Twenty-five years ago this month, I stood with my classmates on the bimah of West London Synagogue and received my rabbinic ordination, the semikha. Like many newly ordained rabbis, I carried a mixture of excitement, humility, idealism, and uncertainty. I knew that I wanted to help build meaningful Jewish communities, teach Torah, accompany people through life’s joys and sorrows, and help shape a vibrant Jewish future. What I could not have known was how profoundly the communities I would serve would shape me in return.
As I reflect on this milestone, I find myself thinking less about the passage of time and more about the relationships, experiences, and sacred moments that have filled those years. A rabbi may officiate at weddings, teach students, lead worship, comfort mourners, celebrate B’nai Mitzvah, and guide communities through periods of change. Yet the true privilege of the rabbinate is being invited into people’s lives at moments of meaning and vulnerability. Every congregation leaves its mark on its rabbi, and every member becomes part of the story.
During these twenty-five years, the Jewish world has changed dramatically. Technology has transformed how we communicate and learn. Patterns of Jewish engagement have evolved. We have celebrated extraordinary achievements and faced profound challenges, including the painful realities confronting Israel and world Jewry today. Through it all, one lesson has remained constant: Jewish community matters. In an age that often pulls people apart, congregations continue to create spaces of belonging, purpose, learning, and connection.
I am especially grateful that a significant portion of this journey has been shared with TE. For 17 years we have celebrated milestones, navigated challenges, welcomed new members, mourned losses, learned from one another, and continued to build a community grounded in Jewish values and caring relationships. Whatever accomplishments may be associated with my rabbinate are, in truth, the accomplishments of a community that has chosen to invest in Jewish life and in one another.
This summer, I will have the opportunity to mark this anniversary in a particularly meaningful way. I will return to London to attend the World Union for Progressive Judaism’s Darkeinu conference, and will also receive an Honorary Fellowship from Leo Baeck College on the twenty-fifth anniversary of my ordination. I am deeply honored by this recognition, which feels less like a personal achievement than a reminder of the teachers, colleagues, family members, and congregants who have accompanied me throughout this journey.
As I prepare for a month-long sabbatical, I look forward to time for learning, reflection, and renewal. Jewish tradition understands that periods of rest are not interruptions to our work but an essential part of it. My hope is to return with fresh ideas, renewed energy, and a deeper appreciation for the sacred work we continue to do together.
At our Annual Meeting, I shared some reflections on these twenty-five years of rabbinate—what has changed, what has endured, and what gives me hope for the future. Most importantly, I hope we can reflect together on the next chapter of our congregation’s story. While anniversaries invite us to look back, they also challenge us to imagine what comes next.
For all the moments we have shared and for the journey that still lies ahead, thank you. It remains one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve as your rabbi.