Events Planning Committee

Chair: Deborah Lashman email 658-8223
Members: Ducky Donath, Dana Engel, Cheryl Goldstein,
Judy Hershberg, Lorna Peal, Vivian Mason

The Events Committee is the newest committee at Ohavi Zedek, created last year with the responsibility for creating and ensuring smoothly running festive celebrations of all OZ simchot, holiday parties, and special events. In addition to the regular calendar of events, the committee works with members of OZ as well as our larger community to bring special events to Ohavi Zedek and to involve OZ in events outside of the synagogue.

The Events Committee also works closely with the other committees of Ohavi Zedek - most often the Membership and Outreach Committee, the Hebrew School Committee, and the Development & Fundraising Committee. Members of the Events Committee rely on volunteers from the larger membership of the synagogue to help with specific events.

Responsibilities of the members of the Events Committee include planning and setting dates, publicity, determining food and supply needs, and recruiting and working with additional volunteers for all aspects of set-up and clean-up including acquiring and preparing food and ancillary supplies. Committee members archive each special event with an article and photos for The Voice.

The biggest and best known annual event for which the Events Committee is now responsible each year is the Chanukah Party. This past year the celebration was very successful with a record turnout of over 200 people. Money from the tzedakah boxes was divided equally between Women Helping Battered Women and the American Jewish World Service (AJWS). In what we hope will become a new tradition, the Jewish Community Chorus gave its first concert at Ohavi Zedek immediately after the party. The chorus, consisting of members from Ohavi Zedek, Temple Sinai, and Montpelier’s Beth Jacob Synagogue entertained an appreciative crowd with a selection of songs from the synagogue liturgy and some seasonal favorites.

Not long after the Chanukah Party the Committee worked with Temple Sinai, UVM Hillel and The Israel Center to bring Ruth Messinger, the President of AJWS, to Vermont to speak about the work the organization does throughout the developing world. On February 1, 2008 a joint Shabbat celebration was held at the Billings Center on the UVM campus with Temple Sinai, UVM Hillel, the Israel Center, and the greater community. Despite a sleety February evening, turnout was good and the service and Ruth Messinger’s speech, followed by a kosher meal, were very well received.

The Events Committee worked with the Hebrew School on two events this year: the Purim Celebration in March and the Hebrew School Picnic and Commencement in May. Led by Rabbi David as Tinky Winky, everyone enjoyed a raucous Purim celebration on March 20th. It began in the social hall with great costumes, delicious food, games, crafts, and face painting. The celebration continued in the sanctuary with a Purim spiel and Megillah reading – abbreviated for the age of the audience. Midway through the reading there was a costume parade around the sanctuary and later on the “United Vashti Appeal,” the collection of tzedakah divided equally between Women Helping Battered Women and SafeSpace. The twirling of the graggers, banging of hammers, and the shouts and boos drowning out Haman’s name could be heard throughout the building. Then in May came the end of Hebrew School with the annual picnic and commencement – a Hebrew School Committee event with which the Events Committee assists.

Following Purim in the festival schedule is Pesach. Like the Chanukah Party, the Events Committee is now responsible for organizing the celebration of the Pesach Seder held at Ohavi Zedek on the first night of Pesach.

This fall the Events Committee will be working with both the Hebrew School Committee and the Membership and Outreach Committee on the opening day of Hebrew School as we welcome returning students back and new students and families into our community.

An event the Committee is very excited about bringing to Ohavi Zedek on Sunday October 19th is a production of “Life in a Jar,” the story of Irena Sendler, a righteous Gentile who saved 2,500 children in the Warsaw Ghetto. Save the date and keep watching for more information.

We are busy working on ideas for a number of other events both to bring our community together and to assist in fundraising for Ohavi Zedek. You can get involved as a member of the Committee or just help out with a particular event that interests or excites you.

For more information or to pass along ideas or comments about an event past or future contact Deborah Lashman at 658-8223 or deborah_lashman@mac.com.