Sept 2012: Kol Nidre/President's Speech

Transcription

1 1 Sept 2012: Kol Nidre/President's Speech DR. MARCIE M. LERNER, KEHILAT SHALOM, GAITHERSBURG, MD WHEN I WAS FIRST ASKED TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF KEHILAT SHALOM, I THOUGHT, "THIS WILL BE FUN! I LL GET TO KNOW EVERYONE IN THE CONGREGATION BETTER, AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AS A UNIFIED KEHILA TO THRIVE AGAIN." WELL, WE ARE GETTING THERE. SLOWLY, THINGS ARE FALLING INTO PLACE, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY. SINCE I TOOK OFFICE IN JULY, I VE BEEN LEARNING WHAT IT REALLY TAKES TO RUN A SYNAGOGUE. MORE GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE! IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU GO TO THE LATEST ADVENTURE MOVIE: AFTER THE FILM, THE CREDITS LIST HUNDREDS OF NAMES, AND THEY KEEP SCROLLING DOWN THE SCREEN. SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT MOVIE. AND HERE AT KEHILAT SHALOM,

2 2 THERE ARE ALSO SO MANY DIFFERENT TASKS FOR PEOPLE TO DO BUT WE DON'T HAVE HUNDREDS OF NAMES. WE HAVE THE WORK OF MANY DONE BY A FEW. SO, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, YOUR SHUL NEEDS YOU! WE NEED YOUR TIME, WE NEED YOUR IDEAS, AND PERHAPS MOST OF ALL WE NEED YOUR RUACH, WE NEED YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR ENTHUSIASM! AND, YES, WE ALSO NEED YOUR MONEY. I SUPPOSE THIS WOULDN T BE KOL NIDRE IF I DIDN T MENTION THAT. WE WOULD LIKE TO RAISE THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS WITH OUR HIGH HOLIDAY APPEAL. ANY AMOUNT IS APPRECIATED, SO PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU ARE ABLE. MY UNCLE IRA BREITERMAN LIKED TO TELL THIS STORY: A SYNAGOGUE CARETAKER WAS POLISHING THE WOOD OF THE PEWS. HE LOOKED UP TO THE CEILING TOWARDS THE HEAVENS AND SAID, "HASHEM, MY NEPHEW NEEDS A VERY EXPENSIVE OPERATION. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE LET ME WIN THE LOTTERY THIS WEEK, I COULD REALLY HELP HIM OUT. THE NEXT WEEK GOES BY. THE CARETAKER IS SCRUBBING THE SOCIAL HALL FLOORS, AND AGAIN HE

3 3 LOOKS UP AND CRIES, "HASHEM, MY BROTHER'S CAR WAS STOLEN AND HE HAD NO INSURANCE; IF YOU WOULD HELP ME WIN THE LOTTERY, I COULD BUY HIM A NEW CAR. AND THE NEXT WEEK GOES BY. THE CARETAKER IS DUSTING THE ARK, SMOOTHING OUT THE TORAH COVERS, AND AGAIN HE LOOKS UP AND SAYS, "HASHEM, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SHUL TOLD ME THAT THE SYNAGOGUE NEEDS MONEY TO BUY A NEW A-C UNIT; IF YOU WOULD ONLY LET ME WIN THE LOTTERY... SUDDENLY, THERE IS A LOUD BURST OF THUNDER AND A BRIGHT FLASH OF LIGHTNING, AND A VOICE FILLS THE SANCTUARY: "SCHMENDRICK, BUY A TICKET!" THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS "YOU HAVE TO PLAY TO WIN!" WE NEED TO NOTICE THE OPPORTUNITIES SURROUNDING US, AND STOP TAKING THINGS FOR GRANTED. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELONG TO A SYNAGOGUE TODAY? WHY JOIN? WHY COMMIT? I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE ALL PRE-PROGRAMMED TO SEARCH FOR SOMETHING GREATER THAN OURSELVES.

