Sherry's Capital Campaign Corner

There are just two weeks left in 2010. This has been a historic year for Congregation Or Hadash with the purchase of property, our beloved rabbis signing a long term contract, the launch of a capital campaign and the expansion of programs for all ages and stages of our membership and families.  From the first days of Congregation Or Hadash, we have emphasized how important every member's participation is to our success.  That is especially true as we are all asked to participate and make a pledge to the capital campaign.  Please do not let 2010 end without you participating in this historic opportunity to be counted as a builder of our permanent home.  Thanks once more to everyone who has contributed, solicited and joined us in bringing our dream of a new home closer to reality.  Remember to get your 2010 dues, Kol Nidre Appeal, and Capital Campaign payments in by the end of the year for a tax deduction and  to help us balance our budget. With the freezing weather this week, I want to remind everyone to bring coats, sweaters, scarves and gloves to the synagogue for us to distribute to guests on January 2nd at Sandy Springs United Methodist Church.

Warmly, 

Sherry

Capital Campaign Celebration and Hanukkah Dinner Wrap Up 12/8/2010

Congregation Or Hadash's Capital Campaign Celebration and Hanukkah Dinner on December 5 was truly a major success! Nearly 250 members joined the festivities. We announced that we had raised nearly $3.8 million and by the next morning we had raised $3,811,326. Dozens of young children circled around Rabbi Analia joyously singing "I have a little dreidel" while Rabbi Mario played guitar smiling all the while. Campaign leaders, Board members, Rabbis and all solicitors, donors and staff were thanked for the hard work everyone put into making our dream of a permanent home a large step closer to reality. Coxe Curry professionals who have guided our campaign and BLDGs architects who are designing our new home were praised for their work todate and were happily part of our celebration.  Menorahs were lit all over the cafeteria as a record crowd enjoyed latkes, jelly donuts and a delicious dinner.

Our success to date has energized everyone to keep the momentum going. Our work is not done. Our goal is to have every Or Hadash member play a part in building our new home. We have a 5 million dollar goal and we will work tirelessly to reach it and we are counting on you.

This has been a Hanukkah to remember. On this last night as we light 8 candles, let's keep the flames shining bright as we work together on this historic campaign.

Time To Shine Campaign Celebration and Hanukkah Dinner - You're Invited

We look forward to a weekend full of Hanukkah celebrations! Included in these festivities is our Capital Campaign Celebration and Hanukkah Dinner on Sunday, December 5. Be sure to make your dinner reservations by Thursday, December 2nd. If you haven't already done so, please return your completed campaign pledge card to the COH office by Thursday, December 2nd, so that we can add your pledge to our grand total to be announced on Sunday.  All donors who have made commitments by this date will be recognized on an alphabetical listing of donors at this event. It will certainly be an evening of great celebration!

Thank you again for the important role each of you plays in the life of Congregation Or Hadash!

Capital Campaign Pledge Thermometer Update as of November 24

We have so much to be thankful for at Congregation Or Hadash, especially our wonderful members. Thank you for taking part in this exciting time as we raise the money to build a new synagogue home. To date we have raised more than $3.57 million!

Our Campaign Celebration and Hanukkah Dinner on Sunday, December 5 is fast approaching! If you haven't already done so, please return your completed campaign pledge card to the COH

office by Thursday, December 2nd. All donors who have made commitments by this date will be recognized on an alphabetical 

listing of donors at the event. We look forward to a festive evening 

to celebrate the great progress we have made.

Again, we remain truly grateful to everyone for making Or Hadash such a special place!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Capital Campaign Pledge Thermometer Update as of November 17

I am delighted to report that we have raised more than $3.5 million toward our $5 million goal to build a new home for Congregation Or Hadash! We are so grateful to everyone for playing a role in this important process.

Because of the importance of our young families to the future of Congregation Or Hadash, a generous family has extended a challenge toward our Time to Shine Capital Campaign, which targets the membership under the age of 40. This family's challenge will match every pledge of at least $2,500 from a young adult family, up to a total of $50,000. We encourage each member under the age of 40 to remember this challenge as they consider their pledge to our campaign.

As you know, we are encouraging all members to make a pledge by our Campaign Celebration and Hanukkah Dinner on Sunday, December 5. If you need an extra pledge card, please contact Bruce or Erica at Or Hadash's office.

Again, thank you to everyone for taking part in this exciting time
in our synagogue's life!

Capital Campaign Pledge Thermometer Update Continues

We continue to make steady progress toward our $5 million campaign goal.  As of November 10, we have raised over $3.4 million in gifts

and pledges!

Plans are currently underway for our

Campaign Celebration and Hanukkah Dinner 

Sunday, December 5 from 5-7 pm.

It is sure to be a special evening in the life of our synagogue. 

