Presidents Message

So what do you think????
Wow, what a crazy obon!! Record number of dancers and sold out of all the food super early. I felt like I was hosting a big open house after renovating my home. I wanted everything to go well and people to like the building. I admit, I was trying to keep everything clean by cleaning up any spill, telling people to be careful but I finally gave up on Friday, as I knew the building ...

Congratulations and thank you!
You and the other members of the Sangha have just participated in two of the most successful undertakings in the temple’s long history.
The biggest accomplishment is the $5.4 million retrofitted and remodeled annex building, which opened for use in late June, just in time for Obon preparation. As of just after Obon, we had received $4.65 million in contributions – the most money ever raised for a temple project. It is gratifying to see that ...

YES YES YES, We are going to make it for Obon. That is by far the #1 question I get and yes, we will be in the bldg. for Obon. In fact, our current plan is to move back in by mid/late June. Due to some long leadtimes, some items will be installed after Obon, like the stage curtains, digital bulletin boards and lobby canopy.
I hope everyone has had a chance to watch the progress video’s posted ...

The most ambitious temple building project in a half century is almost finished!
As I write this (in mid-May), the $5.4 million gym seismic retrofit and remodeling project is still on schedule to be done by June 10. What that’s means is we’ll be able to use the gym on that date, although some finishing work still might be ongoing.
Moving everything back into the building and getting it ready for Obon will be a major task in itself. Steve ...

The construction is moving super fast now. I can see daily changes and if I don’t visit the site every day, I’ll miss the progress. I’m trying to document each stage for future reference and so everyone can experience it too. I’m also shooting weekly updates and posting them to YouTube and the SJBC website. Here’s a link to the latest update for your convenience https://youtu.be/8ms5YRqg-uc
If you’ve walked by the Annex lately, you’ll see that we’ve dug up the ...

Safer, cooler, more convenient and more efficient. That’s how I would summarize our retrofitted and remodeled gym when it reopens in June.
Recently the members of the board of directors toured the construction site. Todd Tsudama, who has been spearheading the project, pointed out a long series of improvements and new features in the building. They will make the building more user-friendly and comfortable. I think everyone in the Sangha and the wider community will be pleased.
The project upgrades ...

As I have met with members of many temple organizations in the past month, I’ve been impressed with their friendliness, dedication and the work they do to help not only the Betsuin, but with the community at large. We’re fortunate to have so many people who practice dana, selfless giving.
We have annual awards recognizing our volunteers. I also wanted to highlight some groups and individuals who give their time generously to making a positive impact.
We featured some of ...