5777/2016 - Temple President High Holiday Spiel

L’Shanah Tova!

It’s hard to believe that it is already 5777 and time to deliver my second – and final – “President’s Message” to the Congregation. This year, I will try to be mindful of the recommendations for these presentations: you need a beginning, you need an ending, and you need as little as possible between the two. So, in thinking about what to say this year I came up with three options: 1) just give the same speech I gave last year (even I cannot remember what I said), 2) give Michelle Obamas’ 2012 Democratic Convention speech (seems like it got a good response again this year at the Republican Convention) or, 3) write something new.

I, of course, have opted for “something new” but, while waiting for inspiration to strike, I figured I’d see what other folks in my situation ended up doing. So, I have been actively procrastinating, reading and plagiarizing from the High Holiday speeches of dozens of temple presidents posted on the internet – and now, I feel rested (having dozed off while reading more than a handful of these). And, after reading some really bad ones, I feel like I have already been punished for sins I have yet to commit!

One recurring theme in these speeches centers on Temple leadership and volunteering. One president pointed out that there is a long Jewish tradition of not volunteering to be a leader, but of agreeing to serve if called. For example, Moses did not volunteer to lead the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and, when chosen (by God), made all sorts of excuses as to why he should not be the one to do so. We all know how that turned out.

But why do we seek reluctant leaders, those who only step up when asked? Maybe because many of us question whether or not we can take on the responsibility or have the skills needed to be an effective leader; but if someone else believes that we do, maybe we are willing to try? Of course, if God asks you, it is hard to say no (God being all-knowing and all). But if the Nominations Committee asks you, think twice before trying to convince them and yourself that you don’t have the time or skills to lead. If you are asked, somebody believes that you do!

When I was first asked to take on a leadership position at Temple Sinai, I was surprised and said “No, not now.” When I was asked again, I agreed to serve. Later, in my first year as Treasurer, I was asked by a friend and fellow Temple Sinai congregant “Why in the world would you agree to serve as Treasurer?”, which made me think: “They’re right – why did I agree to this?!” But then I thought about what I was learning and contributing and about the wonderfully talented and generous people I was meeting and working with, and I realized how fortunate I was to have agreed to do this. The next year, this very same person, by the way, also answered a similar call in the affirmative and stepped up to a leadership position on our Board. So, volunteer (we will not think any less of you!) or, if asked, please do agree to serve – you will not regret it!

Another theme of these speeches is to take stock of the highlights of the previous year at the synagogue. Gosh, where to start? Well, we had an amazing three-day celebration of Temple Sinai’s 50th Anniversary – we had special music, special worship, an evening of Jewish humor with Rabbi Bob Alper, and an afternoon of music, food and family fun. Most importantly, we had lots of people helping celebrate our Jubilee: current members, old friends who had moved away, and new friends from the community. A splendid time was had by all!

Also this year: with the help of Dahg, Temple Sinai’s house band, we rocked Shabbat; we sang together at our Folk Services on the first Friday of each month; and we got an early start on Shabbat with a monthly early service led by fellow congregants. We explored the absurdities of this year’s election with a home-grown hilarious Purim Spiel, we marched with Pride, we donated our blood, we donated and we delivered food, we learned about (and tasted!) chocolate, we explored Modern Israel, we gathered for a 2nd night Seder, and we ate BBQ (totally kosher!). We prayed and we learned, we laughed and we cried together.

Most exciting for me were the joint folk/youth services we had on the first Fridays in January through May this year. To see our religious school children leading and participating in these services – from the oldest about to start their Bat and Bar Mitzvah preparation to the little pitselehs who could not contain their excitement – and to see their parents and fellow congregants kvell was truly a magical and inspiring experience. Oh, and did I mention the food? Hosted by the parents and members of our committees, each youth/folk service was followed by a themed dinner. These were a big hit and will resume again in 2017, so mark your calendars now!

And there’s more: just look at the calendar on the Temple website and take note of the events that interest you – and if you have an idea for something that is not on the schedule, let’s talk and see if we can add it!

Ok, so at this point in most President speeches, there is a humorous interlude. Most of you who know me recognize that I do not appreciate humor, nor do I feel it appropriate to bring such levity into these oh so serious remarks during the holiest of our religious observances.