In lieu of an admission fee, we are asking members to bring their completed campaign pledge card. If you need an extra pledge card, we have plenty available in the COH office.

To those of you who have already pledged, we thank you for your support. As we all know, it will take dedication and support from everyone to make our dreams for a new synagogue home a reality!

Capital Campaign Pledge Thermometer Update Continues

I am delighted to report that as of November 3 we have raised more than $3.3 million toward our $5 million campaign project.  While we are pleased with our progress, we know the project is a stretch for our congregation and will require every family to participate to the extent of their ability in order to be successful.  We have one opportunity to build our first permanent home for the congregation - and want to make sure that we meet the needs of all our members.  We thank those who have already made their commitments to the campaign and encourage those who have not yet to give thoughtful consideration to their ability to help.  Your investment in our new home is one that is sure to yield great returns for current and future members.

Hold the Date:
Hanukkah Dinner and Capital Campaign Celebration
Sunday, December 5

Capital Campaign Pledge Thermometer Update

As of October 27, we only have six weeks remaining until our Hanukkah Dinner on December 5^th.  Please mark your calendars now and plan to join us for this special meal in  celebration of our successful capital campaign.  Our goal is to secure commitments from every member of our congregation prior to the 5^th.  We hope you all are giving thoughtful consideration to your campaign commitment.  Volunteers are working hard to reach out to every member of our congregation to answer questions and encourage participation in the campaign.  Please remember that you can make a pledge now and pay it any time over the next five years, but your pledge will have a much longer impact on your family, the congregation and community. 

To date, gifts and pledges total $3.3 million toward our $5 million project. 

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to date.

"Time to Shine" Capital Campaign Pledge Thermometer

We are thrilled to announce that as of October 20, we've reached more than $3.219 million in pledges toward our $5 million goal to build a new home for Congregation Or Hadash!  

THANK YOU to everyone who has already pledged and to the volunteers who are working hard to make "Time to Shine" a great success. 

Capital Campaign Kick-Off Was A Historic Event

Sherry Frank, President

The sun was shining and excitement was in the air as members gathered in the sanctuary for a festive brunch. Tables were adorned with paint cans filled with tools and miniature chocolate hammers and wrenches surrounded the colorful table settings.

   

The enthusiastic crowd moved into the Weber School cafeteria to hear the wonderful news that the quiet summer phase of the Capital Campaign had now reached over $3,000,000. Our goal is $5,000,000.

     

Brian Bell and David Yocum, our talented architects from BLDGS, shared their background and a sample of their prior work with members emphasizing our goal of creating space that brings in light, nature and a spiritual presence.  They impressed everyone with their initial concepts for our new home.
    

This has been a great  team effort that was celebrated on Sunday, October 3, 2010 at our Time to Shine Capital Campaign Kick-Off. Thanks were given to the Building Committee Co-Chairs, Jane Seville and Fred Wachter; Capital Campaign Co-Chairs for Major Gifts Abby Friedman and Harry Heiman and Steve and Melinda Wertheim; and General Membership Campaign Co-Chairs Lynn Epstein and Ken Stein and Stephanie and Jeff Kupor.
    

Everyone left with packets inviting them to give generously to this historic campaign. A special souvenir of this event was also distributed which was an artistic card with the traditional Hebrew prayer for travelers.
     

With inspiring words from Rabbis Analia and Mario we were reminded of the importance of our own personal family homes and the priviledge and responsibility of building our communal religious home. With prayers in hand, we left the synagogue committed to this sacred journey.

Time to Shine Letter to Congregants

It is said that faith burns brightest when it is shared.

At Congregation Or Hadash, we are blessed to share a bright and shining faith with each other and with the greater community.  When we move into our first permanent home, this wonderful light will shine with an even greater intensity, and we will have countless opportunities to witness its splendor...

    in the harmonious voices of members, young and old, joining in Rhythm & Ruach
    in the radiant smiles of children at Tot Shabbat
    in the warmth of the sun streaming in through windows and skylights
    in the timeless presence of the Ner Tamid, glowing through the ages
    in the gleaming eyes of a bride and groom united in marriage under the Chupah

We believe in the future of our synagogue, and we are exited to be a part of this history-making  $5 million capital campaign.  We hope you share our excitement and give from your hearts.

Together we will accomplish extraordinary things.  And together we will share in the celebration when we reach our campaign goal and open the doors of our new spiritual home.

