Category: President’s column

Excerpt of President’s Comments, Rosh Hashanah 5778

5777: what a year at TE, with weekly services, Mussar, scholars in residence. Our TE religious school is thriving. Our membership is growing. Tikkun Olam projects supporting our greater community. Our grounds and gardens have never been more beautiful. Our Caring Community committee works tirelessly to offer outreach and support. We have an active Mens Club and Sisterhood. This was a fabulous 5777 inside our Synagogue – –

The year outside TE, in the larger community was less optimistic: a divisive national election with no coming together after the inauguration. Leaders of both major political parties little respected, and held in contempt by a majority of Americans. What a stark contrast in behaviors and attitudes – – comparing outside to inside our TE community.

At Shavuoth last May, Rabbi Farbman asked our 8 young men and women celebrating their confirmation, to write and speak about what Judaism meant to them. In an outside world of egos, ambition, unprecedented wealth, and division, these kids thought and talked about their Judaism. Here are some of their words. Sam Steigbigel said, “My Judaism is an obligation to myself and those around me to look at where I am, look at where I want to be as well as how I can get there without straying the path.”

Jonathan Schachter said, “Judaism is living in everlasting gratitude for the gift of life, the blessing of opportunity, and the task set before us of igniting the spark within each of us.” Micha Aviad said, “My Judaism is activism. The most important thing I’ve learned is that history repeats itself. Especially in times like these, our voices matter.” Skylar Korman said, My Judaism is my identity… It is important for me to hold onto my beliefs and stay strong in them.” Avital Sutin said, “Having a sense of Judaism everywhere offers me a moral compass in my daily life, from pursuing justice and peace, treating other people how they deserve to be treated, and being kind to my physical surroundings.” Julia Katsovich said, “Judaism’s values taught me and instilled in me the importance of being generous and kind, and I want to be able to say that I have made a difference in people’s lives somehow.” Sam Farbman said, “Life within these walls is vibrant and treasured, a rare commodity in a world that often seems bleak. The things I’ve learned from the Jewish people who surround me on a daily basis have expanded my understanding of humility, gratitude, and commitment.”

As I look to this new year, I will try to remember the inspiring words of our wonderful young congregants. At Temple Emanuel, exploring our Judaism together, we have the opportunity to recognize and share gratitude, to be generous and kind, to pursue justice and peace, and to remember that in times like these, our voices matter. May the example we set, and the lives we and our children lead, be models of what the world can be.

Days of Awe on the horizon.

My first summer as TE’s president has been relatively quiet. School is not in session, summertime services have been beautifully planned and led by fellow congregants, and Rabbi Farbman and the Spain travelers have returned from what they say was a fabulous trip.  I am acutely aware, however, that these lazy, crazy days of summer are numbered… the High Holidays have appeared on the horizon, and I feel we are racing toward them at light-speed.

Our tradition teaches that these holidays, and the Days of Awe between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, are most meaningful for us if we prepare for them in advance. How are we to take time and focus away from our daily chores and activities to prepare for examining our behavior over the past year, recognize our shortcomings and misdeeds, and seek a way to come closer to God?

Our tradition suggests that during the month of Elul before the High Holidays, God is particularly accessible. I thought about this recently when I visited our cemetery, and read the headstones of so many of my friends, mentors, colleagues, fellow congregants. At each grave, I stood a few moments and thought about each of them – what they believed, how they laughed, what I learned from each. I stood at the grave of my close friend and mentor, Rabbi Jerry Brieger Z”L. Before Jerry welcomed me into TE 40 years ago, I had no personal tradition of celebrating the High Holidays. Rabbi Brieger’s gentle yet learned style enticed me to participate in these traditions, to reflect on what I had done and who I wanted to be, and to prepare for a new beginning as the new year was born. That first Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur for me was really the first time I had spent much time thinking of my accomplishments, my mistakes, my regrets, my hopes and my relationship with my fellow humans and with my God. As we completed the day of fasting and prayer on Yom Kippur, as one community singing together, the wonderful surprise I had not anticipated was my sense of redemption, intense love and real hope for the future.

This year, my preparation for the Days of Awe began as I stood in the cemetery with my beloved Jerry, thinking of how lucky I was to have had such a guide and loving friend. I do not know how many more Days of Awe I have on this planet. I do know that our tradition of introspection, repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness, gives me the opportunity to find again my true self, my purpose, my appreciation of all that life offers, and my hope for our future together.

I hope each of you might also have the opportunity to build again a whole heart as we prepare for the Holidays. I look forward to seeing you at synagogue.

 

 

First Days as President

I started my role as president of Temple Emanuel on July 1st. It seems to me a large and forbidding task; the little voice on my shoulder is saying, “Don’t screw it up! We have a beautiful community, an inspirational rabbi, a rich tradition, and a future full of promise… if you don’t screw it up.” I lie awake at night thinking what I can do to do this job responsibly.

