bETH SHALOM PRESIDENT BEN ALTMAN KICKS OFF THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN.
Good morning, everyone.
It truly is a privilege to stand before you today. In a world that moves quickly—where days blur, schedules overflow, and demands pile up—your choice to be here says something meaningful. It says you care. It says you believe in the power of community. And it says you recognize that progress, real progress, happens when people come together with a shared purpose.
Throughout the stories of the Tanakh, we see a consistent theme: people find strength not in isolation, but in one another. Whether it was a community rebuilding after hardship, a family navigating uncertainty, or a nation trying to find its footing, the pattern is the same—resilience came through unity. People stepped forward, they offered what they had, and they took responsibility for the future they hoped to build.
Those stories are ancient, but their lessons are incredibly current.
Today, we face challenges of our own—some personal, some societal, some that affect the very mission we’re here to support. And just like the communities in those early narratives, we have a choice: to watch passively… or to build actively.
This synagogue exists because we choose the latter.
Our work is both simple and profound: to lift others, to expand opportunities, to strengthen the fabric of our community. But none of this happens by accident. It happens the same way communities have always advanced—through generosity, shared vision, and the ability to see beyond our own immediate needs.
One of the most striking elements of those early traditions is how people contributed. Some brought materials, some brought labor, some brought leadership, and some offered encouragement. No contribution was identical, and none were insignificant. What mattered was participation—each person bringing their piece to the table, trusting that together it would amount to something far greater.
That is the same spirit we are inviting today.
Because the truth is, the needs we’re addressing are real. The people who rely on this community are not abstract; they are neighbors, families, children, individuals striving to overcome challenges or create a better future. And the impact we make—together—ripples outward in ways we often never get to fully see.
Your generosity today builds more than programs.
It builds confidence in a someone who needs guidance.
It builds safety for someone who has felt unseen.
It builds stability for a family standing at the edge.
It builds possibility where it once seemed limited.
And perhaps most importantly, it builds hope—that powerful, quiet force that carries people through their hardest days.
The Tanakh often reminds us that those who came before us planted, built, and sacrificed for futures they might never experience themselves. They understood that legacy is not something you receive; it’s something you create. And today, we stand in that long line of builders—people who believe that tomorrow can be better, safer, kinder, and more promising than today.
So as we move into the heart of today’s event, I want to invite you to think about what part of this future you want to help build. This year’s target is $20,000, the same as last year. Last year we came up a little short of this goal, but I’d like to ask everyone to stretch just a little further than you did last year to try to hit this number. Every donation in the Annual Campaign, no matter the size, helps us sustain our programs, maintain our synagogue, support our rabbi and staff, and open our doors to anyone who wants to be part of Jewish life. Not everyone can give the same amount—and that’s never been the point. What matters is the spirit behind the gift. What matters is that each of us carries a portion of the vision.
When we do that—when we step forward with a willing heart, when we invest in the well-being of our community—something remarkable happens. We become part of a story larger than ourselves. We become the builders, the stewards, the protectors of what truly matters.
So thank you. Thank you for being here, for caring, for believing in this mission, and for choosing to be part of a legacy that will outlast every one of us.
Together, we can strengthen lives.
Together, we can expand hope.
Together, we can build a future we’ll be proud to hand to the next generation.
Let’s make this year extraordinary.
It truly is a privilege to stand before you today. In a world that moves quickly—where days blur, schedules overflow, and demands pile up—your choice to be here says something meaningful. It says you care. It says you believe in the power of community. And it says you recognize that progress, real progress, happens when people come together with a shared purpose.
Throughout the stories of the Tanakh, we see a consistent theme: people find strength not in isolation, but in one another. Whether it was a community rebuilding after hardship, a family navigating uncertainty, or a nation trying to find its footing, the pattern is the same—resilience came through unity. People stepped forward, they offered what they had, and they took responsibility for the future they hoped to build.
Those stories are ancient, but their lessons are incredibly current.
Today, we face challenges of our own—some personal, some societal, some that affect the very mission we’re here to support. And just like the communities in those early narratives, we have a choice: to watch passively… or to build actively.
This synagogue exists because we choose the latter.
Our work is both simple and profound: to lift others, to expand opportunities, to strengthen the fabric of our community. But none of this happens by accident. It happens the same way communities have always advanced—through generosity, shared vision, and the ability to see beyond our own immediate needs.
One of the most striking elements of those early traditions is how people contributed. Some brought materials, some brought labor, some brought leadership, and some offered encouragement. No contribution was identical, and none were insignificant. What mattered was participation—each person bringing their piece to the table, trusting that together it would amount to something far greater.
That is the same spirit we are inviting today.
Because the truth is, the needs we’re addressing are real. The people who rely on this community are not abstract; they are neighbors, families, children, individuals striving to overcome challenges or create a better future. And the impact we make—together—ripples outward in ways we often never get to fully see.
Your generosity today builds more than programs.
It builds confidence in a someone who needs guidance.
It builds safety for someone who has felt unseen.
It builds stability for a family standing at the edge.
It builds possibility where it once seemed limited.
And perhaps most importantly, it builds hope—that powerful, quiet force that carries people through their hardest days.
The Tanakh often reminds us that those who came before us planted, built, and sacrificed for futures they might never experience themselves. They understood that legacy is not something you receive; it’s something you create. And today, we stand in that long line of builders—people who believe that tomorrow can be better, safer, kinder, and more promising than today.
So as we move into the heart of today’s event, I want to invite you to think about what part of this future you want to help build. This year’s target is $20,000, the same as last year. Last year we came up a little short of this goal, but I’d like to ask everyone to stretch just a little further than you did last year to try to hit this number. Every donation in the Annual Campaign, no matter the size, helps us sustain our programs, maintain our synagogue, support our rabbi and staff, and open our doors to anyone who wants to be part of Jewish life. Not everyone can give the same amount—and that’s never been the point. What matters is the spirit behind the gift. What matters is that each of us carries a portion of the vision.
When we do that—when we step forward with a willing heart, when we invest in the well-being of our community—something remarkable happens. We become part of a story larger than ourselves. We become the builders, the stewards, the protectors of what truly matters.
So thank you. Thank you for being here, for caring, for believing in this mission, and for choosing to be part of a legacy that will outlast every one of us.
Together, we can strengthen lives.
Together, we can expand hope.
Together, we can build a future we’ll be proud to hand to the next generation.
Let’s make this year extraordinary.
DONATE TO OUR ANNUAL CAMPAIGN BY SENDING A CHECK TO THE FOLLOWING:
