Weekly Message from the Board President

We have a major change to announce in the way we hold services at Mt. Sinai Congregation.  The best way to talk about this is to start with some background. 

Have you ever heard of Zoom Bombing?  It’s when someone disrupts a zoom call or broadcast.  It could be innocuous, such as children or pets appearing in the background (or if it’s a cat, walking across your keyboard and blocking the camera).  But it also could be a lot more serious, such as posting inappropriate content on the screen, making noise, or otherwise trying disrupt a Zoom meeting. 

Mt. Sinai began broadcasting its services and special events on Zoom when the Covid pandemic hit five years ago.  While some organizations require passwords and vetting before allowing someone to attend, we did not.  We relied on human moderators to keep things appropriate during services and that has worked well until now.  We have publicized our Zoom services, posting the login information in our weekly newsletter, on our website, and on Facebook.   

A lot of people use Zoom to attend services at Mt. Sinai.  We can have as many or more than those who attend in person and they come from all over the country. 

Unfortunately, two weeks ago, someone was able to get in and Zoom Bomb our Friday night services.  They posted pornography with sound.  The moderator immediately removed them, blocked them, and reported them to Zoom.  It only took a couple of seconds for the offensive material to be removed, but people did see it. 

The Board of Directors held its regular meeting last week, and after extensive discussion, decided to make a major change to the way we conduct services.  Starting immediately, we are changing the login information to services and hiding it.  If you want to attend services on Zoom, you will have to send an email to [email protected].  You will then get an email back with the login information. 

We realize that this will make it more difficult to attend services.  However, the Board felt that taking this step was appropriate and in line with what a lot of other Synagogues and organizations are doing.  As an example, the local discussion group “Bibles and Beer” has been using this system for a long time. 

So, if you would like to attend services via Zoom, please email [email protected].  You will get a link with the new login information. 

We had another major event happen last week.  We completed work on a new electrical system for the Synagogue.  Our wiring and electrical panels were the original ones… installed when the building was built 75 years ago.  The age and deterioration of the equipment meant we were at risk of a fire or other damage to the building.  So we replaced everything that needed to be updated, and we are good to go for years to come.  The bill for the electrical work came to $22,470.  We had money in the building fund to cover some of that, but we had to reach into the Trust and the Endowment to pay the full bill.  The Trust and the Endowment are the Synagogue’s “life savings.”  We use the interest from them to pay for a portion of the Synagogue budget every year.  If you could help us with a donation to either the building fund, the Trust, or the Endowment, it would really help. 

We also want to alert you to a Scholar in Residence who will be leading services on Friday, August 29.  He is Rabbi Robert Saunders.  We’re very happy to have Rabbi Saunders lead services and are looking forward to meeting him.  He is coming as a Scholar in Residence, and is not an applicant for our Religious Leader position. 

We are very fortunate to have a number of people who are not Jewish but are important members of our community.  They attend Synagogue events, including services, and have many, many friends in the congregation.  An excellent example was Toma Nesbit Wolf.  Toma was a long-time friend of the congregation, and the widow of former Mt. Sinai Board of Directors President Marvin Wolf.  After Marv’s passing, she stayed involved and was present at many Synagogue events and activities. 

Toma passed away a few weeks ago.  There will be a Celebration of Life for her next Friday, August 22, from 3 to 5 PM at the Cheyenne Botanical Gardens.  We miss Toma, her wonderful personality, and the way she cared about our community.  

Our friends in Ft. Collins at the Har Shalom Synagogue asked us to publicize an event coming up next Monday, August 25.  It’s a Lunch and Learn featuring Brandon Rattiner, Senior Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC).  He’ll be talking about how to speak out effectively, whether it is to government officials, or just to friends and neighbors.  Here’s a link with more information:  https://www.nocoharshalom.org/event/JCRC.  

Here is our Yiddish Phrase of the Week: 

A mol iz di refue erger far der make.
Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. 

 Shalom,

Dave Lerner
President
Mt. Sinai Board of Directors

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August Birthdays

4              Rosalyn Baker

6              Ashley Ginsburg

                Ali Weinstein  

8              Sarah Copeland

9              Jonathan Make

13           Rick Wagner

14           Jill Zarend-Peebles

15           Logan McLoud

16           Michael Rosenthal

18           Howard Schneider

19           Rebecca Slingwine

20           Katie Lerner Mollman

22           Warrie Means

22           Deborah Collier

24           Jenny Coelho

               Jacklyn Humphrey

25           Tim Solon

27           Priscilla Golden

27           Levi Mendelsohn

28           Babs Klein

29          Chris Humphrey

30           Sruli Mendelsohn

31           Nate Breen