To Members of the Shalom Club and Gan Bamidbar:
We thank all of the Shalom Club members and Gan Bamidbar members who are also members of the Shalom Club for voting in our survey as to whether Gan Bamidbar should be incorporated as a separate committee into the Shalom Club.
We also appreciate the comments that people wrote for us to take into consideration.
The survey has closed and can no longer be accessed on the Shalom Club website.
The answers to the survey are as follows:
Yes - 93 to have Gan Bamidbar become a committee of the Shalom Club
No - 29 to keep Gan Bamidbar as it is
Because there is an overwhelming majority of YES votes, we will now proceed to the next step in our process of deciding which course to take. The question of whether Gan Bamidbar should become part of the Shalom Club will be posed at our upcoming Shalom Club General Membership meeting which will be held on Thursday January 13 at 7:00pm. A discussion will follow and then the official vote will be taken on that evening.
We know that this is a sensitive topic for those who voted against the merger. We would like to address some of the comments that were included by our members on the survey. Their opinions and views need to be shared in order to make our discussion session go smoothly and with correct information. These comments will be addressed in the following paragraphs.
Voting on the issue:
It was always our intention that the survey was to be the indicator as to whether we should go ahead with discussion and then voting by the general membership on the topic of incorporating Gan Bamidbar into the Shalom Club. We will be following this process as outlined above. Both the Shalom Club Executive Board and Gan Bamidbar’s Planning Committee understood and agreed that this would be the best and only way to handle this issue. We apologize for any misunderstanding that some of you may have had.
Status of the Shalom Club with the HOA and status of Gan Bamidbar with the HOA and what that entails:
Shalom Club is designated as an “unofficial” club by the HOA. With that status, we are being given usage of the Kiva Club as a benefit that is NOT automatic. We do not pay for room usage and set-up. We do have to pay for any services such as food and beverages, etc. that all other groups must do.
Gan Bamidbar is not part of the Shalom Club at this time and therefore has no status.
Religious use of any public buildings at Trilogy is excluded. We all are aware that there is a Bible studies group for men that meets at the Mita Club. They are a national organization called Iron Sharpens Iron that has status as a men’s support/study group. They describe themselves as ‘nonsectarian’ even though they are a Christian study group. According to their mission statement anyone can attend. They do not hold religious services. They might have prayers at the meeting, but since none of us has attended, we do not know for sure.
Gan Bamidbar is different in that it does hold Jewish religious services. The Shalom Club was given the okay to have High Holiday services at the Kiva Club because of the importance of the holiday itself. We also made it clear that anyone could attend although we knew that this probably would not happen. This criterion allowed us to be permitted to meet in the Kiva Club.
It was not clarified that Gan Bamidbar is separate from the Shalom Club, but that members of Gan Bamidbar are generally members of both.
Gan Bamidbar would be better protected if it is under the umbrella of the Shalom Club with its status.
Can Friday night services be held at the Kiva Club?
Friday night services are viewed differently by the administration. If Gan Bamidbar becomes part of the Shalom Club it will share in the Shalom Club's status as an unofficial club recognized by the HOA. This means that its activities, for example a Passover dinner, could be hosted on the premises. Only Friday night services would still be excluded.
The benefits that have been given by the HOA to the Shalom Club (and to Gan Bamidbar if there is a merger) should be looked upon by us as benefits to be appreciated since our club is exclusive to Jewish members and non-Jewish members of their families. That exclusivity is not part of any other club.
Shalom Club as a social club:
This is the major issue that has separated the two entities from their beginnings. Shalom Club was founded as a social club, and Gan Bamidbar was created to provide religious services and a social gathering afterwards since the Shalom Club did not provide services.
Much of this disparity depends upon how services are perceived. During the pandemic, Gan Bamidbar held 18 services since September 2020. They were attended by people as a key social contact outlet for them to meet together. This was done on Zoom. There was group participation in services, and even a chat session before services began and after services concluded. When they could begin to plan meeting in-person, Gan Bamidbar planned and held 3 Onegs after services that were attended by 25+ people. They met both inside the home and outside on the patios, depending on the preference of those who came. These experiences validate the perception that services and the Onegs are social, and that they provide a social connection for those who participate. With the move to Vistancia Elementary School, 85 people have registered to attend, showing that Gan Bamidbar performs a much needed social and Jewish cultural environment.