So, instead, let me tell you a story from my very first Board meeting as President. Rabbi happened to be away at a CCAR retreat that month and so I asked our Spiritual Committee Chair to present the D’var for the meeting. It did not go well, so I asked Rabbi upon his return what the tradition was for presenting the D’var during his absence. He asked why and I explained that when the Spiritual Committee Chair started giving the D’var, they were interrupted by Board members insisting that when the Rabbi was away, we skip the D’var, but then another faction on the Board insisted that the D’var continue and there was yelling and screaming that only stopped when I broke down in tears, sobbing. “Well, that,” said Rabbi, “is our tradition.”

Common to most speeches is also some kind of message – something to get folks to thinking and discussing something other than the bad jokes they’ve been subjected to.

This time of year, I begin thinking about cycles in nature and how they are represented in the Jewish faith, in our holidays and rituals. You know, cycles like the moon orbiting the Earth every month, the Earth circling around the sun each year. We experience and celebrate the passing of time by marking the seasons: winter, spring, mud, winter, mud, spring, mud, summer (ok, these are Vermont cycles!). And the holidays follow: from Rosh Hashanah, to Yom Kippur, to Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot, Tish’a B’Av and then back to Rosh Hashanah. And every seven days, we rest - Shabbat.

We see cycles everywhere: in the school year, in agriculture, in our climate, in business and the economy, in music. There’s the carbon cycle, the Krebbs cycle, the water cycle, the Carnot cycle, even the seemingly never ending Election cycle. Sometimes we have to wait for a long time to even notice a cycle (most of us will only experience Halley’s Comet once in our lives – next up: 2061, mark your calendars!). And sometimes things cycle so quickly, we think of them as being steady-state. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Cycles are reassuring – it comforting to know that the sun will rise tomorrow to start a new daily cycle. But with each cycle, something changes. Sometimes the change is almost imperceptible; other times, the change is profound. Each year, the moon moves an additional 1.6 inches away from the Earth and the Earth’s rotation slows. But with each passing year, our (once) infant children, grow bigger and smarter by leaps and bounds until they tower over us and can no longer count on us to answer their increasingly complex questions.

So, even with each cycle, there is change. We do not end up back where we started. Each time we go through a cycle, we either progress or we regress a bit. Each year, while my kids get smarter and faster, I seem to slow down, feel more aches and pains, and take just a bit longer to remember where I parked my car (or worse: where I left my keys . . . oh, they are in my hands!).

Cycles, then, are less like circles and more like spirals – our starting position changes with each cycle.

As Jews, we recognized early on that progress with each cycle depended on our working to make things better. We have to work for peace. We have to study if we are to gain knowledge. We need to anticipate the changes that will happen if we leave things unattended, and then work to counteract those changes if we are to see progress.

But this work is not free – it takes time, energy, resources, and attention; and these are in limited supply. There is only so much we can spare. If we work for progress in one area, then we have fewer (or no) resources in another.

I am talking about sustainability – and from my Jewish perspective, I see that this has always been a part of our faith and tradition. In his talk last year at the Summit of Conscience for the Climate, Nigel Savage (who leads the Jewish sustainability organization Hazon), said:

“the Jewish people have been thinking about sustainable energy ever since God spoke to Moses out of a bush that was burning but never consumed. Moses might have been the first environmentalist: He recycled a staff into a snake, he got Egypt to turn off all its lights for three days, and he convinced an entire nation to go on a 40-year nature hike.”

Torah teaches us that God has given us control over the natural world, but also that we have the responsibility to care for it. So, we can’t just consume and take what was created, we must replenish what we have taken. But simply re-creating what we have consumed is not truly sustainable. Each day, the world’s population increases by nearly a quarter of a million people – for sustainable consumption, what we replenish needs to increase, not simply equal what we have consumed.

So how can we repair the world (Tikkun Olam) when faced with this reality? Judaism provides insights and guidance that can direct us towards the right path. When we do mitzvot, we are giving back, replenishing what was given to us and to others. Each of us needs to ask ourselves what we are able to do; and recognizing that we must do something is the first step.

But sustainability is not just a physical concept – this also applies to how we, as people, interact with each other. How we treat our family and friends as well as strangers and sworn enemies. Whether we act with love and compassion or hatred and cruelty. Jewish ideas about social justice, speaking up to protect and advocate for those who are most vulnerable, guide us here.

