Two new members have joined the CAA Board of Trustees, approved by membership at the annual meeting in June. For many in the congregation, they are familiar faces:
Toni Tinberg, a member of the congregation since 1993, is serving her third stint on the board; this time around, she will oversee and support ritual and adult education. Toni lives in Pawtucket with her husband, Howard. She has this to say about the importance of serving on the board:
Glenn Gruber (left) and Toni Tinberg
“Growing up in a Jewish household, I wasn’t especially interested in the specifics of how we practiced our religion today, or even what the Jewish part of my identity meant. As an adult, I’ve realized that a synagogue exists for more than simply educating our children and conducting High Holiday services. Coming together as a community to create meaningful religious practices and opportunities for learning about Judaism and its relevance to our daily lives—our spiritual and not explicitly “religious” daily lives—is critical if we are to thrive as a Congregation. I hope to contribute to that work during my time on the Board.”
Also rejoining the board after several years away is Glenn Gruber. Glenn and his wife, Tamara, have been part of the Agudas Achim community for 20 years, and during that time Glenn has spent 10 years on the board. He has also been chair of the Ritual Committee and Treasurer, a role he will reprise in this new term.
“After 20 years I still feel a close connection with Congregation Agudas Achim. After some time away from the Board, it seemed a good time to come back and do what I can to help Rabbi Talya, Molly and the rest of the Board continue to make CAA the welcoming and vibrant Community that attracted us when we first joined.”
Toni and Glenn join the board as four members depart: Linda Hernandez, Deb Mandell, Sam Troilo, and Alan Wartenberg.
Molly Jacobs, now in her second year as President of the synagogue, sees important work to be done in the coming year, following up on the information shared at the annual meeting.
“This year the board will be focusing on a strategic plan in consultation with research from Michael Rudnick and his strategy committee.” She adds, “As I always seem to say, however, there is much work to be done with our congregation and I hope that as many people as possible will be ready to help us ‘lighten the load.’”
The full list of board members is here.
