Meet the Presidents: Gary Alan Tabakin, President of Temple Emanuel

by | Jul 14, 2014 | Other News

Profession
President, Meyers & Tabakin Furniture Company

Education
Bachelor of Science in Business, Indiana University, 1977.
Master of Business Administration, University of Wisconsin, 1978.

Family
Married to Kevin; Three children Michael, Amy and Brian with our Yellow Lab Rosie.

Jewish Organizations
Jewish Community Center, member.
Congregation Beth El, member, past board member, past vice president.

Favorite Jewish Holiday
Shabbat. There is nothing better than sharing Shabbat with family and friends. It is a day to leave all my work behind and be at peace.

Most Memorable Personal Jewish Milestone
The bar and bat mitzvahs of our sons and daughter. It was incredibly meaningful to watch my children read from the Torah and become part of the Jewish community.

Ties to the Tidewater Jewish community
My family has been involved in the Tidewater Jewish community for four generations. I have been very fortunate to have numerous relatives as role models who have shown me the importance of the obligation, and joy of working with local Jewish organizations.

Most admired Jewish leader
David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel.

What other positions have you held with Temple Emanuel?
Finance committee member, board member, fund raising chairman, Gabbai and vice president.

Why have you chosen to devote so much time to Temple Emanuel?
Temple Emanuel is a holy community. Spending time at the synagogue with friends, family, guests and Rabbi Kraus brings me joy, and a wonderful sense of community. I hope that through my efforts, others will be able to experience the beauty of being involved with the Temple.

What would you like people to know about Temple Emanuel?
We believe that Judaism is about meaningful spiritual experiences for both adults and children. Our services are musical, joyous and succinct. Our religious school education is focused on real life issues and tuition is included with membership. We are very fortunate to have Rabbi Marc Kraus as our spiritual leader. He is dynamic, creative and extremely musical.

What are your goals as president?
My goal is to welcome more young families into our community, build relationships and cultivate the next generation of leadership.