The other evening there was a synagogue board special meeting. I have it in "mp3" format as a reminder of how not to manage a meeting.
The meeting was called to explain why the board's vice president - currently, but temporarily, resigned - put the congregation possibly in a very embarrassing situation.
I write "temporarily" because there already is a strong effort by the VP's pals on the board to convince him to return to his position - and become the next president ! !; as one board member stated," if we decide there will be dancing in the street, there will be dancing in the street." Pity the blog cannot accommodate an mp3 file.
ANYWAY, during the discussion, in which the president said he only knew what the VP told him, it was ascertained that the evidence of the VP's arrogance - making arrangements with a film company to film outside and inside the synagogue sans board review - was visible to all who made the morning minyan.
Outside sat a truck with the film company's name and business boldly on the side and several people lazing about imbibing morning coffee while, one assumes, they waited for the movie's stars to make an appearance.
I saw the trunk and crew as I made my way across the parking lot to the minyan. But I am not a board member.
The loudest member of the board, in attempting to shift the onus from the temporarily absent VP, pointed - literally - at the rabbi and said it was the rabbi's responsibility to stop the activity. Not the board's job, said the Loud One.
The rabbi pled ignorance of the whole thing.
But there were at least four board members at the minyan, including the Loud One, so why point a finger - again, literally - at the rabbi?
Especially understanding that the rabbi, who has been incumbent for more than 20 years and, with apologies to the gentleman, "knows his place" vis-a-vis the board.
True, the rabbi should have seen the truck and people milling about, and true, he was holding a Talmud class with one board member, but perhaps he thought the truck belonged to a construction crew and, in any event, the board member apparently was not privy to the VP's and president's secret.
The Loud One, the president, and one or two others all volunteered that the VP-on-hiatus had done a lot for the congregation - he is, I gather, the debt collector - and anyway "he shows up for services two or three times a week."
Do the math!
There are 14 times a week when minyans are called: Every Shabat and weekday morning and evening (minhah and aravet are combined). The fellow shows up on Shabat during which he acts as gabbai. 3/14ths . . . if my math is correct, that's zero - point - 214 % of the time.
Just for the record
I asked the president if anyone read the script?
- No.
Was anyone present during the shooting?
- No.
How much money did the VP require from the film maker?
- Don't know.
Was there a contract between the VP and film company?
- No.
According to the board, the only - repeat, only mistake the VP made was not bringing the matter to the board.
- Would the board have reviewed the script?
- Would the board have assigned a member to be present at the filming, or asked the rabbi to be present?
- Would the board have insisted on a contract?
Anyone's guess.
One thing is certain: the finger should not have been pointed only at the rabbi. The board must shoulder most of the blame - after all, the "resigned" VP and the president have been on the board for a number of years; they can hardly plead ignorance of the responsibilities of board membership or knowledge of board vanities.
I wonder if the board has B&D insurance.
Sometimes it is difficulet, but
הריני מקבל עלי מצוה עשה של ואהבת לרעך כמוך, והריני אוהב כל אחד מבני ישראל כנפשי ומאודי
