President’s page

In a recent article, I mused on the differences between being President of Temple Emanuel now as opposed to being President during my initial term 15 years ago. The major difference is that 15 years ago we were concerned about safety and security, but not to the degree we need to focus on now. I … Continue reading “More Random Thoughts”

As I explained in my last column, there are times when I find it difficult to write for the Shofar.  While I enjoy communicating with our congregation, a column is a one-way communication, and I miss the interaction that one gets when talking with another.  This month is different – I have an idea for … Continue reading “Wow!”

Writing has never been my favorite form of expression. You see, I suffer from writer’s block which often leads to procrastination. My favorite form of communication is meeting and getting to know people in person. This column is a unilateral activity. I write weeks in advance and don’t get to hear your feedback contemporaneously.  Nevertheless, … Continue reading “How I Overcome Writer’s Block”

When I was young (many years ago), I used to wonder why many of the school holidays came around the same time.  We have just gone through a very active period of holidays at Temple Emanuel – Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah.  With the holidays bunched together, it is a very meaningful … Continue reading “We Are Family”

I am sitting at my computer, ready to write my Shofar column. It is very early April; the baseball season has just started, and it is also before Passover. By the time you get to read this, the baseball season will be well underway and Passover will be a distant memory. There was a time … Continue reading “Tradition and Evolution”

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. … Continue reading “OUR CONGREGATION IS 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 … Continue reading ““déjà vu all over 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 … Continue reading “Keep TE Safe”

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. … Continue reading “Looking back, looking ahead”

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. … Continue reading “Being Audaciously Hospitable”

“It was 1962 and the world was changing! A forward-thinking group of families with a keen sense of their Jewishness and a pioneer spirit had the desire to practice their religious beliefs and educate their children in a more meaningful manner than was available at other Reform congregations. Their aim was to preserve tradition and … Continue reading “Temple Emanuel is turning 60!”

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 … Continue reading “TE: Strong and Resilient”

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 … Continue reading “Renewing the World”

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 … Continue reading “Re-gathering with the Temple Emanuel Community”

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 … Continue reading “From the desk of TE president”

March brings spring along with the festival of Passover. Passover, with its Seder rituals and story of freedom is one of my favorite Jewish holidays. The story of our exodus from Egypt is a story I find very compelling, a story with an important message to teach, the importance of freedom for everyone throughout the … Continue reading “Our Liberation from Mitzrayim”

Beautiful autumn colors lift my spirits as I write this column. Fall 2020 is a difficult time for many people and I am not immune. How do I find inspiration and positivity when I am fearful about the future of our country and of our planet, while I am tired of social distancing, yet know … Continue reading “COVID, COMMUNITY, AND CONNECTION”

I join with so many Americans in grief and anger at the senseless killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. And I grieve even more for the continued violence that we see perpetuated against Black people in our country, a violence that takes its roots as far back as our history of slavery … Continue reading “Doing the hard work… by Robin Levine-Ritterman”

The Coronavirus pandemic is a time like none other in our lives. The loss of control, of daily routine and physical intimacy have impacted many of us in deep and troubling ways. Whether we are alone, without an income, trying to home school our children while working full time, or worrying about loved ones that … Continue reading “CONNECTING WHILE SEPARATE”

Five thousand Jews talking, singing and praying together in a convention center in Chicago. More Jewish music than you can imagine. The Second City Chicago improvisational comedy theater group, which kept us rolling in our seats. The Union of Reform Judaism Biennial conference was all this and more. I have just returned from 5 days … Continue reading “The URJ Biennial: Exhausting and Exhilarating”

“Temple Emanuel is a warm, caring, and open community. As a small but growing Reform synagogue, our members have the opportunity to know one another and to have meaningful input into how our synagogue operates. Temple Emanuel is a participatory, diverse, non-judgmental, and intellectually vibrant congregation. Our membership comes from many towns in the greater New … Continue reading “Audacious Hospitality”

As you read this column, the rhythms of fall are beginning. The trees are starting to change color and the weather should be cooling off. For many of us, vacations are over, school is beginning, and it is time to buckle down to new commitments. It is also time to start thinking about the High … Continue reading “Time of Renewal”

I take a deep breath as I begin my term as president of Temple Emanuel. It is an honor to be given the responsibility to lead our congregation and I thank all of you for entrusting this job to me. As I begin my role I have taken some time to ponder why I took … Continue reading “President’s column, Summer 2019”

