Category: President’s column

As I write this article for the Shofar, it is less than one week until Temple Emanuel’s 60th anniversary gala. As you read this, the gala has already occurred. While it wouldn’t be honest to discuss the gala in the past tense, I can say I am impressed by the response the gala has received. After being isolated for the past couple of years, we are all ready to socialize again. It is an exciting time. In my first Shofar column, I stated “I’m back.” In this column I will discuss that we as a congregation are back. It was very gratifying to see congregants in the sanctuary for the High Holy Days for the first time since 2019. I am not exaggerating when I point out there was definitely a buzz in the sanctuary. While modern technology kept us together during the low points of the pandemic, people, including me, were truly excited to see others in person, as opposed to in two-inch squares on a Zoom screen. Interaction with others is something I cherish, and it appears the rest of the congregation does as well. Yes, we did adapt to the restrictions imposed on us by Covid. Zoom services will continue to be available to those who are unable to attend services in person. Rabbi Farbman was able to make the Zoom experience interactive by way of chat rooms. Board meetings, classes, and other meetings were made available through technology. Nevertheless, it is great to see and speak with each other in person. Onegs have now returned as part of our Friday night experience. Though I can’t resist a piece of challah and a chocolate chip cookie, what I enjoy most about our Onegs is that we stand around talking to our friends. I consider many of you already to be great friends, and if we don’t know each other well now, we will eventually. That is in the blood of Temple Emanuel. While Shabbat under the stars was a once or twice a year occasion, we have all come to enjoy it regularly during the late spring and summer, even though we have been able to return indoors. Our beautiful grounds, thanks to the Building and Grounds Committee, are very inviting, as are our benches. The hard work of Melissa and Robin has resulted in TE getting a $69,500 security grant from the federal government. Going forward you will see many improvements as a result, including new entrance doors. All of this pleases me, but most of all I am delighted to proclaim “we are back.”

I’m back, and it’s time to get my first baseball reference out of the way – as Yogi said “It’s déjà vu all over again”.  When I first was president more than a decade ago, I used to joke that I hated the job and was counting the days till my term ended.  I obviously didn’t, but I just said it so I wouldn’t put a kinehura on it.  Being president of Temple Emanuel is one of the most rewarding things one can do.  Dealing with the Rabbi, Olga, the Board, the staff, and the congregation is extremely pleasurable. 

While my predecessor, Robin Levine-Ritterman, faced many challenges- a pandemic, security issues, and an addition to our facility, I look for a return to normal.  While things will never be the same as they were three years ago, Robin and Rabbi Farbman have worked hard and have made changes so that we can do what we do best – provide spirituality, tradition and offer a welcoming community. 

One thing I learned through the years is that most synagogues state that they provide “a warm, diverse welcoming community”.  However, while one can say that, it always isn’t accurate.  Temple Emanuel however, walks the talk.  That is why I love being part of this community.

I wasn’t perfect twelve years ago, and I am not perfect now.  One thing I do promise is to listen.  For that reason, our Board is not made up of people who just say yes to everything.  Rather than be inflexible, I promise to solicit and listen to opposing views.  I want to offer others the opportunity to convince me to change my position.  When I am making a decision, I will try to talk to those who may see things differently.  I have always found our community to talk civilly even when disagreeing, and you might notice that after services, I try to seek out those who don’t view things the same as I do. I might still disagree with someone, but I will always try to hear them out.

I am glad we have returned to the sanctuary.  Soon I hope that we can return to sharing meals and conversations together. Thank you for allowing me to serve again.

Over the last two years we have missed many of the cherished moments as a community inside our building due to the pandemic. As the world begins to return to the normalcy of in person interactions, we are so excited to be gathering once again in our sanctuary.

Our return to the physical togetherness is tinged with sadness: antisemitic attacks on synagogues continue in 2022, with the recent hostage crisis in Colleyville Texas. There have been 10 shootings, stabbings, or planned bombing of US synagogues since the Tree of Life massacre 4 years ago. Temple Emanuel has responded with a vigorous plan to protect our synagogue and its families with updated security plans and protocols. A safety audit recently completed at TE recommends several capital improvements, safety personnel and safety training to keep us safe. We are following these recommendations in each of these 3 areas.

Many of us have already participated in the safety and preparedness training that Mike Shanbrom and the Jewish Federation have provided. We now are arranging for a visible safety guard to be present at all TE events when large groups of people congregate, including major religious services, large school events and community social events. The operating budget will be expanded to include the added expense of this guard.

