September 1957?????

As you walk into FHC uptown, you will see a plaque on the left hand wall commemorating SEPTEMBER 1957 (cannot recall the exact day on the plaque), as the date FHC commenced construction on the building we now call FHC. After speaking to several people over the last year or so about having a dinner dance to commemorate the 50th Anniversary date, I again brought up the subject with my wife.

She stated that she would be willing to co-chair a committee to organize a dinner dance/journal/commemorative dinner to celebrate this historic date. (Successful dinner dances have many co-chairs... victory has a thousand fathers, or mothers) In order to do this kind of event justice, we would first have to form the committee(s) very soon and pick a date and a location for the event. In addition, there should be at least two separate committees, one for the journal and one for the event. (Recently, My wife was on a committee that held a 35th anniversary dinner to raise money for my oldest son's genetic disease.)

Proper preparation for the event takes time, especially since we do not have the mechanisms in place to do the jobs. In addition, the guests of such an event must be pulled from the commercial, medical, professional and religious communities surrounding FHC. We cannot limit the scope of such an event to our usual group of members who attend FHC events. We must call upon United Synagogue for guidance and support to advance this historic event. We must pull in FHC vendors, the medical community, retailers, restaurants and businesses and potential contractors for our renovation job in our area not only to donate to silent/live auctions, but to buy journal ads and to buy tickets (tables) to the dinner.

The event should be a fundraiser with a significant financial goal and the funds raised could be earmarked for renovation/construction costs on the 50 year old building. I do not think it would be unreasonable to set a goal of at least $50,000 to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

Also important to this event would be the publicity that FHC is entering its second fifty years at this location with its eye towards renovation and growth of the Jewish community in Northern Westchester. While one does not want to say we are in "competition", Temple Israel is planning a new facility in Northern Westchester and it would be terrific if FHC was considered the Conservative movement's alternative to Temple Israel in this part of the County.

We now have a new Executive Board and Board of Trustees that were just elected. I challenge our leadership (myself included), to take this project under its wings and start planning now, not several months before the anniversary, when it will be too late to do anything other than something small and uneventful.

I know that there are individuals at FHC that have the wherewithal, expertise and confidence to make this event happen. I also know that with the right mix of individuals working on this event and the right legwork, we can make this an event worth remembering.

In the same manner that one of our members made suggestions and commentary about United Synagogue, I shall suggest that my family will commit at least $1,000. to purchasing tickets to such an event. Anyone interested?