Why did I learn these eight things this year as opposed to one of the last five years being on the Temple Sinai of Sharon board?

  1. My mother was right. Timing is everything. As background, this year our temple moved from a dues-paying membership model to a pledge approach. The uncertainty of our revenue stream combined with the new board officers provided an opportunity for creativity.
  2. Roles can define and shape your work in a new way. My role also changed from recording secretary to general trustee. This left an opening to immerse myself in more events and projects.
  3. Some people like to meet a lot more than others. In truth, this is not a rock-my-world kind of insight. I completed an organizational behavior class as part of my MBA coursework, which included personality testing. The bottom line is that people process information differently. Some need information in writing while others do better when they talk things through in person.
  4. Volunteering does not make the work less valuable. We are very lucky to have incredible professional staff and clergy, but they don’t come up with every good idea, nor should they. Our professionals have specific skill sets, which may not be the perfect match for every task.
  5. A temple can sell more than book plates, Jewish tchotchkes and Yizkor lights. This year we sold pancakes, raffle tickets for “Dancing with the Stars” and raffle tickets to win a car or cash (you can still buy one at rav4raffle.org).
  6. You may not know much about your fellow board officers. I learned that one was an Uber driver. Another has traveled more places than I can count on two hands.
  7. Being temple president is all-consuming. The president gets invited to everything and people notice what they come to and what they don’t.
  8. It’s not a chore to be on the board. You make friends, learn about issues, network and laugh while doing it.

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