From: Herschy Katz
Fellow Yedidya Members,
As the Chairman of the Maintenance Committee for the new synagogue, I am pleased to welcome all our members to our new building which we will begin using tomorrow, Monday August 25 (27th Av) for shachrit.
We have a lot of floor space and two long ramps which any kid with a scooter, roller blades, skate board or a bike could use to test his skills. We want to encourage kids to come to shul however, for the welfare of our building we will not be able to allow anyone with these vehicles in the building.
Any kid coming to shul with any of these vehicles will be required to park them in the space near the front door. As there may be a number of scooters left there, I suggest that you put a label on your kid's vehicle so he won't walk off with the wrong one. One or two parents expressed concern that their kid's scooter might be stolen if he were to leave it outside in front of the door. If that is the case I suggest that you have him or her come with a lock and chain to prevent that happening.
Also be advised that no ball games will be allowed in the new building. It would probably be a good idea for your kids to leave their soccer balls, basketballs or even tennis balls at home on shabbat.
For those of you with small kids, there is a playground about 100 meters away from our front door. It is not within eye contact, so parents will have to be vigilant to look after their own children there.
For parents coming to shul with a stroller or carriage, if your child can walk up the ramp or the stairs, it is preferred that you leave your vehicle downstairs in the parking area for these vehicles inside the front door on the ground floor.
Finally, please remember that every parent is responsible for the welfare of his own child. Our new building is not a school with a fenced-in courtyard. It fronts a street with cars passing all the time.
Please be vigilant to make sure your child does not run into the street. A guard or greeter will be at the front door but he or she cannot be responsible for ensuring the safety of children runing in and out of the building.
We have a wonderful building. Let us use it wisely and safely.