We have never asked, but we believe that almost all members of Gan Bamidbar are members of the Shalom Club.
Fees for attending Gan Bamidbar services if Gan Bamidbar is incorporated into the Shalom Club:
All Shalom Club activities have fees to cover the costs to attend them with the exception of the membership dinner where the Shalom Club subsidizes costs for its members. Most Shalom Club events are generally for Shalom Club members only. Gan Bamidbar would be similar. It would have fees to cover costs for any activities it provides, and these activities would generally be for Shalom Club members only. Occasionally there are some Shalom Club activities that allow non members to attend, like the Break the Fast, and non members must pay a fee to attend. Gan Bamidbar would do the same.
The exception would be Friday night and High Holiday services. Anyone would be able to attend services, as services should never be prohibited to anyone, but the Gan Bamidbar committee as part of the Shalom Club would operate as other committees do. It would decide if and how to ask for fees if non members or guests to the community would like to attend services. This will be discussed if the merger occurs.
Non Members who would like to attend services on Friday nights and Holidays:
Services would be open to anyone who wishes to attend them. Because of Covid, and until further notice, all people would have to register to attend services and they would need to have their Covid Vaccination card on file with Gan Bamidbar before the date of the services they want to attend. This policy will remain until further notice. There can be NO walk-ins. We would continue to use the Gan Bamidbar email list and Shalom Club membership list to send out all information about upcoming services in order to give non-members the opportunity to attend. That does mean that Shalom Club members who attend Gan Bamidbar services will be receiving two emails until we can efficiently delete double mailing, but please bear with that as a minor inconvenience for the greater good.
We are probably missing many of the questions that some of you have regarding the incorporation of Gan Bamidbar into the Shalom Club. We ask that you send us your thoughts and questions on this matter if we have not already addressed them. We will answer them by email as quickly as possible. We look forward to a productive discussion and vote at our January 13th general membership meeting.
Please be sure to notify us that you will be attending. Please email a copy of your Covid Vaccination Card to Sam Lewis at [email protected] so that we will be doing our best to keep everyone safe. There will be NO walk-ins. Thank you for your understanding.
The deadline for your response is Monday January 10, 2022.
Happy New Year.
Ted Lutins at tlutins@outlook.com
Sam Lewis at [email protected]
We thank all of the Shalom Club members and Gan Bamidbar members who are also members of the Shalom Club for voting in our survey as to whether Gan Bamidbar should be incorporated as a separate committee into the Shalom Club.
We also appreciate the comments that people wrote for us to take into consideration.
The survey has closed and can no longer be accessed on the Shalom Club website.
The answers to the survey are as follows:
Yes - 93 to have Gan Bamidbar become a committee of the Shalom Club
No - 29 to keep Gan Bamidbar as it is
Because there is an overwhelming majority of YES votes, we will now proceed to the next step in our process of deciding which course to take. The question of whether Gan Bamidbar should become part of the Shalom Club will be posed at our upcoming Shalom Club General Membership meeting which will be held on Thursday January 13 at 7:00pm. A discussion will follow and then the official vote will be taken on that evening.
We know that this is a sensitive topic for those who voted against the merger. We would like to address some of the comments that were included by our members on the survey. Their opinions and views need to be shared in order to make our discussion session go smoothly and with correct information. These comments will be addressed in the following paragraphs.
Voting on the issue:
It was always our intention that the survey was to be the indicator as to whether we should go ahead with discussion and then voting by the general membership on the topic of incorporating Gan Bamidbar into the Shalom Club. We will be following this process as outlined above. Both the Shalom Club Executive Board and Gan Bamidbar’s Planning Committee understood and agreed that this would be the best and only way to handle this issue. We apologize for any misunderstanding that some of you may have had.
Status of the Shalom Club with the HOA and status of Gan Bamidbar with the HOA and what that entails:
Shalom Club is designated as an “unofficial” club by the HOA. With that status, we are being given usage of the Kiva Club as a benefit that is NOT automatic. We do not pay for room usage and set-up. We do have to pay for any services such as food and beverages, etc. that all other groups must do.
Gan Bamidbar is not part of the Shalom Club at this time and therefore has no status.
Religious use of any public buildings at Trilogy is excluded. We all are aware that there is a Bible studies group for men that meets at the Mita Club. They are a national organization called Iron Sharpens Iron that has status as a men’s support/study group. They describe themselves as ‘nonsectarian’ even though they are a Christian study group. According to their mission statement anyone can attend. They do not hold religious services. They might have prayers at the meeting, but since none of us has attended, we do not know for sure.
