Council

Each year at the Synagogue Annual General Meeting (usually held in November), the members present elect a Council of up to 15 members who take responsibility for a whole variety of roles on behalf of the membership. When there are fewer than 15 candidates there is no election.

The Council then elects its officers, being Chairman/woman, secretary, and treasurer and senior warden. Any member of the community is welcome to attend council to observe. Council meetings are advertised in the synagogue magazine, ‘Kehillah.’.

Co-Chairmen: Patrick Bower and Stella Mason

Other council members and officers are:

• Yvette Ball – Hon Secretary
• Josie Knox – Senior Warden
• Roberto Lampl – Hon Treasurer

• Robert Glaser – Security
• Lucy Hammond – Care Group
• Carra Kane – Education and Events Group
• Andres Kupfer – Fundraising
• Camilla McGill – Members’ Group
• Adam Parker – Young Adults
• David Raz-Rhodes – Adult Education, Israel, Security
• Melvyn Simonson – Premises

Representatives on the Board of Deputies

• Stephanie Brada
• Noemi Zell

We also have an Honorary President, Julian Samuels, and two Vice Presidents, Ruth Magnus and Yvonne Mason who sit on Council and the Executive.

The Council is formed into working groups which are as follows:

Committee	Chair	Meeting frequency	Role of committee
Care Group	Lucy Hammond	Quarterly	The Care Group will decide who in the community may need extra support and agree and deliver this.
Education   Adult Education	Patrick Bower (temporary) David Raz-Rhodes (temporary)	One per term	Education includes Cheder, youth education. adult education, and education of the wider community (which includes school visits).
Events	Ruth Magnus	6 weekly	To organise programmes and events for all members of the community of an entertaining and interesting nature and to ensure there are funds raised for the benefit of the Synagogue and occasionally any other specifically-named charity.
Finance	Treasurer	Twice per year	To review Synagogue Finances, and the budget prepared by the Treasurer and recommend subscription levels.
Israel	Judy Weleminsky	3 times per year	To raise the profile of and engagement with Israel throughout all the activities, communications and presentation of the synagogue community.
Members’ group	Judith Ish-Horowicz Camilla McGill	3 times per year	To hear the voices of the membership and of prospective members
Planning for Judaism	Senior Warden	1-2 monthly	The lead body that looks after the ritual affairs of the Synagogue
Young Adults	Adam Parker	Ad hoc	Devise a strategy for community to engage young adults

Additional responsibilities

The Synagogue office supports the Council and committees with responsibilities which include new members, social functions, youth, pastoral care, member communications and has a direct relationship with the marketing of the synagogue which includes, lettings, PR, website, research and fundraising.  Contact jackie@wimshul.org for communications, Ruth Magnus for Events and Camilla McGill and Judith Ish Horowitz for membership.

Responsibility for Operations and Infrastructure which includes premises, the Synagogue built infrastructure, hospitality and security is taken by Melvyn Simonson

Most of these working groups is led by a Council member, but can (and ideally should) involve community members who are both Council and non-Council members. Anyone can take on a portfolio within the working group, take on part responsibility, or an interim role.

The working groups are, of course, subordinate to the elected Council. Council members may be involved in many of the working groups and do not have to lead any of them, but each Council member must be a member of at least one working group unless they have the express agreement of the Council not to be an active working group participant or they have a role/responsibility that falls outside of these working groups (e.g. Council Chairman).

The working groups produce reports to Council that minute each of their meetings whenever they take place and capture the progress on actions and activities.

Copies of all Council meeting minutes (once signed off by Council) and the reports of the working groups are available on application to the Synagogue office.