I am so lucky to start this job at such a wonderful time for Temple Emanuel. Under the remarkable leadership of President Melissa Perkal and Rabbi Michael Farbman, we have been part of a renewal over the last several years. Our sanctuary and school have transformed to “one campus” with a new education wing, and we have seen growth in our school enrollment, staff, and programs. The excitement among young families with children in our community is palpable. We have financial security with a balanced budget, funds for programming and for maintaining our building and grounds. We have a rabbi who daily goes above and beyond – – with spiritual leadership, lifecycle stewardship, inspirational teaching for young and old, attention to the sick and families in need, and a vision of our potential.

Most impressive to me, we have a tradition of involvement and commitment. How do we survive – and thrive – – as a small synagogue with only one full-time employee (the rabbi), a part-time school administrator, and part-time teachers, caretaker, bookkeeper, and office administrator? We succeed because so many members take an active part in our synagogue life. Our Board of Directors brings experience, wisdom, and excitement to our strategic thinking and planning for our future. Working groups or committees do great work with Caring Community assuring attention to families in need or transition, Ritual Committee working with the rabbi to craft our community practice, Building and Grounds doing all the work to keep our spaces functioning and safe, Garden Committee creating and maintaining our incredible expanding, beautiful garden, Aesthetics assuring a beautiful and appropriate space, Finance managing our precious dollars, Education for both children and adults, Tikkun Olam fulfilling our commitment to giving… and many more. Individual members find joy and friendship working together to keep TE our spiritual and community home.

Why do these committed members do it? I thought about this on the mid-June afternoon following our annual meeting. Directed by Anne Eisner, dozens of men, women, and children working in 90-degree heat moved large stones from a high pile behind the sanctuary to their new home in the gardens surrounding the buildings. Others prepared a picnic for the “laborers” with hamburgers (meat-full and meat-less), hot dogs (all beef, of course), fixings, and cold beverages (including beer, of course). Why?? Fellowship, commitment, love.

If as a new president, I am able to sleep at night, it will be because I can count on the many members who make the commitment to participate. We need you!! Please find what most interests you in our synagogue life.  Join one of our working groups or committees, and share in the joy of community life. If the idea of this makes you hesitate, don’t hesitate too long… the Talmud says, “Three things are good in a little measure and bad in large: yeast, salt and hesitation.” (Berakot, 34a)  As I look out on the next years for TE, I see promise, excitement, and a spiritual home alive with young laughter, learning, and strong community.

Alan Kliger

Change, Commitment & Continuity—A Tale in 3 parts. Part 3: L’dor v’dor

 

Melissa at BiennialChange:  Amazingly, this is my last column as I finish my term as President at Temple Emanuel.  It has been a privilege to serve, and moreover, to have one’s service accepted. I am humbly grateful to Temple Emanuel for the sacred opportunity to have helped lead TE over the last three years. In addition, it has been three years of change and growth. From completion of the Jonas and Barbara Miller education wing, to the replacement of the old HVACs, and placement of the solar panels, we have done lots of work on the physical plant of our TE home. We have strengthened our school with a part time director, improved our bookkeeping system, and started our Federation Endowment and Legacy funds. Even more importantly, we have added families, staff, and programs that make our TE home a place where people want to come, learn, share, and experience Judaism.

Commitment: Without the commitment of our many TE members over these last several years nothing would have gotten done. I would like to acknowledge with deep appreciation the truly generous support I have gotten from my fantastic fellow members as we have journeyed together. A very smart editor of the Shofar once counseled me that if I list names, I will undoubtedly leave off one or two of the most important. I have tried to heed her warning. But, I can say that I have been blessed by the amazing help of the TE Board and officers, the Rabbi, the director of the school, the bookkeeper, the office administrator, and the caretaker. But it is all the other members who teach, head events, champion causes, raise funds, do publicity and communications, create beauty (outside and in), cook, schlepp, and otherwise provide the real hands on work that I am most grateful to. We are a community of “do-ers”.

Continuity:  I am optimistic that we are a growing community on the move. Come help be part of that energy that moves us.  The Annual meeting is on June 11; besides the bagels, you will have the opportunity to voice your opinion and vote for the budget, the slate of officers, and the new Board members for the coming year. It is a group of individuals that are ready and able to continue our success. L’dor v’dor

Change, Commitment & Continuity—A Tale in Three Parts. Part 2.

 

Melissa at BiennialChange:  There could be little doubt that we are in a time of change (no matter what your political sentiment) and that change can be unsettling. I find that when things are very far out of my control or are difficult or troubling that by acting on a very small, local level it is possible to affect change and feel better about the world. Temple Emanuel has many ways for you to be involved in improving the world on a local level, and it can start with tzedakah.