4 4 NONE OF YOU WOULD BE HERE IF YOU DIDN'T FEEL THAT, TOO. IT IS OUR CRAVING FOR A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT KEEPS US TOGETHER. I WANT TO DISCUSS THREE CONCEPTS FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT DURING THIS TIME OF REFLECTION: 1) TRANSITIONS 2) NEW BEGINNINGS 3) TOMORROW "TNT" 1) TRANSITIONS: FIRST, A LITTLE HISTORY: (THANK YOU TO KEHILAT SHALOM PAST PRESIDENT, GERRY GOLDGRABEN) IN FEBRUARY 1971 (NOT QUITE A YEAR AFTER I WAS BORN), TWENTY-FOUR FAMILIES GATHERED IN THE PARTY ROOM OF THE LONDONDERRY APARTMENTS ON CLOPPER ROAD. AN AD HAD BEEN PLACED IN A LOCAL NEWSPAPER BY SAUL AND ETHEL FINN LOOKING FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN FORMING A CONGREGATION. TOGETHER, THEY FORMED AN UNAFFILIATED CONGREGATION, AND IT QUICKLY GREW TO 100 FAMILIES. THEY STARTED A

5 5 RELIGIOUS SCHOOL, AND THAT GREW TO MORE THAN 200 CHILDREN. THE FOUNDING MEMBERS RELIED ON SCHOOLS AND RECREATION CENTERS IN MONTGOMERY VILLAGE, AS WELL AS MEMBERS' HOMES, FOR ALL OF THEIR ACTIVITIES. FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS, SERVICES WERE HELD ONLY ON FRIDAY NIGHTS. SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES WERE HELD AT WHATEVER VENUES WERE ARRANGED FOR THE B'NAI MITZVAH FAMILIES. THEY THEN EXTENDED THEIR SCHOOL BUILDING RENTAL AGREEMENT AND ADDED REGULAR SATURDAY MORNING SERVICES. EVERYONE PITCHED IN TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF A FULL COMPLEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR ALL RELIGIOUS, EDUCATION, SOCIAL, AND YOUTH. THEY DREAMED OF A BUILDING OF THEIR OWN, AND OF PROFESSIONALS TO DEVELOP AND SUSTAIN PROGRAMS AND ATTRACT NEW MEMBERS. BY THE LATE 1970'S, THE FOUNDING FAMILIES (SUCH AS THE BEITLERS, BLOCKS, BROMBERGS, CAHNS, COHENS, OSTROWS, RUBENSTEINS, AND MANY MORE) HIRED A RABBI, RAISED MONEY, BOUGHT LAND, HIRED AN

6 6 ARCHITECT, AND FORMED "GAITHERSBURG HEBREW CONGREGATION." WE SOON BECAME EGALITARIAN, ENSURING EQUAL PARTICIPATION OF BOTH MEN AND WOMEN IN OUR RITUAL ACTIVITY. IN 1979, WE BECAME AFFILIATED WITH THE UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM, AND IN 1988, WE BECAME "KEHILAT SHALOM, COMMUNITY OF PEACE." THIS BEAUTIFUL SANCTUARY WAS BUILT IN IN 1996, RABBI MARK RAPHAEL BECAME OUR NEW SPIRITUAL LEADER. IN 2002, WE HIRED HAZZAN KIMBERLY KOMRAD. SHE IS THE FIRST FEMALE HAZZAN TO HOLD A PULPIT IN A CONSERVATIVE SYNAGOGUE IN THE HISTORY OF THE BATIMORE-WASHINGTON AREA. THAT WAS A PEAK TIME FOR OUR CONGREGATION. WE HAD ABOUT 360 MEMBER FAMILIES, A BUSTLING RELIGIOUS SCHOOL, AND WE SOON PURCHASED A DAY- CARE CENTER NEXT DOOR TO HOUSE THE ROSENFELD EDUCATION CENTER FOR THE EDUCATION OF OUR YOUNGEST CONGREGANTS.

7 7 IN JUNE 2010, RABBI RAPHAEL AND OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF 30 YEARS, JUDI KRANZ, BOTH BEGAN PLANNING THEIR RESPECTIVE RETIREMENTS, WHICH WOULD OCCUR IN JUNE BY 2010, WE BEGAN NOTICING A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. WE CONTEMPLATED MERGING WITH ANOTHER SYNAGOGUE, AND THE CONGREGATION VOTED TO STAY INDEPENDENT, TO FACE UP TO THE CHALLENGES OF CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS AND DECLINING MEMBERSHIP. THOSE WHO VOTED TO "STAY" BELIEVE DEEPLY THAT WE ARE STILL ABLE TO THRIVE IN THIS NECK OF THE WOODS. 2) NEW BEGINNINGS: IN AUGUST 2012, WE WELCOMED A NEW RABBI, CHARLES L. ARIAN, AND HIS LOVELY WIFE, KELEIGH (KELLY), WHO ARE ALREADY HELPING TO RENEW OUR CONGREGATIONAL SPIRIT! RABBI ARIAN HAS IMPRESSES ME SO MUCH WITH HIS CHARISMA, HIS INTELLIGENCE, HIS ZEN-LIKE ATTITUDE, AND EXTREMELY CLEVER SENSE OF HUMOR. I KNOW THAT

