Congregation Beth Emeth is a welcoming and dynamic Conservative Jewish congregation serving Western Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun counties in Northern Virginia. Beth Emeth encourages a sense of ownership and belonging that includes learning, participation and volunteerism.
Today, our VolunteerSpotlight shines on Ted Benjamin, who uses VolunteerSpot to coordinate volunteer ushers during the High Holy Days.
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Please tell us about Congregation Beth Emeth and your volunteer needs.
I am a member of Congregation Beth Emeth which is a Jewish Conservative Synagogue in Herndon Virginia. For several years, I have organized the ushering signup for the Jewish High Holiday services at our Synagogue. Our High Holidays consist of several days of extensive prayer and reflection over many hours in which essentially the entire synagogue membership attends. The usher volunteers are situated throughout the Synagogue Building and help maintain an environment that enhances the prayer and spiritual experience. I am responsible for filling up more than 150 time/location usher spots to congregation members.
How did you get started as a volunteer leader?
I had been volunteering as an usher for several years and when the former organizer was looking for a replacement, I volunteered to take over this leadership role.
Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?
Before using VolunteerSpot, we used a signup on our synagogue web site which was non-real time. There were many scheduling conflicts, and this system required constant monitoring and involved hours of manual spreadsheet manipulation. This past year, our website manager suggested VolunteerSpot which turned out to be great advice. VolunteerSpot eliminated schedule conflicts and greatly reduced my time and efforts. The website made it easy for everyone to sign-up and to see instantaneously what slots were available. The process was automatic, alleviating many hours of tedious spreadsheet maintenance and back-and-forth emails.
What’s one piece of advice you have for other volunteers out there?
I find that the key to a great volunteering experience is not only to successfully complete the assigned task but also to do it in way that treats each person with whom you interact with compassion, caring and respect....and be as friendly and helpful as possible.
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To learn more about Congregation Beth Emeth, visit http://www.bethemeth.org/
We salute Ted and all the volunteer coordinators out there, making a difference in your community. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected].
