PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Shalom!
It is a great honor and a tremendous privilege to serve as President of UOS.
We pride ourselves on being a warm and welcoming shul.
These are exciting times for our shul. After a long pandemic-related delay, construction of our beautiful new building has begun and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2023.
We offer wonderful classes almost every day of the week, and our list of programs for both adults and youth is continually growing thanks to our hard-working professional staff and to the dedicated volunteers who serve on our many committees.
We are grateful for the excitement and leadership that Rabbi Sprung brings to UOS. We look forward to continued growth together in Limmud Torah, Avodat HaShem, Gemilut Chassadim, Hachnassas Orchim, and so much more. Rabbi Sprung has already given so much to our community, including many great shiurim and Divrei Torah, great programming, and compassionate pastoral care to those in need.
If you plan on visiting Houston, please contact our Hospitality Chair about Shabbos or Yom Tov hospitality at hospitality@uosh.org.
If you need mikvah-related information, please contact our Director of Mikvah at UOSMikvah@gmail.com.
For information about membership, please contact our Membership Chair at membership@uosh.org.
Please see below for the text of my most recent weekly Presidential Update.
I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you soon!
Doreen Lerner, President
August 11, 2022
Dear UOS Members and Friends,
Please come and celebrate with us!
Bring your friends and family members!
Preparation of our campus for the initial phases of construction continued this week.
You’ll see more details and photos in tomorrow’s Shabbat Bulletin!
Our Capital Campaign is in great shape!
Contact me to learn about our remaining Naming Opportunities!
A large group of volunteers are hard at work on creating a beautiful Groundbreaking Ceremony and Celebration - for our community and for the wider community. We are working on the Program and Speaker List, Invitee List, Refreshments, Decorations, Sound System, Video Montage, and much more.bPlease contact me if you’d like to help, either with the pre-planning or on the day of.
We are working on a variety of initiatives and new programs!
Inspired by the work of Sharsheret, our Women’s Programming group will be holding a cookie-baking event on Motzei Shabbos December 17th at 7:15 pm. We will have speakers in addition to cookie baking and decorating, and social time with refreshments. For more information and to volunteer contact Katja Gluck.
Our shul will be participating in the worldwide Shabbos Project this year! Please contact me for more information about volunteering for one of the committees.
We are also working on a program to meet the needs of our members who would love to be invited for a Shabbos meal, and/or who would like to host guests for a Shabbos meal. We hope that many members will participate – this is a great opportunity to meet new people and to make new friends!! We are grateful to UOS Board Members Sophie Lee Landau and Rachel Hulen for taking on this project. More details will be available soon.
Our UOS Programming and Events Committee is hard at work on planning a beautiful event to honor our very long-term members. This special Hakarat Hatov Kiddush will be on Shabbos September 17th. More details will be available soon. For information contact Bev Feldman.
We welcome the Kister and Silvestri families to our community!
We also welcome Chani and Shlomo Uretzky from New Jersey who are visiting our community this Shabbos!
Rosh Hashanah is only about 6 weeks away! Your board and shul staff are hard at work on creating a meaningful davening experience for all of us. Please visit our High Holidays web page to determine if you or a family member will need to purchase tickets. In many cases, you and they will not need to do so.
If your account is not up to date you will need talk to the office and make a payment plan. Otherwise, you will need to purchase High Holiday tickets.
High Holiday honors are going fast! Purchasing an honor for a loved one is a beautiful tribute. Contact ritual committee member Sophie Lee Landau for more information (email address). You can check on which honors are still available here.
The UOS Programming and Events Committee, chaired by Bev Feldman, is hard at work on planning a fun Spaghetti Dinner and Trivia event, at which all are welcome. We hope you’ll attend! Please see the flyer for details and be sure to register by August 15th.
Happy birthday to the following members, who are celebrating a birthday during this upcoming week!
Isabel Kramer
Nicole Kramer
Jacquelyn Kramer
Esther Silberman
Leah Rotenberg
Esther Shavitzky
Berta Irana Roth
Sandra Kronman
Hillel Aharon Meisel
Gabrielle Kupferman
Happy Anniversary to the following members, who are celebrating an anniversary during this upcoming week!
Nancy Beren and Larry Jefferson
Shim and Judy Brookman
Howie and Barb Weiner
Steve and Tammy Plumb
Stewart and Leah Mueller
A program for Women Only
Topic – “It’s Never Too Late: Second Chances in the Bible”
Mrs Mindeleah Pollak, Torah and Nach Educator
Five Tuesdays at 8 pm beginning on Tuesday July 26th
This program is sponsored by the OU Women’s Initiative.
Mrs. Mindeleah Pollak has been a Torah and Nach educator for over 44 years. She is a passionate, dynamic teacher whose breadth of Torah knowledge is reflected in the classes she teaches. She is a recipient of several teaching awards for Excellence in Jewish Education. As a former director of Melton, she attracts students of all ages, young and old, across the spectrum of Jewish life.
There is no cost to attend but you will need to register to receive the class location, which changes on a weekly basis.
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To our members who are observing a Yahrtzeit in the coming days, we wish you a long life. May your loved one’s neshama have an Aliyah!
Thursday Av 14
Lynn Chorn for grandfather, Samuel Gluckman
Friday Av 15
Ira Mitzner for Mordechai Yaakov Mitzner
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With warm wishes for a restful, peaceful, and meaningful Shabbos,
Doreen.
Doreen Lerner
President, United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston, Texas
doreenlerner@sbcglobal.net
713-444-8587