There are many opportunities to volunteer at Shaare Tefila. Listed below in alphabetical order is information about these opportunities and the person in charge. Please see the description below and contact info@shaaretefila.org to volunteer or get more information
Our immediate volunteer needs can be found on our sign up page
| Adopt a highway | Stuart Carroll |
| Adult Education | Contact us if you’d like to be in charge of Adult Education! |
| Arts Committee | Fran Abrams |
| Cemetery Committee | Judy Bresler |
| Chesed | Joyce Feinstein |
| Chevra Kedisha | Rabbi Layman |
| Education Committee | Saul Cohen |
| Finance Committee | Jeffrey Weiss |
| Fundraising Committee | Cilla Grosberg |
| Hazak | Rita Rubenstein |
| House | Cathy Plotkin |
| Israel Affairs | Al Kliman |
| Listserv | Ira Levine |
| Membership | Stacey Lynch |
| Men’s Club | Mike Binder |
| Programming | Cilla Grosberg |
| Publicity | Milton Goldsamt |
| Religious Committee | Mark Kaufman |
| Shabbat Greeters | Joyce Feinstein |
| Shofar | Sara Miller |
| Sisterhood | Fran Weiss |
| Social Action | Jodi Goldreich |
| Web and Social Media | Bob Freedman & Jeffrey Winkler |
| Youth Commission | Lois Freedman |
Adult Education
The Adult Education Committee is responsible for creating Adult Education /Lifelong learning programs and classes of interest to the diverse adult learners in the Congregation. The Committee works with the Rabbi, Cantor and outside speakers to offer a varied schedule of Jewish related topics. The Committee is also responsible for planning a Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat/Program.
Arts
The Arts Committee makes recommendations for the placement of temporary and permanent artwork throughout the building.
Shaare Tefila Congregation is proud of the work of the Chesed Committee that is active behind the scenes providing support to our members. Chesed provides meals for bereavement homes and to congregants who need meals after a hospital stay or illness. The Transportation group helps members get to religious services and doctors appointments.
Chevra Kadisha
The Chevra Kadisha (holy society) is one of the oldest groups established in the Jewish community. Its job is to prepare the body for burial. By reciting prayers, washing the body, and dressing it in the traditional shrouds, the Chevra Kadisha performs the most basic yet sacred task – it is called “chesed shel emet” a true act of loving kindness. We are proud that Shaare Tefila has its own Chevra Kadisha to take care of our members. To learn more about the Chevra Kadisha and to join please contact Rabbi Jonah Layman.
Cemetery Committee
The Cemetery Committee considers issues related to the operation of Shaare Tefila’s cemetery property and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors on fiscal and policy matters affecting the cemetery.
Education Committee
The Education Committee meets monthly with both the Preschool Director and the Religious School Director and discusses plans, programming, and budget. Our main goal is to provide top-notch education for our children and community, and to guide and support the directors and school staff in order to succeed.
We determine what the current best practices are and work with others to ensure that the curriculum is developmentally appropriate. There are many opportunities for volunteers who are able to commit both short and long term assistance; everything from helping support special programming such as the Purim Carnival, to working on small subcommittees for short-term projects. Currently we are looking for people who can help us create a teen program and possibly create a monthly teen newsletter. We welcome members who are ready to work!
Finance Committee
The Committee makes periodic reviews of the financial operations of the Congregation and reports the findings to the annual meeting of the Congregation and, from time to time, to meetings of the Board of Directors. It also presents a proposed budget for the following fiscal year to the Board of Directors for its approval, and to the annual meeting of the Congregation for its information. The Committee periodically reviews the dues and fees structure and administers policy on membership dues established by the Board.
Hazak is the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s organization for mature (55+) Jews. The function of Hazak is to provide programming for, addressing the needs of and working with “Senior Citizens,” who are members of full service affiliated congregations of the United Synagogue. Hazak complements congregational adult education programs with specially designed social, spiritual and educational components geared to and for the 55+ population of a congregation. Hazak members not only have the opportunity to meet on a regular basis with peers from their own congregation but with fellow Jews from other affiliated Conservative synagogues. If anyone would like to make suggestions for programs and if they would be willing to help out it would be greatly appreciated.
House
The House Committee is responsible for the regular maintenance and upkeep of the building and grounds of the Congregation, supervision of the maintenance staff, preparation and presentation of estimates for repairs and improvements to the Finance Committee and Board of Directors, supervision of contracted repair work, preparation and enforcement of rules and regulations for the use of the Congregation’s physical facilities, and recommendations to the Board for fiscal charges for the use and/or rental of the Congregation’s facilities.
The House Committee is responsible for the planning and execution, subject to Board and/or Congregation approval as provided for in the Constitution of the Congregation, of major improvements and construction for the physical facilities of the Congregation.
Israel Affairs
The Israel Affairs Committee is responsible for the planning and conduct of programs and activities to enhance the involvement and support of the Congregation in programs to support the development and growth of the State of Israel. The Israel Affairs Committee is responsible for educating the Congregation with respect to political situations affecting Israel, nationally and internationally and, in this respect, provides a Monthly article for the Shofar.
