President   More than twenty years ago Bunnie and I joined Brith Sholom and met Morris and Lil (z”l) Mindlin. As we regularly attended Shabbat morning and holiday services, we became acquainted with Morris and Lil who also attended every Shabbat morning service. I remember where they sat, the third row of the middle section directly in front of the Rabbi. I vividly recall Morris actively participating in the question and answer D’var Torah discussion led by Rabbi Juda. Lil had her opinions, too, but she was more reserved. My family grew very fond of Morris and Lil, and our young daughters thought of them as their Bubbie and Zeydie at Brith Sholom. Morris, a past president of Brith Sholom, was one of the active Minyanaires. He led services daily and read Torah in the Rabbi’s absence. Morris was very focused while he prayed; studying the meaning of the prayers from his linear Siddur (prayerbook). Morris continued to attend the daily minyan until he became unable to do so a few years ago. In his professional life, Morris was an attorney and an Administrative Law Judge for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Lil recounted people describing Morris as, “the lawyer’s lawyer.” Morris could always be counted on to apply his legal analytical skills to questions of communal importance. He continued to provide counseling long after he retired. Lil served on the Board of Trustees of Brith Sholom. She was also an active member of both Sisterhood and Hadassah where she served in many officer roles, including President of both organizations. On a personal note, there was another distinct connection between my family and Morris and Lil: the interaction and friendship between and among my children and Morris and Lil’s grandchildren. When the Mindlin families visited from Harrisburg or Langhorne, it was always a special time for my children. These friendships continue today into their twenties as adult friends. Morris and Lil participated in and attended nearly every religious, educational, and social event at Brith Sholom. They exemplified dedication and involvement in our Jewish community. Brith Sholom became the center of community life for Lil and Morris. The importance of supporting and sustaining the Jewish community was clearly evident in their choices to volunteer and to spend considerable time participating in and leading activities at Brith Sholom. I am privileged to have known them and to have had the unique opportunity to interact and learn from them. Morris and Lil demonstrated how one can make a difference in the life of a synagogue community. I will always cherish the memories of my early days at Brith Sholom when the Mindlins welcomed us into the Brith Sholom family. I miss them, but their spirit of volunteerism acts as a shining example of how one couple can make a difference. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, my wife Bunnie, my daughters Alexandra and Jaclyn, and myself, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a L’Shanah Tovah Tikatayvu for the New Year. Sandy Piltch