8 8 HE IS THE BEST CHOICE TO LEAD OUR CONGREGATION FORWARD. I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF OUR RABBI SEARCH COMMITTEE (PLEASE STAND WHEN I SAY YOUR NAME): GREG GORE, CHAIRMAN WENDY SCHNEIDER-LEVINSON, SHELLI BEARD, AARON WERTLIEB, SHELLI FROEHLICH, HAROLD FLAMENBAUM, BRUCE POMERANTZ, JEFFREY GREENWALD, AND MARCIA LITWAK. THE OPERATION OF OUR SYNAGOGUE OFFICE IS COMPLEX ONE. IT WAS ASSUMED (AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ASSUME), THAT AN OFFICE MANAGER WITH SECRETARIAL SUPPORT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT.

9 9 IN KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON, THE BOD HAS DONE MUCH REFLECTION. AS A RESULT, WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT WE NEED A SYNAGOGUE ADMINISTRATOR, AND TO THAT END, WE ARE UNDERGOING A SEARCH AND WILL SHORTLY BEGIN AN INTERVIEW PROCESS TO FIND THE PROPER FIT FOR KEHILAT SHALOM. THIS CRITICAL POSITION WILL HELP OUR ADMINISTRATION GET UP TO SPEED AND FULFILL THE NEEDS OF THE OUR CONGREGATION MORE EFFICIENTLY, AND EFFECTIVELY. WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL VOLUNTEERS, WHO ARE HELPING TO KEEP OUR OFFICE RUNNING AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE: ESPECIALLY DEBRA WESTON, ALONG WITH MARK FRIEDMAN, JANET & BECKY RUTCHIK, ERICA MOSKOWITZ, CHARISSA FLAMENBAUM, SHELLI FROEHLICH, MELANIE BERSON, LARRY BECK, AND OTHERS!

10 10 SPEAKING OF BEING EFFICIENT, AS YOU ALL CAN IMAGINE, IT TAKES AND A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH MUCH EFFORT TO PREPARE FOR THE HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE JUST A FEW OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPENT MANY HOURS TO ENSURE THAT THIS YEARS THE HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES HAPPEN SMOOTHLY. THANK YOU MIKE GOLDMAN OUR RITUAL CHAIR, JOE LUSTIG FOR ORGANIZING AND COORDINATING ALL THE HONORS. MURRY PENNER AND MARK FRIEDMAN THE CO-CHAIRS OF OUR USHERING COMMITTEE; THANKS TO A CAST OF MANY, INCLUDING TOM LOGGIE AND HIS BAND OF MERRY HELPERS FOR REPAIRING, AND PREPARING THE BUILDING, THE MEMBERS OF MEN'S CLUB FOR SETTING UP THE BOOKS AND CHAIRS, DEBRA WESTON, THE OTHER OFFICE HELPERS, THE SISTERHOOD AND THE CATERING CREW THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO PREPARE A DELECTABLE BREAKFAST FEAST, WHICH WE WILL ENJOY IN A FEW SHORT HOURS... AND LASTLY, BUT NOT AT ALL LEAST, TO RABBI ARIAN FOR HIS TEACHING AND GUIDANCE, AND HAZZAN KIM KOMRAD, FOR HER

11 11 BEAUTIFUL RECITATION OF PRAYER. YOU BOTH HAVE MADE THESE HOLY DAYS MORE MEANINGFUL FOR ALL OF US. OUR RELIGIOUS SCHOOL HAS UNDERGONE SOME VERY DRAMATIC CHANGES THIS YEAR. WE HAVE COMBINED EFFORTS TO GIVE THE BEST EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO OUR CHILDREN. THOUGH IT IS NOT IDEAL TO HAVE KEHILAT SHALOM STUDENTS ATTEND ANOTHER SYNAGOGUE'S RELIGIOUS SCHOOL, THERE ARE SOME EXCELLENT PROGRAMS TAKING PLACE. WE ARE PROUD OF WENDY WEISBARD, WHO TOGETHER WITH SHAARE TORAH'S JEREMY FINE, HAVE CREATED AN AWESOME "TEEN ENGAGEMENT" PROGRAM, I.E. "THE J- BURG DINER." CLASSES FOR THE YOUNGER GRADES ARE IN FULL SWING TOO. WE WILL BE HAVING PROGRAMS DURING SHABBAT HERE AT KEHILAT TO KEEP OUR KIDS INVOLVED. STARTING ON OCTOBER 20TH, WE WILL HAVE OUR FIRST TOT SHABBAT, LED BY LINDA PESCE, AND ON OCTOBER 27TH, A "MULTI-GEN" SHABBAT, WHICH WILL FEATURE SOMETHING FOR ALL AGES.

