President's Message
January 2025
Dear Congregants of Temple Emanu-El,
As we approach the secular New Year, I wanted to take a moment to greet you all and provide some important updates regarding our community and the ongoing efforts at Temple Emanu-El.
Rabbi Ashira's contract will end on June 30, 2025. Due to our financial constraints, we regretfully cannot extend or renew her contract. We deeply appreciate the warm spiritual guidance and leadership Rabbi Stevens has provided (and continues to provide) to Temple Emanu-El and the community. We will express our gratitude for her service and wish her well in the spring of 2025. Stay tuned for details. Rabbi Stevens invites you to reach out to her directly with any questions and to connect before the end of June 2025. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.
Lisa and Don will remain with our community until we have finished removing all artifacts from the building. This process is anticipated to be completed sometime in July. We feel blessed to have had Rabbi Ashira, Lisa, Phil, Don, and Elli in our community, as they have always been like family. Please don’t forget to tell them how much you appreciate them, especially during this tough time.
The Precious Artifacts Committee is diligently continuing to catalog all artifacts. There is interest from some families in retrieving specific artifacts, such as yahrzeit plaques. In January, we will provide a Google form for community members to express interest in specific artifacts their families donated or otherwise had a connection to. Please be patient with the process. If you would like to volunteer to help out, reach out to Lisa ([email protected]) or me ([email protected]).
Trudy Zakin (chair of the merger committee) and the rest of her committee are moving forward. Many meetings have occurred with the two temples (Temple Emanu-El Haverhill and Temple Emanuel Andover). Temple Emanuel Andover has been very welcoming, including inviting us to recent events. Stay tuned for more such opportunities, including an open house. We hope you will join in on these to make the transition smoother. Please reach out to Trudy ([email protected]) if you would like to help with sub-committees regarding yahrzeit boards, Torahs, artifacts, etc.
Regarding the real estate transaction, both ballot questions regarding the sale of 514 Main Street passed. We are moving forward with a purchase and sale agreement with a $780,000 price. A use and occupancy agreement is still in review (to allow us to rent through June once the building is officially sold, likely in February); the purchase and sale agreement cannot be signed until this is completed. I have spoken to the buyer, Pastor David. He is a kind gentleman who is looking forward to bringing his church to this new home and cohabitating with us for a few months.
In order to keep the community abreast of the ongoing changes, we are holding Q&A sessions on the following days:
• Sunday, January 5, 2025, in person in the Starensier Assembly from 10 to 11 AM
• Tuesday, January 7, 2025, via Zoom (click HERE) from 7 to 8 PM
• Thursday, February 6, 2025, via Zoom (click HERE) from 7 to 8 PM
We appreciate your continued support and understanding during this transitional period. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year.
Warm regards,
Jenn Lampron
President
As we approach the secular New Year, I wanted to take a moment to greet you all and provide some important updates regarding our community and the ongoing efforts at Temple Emanu-El.
Rabbi Ashira's contract will end on June 30, 2025. Due to our financial constraints, we regretfully cannot extend or renew her contract. We deeply appreciate the warm spiritual guidance and leadership Rabbi Stevens has provided (and continues to provide) to Temple Emanu-El and the community. We will express our gratitude for her service and wish her well in the spring of 2025. Stay tuned for details. Rabbi Stevens invites you to reach out to her directly with any questions and to connect before the end of June 2025. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.
Lisa and Don will remain with our community until we have finished removing all artifacts from the building. This process is anticipated to be completed sometime in July. We feel blessed to have had Rabbi Ashira, Lisa, Phil, Don, and Elli in our community, as they have always been like family. Please don’t forget to tell them how much you appreciate them, especially during this tough time.
The Precious Artifacts Committee is diligently continuing to catalog all artifacts. There is interest from some families in retrieving specific artifacts, such as yahrzeit plaques. In January, we will provide a Google form for community members to express interest in specific artifacts their families donated or otherwise had a connection to. Please be patient with the process. If you would like to volunteer to help out, reach out to Lisa ([email protected]) or me ([email protected]).
Trudy Zakin (chair of the merger committee) and the rest of her committee are moving forward. Many meetings have occurred with the two temples (Temple Emanu-El Haverhill and Temple Emanuel Andover). Temple Emanuel Andover has been very welcoming, including inviting us to recent events. Stay tuned for more such opportunities, including an open house. We hope you will join in on these to make the transition smoother. Please reach out to Trudy ([email protected]) if you would like to help with sub-committees regarding yahrzeit boards, Torahs, artifacts, etc.
Regarding the real estate transaction, both ballot questions regarding the sale of 514 Main Street passed. We are moving forward with a purchase and sale agreement with a $780,000 price. A use and occupancy agreement is still in review (to allow us to rent through June once the building is officially sold, likely in February); the purchase and sale agreement cannot be signed until this is completed. I have spoken to the buyer, Pastor David. He is a kind gentleman who is looking forward to bringing his church to this new home and cohabitating with us for a few months.
In order to keep the community abreast of the ongoing changes, we are holding Q&A sessions on the following days:
• Sunday, January 5, 2025, in person in the Starensier Assembly from 10 to 11 AM
• Tuesday, January 7, 2025, via Zoom (click HERE) from 7 to 8 PM
• Thursday, February 6, 2025, via Zoom (click HERE) from 7 to 8 PM
We appreciate your continued support and understanding during this transitional period. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year.
Warm regards,
Jenn Lampron
President