Spring is here with its promise of growth and renewal. My daffodils are in peak bloom, and each day I watch my perennials grow another few inches. My garden reminds me that the passage of time is inevitable. And it is time to pass on the role of president of the TE Board of Directors.
When I started in 2019, TE was in the midst of a building campaign. We were raising money to expand our building; it was so full of activity that we didn’t have space to fit everyone. In the March-April 2020 Shofar I wrote:
“This morning Temple Emanuel was overflowing with members, ranging in age from toddlers to those in their 80’s… Every inch of our building was being used and the energy inside the building was humming with excitement.”
Life soon changed for all of us. It is hard to remember the time when we couldn’t find a meeting space for the Men’s club or an adult education program on Sunday mornings. In much of the past 2 years my role as TE president has been consumed with decisions regarding the pandemic; keeping us safe often meant keeping us apart.
While the pandemic is not over yet, our country and our community are moving ahead toward a new normal. Our congregation is as strong and as vibrant as ever. Our religious school is one of the best in the area, and we have a teen program that is growing as our students mature and become our teachers. Shabbat services, holiday celebrations and lifecycle events at TE continue to hold an important place in our members’ lives, even as membership in churches and synagogues around the nation declines. In the past decade we went from a position of financial instability to a much stronger position. And we continued to do all this during a time of COVID pandemic and increasing threats to Jews around the nation.
I believe that the Temple Emanuel community has a special type of Ruach. Ruach can be translated to mean spirit, or breath, or wind. Our spirit is one of caring – about each other and about the world. It is a spirit manifested in music, and in everyday acts of kindness. It is a spirit dedicated to learning. I see this spirit all the time at TE, as members reach out to others in need, whether it be another congregant, the homeless population in the Greater New Haven area, or those fleeing from the violence in Ukraine. I feel it during Shabbat services and concerts like Shir Magic. I see it during asephah when parents and children come together to learn and sing.
It has been an honor to serve as president of such a special congregation. Many thanks go to all those who have helped me and our congregation during these 3 years – from Ruth, Lynn and Ariette, to a wonderful, hardworking Board of Directors, to Olga and the entire religious school staff, to volunteers too numerous to name. It is our membership that truly makes us who we are, and thanks to all of you for being there. I didn’t fully understand what the concept of sacred partnership between a temple president and Rabbi meant until I experienced it. Working with Rabbi Farbman has taught me a lot and I thank him for his time and friendship and for all that he does for Temple Emanuel. And special thanks to Barb, my wife, for putting up with innumerable meetings, emails and phone calls most nights for the past 3 years, and for being a great editor.
This year Temple Emanuel is celebrating our 60th anniversary. As the pandemic ends, we will need to figure out new ways of being as a community. We will keep some of what we learned during this time – streaming services to make them more accessible to all, outdoor services on a more regular basis when weather permits. I look forward to bringing many traditions back from the past – meetings in person and onegs after services. We will be working on incorporating suggestions from the Audacious Hospitality survey and committee to make our community more welcoming. I am confident that our special spirit will bring a bright future for Temple Emanuel.