From The Rabbi’s Desk: Annual Meeting Address June 3, 2012
Mon, June 4, 2012
As we conclude the theme of our year 5772 — “Asking Jewish Questions: What’s yours?”, I go back to where I began at High Holy days, with the question,“Why are we here?” Today, most of us are here because we care about our temple, and because it is time to sign up a child for religious school, or because you wanted to make history as you vote in our third assistant rabbi/educator in 14 years. We are all here, because Temple B’nai Shalom matters to us. We are here to look back on a wonderful temple year, and to vote on the important matters, such as election of our temple leaders, and passage of our annual budget for the coming year. This meeting is a unique opportunity to reflect on the past year, as we begin to vision and anticipate the new one to follow. I am here to fulfill our By-Laws requirement that I offer you a report of the past year.
We are here to look back on the year and record for posterity the highlights of what took place in this temple community we love. Since last year’s meeting we have shared many simchas: 21 B’nai Mitzvah, 20 teens were confirmed and 14 post-confirmed just last week. Beautiful babies were born, named and “brissed,” and couples in love united their lives. Personally, I have experienced the joys of two engagements, a wedding, and now, almost three weeks ago, the birth of our grandson, Micah, who was named at Temple Israel of Hollywood this past Friday night. Our TBS members were blessed for birthdays and anniversaries, some very special ones, each month, including 90th birthday blessings for Betty Davison and Anne Herrmann in February. We are here, because celebrating Jewish joy is such an important part of the life of our congregation.
We were here to study and pray, from Women’s Torah Study to Brunch or Lunch and Learns, to late night Adult Eds, and a host of opportunities to grow Jewishly, especially through Introduction Judaism taught by Rabbi Nyer and Student Rabbi Bess Wohlner last summer. Kids were here for Hebrew and Pizza, Bagels and BeaSTY Board Bonding, and with our successful initiation of VBS at TBS last August, vacation Bible school came to our congregation after so many years of my just wanting it to happen with special thanks to Barbara Kaplowitz as our artist-in-residence last summer.
And we were here to eat! Thanks to Renita Seldowitz, Susan Biggs and their families “Spartans Shabbat” happened over and over again for our families and will happen a few more times for our general membership in the coming year. These Shabbat dinners together have truly strengthened our community over chicken and spaghetti.
Our Membership team has been here, and will be at the Israel Festival this afternoon, trying diligently to attract new members to our congregation, while at the same time sponsoring events to reach out to current members through the Sunday morning programming in my office to the fantastic BBQ, Sip and Schmooze, and Eat, Stay, Pray events throughout the year. Marc and Sharon Goldman hope you will spread the message to your friends and family that TBS is the place to be and that membership is vital for our survival as a congregation and as a people.
While I was on my mini-sabbatical last summer, TBS continued to be a full-service congregation with twice weekly services and continuous programming. We are so thankful to have a vibrant worship community. I look forward to reconstituting the Prayer Task Force this summer so that we can continue to work on refining a liturgy that works for us.
And my personal thank you to all of the unsung volunteers who have done so much to enhance temple life with their talents and time. We can’t mention everyone today, but know that your contribution is truly valued and appreciated, and I hope I have thanked you personally at some point this past year.
Amid the joys and successes, there has also been sickness and sadness. You should never know from it, but members tell us over and over again, that it is in their hour of need that they realize why it is essential to belong. We say Mi Shebeirach at every service and reach out in a host of ways, just as we pray for each of our members bravely serving our nation overseas.
We lost loved ones and cherished members, filled living rooms with minyan prayers, always reminding us that TBS is a caring and comforting community for those in need of support when they are mourning. We continue to mourn the loss of our beloved members since we met at this time last year: Betty Litman and Monroe Gross, and I am ever thankful to Bill Ade and his Bereavement Committee for the comfort they bring to all of our families who are in mourning. And each year the Grief Support Group, before High Holy days, provides such great comfort to our members, as well. We were thankful to have our JSSA support this year to help members who needed life assistance beyond our walls.
As a caring community, the committee that bears that name headed by Nina Richman-Loo, reached out all year to our members experiencing need with loving care and kindness. Mother’s Support Group continues to thrive and the Father’s have joined the Mother’s with their own group. Perhaps the greatest surprise has been how needed our Children of Holocaust Survivors group has been, and we thank them for sharing their stories for Yom HaShoah. The Interfaith couples eat, pray, and love with gusto under Bette Shanley’s loving eye. And thanks to Sharon Chapman and her College Committee, our young people feel connected to us as they receive care packages prepared with love.
Brotherhood and Sisterhood are stronger than ever providing a great need for connection and companionship in the isolation of our suburban lives. Both groups make TBS a stronger community with their vibrant programming and vital fundraising efforts. Thank you Marilyn and Jack for your phenomenal leadership!
From Judy Ginsburgh to Sheldon Low to Rick Recht, AND Josh Nelson we sang and enriched the wonderful music Rob and Rachel so lovingly provide.
We hosted Abiding Presence for Thanksgiving after joining the entire community for the CROP walk in Burke, and reached beyond our walls as we fed the hungry at LCAC. Through my fund, tens of thousands of dollars were donated to worthy tzedakah projects and causes as a further indication that TBS cares, and that is why we are here. I was so proud of our members who assisted Yad LaKashish at Biennial and the JCC, in addition to our Mitzvah Day, so that the elderly in Jerusalem could sell their labors of love and much needed resources could be returned to their worthy institution. We were blessed to have Rabbi Meir Azari from Tel Aviv with us in December and Lauren Joseph from Hagar in Be’ersheva in March, strengthening our strong connection to Israel. And we are blessed to have Yael Ingel, the Shelicha from our JCC partnering with our school to bring Israel alive for our students.