This column is the last I will write as president of TE. It’s hard for me to take in the reality that nearly 2 years have passed since the June 2017 annual meeting where I received the “go bag” from our past president Melissa Perkal, containing the essential elements for a TE president: duct tape, … Continue reading “Everything has to do with loving and not loving”

Joan and I recently heard a string quartet concert devoted entirely to elegies. The music was so moving, the audience so quiet, I thought about how we give voice to support each other at the time of loss. At TE, our custom is to stand together alongside mourners, and recite the Kaddish together. This ancient … Continue reading “We stand together for Kaddish”

Since the October attack on Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill Pittsburgh, synagogues and other institutions across the country have been working on ways to keep our synagogue schools and sacred spaces safe,at the same time as maintaining the open and welcoming community that is part of our culture and religious practice. At Temple … Continue reading “Eye on Safety”

A small but hearty group of TE members, along with Rabbi Michael Farbman, visited Israel in July. Our guide was an Israeli kibbutznick, originally from South Africa, who immigrated to Israel in the Apartheid era to seek a more morally balanced Jewish life. Julian Resnick took us to many common tourist sites in Israel, and … Continue reading “President’s column (September)”

In the seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, we count the Omer – – each day counting the days with a ritual prayer. The Omer was an ancient measure of grain. In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews brought a barley offering to the Temple on the second day of Passover. The Torah … Continue reading “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”

Are you a conservative or a liberal? Fox News or CNN? Whom do you follow on Twitter? Are our leaders giants or goats? For better or worse, most of us have passionate feelings about who is right and who is wrong, and we look for affirmation of our opinion. In the Jewish world, perhaps no … Continue reading “World of Polarization”

I just returned from Goodspeed after seeing “Rags,” a musical about the Jewish immigrant experience in 1910. The story describes the experience of “greenhorns” arriving at Ellis Island in New York, fleeing a European past of pogroms, and seeking new lives, hope and aspiration in the New World. As described in the revised book, author … Continue reading “From “Rags” to… Integrity”

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 … Continue reading “Excerpt of President’s Comments, Rosh Hashanah 5778”

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 … Continue reading “Days of Awe on the horizon.”

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 … Continue reading “First Days as President”

The annual meeting of the membership of TE will take place on Sunday, June 11 at 10 am. There will be coffee and bagels at 9:30 am. The membership will vote on the officers and directors for the fiscal year 2017-2018 and for the TE fiscal budget for 2017-2018.

  Change:  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, … Continue reading “Change, Commitment & Continuity—A Tale in 3 parts. Part 3: L’dor v’dor”

  Change:  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 … Continue reading “Change, Commitment & Continuity—A Tale in Three Parts. Part 2.”

A 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 … Continue reading “Change, Commitment, & Continuity”

In 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 … Continue reading “The Times They Are A-changin’”

Why 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: … Continue reading “Belonging”

I 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 … Continue reading “Gratitude, Again”

Spring is a time of growth, celebrations, graduations, and special recognition. By the time this Shofar reaches you, the spring flowers will be in their last beautiful display and TE will be in the middle of its’ b’nai mitzvah season. We have had the joyous celebrations of the Feuerstein and Ariker families thus far and … Continue reading “Joy Abounds”

Judaism is wonderful at celebrating life cycle events and marking the passage of time. By the time you are reading this column, the House will have finally been taken down and the area filled in and graded. Yes, this project ran into a few road-bumps but it is finally done. So, (drumroll) this officially ends … Continue reading “Construction-Demolition-Reconstruction”

One of my favorite jobs as President is to work with our Board and encourage conversations that help TE move forward. The Board’s responsibility is to oversee TE’s strategic and financial policy, develop funds for the organization, and advocate for the organization.  I thought I would share many of the significant issues that have been … Continue reading “The Board is Never Bored”

Throughout the last year I have written about the Mussar traits of enthusiasm, faith, joy, order, hesed, strength, responsibility, gratitude and awe as I feel they have related to our community. In Mussar practice each trait is concentrated on for a fixed period of time and then revisited to work on again and again. So … Continue reading “5776”

  At this time of the year, we are in the midst of the Days of Awe. This is a particularly appropriate time to think about this Mussar trait in relationship to our community. So, have you noticed what has happened at TE in the last year? I believe it is nothing short of awesome. … Continue reading “Awe – “Yirah””

