Late last fall, the ovens in the Social Hall kitchen stopped working. All four of them, almost at once. The stovetop range and a warming oven continued to limp along, but those alone were hardly going to cut it to host events around the holidays. (At least one of which was ultimately rescued by staff using residential ovens elsewhere in the building and schlepping food to the Social Hall.) The failure was not unexpected. Most of the commercial kitchen equipment dates to 1994.

Genesis board member and past president James Downward here shares his personal reflection on Bob Creal's leadership leading to the founding of Genesis.

Whether your celebrations involve latkes and brachas or Christmas cookies and carols (or both), may they bring comfort, joy, and a sense of belonging in the community we continue to build together. May this season bring you hope, rest, and moments of quiet renewal.

As Ann Arbor gets whiter with snow, Genesis keeps getting greener as we progress toward our goal of carbon neutrality – and our efforts are getting noticed.