We cannot do this only as individuals – if we act as a community, we amplify our actions in ways that we can never do alone. If we act locally, we can contribute to and be a part of a global solution.

Our congregation, Temple Sinai, is one such community. And as much as I marveled at the wonderful and varied activities across our 50th Anniversary weekend last June, I also wondered whether our Temple Sinai community would be around to celebrate a 100th Anniversary. How sustainable are we? It takes a lot of work to keep our community healthy, to keep it moving forward. We have a small but dedicated staff, but we rely on our members to serve on and chair committees, to provide leadership on the Board, to volunteer their time.

And we are nearing the end of another cycle, the Rabbinic cycle. As you know, Rabbi Glazier, after more than 35 years as the spiritual leader of our Congregation, will be retiring in 2018. We have initiated a search process that must engage everyone at Temple Sinai and will require active involvement if we are to be successful. If you are interested in serving on one of the four search subcommittees or just want to help out with the search process, please indicate your interest using the online form on the Rabbinic Search tab (http://www.templesinaivt.org/rabbinic-search) on our website; take one of the paper forms on your way out today as a reminder (you can also fill out the paper form, but be sure to return it to Temple no later than October 15th).

While the search is important, exciting, and bittersweet, it is the start of this process that is most important. It is a process of self-discovery for us, where we as a Congregation explore who we are, where we are as reform Jews, and what we aspire to become. For this, we need to engage everyone in this discussion.

The Board began this process earlier this year when we reconsidered Temple Sinai’s Mission and Vision, statements that try to encapsulate who we are and who we aspire to be. But these are starting points, snapshots of our thinking today, and they are subject to change based on this process. So, whether you are able and interested in being part of the search process or not, we want to hear from everyone. Only then can we discover who we are and where we are headed, so that our vibrant progressive reform Jewish community will not only be sustained, but thrive and prosper with each cycle of new years.

I wish all of you and your families a sweet, healthy New Year, filled with joy and naches.

L’Shana Tova,

Joel Goldberg

A Mission and a Vision for Temple Sinai

I know that you scour the Temple Sinai website looking for new content to devour each day, so it will come as no surprise to you that: we have new Mission and Vision statements! (No, really, please keep reading, I promise this blog posting will pick up . . . )

You might be thinking: “I did not even know we HAD Mission or Vision Statements, let alone new ones!”

Well, we did – and we do. You may have noticed them in the Board ad in the Jubilee Commemorative Booklet.

“Ok, but, just what are Mission and Vision Statements anyway?”

Our Mission Statement explains who we are, while our Vision Statement serves as a guide to where we would like to be in the future. Take a look:

Temple Sinai’s Mission: We are a diverse, egalitarian, and inclusive community of Jews and interfaith families.  We joyfully embrace Judaism as a way of life through prayer, music, social action, celebrating Jewish holidays, lifelong learning, and life cycle events. Through these activities we seek to promote spiritual growth, moral values, and the social welfare of our community.

Temple Sinai’s Vision: Temple Sinai strives to be a joyful, energetic, accepting, innovative, caring, and accessible faith community. We choose to practice and teach Jewish traditions in our community, so that Jews and Judaism will continue to flourish both in Vermont and in an ever-changing world. We believe that support for a safe and prosperous State of Israel is an important part of our Jewish identity.

And for future reference, you can always find them online, here:

http://www.templesinaivt.org/about/our-mission

Why are these important or relevant to us, you might ask? Truth be told, these look fairly pedestrian, with aspirations and affirmations that seem to fit well with what we expect from Temple Sinai. Who could argue with being “joyful” or “accepting” and “inclusive”?

The Temple Sinai Board, that’s who!

What seems to be so obvious (now) engaged the Board in some fascinating discussions about who we are (Mission), what we aspire to (Vision), as well as who we are not and what we could not agree upon. From initial drafts crafted by Ginny Greenblott and Jan Orlansky, we debated, argued (ok, we talked loudly), nibbled and chopped, rearranged and rewrote sentences and finally voted on our final preferences to get these two statements.

Why is this important? The Board acts to serve the Congregation – if we are not clear as to who we are (Mission) and what our values are, then how are we able to ensure that what we do at Temple Sinai focuses on what is most important? We must know what we aspire to be (Vision) if we are to ever be able to stretch and possibly reach as high as we wish. We must know who we are (Mission) and why we exist if we are to be able to act to build and sustain a cohesive community.

