by Julie Hymovitch

While most people know that I serve as President of the Board of Directors for this wonderful community, many of you may know much about how I got here and my secular background. I was born and raised in Massachusetts until I was 14 at which time my family moved to Las Vegas, NV. Following my undergraduate work, I earned two Masters degrees, one in Clinical Psychology with an advanced certificate in trauma and abuse, and one in Business. I also hold post-graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching.

There are many facets to my professional life including serving as the Vice-President of the largest Dental Specialty Practice in the Southwest, facilitating extensive group and individual counseling at a premier inpatient treatment center in Arizona, acting as a professional development coach for executives along with providing health and wellness coaching for personal clients and I published my first book last year.

Volunteering my time for our CBI community is truly a labor of love which started when I was asked to be part of the very first cohort of the CBI Adult Leadership Development program in 2013. Additionally, I have served on several committees, including numerous professional staff Search Committees, task forces, and I was honored to co-chair an annual Gala and a Comedy Night. My service on the CBI Board of Directors began in 2014. I have served as a general member of the Board and then transitioned onto the Executive Committee as “Member-at-Large, Secretary and Vice President.

To say it is an honor and privilege to now serve as your President would be an understatement. This past February 19, 2021 marked the end of my first year as president. While no one could have ever predicted the onset of Covid-19 one year ago along with the many challenges for our congregation, neither could we have imagined the incredible opportunities COVID-19 would provide to our Kehillah Kedosha.

While there have been many wonderful alternatives created to enhance engagement during the pandemic, one of the challenges I have faced is the lack of opportunity to interact with my CBI family physically. While there are many virtual spaces to connect, I miss that more human face-to-face connection. At different times, I would be at services or events, getting to see familiar faces and having the opportunity to see “new to me” faces. Over the past three months, I have experienced my own encounter with COVID-19 and have not been able to be as visible in the virtual space as I would have desired.

In the coming months, I plan to share some personal anecdotes about myself in an effort for us to get to know each other better. My husband Steve and I have been members of CBI since 2002 and have raised our 5 children here. Our children have attended Chanen Preschool, Haberkorn Religious School, Camp Stein and have been active in the youth group (BITY). We look forward to celebrating our youngest becoming Bar Mitzvah this August on our bima.

I would absolutely love to hear from you and grab a virtual cup of coffee when schedules permit. Please feel free to e-mail me to set up a meeting: [email protected]. Each member of our community is what makes us a unique and special place. CBI is more than just a space where we gather to learn, pray, sing, celebrate, socialize, and support one another. CBI is family….it is home.