President's message (July. 2010)

IJC President, Steve Brummel

At 5:00 AM on July 8th, I brought my two boys to Brussels Airport to meet up with all the others in the IJC Teen Group going with Rabbi Nathan on their 10 day trip to Israel. The teens were hardly tired. Rather, they were ecstatic to be on the verge of a great journey. The fact that the Rabbi and the parents have worked together for 8 months to put together this trip is a tribute to the volunteer community spirit that is growing at the IJC. This is the first time IJC has organized this and we are taking 17 teens on a special trip. I am waiting to hear the stories and see the photos of their journey.

This growing community spirit is also evident from the active interest of Sunday School parents in June in ensuring that the next school year starts off on the very best footing and attracts new families with kids. It is evident from the large outpouring of volunteers on our June 27th Super Clean-Up that helped clean up and fix the interior of IJC House and did a superb job of mowing the large lawn and trimming the garden bushes. It is evident from the outpouring of thanks to our departing members Sharon and Gidon (leaving for Washington, D.C. in August) at a Farewell Shabbat service on June 26th for their enormous contribution of time and effort over the past 5 years and the linked increase in volunteering to fill their shoes. I see it in the advance contact we have from families moving to Belgium who want to join - all because our members know them and have been active in spreading the word about the IJC.

My family and I have been members of the IJC since practically the first day in 2003. My son Salomon was the IJC's first bar mitzvah in 2005. It is a personal pleasure to see the IJC grow to over 80 families and develop in so many ways. Now my second son Eliot will be having his bar mitzvah in late August (on Thursday August 26th in Antwerp) with Rabbi Nathan.

So, IJC activities start early this year with Eliot's bar mitzvah. All are invited to join us on Thursday morning August 26th in central Antwerp. Please RSVP at s.brummel@nctm.it . And of course the High Holidays fall much earlier this year. Help IJC prepare by sending in your membership renewals and High Holiday registration forms.

Have a good summer holiday.

Steve Brummel, President of the IJC