President’s Message It’s summertime in Fort Myers.  Hopefully, you had a chance to get away and found a place to cool off.  Wherever your path has taken you, we are glad you have returned home safely as we prepare to celebrate the New Year together. The summer has brought us some changes and one affects our office staff.  Sadly, Joel Hersch is no longer employed as our Internal Accountant.  Joel is an experienced accountant and was hired as a part time employee.  With the recent change in our billing system and in order to meet the needs of our growing congregation, we acknowledged the need for a full time bookkeeper.   Nita Parker, a local, experienced bookkeeper who is certified in Quick-books, joined our staff on August 4th and she will be in the office Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Another change is our beautiful new brick paved entryway.  Besides being a visual and architectural improvement, this is a major, on-going fundraiser.  The bricks can be easily removed, engraved and replaced once again.   If you have someone or something you would like to honor or remember, please consider purchasing an engraved brick paver and your message will be inscribed for many years to come.  The planning and design of the entryway is the hard work of our talented Fundraising Vice President, Ruth Ehrreich.  Ruth created an inlaid menorah design with seven flames.  Six generous members, Barbara Amar, Janice and Michael Danzig, Ruth and Stewart Ehrreich, Robin and Bruce Jacobs, Liz and Allen Shevach and Sylvia and Paul Simko, underwrote the cost of the entire project by purchasing a flame brick at a premium price.  The seventh flame is inscribed in loving memory of Bruce Gora.  Bruce was advised of this project before he died and we were fortunate enough to have received both his professional advice and his blessings.  Anyone interested in ordering a paver to honor or remember your loved ones, please contact Ruth Ehrreich or call the office for a form. And now, we ready ourselves for these days of awe… our High Holy Days.  By now, you should have received your tickets, necessary for entrance to services.  If your account is in good standing and you have not received your tickets, please call the office immediately. With many upcoming events already scheduled and on the calendar, we look forward to a wonderful year of fun-raising, fundraising, and religious, educational and spiritual opportunities to share together.  It’s exciting to welcome new members to our family and to continue to enjoy the extraordinary leadership of Rabbi Barras and talents of Lawrence Dermer….we are blessed. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, my family and myself, may you be inscribed for a healthy year ahead and may this year fulfill all your wishes and hopes. L’Shana Tova, Linda