Save our Director of Education, Michelle Schwartz

Michelle Schwartz and Amy Becker were the two reasons why my son started at Sinai from preschool - Bar Mitzvah. Losing these key staff members is enough to make us terminate our membership. If I can make the meeting, I will.

Michelle Schwartz was a primary motivator for my daughter to get confirmed and for her to have a successful Bat Mitzvah. She is hard working, relates very well to the kids and creates a positive and loving environment in the school. I can't imagine a reason to terminate her employment.

I can't imagine any reason that would warrant this decision. Michelle has only brought wonderful direction and good to the religious school and temple. I will be at the Board Meeting.

As a former Board member, I am very concerned about the turnover among our professional staff at Temple. It is hard to imagine the extreme circumstances that would lead to this level of turnover but the matter deserves much closer examination and congregational involvement.

Michelle has always done a wonderful job!

I will be at the meeting on Friday.

We will loose a lot of students if we loose Michelle Huge mistake!!!!!!

please retain Michelle Schwartz

Seems like too much change too quickly

I did not sign the petition and believe it is the board's responsibility along with the executive director to make personnel decisions. Like most of my fellow congregants, I am in no position to know all the facts surrounding this issue. I do plan to attend the meeting Friday with the understanding that there will be confidential personnel information that cannot legally be shared at his meeting, so my intent is to just listen and allow the board president and executive director to explain this situation, along with other related matters, as best they can. Having served on many volunteer boards, including Temple Sinai's, I understand the nature of having to make difficult decisions that involve long tenured and highly respected people like Michelle. Fundamentally, and knowing some of the board members who volunteered to represent our interests, I respect their judgement and dedication to function in the best interests of Temple Sinai.

The growing discord has indicated to me, from my professional viewpoint, a serious malfunction in the organizational health & development of Temple Sinai.

As a past board member I do not feel the board is acting in the best interest of the Temple.

Keep Michelle and fire

Michell Schwartz is a dedicated, comptetant and loved educator. The board also serves at the pleasure of the congregants.

Michelle is welcoming to all families. She is extremely approachable, knowledgeable, positive and helpful and losing her as head of the religious school would be a tremendous loss.

Since our time at Temple Sinai, Michelle has been an amazing person to work with and has done a great job leading the school. She was also a caring and patient tutor for our daughter as she preparer for her bat mitzvah.

It is with great sadness that I include my name to the ever growing number of Sinai families who are clearly troubled, anxious, and even angry over the recent termination of Michelle Shwartz, our Religious School Director. While the intent of the heart-felt and courageous petition endeavors to have Michelle reinstated, returning to a hostile work environment would not serve Michelle well. Her absence as long time educator, tutor, and Director is yet another blow to the Sinai community and I believe it is far more endemic of a greater underlying problem - one that consistently points to the role our Trustees and Directors share responsibility for - in whole or in part, through commission or omission, knowingly or unwittingly. This should be the focus of our concern at this tenuous juncture. I add my name to this petition as a member of over 32-years, former member of the Board of Trustees for over 15-years, former Personnel Committee member and Chair, and perhaps most important, I had the honor and privilege to serve this congregation as its President for 3-years. I have seen 5 of our most passionate staff members resign, 'pushed out', and/or terminated in the past 6-months. I also know that a number of Trustees have left the Board recently or have declined to complete their remaining terms. I do not know each one’s personal reasons nor will I cite second-hand information. But, I can tell you this is by far an unprecedented number of Board and senior staff changes in this relatively short time span. The former employees I have know personally for many years. They worked tirelessly - always demonstrating integrity, honesty, passion, commitment, and most of all LOYALTY to this Sinai community. Each worked to the best of their abilities, as a cohesive team and went above and beyond for this community. Sadly, their efforts, best intentions, and job performance was met with systemic disrespect, disapproval, and intimidation coming from some members of either the

I keep hearing things about our current congregational president that lead me to believe some of the changes in staffing and decisions by the board are not in the congrgation's best interest. I am disappointed that morale continues to deteriorate and action has not been taken to challenge those responsible and who are supposed to represent the congregants in making decisions.

With much love, respect, appreciation, admiration, trust and loyalty to Michelle Schwartz!

Very disturbing that so many people have left Temple Sinai. Would like more information.