Summer 2015 “First a person should put his house together, then his town, then the world.” (Rabbi Israel Salanter, founder of Mussar)   The word for order – seder – shows up frequently in Jewish tradition. It is the name given to the evening ritual meal on Passover. It is also the root of the … Continue reading “Seder – Order”

“Emunah” It seems that discussing a trait like “Faith” with a faith community should be a straight forward task. But in fact, I have had some difficulty.  This is partly because the topic of faith seems to me to be more in the Rabbi’s corner and not in the President’s domain and partly because as … Continue reading “Faith”

TE Goes Green (or is at least trying) “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it “,Pirkei Avot 2:2 As Jews we are asked to live lives of responsibility, whether for our families, our business, our culture or our people. However, responsibility in current society has … Continue reading “Responsibility – Achrayut”

Chesed “Do justice, love loving-kindness, walk humbly with God”, Micah 6:8 This month’s trait of “loving kindness” describes TE so well that it probably doesn’t need to be improved, but only commented upon. Jewish tradition elevates deeds of loving-kindness to the highest possible rank among the soul traits. While only some problems have solutions, all … Continue reading “Loving-Kindness”

“Hazak Hazak V’nit Hazek” “Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened” This is the phrase we say when we reach the end of each book in the Torah. It is also this month’s Mussar trait. What is strength? Some definitions include: endurance, resistance, capacity for exertion, power, force, might, vigor, potency, energy or … Continue reading “Strength—Gevurah”

“Real joy comes not from ease or riches, or from the praise of man, but from doing something worthwhile.” — Sir Wilfred Grenfell (1865-1940), English medical missionary   January’s trait is “joy”.  Amazingly when one starts to look into this character trait, Christian wisdom literature seems to have more to say than the Jewish view.  … Continue reading “Joy/”Simcha””

“If not now, when” —Pirkei Avot Now, anyone who knows me at all has likened me to the “Energizer Bunny” of battery fame. So, I believe I am in a good position to discuss this trait. Enthusiasm in Mussar tradition speaks to spiritual energy. It says that enthusiasm is the foundation of all the traits. … Continue reading “ENTHUSIASM”

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” —Max Planck Discussing gratitude in November is really a “batting practice fastball” as they say in baseball. After all, it is the month of our most cherished national holiday, Thanksgiving. For Jews, gratitude isn’t something for just once a year; … Continue reading “GRATITUDE”

Now, I am neither a Rabbi nor a scholar but I do try to think (contrary to what you may have heard about surgeons). A path suggested by our recent Scholar in Residence, Rabbi  Marcia Plumb struck a familiar chord in me. She discussed how Mussar teachings can be used to create a sense of … Continue reading “Mussar and TE”

It is hard to believe that fall is here and that the Holy Days are around the corner. This is a time of new beginnings and contemplating where we might have “missed the mark.” It is a time of reflecting what we might do better in the up-coming year. As we begin 5775, I am … Continue reading “NEW YEAR MUSINGS”

The month of December carries many seasonal images for those of us living in Connecticut.  Thanksgiving has passed and so, this year, has Chanukah!  (That’s a little hard to accept!)  I hope that you had a chance to share some holiday festivities with family and friends, from near and far.  The warmth and glow that … Continue reading “THE PRESIDENT’S COLUMN (Hearth, home, humanity, health, happiness)”

By Bruce Spiewak, Temple Emanuel President October, 2013 Since my last column, the Temple Emanuel Community has begun the New Year of 5774 with incredible participation and cooperation in the preparation and carrying out of the High Holiday events, which crept up quickly after the summer hiatus. As I write this column we have received our new TE … Continue reading “President’s Column (Fortified by great support!)”

Summer, 2013 By Bruce Spiewak, Temple Emanuel President This is a combined summer column / edition of the Shofar, so we need to consolidate space a little.   (That’s the excuse for a shorter than normal column!) It has been about a year since I began serving our Congregation as President and I have some important … Continue reading “President’s Column (Maybe short, but well braced)”

 Definition:  “REPAIR. The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing building for the purpose of its maintenance.”  This is a technical definition as it applies to buildings under the CT State Building Code. Tikkun olam (Hebrew: (תיקון עולם or תקון עולם‎) is a Hebrew phrase that means “repairing the world” (or “healing the … Continue reading “President’s Column (Repair, Renew, Restore, Reconstruct, Reconsider, Review, Revise, Reevaluate)”