We also need several capital investments to improve and maintain our infrastructure. These improvements and updates will protect our members and visitors, our school children and staff – – and also protect our Torahs and our synagogue possessions. To accomplish this, we estimate that we must raise between $30,000 – $50,000. A synagogue family has pledged a dollar-for-dollar match for all contributions of $500 or more toward this capital safety campaign. We need these large contributions – but also need every contribution, large or small, to achieve this. While we continue to apply for various state and federal grants, these grants are very competitive and there are multiple projects that require our attention now.

We hope that every TE member, every school family, and friends of TE will participate in this critical campaign.

Please make a pledge toward this goal, and be as generous as you can be to keep TE safe for our children, our congregants and our whole community.

Please be part of Keeping TE Safe

We each can do our part. Click here to make a donation online or send a check to TE noting ‘Security Fund’ on the memo line.

Robin Levine-Ritterman, President.

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 60^th 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. 

Ethics and morality play a central role in Judaism. Values of respect (kavod), fairness (tzedek) and kindness (chesed) guide our daily lives and the choices we make. For many Jews, these beliefs are more central than a belief in God. As Jews, we are not content when we see injustice in the world around us. The principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are being embraced throughout our country as principles that lead to greater justice and a more positive environment for all.Ethics and morality play a central role in Judaism. Values of respect (kavod), fairness (tzedek) and kindness (chesed) guide our daily lives and the choices we make. For many Jews, these beliefs are more central than a belief in God. As Jews, we are not content when we see injustice in the world around us. The principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are being embraced throughout our country as principles that lead to greater justice and a more positive environment for all.

The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) has been encouraging the Reform Jewish community to embrace these values, and developed an Audacious Hospitality Community Assessment workbook to help leaders identify the steps needed to become a congregation rooted in principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. A group of TE members completed the 34-page workbook last summer to begin the process of identifying the DEI work that is happening well at TE, and where we can improve. To include more TE voices, the team developed a shorter survey and invited the entire congregation to participate. Thank you to the 79 TE members that took the time to complete this survey.

Across all surveys, Temple Emanuel members expressed a feeling of joy and warmth about our congregation. I cannot fit in all the positive comments here, but some of our strengths noted by members include: being a congregation that is visibly inclusive of mixed-faith families and LGBTQIA+* people; having non-Jewish family members involved in services; using a fair share dues structure that supports economic diversity and inclusion; having equal roles for women in leadership and prayer; providing assistive hearing devices for those in need; and religious school support for children with special needs.

The TE Audacious Hospitality group considered many identities as we looked at TE: race, ethnicity, economic class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, immigration status or experience, physical and mental abilities, Jews by choice, and interfaith families. After analyzing the Audacious Hospitality Community Assessment workbook and the survey, the group came up with recommendations for actions to help make our community a more diverse, equitable and inclusive one.

We recommend creating six teams to gather information and support the implementation process for DEI work at Temple Emanuel. These teams would work together with TE staff, committees and leadership, and would draw on existing materials and practices from other synagogues and Jewish communities. The six teams would work on the following areas:

1. DEI training for staff, leaders, volunteers and the whole congregation
2. Administration and Communications
3. Services and Liturgical Materials
4. Religious School
5. Adult Learning and Groups
6. Building, Facilities and Safety

This article doesn’t have space for me to list the specific recommendations in each area. But to give an example, one of the most frequent comments we received was the lack of a non-gendered bathroom at TE to accommodate transgender and non-binary people. Working to correct this deficiency would be a subject for the Building, Facilities and Safety group.

Our goal is to be proactive and create a welcoming community for all. Working together, utilizing the Jewish values we cherish, we can make our congregation even more inclusive and supportive. If you are interested in getting involved in this work at TE, have an interest in one of the groups I mentioned, or want more information about the Audacious Hospitality report and recommendations, please contact me.