Gan Bamidbar is different in that it does hold Jewish religious services. The Shalom Club was given the okay to have High Holiday services at the Kiva Club because of the importance of the holiday itself. We also made it clear that anyone could attend although we knew that this probably would not happen. This criterion allowed us to be permitted to meet in the Kiva Club.
It was not clarified that Gan Bamidbar is separate from the Shalom Club, but that members of Gan Bamidbar are generally members of both.
Gan Bamidbar would be better protected if it is under the umbrella of the Shalom Club with its status.
Can Friday night services be held at the Kiva Club?
Friday night services are viewed differently by the administration. If Gan Bamidbar becomes part of the Shalom Club it will share in the Shalom Club's status as an unofficial club recognized by the HOA. This means that its activities, for example a Passover dinner, could be hosted on the premises. Only Friday night services would still be excluded.
The benefits that have been given by the HOA to the Shalom Club (and to Gan Bamidbar if there is a merger) should be looked upon by us as benefits to be appreciated since our club is exclusive to Jewish members and non-Jewish members of their families. That exclusivity is not part of any other club.
Shalom Club as a social club:
This is the major issue that has separated the two entities from their beginnings. Shalom Club was founded as a social club, and Gan Bamidbar was created to provide religious services and a social gathering afterwards since the Shalom Club did not provide services.
Much of this disparity depends upon how services are perceived. During the pandemic, Gan Bamidbar held 18 services since September 2020. They were attended by people as a key social contact outlet for them to meet together. This was done on Zoom. There was group participation in services, and even a chat session before services began and after services concluded. When they could begin to plan meeting in-person, Gan Bamidbar planned and held 3 Onegs after services that were attended by 25+ people. They met both inside the home and outside on the patios, depending on the preference of those who came. These experiences validate the perception that services and the Onegs are social, and that they provide a social connection for those who participate. With the move to Vistancia Elementary School, 85 people have registered to attend, showing that Gan Bamidbar performs a much needed social and Jewish cultural environment.
We have never asked, but we believe that almost all members of Gan Bamidbar are members of the Shalom Club.
Fees for attending Gan Bamidbar services if Gan Bamidbar is incorporated into the Shalom Club:
All Shalom Club activities have fees to cover the costs to attend them with the exception of the membership dinner where the Shalom Club subsidizes costs for its members. Most Shalom Club events are generally for Shalom Club members only. Gan Bamidbar would be similar. It would have fees to cover costs for any activities it provides, and these activities would generally be for Shalom Club members only. Occasionally there are some Shalom Club activities that allow non members to attend, like the Break the Fast, and non members must pay a fee to attend. Gan Bamidbar would do the same.
The exception would be Friday night and High Holiday services. Anyone would be able to attend services, as services should never be prohibited to anyone, but the Gan Bamidbar committee as part of the Shalom Club would operate as other committees do. It would decide if and how to ask for fees if non members or guests to the community would like to attend services. This will be discussed if the merger occurs.
Non Members who would like to attend services on Friday nights and Holidays:
Services would be open to anyone who wishes to attend them. Because of Covid, and until further notice, all people would have to register to attend services and they would need to have their Covid Vaccination card on file with Gan Bamidbar before the date of the services they want to attend. This policy will remain until further notice. There can be NO walk-ins. We would continue to use the Gan Bamidbar email list and Shalom Club membership list to send out all information about upcoming services in order to give non-members the opportunity to attend. That does mean that Shalom Club members who attend Gan Bamidbar services will be receiving two emails until we can efficiently delete double mailing, but please bear with that as a minor inconvenience for the greater good.
We are probably missing many of the questions that some of you have regarding the incorporation of Gan Bamidbar into the Shalom Club. We ask that you send us your thoughts and questions on this matter if we have not already addressed them. We will answer them by email as quickly as possible. We look forward to a productive discussion and vote at our January 13th general membership meeting.
Please be sure to notify us that you will be attending. Please email a copy of your Covid Vaccination Card to Sam Lewis at [email protected] so that we will be doing our best to keep everyone safe. There will be NO walk-ins. Thank you for your understanding.
The deadline for your response is Monday January 10, 2022.
Happy New Year.
Ted Lutins at tlutins@outlook.com
Sam Lewis at [email protected]