Commitment: The Jewish ideals of tzedakah were summarized and taught by Moses Maimonides, a great teacher who lived in Spain during the 12th century CE. Maimonides believed that tzedakah is like a ladder with eight rungs; each successive rung represents a higher form of giving. They are:

  1. The person who gives reluctantly and with regret.
  2. The person who gives graciously, but less than one should.
  3. The person who gives what one should, but only after being asked.
  4. The person who gives before being asked.
  5. The person who gives without knowing to whom he or she gives, although the recipient knows the identity of the donor.
  6. The person who gives without making his or her identity known.
  7. The person who gives without knowing to whom he or she gives. The recipient does not know from whom he or she receives.
  8. The person who helps another to become self-supporting by a gift or a loan or by finding employment for the recipient.

Continuity:   For Jews, the Talmud instructs that assisting the poor is not an act of grace on the part of the donor, but a duty. We are all obligated to give (even if we receive). So where will you help – with toiletries and diaper bank donations that the Men’s Club is organizing, with Abraham’s Tent that TE is participating in, with money or a job for one of our JCARR families that we are helping to resettle?  Please reach out and continue to make the change in the world that you want to see.

Change, Commitment, & Continuity

Melissa portraitA Tale in Three Parts

Part 1

CHANGE: Remember, the first 7:30pm service at TE will be on January 20, 2017.  The Family Service remains at 6:30pm on the first Friday of each month, and on January 13th we have a special Martin Luther King Service at Mishkan Israel at 7:30pm.  At the end of June, we will again send out a Survey Monkey to see what people thought of the change to see if we plan to continue it or to make other changes. The other possible change brewing is a switch to a new prayerbook for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (see the Rabbi’s Summer Shofar column for more on the mahzor).  The Ritual Committee will be leading several focus groups for people to interact with Mishkan HaNafesh. Please call Barbara Berkowitz or Barbara Goldhamer to be involved in one of them.

COMMITMENT: Our members’ commitment to our community is so fabulous.  I can only look on, cheer, and be thankful for their hard work. The last few months have seen some wonderful projects completed: the High Holy food drive collected 3.500 pounds of food under Will Sherman’s leadership, dozens of turkeys were donated to Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen at Thanksgiving under the watchful eye of Peter Stolzman, and 146 baskets were created by the school and some adult volunteers under the organizational skills of Julia Katsovich – one of our madrichim.  Julia is the first teen to head such an ambitious project, and it was a smashing success.  During this time Laurel Shader, the band, and the choir got together to perform, and Risé Siegel and friends helped to organize our first Annual Shir Magic concert in memory of Jerry Brieger z’l; thus, I believe we have solidified our reputation as the “sing-agogue” in the area!  Put in your calendars now the Debbie Friedman concert by our band and choirs at the Towers on February 12th and Yale Whiffenpoofs in concert at TE on February 26th.

CONTINUITY: It with great pleasure that I can announce that Rabbi Farbman has agreed to lead the congregation for another five years and that he and the Board have agreed on his contract.  Rabbi Farbman has been essential to the growth and renewed vitality of our community, and we can look forward to continuing to go from strength to strength in the coming years.

The Times They Are A-changin’

7-30-clockIn 1963, songwriter Bob Dylan wrote, “the times they are a-changin.” For Temple Emanuel this is true in more ways than one! Daylight Savings will soon end; we will have a new President in the White House; and the results of the TE Service time survey are in and are being acted upon. Whether or not Bob Dylan decides to accept the Nobel Laurette in literature I think he got it right when he said, “If your time to you is worth savin’, Then you better start swimmin’, Or you’ll sink like a stone, For the times they are a-changin’.” And I believe TE has the ability to change with the tides of our growing congregation (165 member units strong now!).

For many years the time for the start of services has been the subject of animated discussion for the Ritual Committee and for the community. Three years ago the Ritual Committee charged the Board with the task of looking at the issue and seeing if we needed to change. Our first explorations into this task involved discussions with individuals and small groups and a paper survey. This gave us good information but didn’t represent a majority of the congregation (only about 71 responses). So the Survey Monkey was created and was answered by 135 members.

Briefly, when asked, 57% of the responders preferred a late service with 55% preferring the 7:30pm start time. Of the 43% of the responders who preferred an earlier service, 58% preferred the 6:30pm time. In both groups there were about 20% with no preference. While this is not a scientifically validated survey, it does give us a feel of where we are as a congregation. The Board feels they have enough information to act upon and begin a small test of change for 6 months.

Beginning January 1, 2017 we will begin our usual service at 7:30pm instead of 8:00pm. The Family Service will remain at 6:30pm on the first Friday of the month. At the end of June, we will again send out a survey to see what people thought of the change and if we plan to continue it or make other changes. I believe we still need to provide a few more 6:30pm opportunities for our congregants, but we don’t want to create a confusing, unwieldy schedule.