Listserv
We occasionally need a backup person to approve messages when the chair/moderator is unavailable. Duties include previewing potential postings in a timely manner to assess whether they are on topic, blocking spam, troubleshooting the system, etc. It helps to have a ubiquitous E-mail connection, for example via a smart phone.
Membership
Shaare Tefila’s Membership committee designs and implements programs that concentrate on the 3 key elements of Membership, They are a) Recruitment of perspective members (outreach) b) Welcoming and transitioning of new members, as well as c) Establishing and maintaining retention programs for seasoned members which in turn helps congregants stay connected to Shaare Tefila.
The Shaare Tefila Men’s Club offers a spectrum of activities designed to promote the social, physical, and spiritual health of its members as well as volunteerism in the community and service to our Congregation. The Men’s Club is a full participant in programs organized by the Seaboard Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs. These include baseball and the “It’s Academic” competition in which members of the region’s Men’s Clubs match wits in a knowledge competition. Additionally, the Shaare Tefila Men’s Club provides leadership among all Men’s Clubs in the Washington Metropolitan area by organizing and administering sport leagues that serve as a means for members to become affiliated and retain affiliation with their respective Congregations as well as enjoy regular participation in sport with their fellow members.
Programming
The goal is to see that our new building is full of people using it. We want to bring in new members, keep our membership active and help bring in additional revenues wherever possible. The Programming Committee works to coordinate efforts so we achieve this goal. Our balance will be achieved by offering four types of programs, in the categories: Heart, Body, Mind, and Soul. Heart includes projects such as Tikun Olum which open your heart to the world at large. Body includes activities to improve your health and fitness. Events for the mind include our extensive adult education, and stimulate you to think. Events for the soul include spiritual or religious events. Last but not least, the Programming Committee provides support to Lisa Arber, our Program Director, who provides our synagogue with exciting events you’ll want to attend such as:
- Spectacular Purim program
- Yom HaShoah
- Havdalah
- Shabbat dinners
Publicity
The Publicity Committee is a centralized communication arm of the synagogue. It tries to inform Shaare Tefila’s members, the Greater Olney/Rockville community and other parts of the Washington area of our religious, educational, cultural, and social programs and events. It works as needed with program developers from all parts of the shul, the Congregation Office, The Shofar Committee, the shul’s website/Webmaster, and similar units to increase awareness and attendance at these activities, in the hope of possibly increasing future shul membership and revenue. (In that role, it complements these other units’ activities.) It creatively uses a variety of visual, online and written approaches to reach these goals.
Religious Committee
The Religious Committee works, with the advice and consent of the rabbi, to make our religious services and practices meaningful, inspirational, accessible, and participatory, within the parameters of what is allowed by the Conservative Movement. We have long prided ourselves on being comprised of a cross-section of our synagogue community. We work with other Committees in the congregation such as Education, Programming, and Adult Education and are always interested in having liaisons to those and other committees.
Shabbat Greeters
The Shabbat greeter will welcomes each person as he or she enters the synagogue for Shabbat Services and hands out a program and/or a prayer book. The greeter is assigned once a month for approximately 45 minutes. It will be divided approximately between 9:30 – 10:15 and 10:15 – 11:00.
Shofar
The Shofar is Share Tefila’s newsletter published every month and once in the summer. The production of the newsletter takes several weeks. Reports, editors, layout specialist and sales people are always useful.
Sisterhood helps support Shaare Tefila in many ways and we can use all the help we can get.
- Join the committee that sells scrip throughout year. The sale of scrip is our primary vehicle for financially supporting our shul.
- Sisterhood plans and prepares our weekly Kiddush and help is needed to set up and clean up. Train to become a mashgiach, captain or simply volunteer to help.
- Join the leadership team. We are currently seeking enthusiastic women to join our board for next year. Did I hear anyone say, President or Catering Chairs?
- Volunteer to chair or serve on a committee for one of our many events. Sometimes the most fun at Shaare Tefila occurs in our kitchen. Just ask anyone who helped bake those fabulous honey cakes. We are seeking a volunteer to serve as our kitchen manager. This is a new position and will enable us to keep better track of our supplies and expiration dates.
We do community service activities and a volunteer’s responsibility would vary from event to event. Some things that volunteers might do include putting holiday baskets together, delivering donations, helping out with Mitzvah Day but really anyone with free time can give the Social Action Committee help. Please see our section of the webpage for more event information.
Fundraising Committee
The Fundraising Committee is responsible for developing and implementing programs and activities to raise funds for the operation of the Congregation.
Web and Social Media
Web and Social Media includes updating the website, Facebook page, community groups, and looking for other opportunities to showcase Shaare Tefila in the Internet world. No website programming experience is necessary.
Youth Commission
The Youth committee operate as the policy making, coordinating, and supervising agency for all Congregation youth activities, maintain liaison with National and Regional Youth Commissions and Departments, interview and recommends professional youth directors and leaders for hiring, and supervises youth directors and leaders.