Ok, so now what? These are not the Ten Commandments and we are not going to “inscribe them on the doorposts of our houses and upon our gates”, but we do need to be mindful of them when we are thinking about how to develop meaningful programming, how to resolve conflicting needs in the Congregation or, more generally, how we can embody the ideas and values represented in these statements in the things that we do (and in the way that we do them) at Temple Sinai.

If we use these statements as guides to our actions, we will not need to emblazon them everywhere we look at Temple Sinai as we will see them embedded and reflected in our programming, and in how we interact with fellow Congregants and the broader community (but you will find them posted at various times and locations so we can be mindful of them). They should be a reminder of who and what we are and aspire to rather than directives at odds with our values. And these statements are dynamic and will change as we change, molded by our process of measuring our actions against the standards set in these two statements.

What do you think of our new Vision and Mission statements? Please let me know! I look forward to hearing what we got right and suggestions for how we can do better.

Shalom,

Joel (president@templesinaivt.org)

March 21, 2016 - President's Blog

I remember when we used to have a print copy of the Shofar sent to each family at Temple Sinai each month. It's been a while since this was done, but I remember turning to the President's column to see what they had to say each month, and wondering how they could find something new to write about each month. During my time as President of Temple Sinai, I have never lacked for topics to write about - I've only lacked the TIME to do the writing!

But I think that this is an important way to communicate to our Temple Sinai community and I have resolved to find the time to write something - regardless of how short (or long!) - each and every month this year. If you read something you like or would like to know more about, please let me know. If you read something that awakens a concern or motivates you to become more involved or to respond to something I've written, please let me know those thoughts as well!

Each month I plan on highlighting some of the things that have been going on at Temple that you may or may not be aware of. The good news is that there is a LOT to report on and it is not too late to put things on your calendar to attend and/or be a part of. This month, let me start with: Shabbat Services.

Yes, you know, they are on Friday evenings and, when there are B'nai Mitzvot, Saturday mornings, too. Maybe you did not know that the first Friday of every month is a Folk Service that starts at 5:30 pm, rather than the usual 7:30 pm? Maybe you did not also know that, starting in January of this year, these Folk Services have been a joint effort with students in our religious school (each month, a different grade level)? I can tell you from personal experience these past three months, that seeing our Religious School students leading parts of our Friday night worship has been nothing short of a delight. To see these youngest members of our Congregation reading prayers (in Hebrew and in English), describing the parts of our worship service, and teaching us new things about Jewish faith and traditions, makes me kvell. In addition, after the service, the families of the students, along with the members of two of our Temple Sinai committees, provide dinner for the Congregation. These have been inspiring and meaning-filled evenings and, if you have not yet had the opportunity to attend and participate, please mark your calendars for Friday, April 1st - no foolin', this is not to be missed.

I mentioned that services are regularly at 7:30 pm on the remaining Fridays of each month. For some, whether those with young families or - in my case - those who have a hard time staying awake past 9 pm, this can be too late for regular attendance on the remaining Friday's of the month. Beginning in January, the Spiritual Committee (led by Marc Kamhi) authorized an earlier service to be offered at 6 pm on the last Friday of each month, and led by lay members of the Congregation. In January, Marc Kamhi and Jeff Solomon led the service, while in February, Marc teamed up with Bruce Hicken to lead this early service. I attended both services and, I will confess, that it was nice to be at Temple at a time that better fit with the timing of my conscious state and, it was inspirational to see fellow congregants taking on the responsibility of leading those of us in attendance in worship, prayer and song! The next one will be on March 25th (this Friday!) and I know that Marc welcomes all who wish to attend as well as those who may be interested in helping lead these early services. These will continue on the last Friday of each month through May (Why? During the summer months - June, July and August - Folk and regular services are held every Friday at 6 pm).

What about "regular" Friday night services? I don't mean to downplay our weekly Friday evening worship that - I hope - everyone is aware of. Many attend every Friday (you could say, "religiously") and there is a wonderful community of those who are there each week (or each week that they are able). Periodically, Rabbi invites guest speakers who enrich our worship with their presentations about issues and organization's that both inform as well as prompt discussion, debate, and action. We share in lifecycle events, from baby namings to remembering and celebrating the memories of those family members who are no longer here with us. For many of us, we look forward to learning something new about our faith, our culture, Torah, as Rabbi teaches us in his D'var each week.