Abby Friedmand & Harry Heiman   and   Melinda & Steve Wertheim

Time to Shine Campaign Leadership

Campaign Co-Chairs:

Abby Friedman and Harry Heiman

Melinda and Steve Wertheim

Board Campaign Co-Chairs:

Jodi Ginsberg

Fred Wachter

Congregational Campaign Co-Chairs:

Stephanie and Jeff Kupor

Lynn Epstein and Ken Stein

Campaign Cabinet Members:

Elaine Blumenthal

Judith Cohen

Betsy Edelman

Sherry Frank

Andy Kauss

Ann and Michael Kay

Steve Kutner

Michele and Kenneth Taylor

Congregational Campaign Committee:

Ellen Banov

Pamela Weizel and Stuart Brooker

Sandra Cuttler

Bruce Duner

Margo and Shiel Edlin

Kathy Eisenband

Sara Ghitis

Lori Halpern

Cheryl Hecht-Thurschwell

Rosanne Kauss

Randi Levy

Howard Maziar

Ben Nadler

Jeff Nemhauser

Steve Rothschild

Gaby Siegel

Gordy Singer

Robert Strauss

New Home Purchased!

Remarks taken from Sherry Z. Frank, President 

We have reached another milestone, a true Shehechayanu moment.  On Tuesday, October 28, 2010 we became the proud owners of the property on Trowbridge Road where we will build our future home.

There is no way to adequately thank Mark Hackner for finding and securing this property for us, to Steve Wertheim for working on the very favorable financial arrangements and to Andy Kauss for the long months and countless hours of attention to all the legal issues that were associated with this purchase. They were joined by other dedicated members who have all been instrumental in bringing us to this point.  We are indeed blessed with dedicated and talented leaders who have given tirelessly to make this dream of owning our own home a reality.

Thank you to the Abby Friedman and Harry Heiman and Melinda and Steve Wertheim for the wonderful leadership as we quietly launched our Capital Campaign over the summer.  Thank you to Lynn Epstein and Ken Stein and Stephanie and Jeff Kupor who have assembled a terrific team as they lead the way for our General Campaign.  Thank you to everyone for the extraordinary work you all have done and are continuing to do to make Congregation Or Hadash a truly inspiring, learning and caring community.

This is truly our most exciting chapter and we want everyone to be a part of this moment in the history of our congregation.

Warmly,
Sherry

Meet the Architects

Brian Bell, AIA received a Master of Architecture from Harvard University, where he was a John E. Thayer Scholar, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Washington in Seattle. Prior to founding BLDGS, Brian taught and trained in Seattle, Rome, Boston, and Atlanta, concluding as a Senior Project Architect with Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects. Brian is currently the Millkey Visiting Professor of Architectural Practice at the Georgia Tech's College of Architecture.

David Yocum, AIA received a Master of Architecture from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College with majors in History and Studio Art, where he was awarded a James B. Reynolds Fellowship. Prior to founding BLDGS, David was a Senior Project Architect with Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects in Atlanta. David is currently the Millkey Visiting Professor of Architectural Practice at the Georgia Tech's College of Architecture.


For more information about Brian and David and to see a portfolio of past and current work, please visit the BLDGS website at: http://bldgs.org.

A New Home for Congregation Or Hadash

At the corner of Roswell and Trowbridge Roads, our new home is less than 2 miles from The Weber School. We plan to renovate the site's existing 24,000 square foot building to meet our shul's current and future needs with an architecture that reflects the spirit of Or Hadash. It will be a place of light, designed for our growing congregation to use and enjoy every day of the week. Our new home will include:

-  A light-filled sanctuary with seating for over 400.

-  A nearby social hall with event seating for 350 guests and adjacent kosher kitchens.

-  An open, well-lighted foyer that captures the warmth and spirituality of Congregation Or Hadash.

-  Classrooms for religious school and adult education.

-  Administrative space for the rabbis, staff and a synagogue library. 

Where We've Been

Founded in 2003, COH has brought anew light to the north Atlanta suburb.  It offered a new way to worship, a deeply moving spiritual experience. 

Starting with about 50 founding members, we quickly grew to have over 300 people attend our very first Servicio de Shabbat (Friday night service) at our initial home, the Sandy Springs United Methodist Church.  We held our High Holiday services and Bar and Bat-Mitzvahs at the Greenfield Hebrew Academy.

In just four years, membership grew to over 300 and Congregation Or Hadash built its own sanctuary within the Weber School. High Holiday services were held at the Marcus Jewish Community Center for the first time in 2008 to meet the need of our nearly 1,000 members and extended families. Our diverse membership includes families from throughout the U. S. and around the world bringing an international curiosity and commitment to learning and social justice. 

Today our congregation proudly boasts a membership of 368 units, a thriving religious school, exceptional Tikkun Olam opportunities, diverse adult education programs and family activities, and music and study to elevate our prayer services. 

Now it is our turn to do something extraordinary for our synagogue.  It's our time to invest in the future as we purchase and renovate the facility that will become Congregation Or Hadash's first permanent home.

It's our Time to Shine...Join us on this Journey.