Thank you to all of you who provided this valuable input. Thank you to Robin Levine-Ritterman for spearheading the effort, creating the Survey Monkey, and presenting the results to the Board. Thank you to the Board for voting on a change. I am looking forward to hearing from many of you over the next few months.

 

Belonging

Melissa portraitWhy belong? If you are reading this, I am probably already “preaching to the choir” as they say. Belonging to a synagogue community allows an individual to be enfolded in a group that is ready to celebrate and honor life cycle events together. It is a place where some of our “longings” can be met: spirituality, knowledge, music, food and friends—a Jewish home. Psychology research finds that individuals who have a sense of belonging to a larger community have improved motivation, health, and happiness compared with those who don’t. There is great comfort in knowing that one is not alone and that all people struggle and have difficult times.

This summer we lost a beloved leader, colleague, and member of TE—Rabbi Gerald Brieger. His life full of song, stories, study, and fun infused TE for almost 40 years. Looking around the packed room at the funeral and at the Briegers’ home, one could feel his continued presence. His warmth and love of the community set the tone of who we are. Rabbi Farbman and the current community will set the tone of where we are going. Our mission statement in our by-laws is a well-written but many pronged statement that defines what we aim to accomplish. However, it doesn’t define the vision of who we are. This year the Board is going to take on the challenge of defining this vision. Please speak with members of the Board and let them know what you think.

Our banner announcing the upcoming school year states: “you belong here.” Having a sense of belonging is a common experience. Belonging means acceptance as a member or being part of a larger enterprise.  A sense of belonging is a human need, just like the need for food and shelter. Feeling that you belong is most important in seeing value in life and in coping with intensely painful emotions. Some find belonging to a church or synagogue or mosque, some with friends, some with family, and some on Twitter or other social media. Some see themselves as connected only to one or two people. Others believe and feel a connection to all people, to humanity. Some struggle to find a sense of belonging, and their loneliness is physically painful for them. We have a fantastic community; now is the time to get your friends to belong with us.

I wish each of you a sweet new year full of belonging.

Gratitude, Again

Melissa portraitI haven’t mentioned Mussar practice in months….it seems like it is time to begin again. Repetition is one of the essential parts of this practice. You must identify traits you want to work on and then revisit them again and again. Although I am always grateful to TE, the end of the year seems like a wonderful time to thank all of the TE community for their willingness to participate, give-back, pay forward, lead, follow and belong to an extraordinary group of people.

If we include holiday services, Religious School events, social events and fund raisers, we have had something going on almost every week of the year. Thank you to the many TE members who led each of these projects. Thanks to Hilary, Ariette, Jodi, Kim and the Rabbi for providing the professional framework within which we volunteer. Thanks to the Board, the Executive Committee, all the Committee chairs and members who kept us on track. The daily/weekly activities are vital to our strength as a community.  Thanks to the “worker bees” who have kept our congregational life humming: Shabbat dinners- Randi Rubin Rodriguez and Fran Grodzinski, High Holy Day kiddushim- Robin Levine-Ritterman, Passover seder- Lily Katsovich & Olga Marcus, Music- Laurel Shader and the band, organizing Friday night Onegs- Barbara Goldhamer, creating the Shofar- Caryn Shaffer and Jen Poulsen, and getting the Shofar out- the Larkins.

One Campus: We are “One” and done with the project. From digging the foundation to erecting the building, to re-landscaping the grounds, to affixing the mezuzah, to taking down the old House–we did it!  We have moved on to what the synagogue is really about: people not buildings.

Going Green: This last year we have put up solar panels, replaced our bulbs with LED ones and put in an energy efficient HVAC. We continue to find ways to shrink our carbon footprint. And then, of course, we love the real green of our lovely grounds!

Tikkun Olam: It has been another vibrant year with our second blood drive, amazing success with the Food drive, our yearly school Hanukkah basket program,  our Martin Luther King school activity, our 7th year doing Abraham’s Tent and the resettlement of our first refugee  family as part of JCARR.

Amazing Adult Education: We have had a successful year of small group learning, speakers, outings to plays and exhibits, a weekend of learning, and films. A special thank you to Bennet Graff for leading the new series on Jewish short stories

Men’s Club and Sisterhood: These revitalized groups have had book clubs, lectures and outings. They have also provided generous monetary gifts to TE for the Memorial Boards, college scholarship, and other necessary TE items.

Leave A Legacy: Our thriving legacy program is one of the best in the community.

All this help has made my life as President easy. It’s allowed me to concentrate not just on money but on doing the right thing: on building and sustaining relationships, so that we to change our own lives, or community and the world.