TBS News and Information

For many of us, this first week after winter break entails a return to our regular routine. We get back in the habit of waking up for school or work, attending our activities, eating more regular meals, and (hopefully!) going to sleep at a reasonable hour – all elements of a normal, nonvacation, regular routine.

These past few weeks have been anything but routine for TBS. After the flood on December 15, nothing has been normal. Most of the carpeting in the social hall, the sanctuary, the breezeway, and the back hallway has been removed, leaving bare concrete. Many of the walls in the building are missing the bottom foot of drywall. Mrs. Ben Simon’s office is completely bare. Just about everything is out of place, with sanctuary chairs stacked in hallways, monitors on tables in classrooms, and school supplies in every nook and cranny. Fortunately, in the grand scheme of things, the damage was not as bad as it could have been. But the disruption has been tremendous.

And yet, despite the disruption, we have started settling into a new routine. The front office complex, the library, the youth room, the back two classrooms (8 & 9), the kitchen, social hall “A,” and the bimah in the sanctuary were untouched by the flood and are fully usable. We have been lovingly welcomed by our family at Abiding Presence for Shabbat evening services, Tot Shabbats, dinners, and Saturday morning Minyan Makers services. Beginning this Sunday, our Religious School will relocate to Gesher Jewish Day School. While we may be operating in different places, we are continuing with our regular events, programs, and services. We continue to be a center of joyful Jewish living and learning, just on three different campuses!

I cannot tell you this is easy. It’s not. It requires a tremendous amount of logistical sophistication. Every member of your TBS staff has been working tirelessly to ensure that our operations continue smoothly, even as we reimagine what the new routine will be. Our lay leadership, led by President Alex Eichel, has been engaged in a vast number of details, from selecting new carpet squares to shlepping dinner and oneg supplies to ushering at services in an unfamiliar building. I am grateful for everyone who has offered to pitch in, everyone who has lent words of encouragement and support, everyone who has helped us establish our new routines. We are blessed to be such a resilient congregation.

There is more work that will need to happen for us to continue to thrive. There will be more ways for everyone to help our community’s new normal. In particular, we will need several volunteers each week to transport supplies to Abiding Presence and to Gesher. When the opportunity arises, please answer the call – we need YOU!

As we settle into this new routine, we will continue to keep you updated on the status of our building. And we will continue to endure this challenge while remaining focused on our mission of joyful Jewish living and learning. Wherever we are, our TBS values remain the strength of our community.