*LGBTQIA+ – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual Plus

This month I have had a difficult time writing my column. COVID fatigue has set in – I am tired of writing about the pandemic and how it affects us, yet what else can I say? Then I reread some of my past columns for inspiration and was struck by this opening paragraph written in February 2020, shortly before the pandemic began: 

“This morning Temple Emanuel was overflowing with members, ranging in age from toddlers to those in their 80s. It was a typical Sunday morning at TE. During asephah (Sunday morning meeting at our religious school) the sanctuary was filled with children, parents, and teachers. As the children departed for their classroom lessons the sanctuary became home to the Jewish short story program. Meanwhile, the Hebrew class for adults was going on in the social hall and the B’nei Mitzvot parents were meeting with the Rabbi in his office. Every inch of our building was being used and the energy inside the building was humming with excitement.”

Our lives have changed, yet time marches on. The TE religious school is meeting in person, and the warm autumn weather has allowed us to hold asephah with all our students and parents together outside. While I worry what such warm weather in October may mean for our planet, I have decided to see it as a blessing this year. The Delta wave seems to be waning and we are now holding hybrid Shabbat services, some of us in the sanctuary, others joining virtually. While the building isn’t humming as it was pre-pandemic, I can feel warmth and vibrancy emanating from our gatherings. 

Our community has been strong and resilient, and we continue to grow. I am thrilled to say that thirteen new families joined Temple Emanuel between June and September. Keep an eye out for our caring community emails introducing our newest members, and please say hello when you meet them, either in person or on Zoom. 

As I write this, I am feeling a little more ease around me – some are going to the theater and starting to travel; COVID boosters are helping many to feel less worried; a vaccine for children 5-11 appears within reach. Yet I continue to be apprehensive. What will be next, what will the colder weather bring and how do we gather as a community while keeping our members safe? 

Thanks to all of you who continue to nourish our community with your work in our school, board of directors, committees and as volunteers and paid staff. I await the time when every corner of our building is overflowing with life again. Meanwhile, I enjoy seeing many of you both in person and virtually, whether it is at services, at meetings or a chance meeting in the parking lot. 

Shana tova. The New Year is upon us already, coinciding with the start of the new school year, a time of beginnings for many of us. It is a time to look back and assess where we have been and look ahead to where we would like to be. To say the past year, 5781 on the Jewish calendar, has been a difficult one is an understatement. Living through a global pandemic, with social isolation, illness and loss, and fear and uncertainty as to what will come next, has been something none of us has ever faced before. Just as we think we know what to expect we get thrown another curveball and learn how to adapt yet again.

I have been impressed with the resilience and strength of the Temple Emanuel community this past year and a half. We have been creative as we have supported each other through daily life and lifecycle events. The vibrancy of our community shows as we continue to welcome new members to TE (look for Caring Community announcements of our new members in the coming weeks). Thanks to Rabbi Farbman, to Ruth, Lynn and Ariette, to Olga and our teachers, to the TE board of directors and to all of you, our members, for all you have done to make Temple Emanuel such a warm and caring place.

As we celebrate Rosh Hashanah and practice Teshuvah, we look at how we can do better in our lives. How can we work to transform the world and improve the lives of people in our community and elsewhere? There are many options for Tikkun Olam at Temple Emanuel – the High Holiday food drive, working with CONECT, supporting JCARR, and numerous other activities throughout the year. I hope that many of you will get involved with our efforts to help the world around us.

How can we make Temple Emanuel a better place? The Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) has coined the term Audacious Hospitality as a principle of welcoming and embracing the full diversity of the Jewish community around us. We all know the TE is a very “warm, caring and open community,” a quote taken from our website. This is the reason many of us have joined and stayed at TE. But as we practice Teshuvah we challenge ourselves to go further. How can we be even more welcoming to the diversity of ideas, lifestyles and backgrounds present in our membership? How can we be inclusive and try to understand each other in supportive, non-threatening ways?

The URJ Audacious Hospitality team designed a self-reflection questionnaire to help congregations think about these issues. A group of 8 TE members spent a number of weeks this summer analyzing this questionnaire and considering how we might work to expand our welcoming spirit. We feel it is important to get input from the entire community, as we look at ways we all feel welcome at TE and how we can do better. This group is designing a short survey more appropriate for our congregation, and we hope all of you will fill it out and give us feedback. Please look for this survey in your email and in the Shofar blast in the next month. We also hope to run some focus groups, for those who prefer to speak with us in person (or on Zoom). And don’t hesitate to call or email me – I am always interested to hear what you have to say. 

I wish all of you a sweet New Year. May 5782 bring you good health, joy and happiness. And may it bring continued strength to our community as we build a better world for all.

