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Upon accepting the responsibility for chairing the House Committee, the first task was to carry out an in depth audit of both the Synagogue Building, the two storey Rear Extension and the Youth Hall at the rear of the property. Unfortunately, it transpired that a considerable number of matters required attention, some of which were urgent, whilst other items could be deal with at a later date.
The most urgent task was the upgrading of the existing electrical system so as to enable the Synagogue to obtain building insurance without excessive premiums having to be paid. This was followed by a rolling program of general maintenance and other minor improvements, which included repairs to a redundant water main which was undermining the foundations of the building. Lighting was also installed in the Ark as a result of a donation from one of our members.
Once these were completed, attention was given to the installation of continuous handrails along the entrance passageway, so as to enable those of advanced years to easily access the Synagogue as well as the Rear Extension and the improvement of the external security lighting to the Synagogue, the Rear Extension and the Rear Youth Hall.
Our attention was now directed to the re-decoration of the buildings and the front Entrance Lobby and the WC’s were re-decorated as required, with a small amount of remedial work being carried out on the exterior of the building. This was closely followed by the graining of the existing oak doors in the front lobby as well as in the Synagogue itself.
With the proposed dedication of the Jon Young Hall, it became apparent that this area together with the rear entrance lobby as well as the toilets in the rear extension and the staircase leading to the 1st floor were in need of re-decoration, as those areas had not been painted since the extension was constructed some 6-7 years ago, with this work being duly carried out.
The money having been previously raised for the installation of a disabled stairlift, this matter was also attended to, with the installation having only recently been completed.
With the safety and security of our buildings being of paramount importance, steps were taken to install a fire alarm system in the Synagogue building and to generally upgrade the existing burglar alarm system, so as to enable both systems to be centrally monitored on a 24 hour basis. As the same time, the video entry phone system was also upgraded and extended. Finally, a new fitted kitchen was installed so as to enable the catering of our various functions to be carried out in a more efficient working environment.
As to the future, the exterior of the Synagogue complex requires urgent re-decoration and the roof requires to be repaired. Also, the painted glazed windows require restoration and the remainder of the interior of the rear extension requires re-decoration.
Alfred. J. Boyden
Chairman House Committee
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