by Rabbi Judith Hauptman, Chair
Following a hiatus, the CNS membership committee was reconstituted this year. Our goal is to integrate new people into the CNS community during the first year of their membership. We aim to make them feel welcome and valued so that they will maintain their membership and, ideally, become active members of the community.
Standard procedure is for new members to meet with Rabbi Chai, to receive a letter from the CNS office with all kinds of basic information, and to have delivered to their home a welcome basket containing hallah, salt, honey, a Netivot mug, and so on.
The membership committee’s key strategy is to run some events for new members alone and others for the entire community. On November 14 we ran a Wine and Cheese event for new members in the CNS library. The program consisted of brief comments by Rabbi Chai, David Gill, and Ken Schnur. We then asked the new members, about 20 of them in attendance, to tell us one thing about themselves that we would not learn if we googled them. This exercise got everyone talking and laughing. Many then went to the Kabbalat Shabbat service and ate dinner with the general Netivot community.
On January 24 we held New Member Shabbat. We invited all new members, more than 30 individuals, to take an active part in the Shabbat morning service. 12 of them did: 8 came up for an aliyah, 1 read from the Torah, 2 read Prayer for Our Country, and 1 served as golel for the Torah. Since members of the Membership Committee donated to the Kiddush fund, Kiddush was even nicer than usual, with an ice cream sundae bar for dessert.
Our plans for the coming months include inviting new members for a Friday night meal at the homes of long-term members and, hopefully, designating a Shabbat for prospective members. Coming to Netivot on a Shabbat morning is an excellent way to take the measure of the community.
Finally: We need several additional members who recognize the importance of this committee’s mandate and would like to help make it a reality. Consider joining us!