What a joyous feeling to listen to thirty TE members sing together unmasked outside on a warm Shabbat evening, feeling the sun on my face and hearing the harmonies I have missed for fifteen months. As difficult as it has been to experience the isolation and fear of the COVID pandemic, the opening up process provides its own challenges.

It has been delightful to begin seeing many of you in person – at services, B’nei Mitzvot, listening sessions and at meetings. The pandemic has gone on too long and I have become tired of virtual meetings, virtual performances, and asking yet one more person to unmute themselves. I know that I will not stop using Zoom in my life. It has been wonderful to participate in Zoom calls with my siblings who live in California and Philadelphia, and we will certainly continue doing this post pandemic. But most of the time virtual connections are not as satisfying as in person connections.

At Temple Emanuel, we won’t stop using technology to bring us together. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to stream Shabbat services if you are ill, find yourself away from the area on Shabbat, or prefer not to drive in the dark or in the bad weather. We have been able to connect with members who have moved away from the area and now join us for services regularly. Yet as the number of COVID cases in our community diminishes and the vaccinated numbers rise, it has become safer to re-engage in person. Members who have come to services at TE over the past month have voiced how special it has felt to be together again.

We continued to have B’nei Mitzvot services throughout the pandemic – first on Zoom with the Bat Mitzvah at home in the backyard, then with small gatherings of family inside the sanctuary, and more recently with gatherings of friends and family on the lawn at TE. Each one of these services required special planning. Thanks to the board members that gave time on a Shabbat morning to help with set up, security, and clean up. We are a true community that supports each other through life events.

I appreciate everyone who has written me and come to Zoom and in person listening sessions to participate in our discussion of how to re-open and how to make High Holy Day services meaningful and safe. Your input has been very valuable. As we contemplate being together in the sanctuary during the holidays, we encourage all members who are able to get the COVID vaccine, to protect themselves and the health of others in our community. We are hopeful that if the community infection rate continues to fall and COVID variants don’t change the rate of illness, we can join together in person this year. The TE board is monitoring COVID rates closely and will continue to communicate our plans as we know them.

Each of us needs to find our own way to feel comfortable in this process as we gather together again in person. Let’s respect each other’s choices, as we navigate this next stage of the pandemic, hopefully the last stage. Looking forward to seeing all of you in person, soon.

One year ago I wrote my first Shofar column about the Coronavirus pandemic. Fear, anxiety and loss of control were prominent in my words, but so too was appreciation for a community that was coming together to support one another, whether by working in the TE gardens, supporting the final phase of the school expansion project, reaching out to members or donating to the COVID-19 Maimonides Response Fund at the Jewish Federation.

Two months ago I wrote about moving through Mitzrayim, the narrow space we think about during Pesach, looking to a time of less restriction and more openness. With this column I can see the change starting to arrive. Spring weather has enabled us to have outdoor services and gatherings. Vaccination rates are increasing, and social isolation is starting to reduce. Statewide restrictions on gatherings have lessened as rates of COVID-19 infections appear to be leveling off.

The TE board has been discussing next steps toward opening up our community while working to make sure all our members, including the most vulnerable, are safe. It is a complex time. There are still many cases of COVID-19 in our community and COVID variants are increasing in frequency. Yet rising rates of vaccination bring reduced risks to many of us. I was not surprised to hear varying viewpoints from board members as we discussed this issue, and the same is true as I talk with individual members informally.

The TE board is lucky to have among our members medical experts who work with COVID data on a daily basis, who can share with us current medical data to help inform our decision-making. But as we watch the numbers and wrestle with this issue, we need to hear from all of you as well. We need to hear all voices – those who want to meet in person and those that do not, those who want indoor services, those who want outdoor services and those who want virtual services. And while September is a long way off, we need to think about how we will observe the High Holy Days this year.

I invite all of you to share your views with me, with the TE board and with the TE community. How would you like to see us open up in the next few months? What would you feel comfortable with during the High Holy Days? As divisions grow in our country, it is all the more important that we listen to each other, that we work to understand each other and find common ground, as we make our way through this next phase. I look forward to the time when we will be meeting together, singing together and eating together, and looking back on the pandemic as a difficult time in our past.

We have scheduled two meetings, Thursday, May 13 at 7:30 pm on Zoom and Sunday, May 23 at 11 am outdoors (weather permitting) at TE. I look forward to hearing from all of you. If you can’t make either time, please send me an email or call me with your thoughts.