Merger
Letter from the Presidents – Special Congregational Meeting
Dear Temple Friends,
We are writing to you for several important reasons. But before business, we hope that you and those you love are healthy and safe. If you need help, please call or email your co-Presidents: Roberta Krumholz (bertkrum@gmail.com, 908-561-4841) or Ellen Lieberman (ellen.s.lieberman@gmail.com, 201-207-3117) or The Temple Office (973-379-5387).
The business purpose of this letter provides the requisite ten (10) days notice of a special congregational meeting. While we would like to meet in person it is prohibited by the “shelter in place” and state of emergency that is currently mandated due to Covid-19.
For whom is the meeting intended? Voting members of our Temple.
What is the meeting? Special congregational meeting.
When: Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. (ET)
Why? Vote on several issues listed below and attached.
Where? Online meeting with computer or dialing in by telephone.
How? Join Zoom Meeting. (Please refer to the email from TSS Office, Subject: Letter from the Presidents, Date: April 9th for the Zoom meeting information)
The issues presented for vote:
- Amendments to by-laws. On April 6, 2020 the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to amend our by-laws (Article V) to permit remote Congregational meetings while a declared State of Emergency exists. The Board of Trustees also voted unanimously to change the by-laws (Article VII) to have a Board composed of a minimum of six (6) Trustees instead of nine (9) trustees based upon a decline in congregant participation due to Covid 19 and anticipated decline. Article XVIII permits these changes and allows the Board to pass amendments, which must then be approved, by the Congregation at a regular or Special Meeting. You will be asked to approve by-law changes.
- Authorize a Mortgage on the Temple’s main building. An “Angel Lender” has offered to provide a secured loan of up to $305,000 to help cover expenses for the Temple. The loan is to be secured by a mortgage, which will be subject to our existing mortgages with Valley National Bank. The Temple has already received $50,000 from the Angel Lender as a bridge loan. On March 30th the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the secured loan, which will allow the remaining $255,000 of the loan to be accessed by the Temple for deposit into the Temple bank account, subject to required congregational approval. You will be asked to approve the mortgage in favor of the Angel Lender (as required by Article XV)
- Sale of Property. On March 30, 2020 the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the sale of the Temple-owned house located at 46 South Springfield Avenue to Joey Santos for the sum of $225,000 subject to purchase price adjustments as may be negotiated by Joey Santos and Temple Sha’arey Shalom prior to the closing of title. Article XV of our Constitution and Bylaws requires a vote of our members to authorize a sale of real property. You will be asked to approve the sale of the house to Joey Santos.
For informational purposes (not to be voted upon at Special Meeting of April 19):
- Slate of Officers and Trustees. In the past, members in advance of the Annual Congregational Meeting have been provided with the proposed slate of officers and trustees in one of the spring issues of The Scroll for review in June. Because the mailing of The Scroll is disrupted due to Covid 19, we are enclosing the proposed slate of officers and trustees, which was prepared by the Nominating Committee reflecting the change in the size of the Board per the by-law amendment described in item 1 above. This slate will be voted on at the Annual Congregational Meeting in June for which you will receive the ten (10) days requisite notice.
Enclosed are copies of the resolutions as prepared by the attorney representing the Temple and also enclosed is the proposed slate of officers and trustees. This letter and enclosures are being sent via email and surface mail. Notice of the special congregational meeting will also be posted on https://shaarey.org/ and on the Temple Facebook page.
Please pay any outstanding obligations to the Temple as soon as possible.
We wish you peace, health and a relaxing Passover.
B’Shalom,
Roberta Krumholz and Ellen Lieberman
Co-Presidents
INE Committee Update: Phone-in Q&A Session
As you know, the Investigating a New Entity (INE) committee had announced our intention to conduct three congregational meetings to give every member of Sha’arey Shalom the opportunity to hear the latest information about our plan to create a new entity with Congregation Ohr Shalom. Our goal is to offer clarification and provide you with an opportunity to ask questions and offer suggestions. You may remember that circumstances required us to reschedule those meetings. And now that our temple is closed because of the virus emergency, we have had to change our plans again.
We will conduct a phone-in Q&A session about the creation of the new entity on Sunday, March 22, at 10:30 am. Members of the INE committee, the President of Congregation Ohr Shalom, Phil Kantor, and both rabbis will be on hand to respond to your questions and suggestions.
To participate, call 973-466-8450. Enter 690779 into your phone when the system requests the pass code.
We are looking forward to having this very important discussion with you. Please join us!
INE Committee Meetings – Revised Dates
Dear Congregants,
As you know, the INE committee had announced our intention to conduct three congregational meetings to give every member the opportunity to hear the latest information about our plan to create a new entity with Congregation Ohr Shalom. The meetings will offer clarification and provide you with an opportunity to ask questions and offer suggestions. Leaders of Ohr Shalom, including the president and/or the Rabbi will participate in each meeting and there may be additional people from Ohr Shalom there, too.
Dates and times are:
- Wednesday, March 18, at 7:30 pm
- Sunday, March 22, at 10:30 am/li>
- Tuesday, April 7, at 7:30 pm
We will schedule additional meetings if the demand warrants them. These meetings are especially important for those who did not attend the congregational meeting on Sunday, January 26. Come and get the facts you will need to help you decide how to vote.
INE Committee Meetings Postponed
The meetings currently scheduled for the congregation to learn more about the proposed creation of a new entity with Congregation Ohr Shalom on February 25 and March 9 have to be rescheduled due to schedule conflicts.
The INE (Investigating a New Entity) Committee will provide new dates as soon as possible.
Joint Service with Ohr Shalom and Sha’arey Shalom
Please join Temple Sha’arey Shalom and the JCC as we share a service at the Kent Place Ohr Shalom synagogue in Summit on Friday, February 28th, at 5:45 pm.
Come see and hear what the new entity might look and sound like. It may answer some of your questions. Both Rabbi Renee and Rabbi Avi will be leading the service.
Congregation Ohr Shalom
67 Kent Place Blvd Summit, NJ
Directions
