TE is a welcoming and supportive community and one that has made important differences in each of our lives. That’s our strongest reason for deciding to participate in the Leave a Legacy program. We benefitted from a TE community that was built by members before we joined, and we feel strongly that we want to support future TE members.
When Anne joined TE in 1992 after her divorce, she was looking for a bar mitzvah program for her son Matt. TE provided a supportive community of guitar-playing Rabbi Jerry Brieger and many attentive teachers who helped meet Matt’s individual needs with caring and compassion.
Larry “joined” TE when he began dating Anne and attending Shabbat services in early 1996. Larry was taken by how everyone sang at TE and he sang as well, albeit off-key. Larry started going to Rabbi Brieger’s Torah study group and went to Matt’s bar mitzvah a few months after meeting Anne. Anne and Larry grew together by getting to know the spiritual in the person they had first met. Larry officially joined TE when he and Anne were married by Rabbi Brieger in 2000.
Once again the TE community was there when Matt passed in 2001. TE provided open-hearted support and caring through a very difficult period. Because Anne believes in the need to reaffirm life, working to beautify the TE grounds and TE cemetery is Anne’s way of expressing gratitude. Anne has also specified the cemetery as her Leave a Legacy recipient.
Larry is a past TE president and board member and was chair of the rabbi search committee after Rabbi Brieger retired. As it happens, the search committee received an application from a rabbi who briefly mentioned guitar playing and singing as a vital part of his services. TE has been most fortunate that Rabbi Farbman, Olga Markus, Sam, and Robert became members of the TE community.
Temple Emanuel is the story of an evolving and growing community. Leave a Legacy is designed as an investment in the future of TE, and we want this story to keep going.