Installation Service Comments – January 16, 2015

Rabbi invited me to say a few words about my “vision” as the new President of the Board and I am happy to do so as we install our new Board at this service.

Let me first provide you with some context for my comments – I’ve been a member of Temple Sinai since I moved to Vermont in the early 1980s, my children went through the Temple’s religious school program and had their B’nai Mitzvahs here (Rabbi, I think I have gotten the pluralization correct there!), and I have been a regular participant in the Folk Services at Temple for more than the past ten years or so. I had opportunities to participate in Temple governance over the years, but did not feel I had the time to commit . . . . busy job, busy family . . . . you know the drill. But a few years back, I agreed to serve as Treasurer and then, under Tim Cope’s Presidency, First VP, and now, as President of the Board.

Why is this background important?

First: I’ve learned more about Temple, met more of the Congregation, and gotten to know more wonderful and talented people in my FOUR years on the Board than I did in the previous 25 years.

Second: I was no less busy with my job and family when I agreed to serve as Treasurer than I was in the previous decades . . . in fact, I was probably busier. But I made a commitment – I made a choice - I decided to participate, to make this one of the many priorities in my life.

At this Board’s first meeting earlier this week, we engaged in an orientation exercise in which we shared our interests, skills, and fears (as they relate to Temple and serving on the Board). Let me tell you some things about this Board:

·        We have folks who have been with Temple Sinai for longer than I have, have served on the Board, led the Board and, still, are back to continue serving the Congregation.

·        We also have folks who have only recently joined our Congregation, who have served in leadership roles at their previous synagogues, and who have found activities at Temple Sinai that, I will confess, in which I have not participated over my decades here as a member.

·        Some are drawn to Temple Sinai for feeding their spiritual needs, to pray, study Torah, to sing and eat and engage with a community with whom they can share their Reform Jewish traditions.

·        Some are drawn to Temple Sinai because of the people and the opportunity to be part of a social scene with other Jewish families.

·        For some, Temple Sinai is a place where they can continue (or start) their Jewish education – where they can be part of a learning community that engages their minds in multi-faceted ways.

·        While many indicated that they agreed to serve on the Board out of a sense of duty and obligation, as many (or more) confessed that they joined the Board because of the social aspects of working with fellow members in service to the Temple.

Why am I telling you this? How does this in any way relate to my “vision”?

Well, my “vision” is for a Temple Sinai that has a Congregation that is drawn together as a community. A Temple Sinai that provides a place for people to gather and to share their lives. A Temple Sinai that feels like home, for you and your family.

I can tell you that I left our first Board Meeting wearing a big smile and with the conviction that this inspiring group is ready to do great things. They sensed that we are at a turning point as a Congregation (although, aren’t we always at a turning point?) and, if we choose to, we can accomplish great things.

Which is why we are having our first Board Retreat, at the start of next month. If we can continue to focus our attention on what engages us, excites us, energizes us – and if we can bring that focus forward to the entire Congregation – we will have moved towards my “vision”.

This will take more than just the people who serve on the Board – we will need your participation in deciding what we focus our energies on, we will need your participation in Temple governance and activities, we will need your willingness to try new things, to celebrate those that work and to let those that do not, drop away.

So, I hope you will not wait as long as I did to decide to participate in Temple governance. We have many committees, and I suspect that at least one of them matches well with your skills and interests – choose one to be involved in, meet and work with fellow Congregants who share your interests and passions, participate in making Temple Sinai an even more special part of your life.

 And finally: I have a vision where finance committee report does not elicit thoughts of fear and dread. This is one of our challenges, but I am confident that we have the ability to make good progress in moving towards the realization of that vision. (And I would be remiss in not putting in a pitch for our Scrip and Hannaford Card programs that raise funds for Temple Sinai whenever you shop. Participation is easy and I encourage everyone to signup!)\

So, please welcome and support our new Board – I hope I can keep up with them, and I look forward to serving you all as President for the next two years.

Shabbat Shalom.

Annual Meeting Comments – December 7, 2014

I joined Temple Sinai soon after moving to Vermont in 1982. I had never lived in a place with such a small Jewish population, and was happy to find a reform congregation to affiliate with. At that time, we were wandering Jews, using space down the street at the Faith Methodist Church, setting up and tearing down the sanctuary every Friday night. I remember a group of us would go out to Howard Johnson’s for a bite to eat after services on Friday nights – we made community wherever we could. And we were growing - we needed our own space and we bought a plot of land and built a building, which we then outgrew and renovated and expanded into this wonderful facility we enjoy now.

Temple Sinai is a place where our lives change: where we learn and pray, where we sing and dance, where we eat, where we laugh and where we weep. We measure time with those life events. I remember the first function I attended in this building – when there was no ceiling in the sanctuary and the windows were covered with plastic – was the funeral of a colleague of mine in the Chemistry Department at UVM (Claus Wulff). After Barb and I married, we started a family – Eli and Rubin were named in that sanctuary, they grew up here, attended the religious school, had their B’Nai Mitzvahs (and Eli’s confirmation) in that sanctuary.

Like many busy young families, I never stopped to think of who was making sure that the bills were paid, or who organized the Purim carnival that our kids loved, or designed the curriculum that taught them about their Jewish heritage and the Hebrew language. I never stopped to think of who was making sure that the eternal light was lit and that there was a Temple Sinai for our community. Don’t get me wrong, we paid our dues and participated in Temple activities, but I took for granted all that it takes to keep a place like this running.

So, thank you – to the members who took it upon themselves to found this Congregation, to do the hard work of managing, organizing, cajoling, knowing when to and when not to take risks so that we can have this rich, vibrant Reform Jewish Congregation. We are all indebted to the years of service on previous Temple Boards and Committees provided by so many and I am humbled and honored that you have entrusted me to follow in their footsteps. I am fortunate to have followed – and had the opportunity to learn from and work with – some amazing people, like Bruce Hicken (as Treasurer) and our past two presidents (Howard Kalfus and Tim Cope). And while I also know that they have set the bar pretty high – higher than I imagine I can come close to reaching – I also know that I will be working with an accomplished and dedicated Board, supported by tireless Committees, and a Staff that is second to none.

Lastly, I am thankful for your trust and encouragement and devotion to Temple Sinai. Over the next couple of years, I look forward to working with you to continue to build our community and provide an open, welcoming and supportive environment for Jewish education, spiritual growth and fulfillment.

A final note: I want to hear from you whenever you have questions, concerns or if you just need to talk. I will not pretend to have all of the answers or to even be able to immediately address your concerns in the ways that you may wish – but your voice will be heard and I will make sure that any appropriate action is taken. You can reach me at home on the phone at 985-9329 or via email at templesinaipresident@gmail.com