| NATA Awards | |
The National Association for Temple Administration honors its membership for extraordinary achievements-those above and beyond the ordinary. Your response in the past years has been exceptional; we look forward to your participation. Deadline for nominations is September 24. For more information check out the NATA website. |
| Renew Your Dues for 2010/2011 Now! |  | |
You may now renew your NATA dues.
NATA dues will not increase, and remain the same as in previous years.
Simply log into:
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From the President
Edward M. Alpert, FTA
 I would like to share a favorite poem of mine by Nicholas Gordon that is about Rosh Hashanah:
"Rosh Hashanah opens to the page
On which is writ, for good or ill, our fate.
Still wrestling with angels, we engage,
Harrowing our hearts, our destined state.
However, "we" encompasses us all,
As though we were droplets in a wave
Suspended on its journey to the shore,
Hard put to any single droplet save.
And so we pray not only for ourselves,
Nor only for our family, friends or tribe:
All must be our congregation, else
Having thus lost hope, we won't survive."
As I sit preparing this article in 95 degree Chicago weather, it is difficult to believe all of us are in the middle (or nearing the end) of our various High Holy Days preparations. With the High Holy Days taking place right after Labor Day weekend, (some of us would say early, although my Rabbi always says they are right on time) I know that all of you are knee deep in preparations while at the same time busy with membership renewals, school registrations, as well as getting your facilities ready for another year of programming use. I wish to take this opportunity (since there will not be a September NATA E-Exchange,) to thank all of you for the work you do on behalf of NATA and especially for your congregations. This is such a busy time of the year, please know how much your efforts are appreciated. Please never forget that through your efforts, our congregations run smoothly and the lives of our congregants are enhanced. I am so proud to be a part of NATA and this incredible profession and to have an opportunity to engage in our sacred work.
I wish to extend to you and your families all my best wishes for the New Year. May 5771 be a year filled with much happiness, good health and most important, peace. May it be a sweet year for all of you
L'Shalom
Ed Alpert, FTA
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Transform Yourself in Portland
 When dealing with your congregants, do you simply exchange resources or do you transform your members and yourself to be better members of the Jewish community? As Executive Directors and Administrators, we serve as leaders of our congregations, but are we the best leaders we can be? Are we modeling sacred partnerships and bringing Jewish values to life? Are we taking full advantage of our position to help our members experience their synagogue as an opportunity for Jewish growth? Are we transactional leaders doing business professionally -- or are we transformational leaders doing business Jewishly as well as professionally?
Explore the opportunities for us as Temple professionals to become transformational leaders within our synagogues. Learn how to align with our Boards and lay leaders, others on staff, and with your own innate style to develop yourself as the best leader you can be.
And do so in beautiful downtown Portland, where the air is clean, the sights are beautiful, and you'll be surrounded by colleagues and teachers to learn from and hang out with. This will be NATA Conference 2010.
Registration is open. The cost is $550 (subsidized) or $650 (unsubsidized) until October 1st. Late registration runs through October 8 and is $675. Go to the NATA Website starting June 7th to register.
Fly into Portland International Airport (PDX) and make your hotel reservations online: Nines Hotel Reservations or by calling 877-229-9995.
For more information, contact the Conference Chairs, Ellen Franklin or Marc Swatez, or Kathy in the NATA office.
Over 100 of your colleagues are already registered. Don't miss out! |
Portland Conference: Mark Greenstein Memorial Mitzvah Project
Urban Gleaners: Reducing waste and want
Urban Gleaners is a small, volunteer organization that picks up edible food from farmers markets, restaurants, grocery stores, event sites and delivers it to local agencies that feed the hungry. Their mission is to help alleviate hunger by collecting food that would be thrown away and distributing it to agencies that feed the hungry.
The idea for Urban Gleaners took root after Tracy Oseran, CBI congregant heard a radio report about an East Coast organization that redistributed food from grocery stores. The self-described "liberal and child of the '60s" figured Portland needed just such an operation.
Her children and their friends were some of the first volunteers, creating a very meaningful community service opportunities for teens at our congregation and their high school.
Oseran will tell you, hunger is not a problem of scarce resources but inefficient distribution. The concept of picking up and redistributing food is a simple weapon in the fight against hunger. While their program does not address the root causes of poverty and socio-economic inequalities they do have a major impact on hunger locally.
