism when he finished his rigorous course of treatment and seemingly returned to good health and began his well-earned retirement. Sadly, he was taken from us way too soon. For many years, David and Rolando Villalobos efficiently ran the Building & Grounds Committee at CBS, overseeing maintenance projects and organizing numerous congregant work days that both maintained the facility and helped us build a stronger sense of community.

We had barely finished the shiva period for David, when Manny Trauring departed this world on July 16th. Manny suffered from numerous serious ailments and had been in declining health for the last five years. He was a loving husband to Liz, and became a devoted father to Julie Nelch after he and Liz married. Manny is also survived by two sons.

Manny was a Holocaust survivor and experienced the horrors of Kristallnacht firsthand as a young boy. Fortunately, he held American citizenship and was able to leave Germany shortly thereafter. At one time, CBS had a formidable group of survivors including Rabbi Graudenz, Ursula Foster (a friend of Anne Frank), Fred Heilbronn, and Pauline Israels. With Manny's passing, that link is virtually severed. It will be up to all of us to never let the world forget the horror of the Nazi reign.

Those of you who are newer to CBS never were able to experience what a wonderful congregant Manny was. Upon moving to Modesto in the 1980's, he immediately became an active member. He was a member of the Board of Directors for many years and ably served as Treasurer. Manny and Liz also arranged for the purchase of the Memorial Boards in our sanctuary, and were significant benefactors of the project. Manny was also a regular attendee both Friday night and Shabbat morning. He routinely led Shacharit (preliminary) services and was a skilled Torah reader. We will miss his presence.

Both Manny and David were dedicated members who gave freely of their time to CBS. May their memories be blessed. I can think of no better way to honor their memory than for each and every one of us to redouble our own service to our congregation.

Earlier this year, the Board reluctantly decided that there were insufficient funds available to hire a professional Cantor for the High Holidays. Fortunately, the situation changed rapidly last month thanks to very generous donations from a congregant in loving memory of Dr. Norman V. Balinson and also Bonnie & Alan Strauss. These donations were combined with the available dividend earnings from the Strauss Diversified Account (whose purpose is Rabbi/Cantor salary) to make it possible to recruit a Cantor without tapping into any general congregation funds. Special thanks to our Immediate Past President Joyce Gandelman for making this all happen so efficiently and quickly. Subsequent to these donations, the Ritual Committee met to review candidates and quickly selected Cantor Howard Drew. We look forward to hearing his exceptional voice.

July was truly a reflection of what CBS stands for. We endured the horrible loss of two valued members. Numerous congregants stepped forward to guard the bodies, assist with funeral preparations, comfort the Kitzmann and Trauring families, and provide for regular shiva minyans in their homes. This is why CBS is not just a synagogue--it is our congregation and our community.

Religious School News

Dear CBS members and Religious School families:

I hope that all of you had a wonderful summer, full adventures and quality time with family and friends. We are about to start another wonderful year at our CBS School. I know that I had a busy summer, planning the year for our school and making sure that no holiday or special occasion will be forgotten and our students will receive the best Jewish education.

Our staff is very excited to start the year and share the wonderful new curriculum and events we put together for our students and their families.

Our team this year includes veterans Tom Gough, Marlene Gonsalves, and Aleah Gonsalves. I'm happy to introduce our new Madrich, David Herrera, who will work as a teacher's assistant. Welcome David! And, of course, myself--Nir Vegvaizer--returning for my second year at CBS and very excited to be the new Lead Teacher.

Our school went through many changes this year due to budget issues, but we worked very hard to assure that we will have a wonderful year. With a full staff and plenty of events lined up throughout the year, there is sure to be ruach and inspiration for all of us!

I would like to take this opportunity and thank our former principal, Todd Aaronson, who did a fantastic job running the school. We will surely miss him and we hope he will remain active in our school as a parent, like he always has.

Please look for communications from our school. Check the Kesher/ Communication cart every time you pick up your child, and please remember to volunteer for our school's events when you can and when needed. We want you to be an integral part of our success! Remember to show an example for your child. Your enthusiasm for their school will make them excited as well.

Our school is small and our funds are low, but our spirit is strong! We will make it and we will grow from strength to strength. May we all have a prosperous year!

Sincerely, your lead teacher,

Remember, half of every subscription to J- will go to Congregation Beth Shalom.  See your Bulletin for details.