12 12 ADULT EDUCATION COURSES WILL SOON BE IN FULL SWING, STARTING WITH "EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT JUDAISM BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK" WITH RABBI ARIAN, AND THE RETURN OF KABBALAH CLASSES WITH CAMP SHORESH'S RABBI TZVI TUCHMAN. WE HAVE A NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS: WOULD EVERYONE WHO IS CURRENTLY ON THE KEHILAT SHALOM BOARD PLEASE RISE AND BE RECOGNIZED. THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE WORKING VERY HARD, ATTENDING LONG MEETINGS TO HELP US STAY ON TRACK. STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS OF "INSTALLATION CELEBRATION WEEKEND," OCTOBER 26TH THRU 27TH, WITH INSTALLATION OF THE NEW BOARD, AND A SPECTACULAR HAVDALAH CEREMONY TO HONOR OUR NEW RABBI! 3) FUTURE: SO, WHY ARE WE STILL HERE? WE ARE HERE FOR A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

13 13 WE ARE HERE TO FIND PEOPLE TO TRAVEL WITH ON OUR VOYAGE TO A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR JEWISH HERITAGE AND TO FIND WAYS TO COMPREHEND OUR MODERN WORLD. I AM ASKING ALL OF YOU TO TRAVEL TOGETHER WITH ME. KEHILAT SHALOM IS MADE UP OF VOLUNTEERS. YES, WE NEED YOUR MONEY, AS YOU KNOW WE CANNOT RUN THIS PLACE WITHOUT THAT, BUT WE ALSO NEED YOU AND YOUR INVOLVEMENT. I AM VERY PROUD AND THANKFUL FOR OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR TIME AND EFFORT TO HELP MAKE KEHILAT SHALOM THE WARM AND WELCOMING PLACE IT IS AND WILL REMAIN. I AM ASKING ALL OF YOU TO COMMIT, IN THIS TIME OF RENEWAL AND INTROSPECTION, TO GETTING MORE DEEPLY INVOLVED WITH KEHILAT SHALOM TO HELP US ALL GROW. IN THE WORDS OF PRESIDENT OBAMA, "I'M HOPEFUL NOT BECAUSE I THINK I HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, NOT BECAUSE I AM NAIVE ABOUT THE MAGNITUDE OF OUR CHALLENGES, I'M HOPEFUL BECAUSE OF YOU!" FINALLY, I WANT TO ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS IF I HAVEN'T RETURNED YOUR S, PHONE CALLS, OR DID

14 14 RESPOND BUT FORGOT WHAT I TOLD YOU I WOULD DO, IF I HAVE KNOWINGLY OR UNKNOWINGLY DONE ANYTHING TO HURT YOUR FEELINGS... I WISH YOU ALL A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR... MAY WE ALL BE INSCRIBED FOR A MEANINGFUL FUTURE HERE AT KEHILAT SHALOM: "AT THE GATEWAY TO A NEW YEAR WE HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE READY TO BEGIN AGAIN: IF OUR LIVES HAVE BECOME SHALLOW, LET US DEEPEN THEM. IF OUR PRINCIPLES HAVE BECOME SHABBY, LET US REPAIR THEM. IF OUR IDEALS HAVE BECOME TARNISHED, LET US RESTORE THEM. IF OUR HOPES HAVE BECOME FADED, LET US REVIVE THEM. IF OUR LOYALTIES HAVE BECOME DIM, LET US BRIGHTEN THEM. IF OUR VALUES HAVE BECOME CONFUSED, LET US CLARIFY THEM. IF OUR PURPOSES HAVE BECOME BLURRED, LET US SHARPEN THEM.

15 15 IF OUR HORIZONS HAVE BECOME CONTRACTED, LET US WIDEN THEM. IF OUR HEARTS HAVE BECOME CHILLED BY INDIFFERENCE, LET US WARM THEM." L SHANAH TOVAH TIKATEIVU V TEICHATEIMU THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!