As predicted last month, the TE Erev Purim and Adult Purim Party and the Purim for Kids of All Ages at the end of February were well attended events with lots of enjoyable performances and participation by TE members and friends.  Thanks to all who helped organize, arrange and produce these activities.  It was a … Continue reading “President’s Column (This one may be long, but it demonstrates stability!) April, 2013 By Bruce Spiewak, Temple Emanuel President”

February was a month fraught with fabulous functions and events that filled the foundations of Temple Emanuel with fun-filled fortifications!  (Say that quickly three times.)  On February 4, I attended a  Presidents’ Dinner in Fairfield CT, organized by Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell of the URJ.  It was a networking meeting to get to know, face … Continue reading “President’s Column (This one’s fortified!) March, 2013 By Bruce Spiewak, Temple Emanuel President”

A lot of exciting and stimulating events have been happening at TE and in our community in the last month.  I’ll try to give you some highlights here, but cannot include everything. Aside from the usual Family Shabbat Friday evening service at the beginning of January, we had our “New” Shabbat Morning Torah Service.  This … Continue reading “February President’s Column (This one’s getting its foundations strengthened!)”

“Welcome! Temple Emanuel is a warm, caring and open community of approximately 160 households. As a small Reform synagogue, our members have the opportunity to know one another and have meaningful input into how our synagogue operates. Temple Emanuel is a participatory, diverse, non-judgmental and intellectually vibrant congregation. Our membership comes from many towns in … Continue reading “President’s Column (This One’s Composite!)”

This month I will share with you a report on some important events, concepts, goals, and directions for TE. As you know, our synagogue is generally managed by our Board of Directors and Officers. There are various standing committees as well as some special committees, which are all supervised and directed by the Board. Based … Continue reading “President’s Column (This One’s Reinforced!) by Bruce Spiewak”

As I write this article for the October Shofar, it is early/mid-September, and I recently attended the Annual New Haven Area Reform Selichot Service at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden. There, Rabbi Brockman, Cantor Giglio, and the CMI Chorale were joined by the rabbis, cantors, cantorial soloists, and choirs from the other five participating congregations … Continue reading “President’s Column (This One’s Braced!) by Bruce Spiewak”

We’ve made it successfully through the wonderful events of August, culminating in the TE Tag Sale. Whew!!!! We even continued to function well despite the various vacation schedules of our Rabbi, Office Administrator and many of us congregants, who have asked others to “cover” while we are away. I have become increasingly aware of the … Continue reading “President’s Column (This One’s Load-Bearing!) by Bruce Spiewak”

Now that the excitement of the past months’ events has settled down a little bit, it’s time to evaluate once more how we can simplify and clarify our lives and their meaning, and how we can best incorporate our relationship with the Temple Emanuel Community into our lives.  To paraphrase a much wiser and more … Continue reading “PRESIDENT’s COLUMN August 2012 (This one’sTuscan!)”

For the micro and the macro families of the Temple Emanuel Community, this certainly has been a season filled with festive events and new beginnings.  We have collectively celebrated our first 50 years as a congregation, and at the same time, we welcome the beginning of the next half century, with all of the excitement, … Continue reading “My First Column (Is it Doric, Ionic or Corinthian?) By Bruce Spiewak, Temple Emanuel President”

It’s here. Finally. 5772. For once the event, or should I say events, will live up to the hype. No disappointment here like Geraldo Rivera had when he opened Al Capone’s vault; no trace of John Lackey, A.J. Burnett or Jason Bay here; likewise no needless worry about a YT2k Bug. Temple Emanuel’s 50th Anniversary … Continue reading “IT'S HERE!”

I’ve got to admit it’s getting better… If you were around Temple Emanuel this August, you couldn’t have missed all the renovations. Floors in the Social Hall and swing space were being removed and then replaced with very attractive tiles. The ceilings of those rooms were being painted and a new roof was put on … Continue reading “Getting better…”

By now, hopefully everybody has heard that the year 2012 has special meaning to the Temple Emanuel community — we turn 50. We will be ending our first half century on a positive note — membership is increasing — since the beginning of our fiscal year (July 1, 2010) we have gained 17 new families. … Continue reading “President’s End-of-year update”

Hopefully you’ve noticed some changes taking place at Temple Emanuel this summer. Last month I wrote about the projects involving the base- ment of the TE House and the fire landings. As stated in last month’s Shofar, those projects were paid for out of our budget. In August, both the House and Sanctuary underwent a … Continue reading “Changes to Temple Emanuel”