And we were a “presence” at the URJ Biennial in December, dozens strong, attending and volunteering, networking and learning from a host of wonderful people including our nation’s president and, as the URJ elected its new president, we reinforced the fact that we are here to serve Reform Jews and to keep Reform Judaism a vital option and source of meaning for our members and the generations who will follow.
The summer of the earthquake was followed by our snowless winter, which meant that we could be here as scheduled without having to take off time from our busy calendar. And we thank God for beautiful weather so that Brotherhood could have a spectacular outdoor Purim Carnival, after our successful TBS has TALENT headed up by Marni Miller, made March quite the happening month. Rabbi Nyer led the TBS Passover Seder, coordinated by Bette Shanley, to a room full of grateful members.
Our youth groupers had a blast this year, showing us that investing in our young people has rewards beyond measure. We have bid farewell to Josh Fixler, as he goes off to HUC-JIR to become a rabbi this week, with our gratitude for all he did over the past three years to not only advocate for our youth, but also help us get our new TBS website up and running along with our wonderful Tech Committee. What a job that was, but the feedback has been superb.
Our members gave memorable sermons which we have put up on the new website: Bonnie Nathan for Social Justice Shabbat, Bob Budoff for Yom Ha’atzmaut, and Risa Morris as she returned from Afghanistan. And so many of you came out for Mitzvah Day, so magnificently organized by Donna Breskin and her team.
Why are we here? Because it truly is a “blessing to belong” — that phrase was created by our President Donna Courtney who has been a blessing beyond words. Her devotion, dedication, and diligence to every task at hand has enabled her to be an exceptional leader in extraordinary times. I thank God that she was able to return to the presidency with such vigor, and I know you join me in feeling truly blessed that she was at the helm during the critical times of decision-making for our future. I can’t thank Donna enough for the selfless and tireless leadership that she brought to TBS each and every day. Donna, you make it a blessing to belong and a blessing for a rabbi to serve. Your presidency has been a shining example of the best of TBS. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I look forward to working with Scott Bauer and his Board, and to continue the legacy of partnership and respect that has been the cornerstone of my working relationship with each and every president for these past 26 years.
And finally, we are here to begin to bid farewell, in this month of June, to my partner, my friend, my rabbi, and my teacher, Rabbi Shoshana Nyer. For nine years, she has been dedicated to our temple family, sharing and caring with her unique blend of practical wisdom and resilient spirit. Rabbi Nyer is a spiritual leader with the greatest integrity, and her devotion to her sacred work has been extraordinary. I will never know any rabbi or human being as loyal and caring, giving and genuine. Beloved Rabbi, we thank you for nine amazing years and pray that you, Stephen, and beautiful Emily know how blessed we have all been to have your family in our lives. You may be moving back home to Cleveland, but we hope that this temple community will always be a home away from home for the Nyer/Langel clan. Our school is the jewel of our TBS crown because you made running it your priority, and you made it look so easy! You gave all you had each and every day. You touched lives and hearts and minds. And your assistance in interviewing and transitioning from Josh to our new Director of Youth and Family Engagement, Sam Stern, to the hiring of Rabbi Cameron has been nothing short of exceptional. You have done EVERYTHING to insure a smooth and value-driven transition for the staff, the membership, and the temple as a whole. To paraphrase your favorite benediction: “Brucha aht b’voeich, Brucha aht b’tzaytaych.” As you brought blessings to this community, may you take an abundance of blessings from us when you leave. I love you so much.
And we will welcome Rabbi Cameron and Sam Stern, as we have welcomed all the wonderful people who came before them. Give our new rabbi and youth director time to learn and grow in your wonderful TBS way, and keep remembering that each person is an individual with talents and expertise unique to him or her. We promised them a healthy congregation that lives by its values and has kavod (respect) for its leaders. I know you will make sure that promise is kept.
I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my Executive Assistant, Ellen, and our new Director of Member Services, Lynn (formerly our religious school secretary) for their tireless efforts on behalf of this congregation. They are extraordinary individuals who give their best to our temple each and every day. I love coming to work each day to be a part of our little TBS office team.
And one more thank you goes out to my husband, Gary, the unsung hero of Temple B’nai Shalom. We will celebrate 36 years of marriage one month from tomorrow and 26 of those years, Gary, you have selflessly shared me with this congregation, in addition to giving of your time and talents as a teacher in our school, a faithful and loyal member and my rock. For all those dinners you have to eat by yourself and for the fact that your life is lived on my temple schedule which will soon be planned through 2015, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is a blessing to belong to you. You have always had the answer to the question “Why are we here?”– because, you help me keep the vision and dream alive, even on the days when it is sometimes hard to do.
Temple B’nai Shalom is here for all of you 365 days a year, offering you a haven from the hectic lives you lead and the world that moves so quickly. Here you can make connections with real people in real time, as together we serve God and the Jewish people in the wilderness of Fairfax Station. We are here to teach the values of Torah to the next generation, and to find avenues to enrich the lives of young and old, by infusing the lessons, rituals, holidays, and teachings we hold dear into our daily lives. May we continue to be here for many, many years to come.
Keyn yihi ratzon, so may it be God’s will.
Rabbi Amy R. Perlin, D.D.