Thanks to You, a Beautiful Season
A Special Yontiff
I would simply like to thank everyone who made this yontiff season one of the
most beautiful and meaningful in quite some time. We always have a wonderful
month of Tishri, but this year was special. One reason it was special was that our
intentions for congregational learning were so well met. When the synagogue
decided to create a position for congregational learning, we did so without a definite sense of what the position would entail. Our success in filling this position with Rabbi Liberman has been a blessing that we are only now beginning to understand. Rabbi Liberman made the season particularly meaningful by framing it as the period “From Selichot Aura to Simhat Torah.” In a project undertaken by Rabbi Liberman, Jeanine Lange
made sure that a moving meditation arrived in our in-box each day beginning with the first day of Elul. This was a wonderful and important way to begin the season.
Many Voices Contributed
Selichot began with a movie that addressed the meaning of Jewish identity. This enabled us to move into the sanctuary and begin the season in earnest. Rabbi Eilberg once again davenned in a manner that, when combined with the lateness of the hour, allowed us to feel the timelessness of the Jewish presence. For a brief moment, we were connected across time and space to the ever-unfolding story of the Jewish people and our relationship with God. It set the stage for meaningful days of beautiful davenning inside of shul for theYamim Noraim. I am not sure there is another synagogue that is blessed with such dedicated congregants. I cannot thank them enough for their davenning— Wendy Goldberg, Yosi Gordon, SaraLynn Newberger, Natan Paradise, Emery Sher, Merril Biel, Sheldon Berkowitz, Laurie Stone, Mark Greenberg Emily Spitzer, Ellie Honan, Rachel
Altshuler, Adiv Paradise, and Adina Allen. That we have never relied on a single voice to lead this shul in prayer is itself a metaphor reminding us that all must be present inside the sanctuary of God and that multiple voices must be allowed to ring out. It is true that some people like one style more than another. But when it is all said and done, there isn’t another shul in this country that has more individuals dedicated and eager to bring forth their passion and kavanna in creating a prayerful community. What can you say about David Rischall and Sean Herstein? Each brings a distinctive style to the sounding of the shofar. It was particularly moving this year to have the children enter the sanctuary for the sounding of the shofar. What a beautiful experience. And this brings us to the wonderful efforts of Virginia Rovainen in organizing and facilitating the children’s programming over yontiff. What a stunning success. The attention to detail allowed for a much more meaningful experience for both young and old.You can’t say enough about our Torah
reading and our dedicated layners. And you really can’t imagine yontiff running so smoothly without the work of Jonathan Ehrlich doing the honors with the Ritual Committee, Bob Perry organizing the ushers and layners, and the gabbaim making shul flow so smoothly. Kol Hakavod to Laura Honan, Stuart Bear, Arielle Ehrlich who all handled yontiff masterfully. And on Sukkot, the addition of gabbai Eric Pasternak, who also procured the aravot for Hoshana Rabba, was also greatly appreciated.
Technical Arrangements Too
Then there were all the technical arrangements. The office did a phenomenal job. Deb Collins, Jeanine Lange, Cynthia Launer, together with Harold Slobof and Dianne Cohn made yontiff seamless from day to day. Ryan Schell was masterful in managing the shul premises. The USYers and Kadima kids were great in setting up the chairs and getting the sukka up and going. In addition, Suzanne Horne and Josh Greenberg did a great job of
facilitating USY and Kadima programs during the yontiff season. The kitchen worked overtime on yontiff, includingYom Kippur, to make sure that kids and the shul had food at appropriate times. To the many people who purchased Dani’s wonderful yontiff cooking—thank you. And to the people who ordered lulavim and etrogim, filling the shul with them during Sukkot Haoshanot and to the volunteers who put them together—thank you as well. Simhat Torah was tremendous too. I often wonder why people miss this day—they do so at their own peril. Subbing for our own Deb Abrams this year, Randi Roth and Sharon Benmaman made a great L’chayim kiddush on Simhat Torah day, and the crew did an outstanding job on Simhat Torah night. And the Beth Jacob singers–no one else could better lead us in dance and celebration.
Even on Yontiff, Life Goes On
And yet life goes on. During the course of yontiff, we celebrated birthdays and anniversaries and joyous events. We had a wonderful time at our open sukka on Shabbat Hol Hamoed, when Betty Rosenberg closed the curtain on the day by singing “why don’t we do this more often.” And we comforted mourners grieving with loss. Congregants served as shomrim during yontiff and made minyanim for shiva houses throughout the month of Tishri.
Sustaining Our Community
When Geoff Marshall and Louis Newman spoke to the shul on Kol Nidre night, I was truly moved by their words. This is a precious community and in many ways even more so during this difficult economic moment. Their message—that we must ensure the future vitality and strength of this community— needs to be heard loudly and clearly by us all. It is awe-inspiring to realize what this community has created. And each of us must continue to take the steps necessary to sustain this shul for generations that will follow.
May the Messages of the Season Resonate
For two months leading up to Tishri and for the month of Tishri my life is filled with yontiff images. I pray that the messages of this yontiff season will continue to resonate during the unfolding of this year and that we all have the privilege of being present next year as well, in good health and in better times.
Rabbi Morris J. Allen