Urban Gleaners, now has 30 volunteers, a small warehouse and two employees; a full-timer who does the books and coordinates volunteers, and a part-time driver. Oseran takes no pay. This year, Tracy Oseran was awarded CBI's Tikkun Olam Award for her service to the community in the fight against hunger.
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Happen to Miss A Few Portland Pleasers on NATA-NET?
Portland Pleaser #10: Portland lies on top of an extinct Plio-Pleistocene volcanic field known as the Boring Lava Field. The Boring Lava Field includes at least 32 cinder cones such as Mount Tabor, and its center lies in Southeast Portland. The dormant but potentially active volcano Mount Hood to the east of Portland is easily visible from much of the city during clear weather. The active volcano Mount Saint Helens to the north in Washington is visible in the distance from high-elevation locations in the city and is close enough to have dusted the city with volcanic ash after an eruption on May 18, 1980. |
NATA Supports MAZON
Consider supporting MAZON - These are extraordinarily hard times for hungry families, and for the hunger response organizations that offer them a safety net of food and dignity. The rising price of groceries, the housing crisis, the prospect of rising unemployment and an economy in severe disarray are increasing the financial hardship and anxiety faced by poor and at-risk families.
MAZON grantees, and others on the frontlines fighting hunger in this country, see the concern and hear the anxiety in the faces and voices of increasing numbers of people who never thought they would need to turn to charity for food assistance.
Despite rising hunger, economic deterioration and the unpredictability of the times, the need for MAZON supporters remains constant.
For more information, please see MAZON's website.
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 New Member You Should Know:
Melissa Bloom
Temple B'nai Torah; Bellevue, WA
Favorite Food - Sushi
Favorite Movie - All the famous "Chick flicks"
What do you hope to get out of NATA? - Networking, learning, and connecting with others.
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Welcome New NATA Members!
We are pleased to introduce the following new members to NATA:
Susan Baseley B'nai El Congregation, St. Louis MO
Tessa Goldberg Temple Beth El Bloomfield Hills MI
Jackie Greene Temple Sinai, Sandy Springs GA
Denise Jacobs Temple Kol Emeth, Marietta GA
Pamela Kutner Congregation Emanu El, Houston TX
Janet Liebman Temple Adat Shalom; Poway CA
Allan Litwack Congregation Solel, Highland Park IL
Dina London Temple Judea Mizpah, Skokie IL
Bill Padnos Temple Sinai, Pittsburgh PA |
Member News and Tributes 
OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO: Stuart Simmons on the passing of his mother, Genevieve Simmons on July 19, 2010; Mayda Clarke on the passing of her mother, Estelle Cohen; and to Robert and Nirit French on the passing of Nirit's Aunt and grandfather.
MAZAL TOV TO: Ed Alpert, FTA on his fine leadership and his NATA presidency; Larry Broder on the birth of his third granddaughter, Sydney Faye Maimon; Livia Thompson, FTA for her dedicated leadership with NATA; Leslie Sporn on the birth of her third grandson, Gavin Samuel Fromberg; Joyce Engel for the birth of her second grandson, Lucas Muller; Joe and Ann Elbaum on the birth of their grandson, Mason Julius Kolton.
SPEEDY RECOVERY TO: Esther Herst, FTA who recently had some minor surgery.
With APPRECIATION to the following members who made contributions to the NATA Tribute Fund: Gary Cohn, FTA; Joe Elbaum, FTA; Norm Fogel, FTA; Susan Gold; Jeff Herzog, FTA; Michael Liepman; Missy Lowdermilk; Rick Rosenberg, Jr.; Robin Rubin; Nancy Schneider; Carolyn Shane; Joyce Sturm; Terry Taubman, FTA; Karen Walanka; and Diane Wiener.
You can set-up a Tribute Account by sending $180 for 10 Tributes to the NATA Office. Once your account is set-up, simply call or e-mail the NATA Office and request a tribute be sent from your account. |
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NATA - P.O. Box 936, Ridgefield, WA 98642
Email: nataoffice@natanet.org
Website: www.natanet.org
Ph: 1-800-966-NATA / (360) 887-0464 (outside the US) | |
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