Dear Friends:

The time of reflection and renewal is upon us.

Mark your calendars for the Fellowship's High Holiday Services, again this year at the Long Ridge School on Erksine Road. The schedule of services is on the website homepage and on the Services tab. We are blessed to have Rabbi Eric Hoffman leading the services and to have Rabbi Emerita Emily Faust Korzenik provide the Yom Kippur morning service sermon.  For their leadership and tireless work on the High Holidays, the Fellowship is indebted to Deborah Rubin, Maia Freedman and Barbara Trow.

Let us reflect on the Fellowship's year of 5770:

• The Board led the congregation in late fall, from September-December, with the indispensable help of Rabbi Emerita Emily Faust Korzenik.
• A rabbi search was immediately launched and led by Mort Lowenthal, Griff Trow and us.  
• Rabbi Eric Hoffman immediately was recognized as the scholarly, spiritual leader for which the Fellowship was searching, and he graciously acted as interim Rabbi from January-June 2010.
• Hebrew School continued uninterrupted, lead by beloved faculty members Bracha Moshe and Nurit Avigdor and Fellowship parent leaders Michelle Abt, Jill Chase and Lee Shemitz.
• Community service initiatives served Stamford-area residents without interruption, thanks to the tireless compassion of Ele Lowenthal.
• The Fellowship's finances were carefully monitored by one of the busiest and yet most hardworking members of the congregation, Phil Paseltiner.
• Bimonthly Shabbat services were immediately restored.
• By all accounts, our Purim Festival on February 27 was among the best and most entertaining ever, with the talented leadership of Musical Director Nurit Avigdor.
• For the first time in its history and to our knowledge as only the second congregation in Stamford to participate, the Fellowship celebrated Shabbat Across America on March 5, thanks to the tremendous hard work of Rona Strakosch and Rabbi Hoffman.
• Three b'nai mitzvahs -- for Matt Winters, Justin Chase and Matt Abt -- were celebrated with great joy, thanks to the families, Rabbi Hoffman and Rabbi Emily and of course the Shemitz-Winters, Chase and Abt families.
• Summer services were scheduled in an experiment to see if attendance warrants it.
• A full schedule of Shabbat services and Hebrew School classes for 2010-2011 (5771) was approved and posted.

At the Board's unanimous recommendation on June 3 and at the Fellowship Annual Meeting confirmation on June 13, Rabbi Hoffman accepted the Fellowship's offer to be its permanent Spiritual Leader and Rabbi.

Let us renew our values and commitment for 5771:

• The Fellowship has stabilized in all spiritual and scholarly ways, the pinnacles of its values.
• The Fellowship still faces financial challenges, like most congregations.
• Membership must be greatly increased for the Fellowship to survive beyond this year.

By now, you have been invited to attend High Holiday services and asked to renew your membership by paying your annual dues. You will also be asked to increase your contributions voluntarily if you can and to reach out to your family and friends who may be participating in Fellowship activities but are not yet members. If we all do our part, then the final piece of Fellowship business from the past will be finished.

We thank each and every one of you for your support and encouragement this past year. Like all good things, the Fellowship takes work. But that work is so rewarding, as we re-learned in 5770 and as we re-commit in 5771.

Shalom!

Marie and Phil

PS Don't forget to complete and send in your Yitzkor and Simcha forms to Deborah Rubin at dbrubin@optonline or 30 Greenridge Avenue, White Plains, NY. And just as importantly, mail your your High Holidays break fast checks and forms to the Stamford Fellowship for Jewish Learning, PO Box 17291, Stamford, CT 06907.