In this week's torah portion, Vayishlach, Jacob returns to the holy land after 20 years away.  I wish our circumstances were like Jacob's and we could be sharing news that we were returning to our beautiful JCC building after the 9 days we've been in exile.  But that, unfortunately, is not the case.

In the immediate aftermath of the fire we had hoped that the damage was minimal and we could return swiftly at least to parts of the building.  We now expect a 6 to 12 month time frame.  Mitigation of the damage alone is expected to last until early March after which we can begin to re-build. One way to support the JCC  through this challenging time is by making a tax-deductible gift.

While the fire was unimaginable and the displacement has caused disruption to our members, we are making lemonade from the lemons.  Our staff and volunteer leaders are working around the clock to bridge services and maintain the same high quality experiences you expect from our instructors and teachers.

We hope the community and JCC members will continue to stand strong with us.  Recognizing the possible inconvenience to members, we are developing an adjusted dues structure.  Members will be notified next week, however we are currently without communications or computer technology and ask for patience. As members know, December payments were processed prior to the fire.  This will be addressed in next week's communication.

On Tuesday, Scott Cohen and I will hold two Yeladim family town halls to address any questions or concerns-one at 7:30 am and one at 5:00 pm at B'nai Jacob.  We also intend to hold frequent general community town halls by teleconference to provide real time updates on our progress.

It is not often in the life of a community that you can hit the pause button to evaluate current structures and services and assess anticipated future needs.  This is our moment to swiftly assess our strengths and shortcomings.  With your help, we will create a sustainable future that is in line with our community's needs.

With best wishes for a Shabbat shalom,