Sunday night our local United Synagogue Region ("Seaboard") honored its young leaders. It's the second year for this wonderful program. Last year we honored Laura Wallace and this year Marcie Lerner. The future of our synagogues is not only our children, but also the young committed adults who are the present and future leadership of our sacred communities. It is one of the best things United Synagogue does.
There's so much in the press last week about the tensions between United Synagogue and the other arms of the Conservative movement. A new Executive Director is being hired as the movement changes its top leadership at the Seminary, Rabbinical Assembly and USCJ, in just a few years. Unlike the Reform Movement, the center of our movement historically has not been the synagogue (UAHC now called URJ). The Jewish Theological Seminary was the wellspring of Conservative Judaism and as it trained rabbis, educators and knowledgeable lay leaders - was the fulcrum of creativity, economics and therefore the ability to act. Although the hiring process of the new Exec Director was not inclusive of the broader movement, the person hired is a rabbi. More important, even Sunday night, the Regional President of Seaboard USCJ collared me for a minute... we know how crucial it is that we work together. Only by combining the resources of our community: lay, rabbinic, cantorial, educational and administrative professionals - together seriously debate and implement plans together for the spirituality of our community can we be successful. We are filled with concern for many years that Conservative Judaism is shrinking. The changes of leadership and the quest for dynamic answers to serve our constiuency fill us with hope. I still believe that Conservative Judaism is existentially correct. Judaism is about tradition and change - while we have always evolved, Judaism has survived because we have also always remained true to the essentials of Jewish life.
Finally Sunday night reminded me of how important it is to acknolwedge and thank. I am not always good with this. Often, it's not enought to just say privately or publicly thank you. Sometimes I don't take the time to write the notes that so need to be written to express my gratitude. Appreciation is a core spiritual value. That's why the last three blessings of the Amidah every day, three times a day weekday - are about gratitude: for God's Presence, for the daily miracles and for the peace we do enjoy. In the face of all the pain and suffering in the world and in our community this year - it's good to pause and realize all the blessings we do enjoy - personally, in our families and in our community.
There's so much in the press last week about the tensions between United Synagogue and the other arms of the Conservative movement. A new Executive Director is being hired as the movement changes its top leadership at the Seminary, Rabbinical Assembly and USCJ, in just a few years. Unlike the Reform Movement, the center of our movement historically has not been the synagogue (UAHC now called URJ). The Jewish Theological Seminary was the wellspring of Conservative Judaism and as it trained rabbis, educators and knowledgeable lay leaders - was the fulcrum of creativity, economics and therefore the ability to act. Although the hiring process of the new Exec Director was not inclusive of the broader movement, the person hired is a rabbi. More important, even Sunday night, the Regional President of Seaboard USCJ collared me for a minute... we know how crucial it is that we work together. Only by combining the resources of our community: lay, rabbinic, cantorial, educational and administrative professionals - together seriously debate and implement plans together for the spirituality of our community can we be successful. We are filled with concern for many years that Conservative Judaism is shrinking. The changes of leadership and the quest for dynamic answers to serve our constiuency fill us with hope. I still believe that Conservative Judaism is existentially correct. Judaism is about tradition and change - while we have always evolved, Judaism has survived because we have also always remained true to the essentials of Jewish life.
Finally Sunday night reminded me of how important it is to acknolwedge and thank. I am not always good with this. Often, it's not enought to just say privately or publicly thank you. Sometimes I don't take the time to write the notes that so need to be written to express my gratitude. Appreciation is a core spiritual value. That's why the last three blessings of the Amidah every day, three times a day weekday - are about gratitude: for God's Presence, for the daily miracles and for the peace we do enjoy. In the face of all the pain and suffering in the world and in our community this year - it's good to pause and realize all the blessings we do enjoy - personally, in our families and in our community.
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