Over the past few days we have been sorting through some of the archives of Temple Emanuel, and marveling at some of the history, including terrific photos, and a collection of the old Shofar editions, going all the way back to typed up pages from 1966! I flipped to one of the first issues (December 1969), and found a message from then President, Paul Levine:
“Last year after considerable, careful thought we put out a mini-leaflet which we feel is true to the spirit of our congregation. In it we described ourselves as “… a new temple for creative judaism”. It was no accident that “temple emanuel” and its description appeared in lower case letters. This device signified to us that the institution was no more important than its congregants… An institution such as ours must serve the needs of its members. But the rabbi, officers and board are not all-wise in guessing the needs of the members. Realizing this, last summer Rabbi Winer, together with an officer or board member visited nearly every congregant’s home to solicit views and ideas. Many worthwhile innovations followed. One or two ideas flopped. But if we profess to be “a new temple for creative judaism” we must continue to be willing to change where desirable. Therefore, I solicit your ideas and your help in carrying them out. Our temple is a very precious concept. Let’s care enough to have it serve us properly.”
Having stumbled upon this paragraph by accident, I have been returning to it, day after day, and pondering the legacy of our early ‘pioneers’. While we no longer spell Temple Emanuel’s name in lower case letters, we remain committed to the principles of ‘creative Judaism’, and especially to our identity of a community, rather than an institution. We remain governed by committed lay leaders who do not presume to be all knowing, and continuously encourage ALL members to share their vision, as well as their energy, in making TE the kind of a community we all need it to be.
The first summer I arrived at Temple Emanuel I was blessed with an incredible opportunity to get to know my new congregation. All throughout that first summer, TE members took turns in leading Shabbat services, sharing their favorite tunes, their passion for Judaism and Shabbat, and their wisdom in making the words of the weekly Torah portion come to life. Many have continued to share their talents with TE community since, but mostly on the weeks when I am out of town: working at camp, attending a conference or taking a family holiday. This year, I’d like to begin changing that – and I can find no better inspiration than the words of Paul Levine!
I’d like to invite all TE members to partner with me, and with each other, in leading the services at Temple Emanuel on a regular basis, not just when I am away from the bimah. I’d like to learn from you and your take on the weekly Torah portion. I’d like to be guided by you with regard to your favorite tunes. I’d like to partner with you in making TE Shabbat that much more special every now and again. I promise to help you make educated choices with regard to the service, to help with music, playing and singing, and to be a true partner in the holy work. I know that many of you are up for this challenge, and I can’t wait to have these experiences with YOU! Call me, text me, email me – and let’s find a date for YOUR Shabbat!