Blog

2022 in Review: From the 136th Annual Meeting & Annual Report

In May of 2020, when the world shut down, when our building closed, when we pivoted to virtual congregational work and online-only Shabbat services and programs, many believed that this harkened the beginning of a downward trend for engagement and membership for congregations across the country, including Congregation Temple Israel. However, as Mark Twain has been purported to say — and with some editorial license on my part — “Reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated.”

During the first year of the pandemic, we survived; in the second year, we stabilized; and in the third, we began to thrive once again.

Finance

The Finance Committee, along with the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees, continues to keep a close eye on the impact and effects of inflation on our Temple budget, our staff, and our community. Like most institutions, our endowments have taken a hit during this recent market disruption. However, due to the Federal monies we received as a result of the pandemic, and the ongoing fiscal responsibility of our Board of Trustees, Temple Israel remains in a solid financial place.

Over the last two years we've received funds from the State of Missouri through the Early Childhood Grant, from both the first and second round of the Federal government’s Payroll Protection Plans (PPP), as well as anticipated funds from the Employment Retention Credit. Additionally, the sale of the Edison Retreat Center has allowed us to finish a portion of the Reimagining upgrades to our Education Center and replenish our building fund. All of these, combined with the ongoing generosity of our members, has allowed us to maintain our staff and remain consistent in the services we offer our community.

And, though we cannot predict what will occur in the near future, we believe our foundation is strong and that we’ll continue to bounce back.

Operations & Facilities

Under the steady hands of our operations team — Building Supervisor Derrick Bryant and Executive Director Rachel Wallis Andreasson — our facilities and grounds are carefully tended and well-maintained. We recently added a new staff member to our maintenance department and believe that this will more evenly distribute the load and improve our day-to-day operations.

Some of the more recent and much needed improvements to our facilities include the replacement of the roof over the May Chapel and foyer, new and updated lighting around our parking lots, and the conclusion of our Reimagining Campaign which continues to help fund renovation projects for our Education Center. In 2023, you’ll begin to hear more about new facilities-related opportunities for improvements, which includes upgrades to additional portions of the roof.

Personnel

This past year has brought a number of changes to our TI family. Leslie Wolf, our beloved Director of Family Education, handed the reins to Lesley Goldenberg, who has brought a new voice to the school, honoring the past while looking toward the future. The smooth transition has allowed our educational programs to continue without interruption. The addition of Sidni Weglarz as Religious & Hebrew School Director and Maya Poger as Youth Engagement Coordinator, alongside Lesley, has created a vibrant team of leaders for our youth.

We’ve also welcomed new faces on the Temple side of the building; Ashley Purvis has joined TI as Accounting Manager, Rachel Leonard as Administrative Specialist, and Tanner Smith as maintenance support as mentioned above. Our new staffs’ smooth transitions into their roles across the building are a testament to the level of effective leadership throughout the organization.

Reimagining

This fall, the Reimagining Campaign came to a close. As a community, we raised almost six million dollars to rejuvenate the Education Center, which makes TI history as the highest total ever raised by our congregation. And the results of that investment are already clear.

Last January, we welcomed our first group of little ones to our Infant Room, and our teachers have expressed how much they love the new Education Center amenities, accessibility, and security that these upgraded workspaces offer. This past year, we hosted more B’nai Mitzvah — 23 to be exact — than we've had in a very long time, and in 2023, we’re slated to have over 30!

Families that start their journey at TI’s preschool are staying connected after graduation by signing up for Religious School, followed by Hebrew School, then youth group (TIFTY). This deep connection to our beloved community from birth through the Jewish lifecycle is an integral part of our mission and the foundation for our future.

These successes are due to the support of our school by the Board of Trustees which began decades ago and reverberates through our congregation today, because of the donors who contributed to upgrading the Education Center over the years and most recently our Reimagining donors, and of course, due to our talented and dedicated educators.

Leadership

I cannot say enough about the professional leadership of our congregation and our Rabbis Amy Feder and Michael Alper, and the many other staff behind the scenes who make us a strong, vibrant, and responsive organization. Our new congregants often reference the warmth of our worship services, the responsiveness and engagement of our staff, and the accolades they hear from our congregants. All of this reflects on how our leadership conveys our mission and vision throughout the organization both internally and externally.

Finally, as we bring this fiscal year to a close, I want to share the most impressive statistic from the past 12 months. Temple Israel has welcomed 38 new member families to the community! That is a testament to our Rabbis, our professional staff, and to the congregation as a whole, that together, we’ve created a warm, welcoming environment where our growing community is excited to belong.

Louise Losos
President (2020-present)
president@ti-stl.org | 314-432-8050