18 Wonderful Years (6/19/15): Honoring 18 Year Members

Renee Zellweger’s line, “You had me at Hello.”

And Cuba Gooding Jr.’s line, “Show me the money!”

And when you were watching TV, you were probably watching shows from the top ten like E.R., Seinfeld, Home Improvement, and Touched by an Angel.  I was doing a great imitation of Roma Downey’s line from that show, “God, loves you.”

Israel elected Benjamin Netanyau and the US elected Bill Clinton for his second term.  The Redskins had begun building a new stadium, and a winter blizzard shut down DC with several feet of snow for most of the months of January and February.  JK Rowling’s first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published by Bloomsbury in London.

18 years ago, in summer and fall of 1996, and the spring of 1997, TBS was ten years old.  We were just completing our first year in this temple building.  I had just celebrated my tenth year as TBS’s rabbi and the congregation surprised me by raising enough money to finally get a permanent ark, because in that first year, we still used the little one that is now used for Minyan Makers and Tot Shabbat, with the parochet, the curtain, handmade by Amy Arons.  David Kleinman was beginning what would be a four year presidency, the sukkah collapsed thanks to the winds and rain, we had a Chanukah Mitzvah Mall for the first time, and I delivered a short poem for my Annual meeting address and our budget that year was exactly half of what it is now.

18 years ago, some of our most active and loyal members joined us in our permanent home on Old Ox Road, and their membership enriched this congregation in so many ways, and still does.

When I look at the names of the people we honor this evening, I think about the fact that:

I have been to Israel with some of these wonderful people

31 B’nai Mitzvah of kids and adults, Michael van Gelder’s Bar Mitzvah at 83 being the oldest one of the bunch.

7 weddings – Lindsey Belian’s and Abby Zaniel’s just this spring.

7 Board members from this group, some currently serving.

We have shared so many joys … and too many sorrows.

And many of the 18 year members have children who are now adult members with their own families. My how time flies.

In this week’s Torah portion we visit some familiar themes:  God says this week, “Show me the money!” and our ancestors respond to the call, knowing that you cannot have a Tabernacle without those who sustain it.  Many of these wonderful and valued congregants will tell you that we had them at “Shalom.”  I have followed in Roma Downey’s footsteps as one of the angels of death sharing the message that “God loves you and so do I,” and we are still in need of Home Improvements, as our sprinklers definitely could use a trip to the E.R.  Netanyahu and the Clintons are still on the leadership scene, not letting go like Aaron and Moses, and Mitzvah Mall continues and has a sibling now, called Mitzvah Day.

Our Torah portion, Korach, that we read this Shabbat is famous for the rebellion Korach waged against Moses.  But, few people mention that the portion ends with tithing in Numbers 18.  We are told that it is up to us to provide gifts to God and the Tabernacle, a portion of which is to sustain the Levites in their sacred work.  The people we honor tonight, each one has been a Levite, given, supported, answered the call.  You are all precious to TBS and to me.  In a day and age when affiliation cannot be taken for granted, you are here recognizing that Membership has its privileges. Well, to use an advertising line from 1996:  “Membership…. Priceless.”

It is my honor to call upon these wonderful families to receive a gift just chosen and crafted for this occasion.  May God bless each and every one of you, and may this congregation always be your spiritual home.

Barry Belian & Tami Stein