President’s Message

Dear RST Family,

When I meet new visitors to RST, most of the time they are blown away by our beautiful and utilitarian facility and our friendly and inclusive culture.  After years of declining membership and fiscal uncertainty, influenced by a variety of factors, last summer we embarked on a mission to grow our congregation and ensure long-term financial sustainability.  

We have a lot of fabulous people working hard to make this happen.  On the fiscal side, Jenny David and Brian Weinberg are leading our Giving from the Heart Program.  Your generosity will help us remain a vital Jewish presence on the Peninsula.  If you have not been contacted to make a pledge, please go to the “Giving” tab on our website or call Radie at the office.

On the growth side, we have created an “Imagineers Committee” that has been working with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, to create new growth opportunities for RST.  The core of this committee includes Leah Schwarz, Michael Palefsky, EJ Tench, Radie Maye, and Robin Levy. The goal is to imagine the future where RST is growing and thriving for current and future generations and make that our reality.  We need your help and participation. Using in reach and outreach we want to facilitate connections with each other and people we have not yet met. Through an exciting partnership with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, we have planned two “Growing and Thriving” workshops for Sunday March 22 and Sunday April 12.  Both workshops will be conducted from 1:00 to 4:30 pm.  Please try to attend both unique workshops and help us formulate our strategies for engaging with new members for RST.  

Additionally, in the coming weeks please be on the lookout for an important survey where you can share your distinct insights.  Understanding our community members’ stories are key to our success. We want to hear more about your personal journey, so RST can gain from your wisdom.

We are also trying something new this year: An RST congregational Passover Seder for the second Seder on the evening of Thursday April 2.  Please keep an eye out for details.

Thank you for being such a wonderful congregation,

Guy