As we look towards the summer,
many people are starting to talk about the fact that the High Holy Days are really
early this year. Labor Day will arrive, and two days later, on the evening of
Wednesday, September 4th, we will come together in the synagogue to
celebrate the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. It is hard to believe that by the
time we are half way through the month of September, Yom Kippur will be over
for another year. And this, therefore, is the last Connections of the Jewish
year 5773.
New years can be bittersweet
occasions, they are times for hellos and goodbyes and they are time to look
back at where we have been and look forward to where we will be going.
As we look back over the last
year I am once again struck by the wonderful young people who fill the halls
and rooms of The Community Synagogue. As a congregation we are blessed by many
wonderful gifts, but, in my opinion, the greatest blessing we have is the young
people, from the ECC through until 12th grade, who consider this
place to be their second home.
One of the elements of my job
which I really enjoy are the Friday morning services with the children of the
ECC. These kids feel completely comfortable sitting in the pews, they know the
words to many of our prayers and songs, they understand the importance of the
Torah and I hope they bring this love of Judaism home to their families. There
is something truly special about the excitement with which the Shabbat boys and
Shabbat girls take hold of their fluffy Torah, ready to march it around the
synagogue. As they turn five we know that we will be saying goodbye to the
daily connection which we currently have with these children; but we know that
we will be saying hello as they join the kindergarten of the Religious school.
Once again this year I have been
overwhelmed by the inspiring young men and women who have become Bnei Mitzvah
on the bimah at The Community Synagogue. These young people have taken hold of
the Torah as their own, and they have shared with us so many valuable lessons. I
particularly enjoy the Divrei Torah (Torah commentaries) that they
share; demonstrating the potential each and every time to find new lessons and
meaning in our ancient Scripture. While they have their Jewish childhood
behind, I truly hope that they all realize that as Jewish adults the New Year
holds so many more opportunities for them to be engaged and involved members of
the community.
And as we have celebrated another
class becoming Kabbalat Torah there is something bittersweet about this moment
in their Jewish lives. There is so much joy and celebration at watching these teenagers
declare their commitment to our faith and our people. They have been so engaged
in this community through Hebrew Chai, POWTY and our teen philanthropy
foundation that we have grown accustomed to seeing them around the synagogue
several times a week. And while we know that with them our community is in safe
hands for the future, there is sadness that they are closing this chapter of
their Jewish journey, and that we will (probably) be seeing less of them next
year.
And then finally there are those
twelfth graders who have remained involved right until the very end of their
school lives, before heading off into the big wide world for College. During
the POWTY Shabbat, Rabbi Z and I commented on how we were going to miss those
twelfth graders. But I know that we are proud of the young men and women they
have become, and the fact that they will be wonderful representatives of the
Jewish people and of The Community Synagogue wherever they go.
It is possible that my focus on
the youth of the synagogue this month comes from the changes in my own family
situation. Micol and I have been so touched by the generosity, the love and the
care with which Gabriella has been welcomed by our community.
New Years can be bittersweet
occasions. But when we look at all of the wonderful young people who have been
a part of our community this past year, we can look forward with hope and
optimism for the year which lies ahead.
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