You should also know that all of this does not just "happen" each Friday. Our Temple Administrator - Michael Levine - prepares a weekly handout that lists the week's Yahrzeits, birthdays, and anniversaries as well as upcoming events at Temple Sinai. A member of the Temple Sinai Board sits on the Bimah and starts our Friday evening worship with some announcements of events and classes and Temple programming that might be of interest to the Congregation.

And there is food - an Oneg - that is sponsored by members of the Congregation each week. Sometimes these are special oneg/events sponsored by Temple Sinai committees or groups, but usually they are the provided by members who want to take the opportunity to sponsor the gathering of our congregants and guests in the social hall after our Friday evening worship. Are you wondering how YOU can offer an Oneg? It's easy and it is fun and there is a signup available online on the Temple Sinai website (click on “Oneg Schedule” under the “Community” heading). Are you interested but unsure of what or how to do an Oneg? We'd love to pair you with an experienced Oneg offerer for your first time! Just let me know that you are interested and we will pair you with someone more experienced so that you can also share the naches that comes with sponsoring an Oneg!

That’s all for this month – hope to see you at Shabbat services soon!

Board Installation Service Remarks

January 29, 2016

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi invited me to say a few words about Temple Leadership tonight – a fitting topic at this service where we install our Board.

Temple Sinai is not unlike many other not-for-profit organizations in that we have a paid staff and volunteer governance. And, like many other organizations, we started as a community of people with a shared passion and commitment who carved out time from their lives to create, nurture, and support that community. As the community grew, it became necessary to add paid staff to be able to support the activities and environment that attracted people to be a part of that community. In a faith-based community, such as Temple Sinai, first we hired a Rabbi to serve as our spiritual leader. And, as we continued to grow, and as the community’s expectations grew, we began adding to our paid staff (often recognizing some core volunteer commitments as meriting financial compensation).

As a result, we have an amazing staff – and, for what we as a congregation expect, are able to meet those expectations with a very lean operation. However, sometimes having such an accomplished and passionate paid support staff can create the illusion that we are not in need of lay leadership. After all, we are busy – we have “day jobs” with responsibilities that often extend into the evenings and weekends and holidays – and it is easy to think of OUR role as one that supports what our staff does . . . to begin thinking of Temple Sinai as a pay-for-service organization, rather than as a spiritual community.

This is a slippery slope. If all we are is an organization providing services to its members for an annual fee, then we are no longer a spiritual community dedicated to serving, embracing and engaging our Jewishness . . . supporting the three pillars of Judaism: prayer, study, and good deeds.

I think of the four children in the Passover story and one child serves as a cautionary example, when they ask: “What does this mean to YOU?” If we become a service organization rather than a community, we begin to think of Temple Sinai as “YOU” rather than as “US”.  If we expect to be served, then we isolate ourselves from the congregation and don’t accept the responsibilities that come with being part of a community.

This is why it is so important that we have a strong and committed and active lay leadership in Temple Sinai. So that we are able to shape and direct, build and develop our community. This takes commitment and this takes time – but not so much time as commitment, as we can contribute in ways that fit for us. Serve on a committee (where the real detail work is done) and you can see the immediate impact of your efforts. Chair a committee and oversee and lead the discussion and implementation of the group’s ideas. Serve on the Board and see how it all fits together.

But this is not like volunteering just anywhere – committing your time to Temple governance reinforces your community, your faith and provides opportunities for learning and personal growth. Our Board members all participate in governance at levels that feed into the Board. They represent the Temple in the broader community as well as represent to the Board constituencies within the congregation. Each Board member sits on the Bimah a couple of times each year as a representative of the Board. They host onegs and help make our community more welcoming for visitors and new members. In short: they act as role models for an engaged congregation.

Let me close by acknowledging and thanking our wonderful staff for providing the support that enables each of us to contribute to the Temple Sinai community. And let me thank the members of the Board (please stand!) for taking on a leadership role, by giving of their time and wisdom, and leading by example so that we all have a more meaningful, deeper, more connected Jewish community at Temple Sinai.

Shabbat Shalom!