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President's
| Mark Kirsch
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Dear Friends,
It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I last had the privilege of addressing all of you from the bema.
And what a year it has been. Once again,
led by our extraordinary clergy and senior
staff, a committed and diligent office
staff, devoted teachers, an engaged and
thoughtful board of trustees and executive
committee, and many hard-working
volunteers, our synagogue was filled with activity as we took on
the work of a vibrant congregation: varied educational offerings,
beautiful worship services, meaningful social action projects,
celebrations, and so much more.
One of the many uplifting things about this time of year is that it is
a time when we often welcome new members into our midst. This
is wonderful not just because it may evidence continued growth,
but also because it helps to keep us from remaining stagnant or
too comfortable; new members challenge us. In breathing new life
into our community they keep us looking ahead, moving forward,
thinking about how we can meet new needs and address different
perspectives. To those of you here tonight that have recently joined
our community—welcome. I urge all of us to reach out to our newest
members as they learn about what our community has to offer. You
will find their names in our latest Bulletins.
Thinking about membership, about “joining” B’nai Israel, has led
me to consider another question that we would probably all benefit
from asking ourselves from time to time: “Why are we here?” This
question does not necessarily require a particularly deep response.
My wife likes to tell the story of the small child who asked her mother, “Mommy, where do I come from?” The mother wrestles for 20 minutes with convoluted explanations of how babies are made, only to discover that what her child really meant was: “Am I from Connecticut or New York”? Sometimes, at least the initial answer is simpler. So why are we here? We’re here because our children are of religious school age and we want them to have an outstanding Jewish education.
We’re here out of a sense of tradition. We’re here because of a commitment to our Jewish faith. We’re here because we want to belong to a community. Often it is a combination of some or all of these, and, I’m sure, for other reasons as well. All of the various purposes that have brought us together are important.
And, of course, the beauty of our congregation is that all of these
goals are so well served here. Our religious school provides a first-rate
education to our children, one that encourages family involvement
so that our children do as we do, not just as we say. Our commitment
to faith is evidenced and furthered by just about everything that goes
on here, and we provide a truly engaged community for those that
seek it out.
Thinking about why we, and those around us, are here, helps
us, I think, to understand the differing needs of our B’nai Israel
community, as well as the many ways that we all, as a congregation,
try to meet those needs. It may also give us the impetus to try
something new, to connect in a different way. So, in the year 5772,
consider taking one of the classes we offer, volunteer in some way,
visit our library, deliver food to a congregant in need, come to a
Shabbat service, sing in the choir, celebrate in the sukkah. If you are
here to drop off your children at Religious School, stay and have
a cup of coffee in our lounge area and chat with other Religious
School parents. By connecting here, by taking a more active role in
this community, you will be enriched and you will be enriching this
congregation.
And yes, the many things B’nai Israel offers to us to meet our collective expectations take resources. It takes all of those people I first mentioned—our clergy and senior staff, our office staff, our teachers, our board of trustees and officers, and all of our many, many volunteers. And it takes financial support.
No president wants his or her presidency to be primarily about financial issues—so concerned about our financial stability that the topic of conversation is too frequently about fundraising and similar matters. And, of course, we do too many wonderful things here for that to be the case. Yet, the truth is, there is always a little more of a focus on finances than anyone would like. These also are the realities of “running” a synagogue.
As I said last year, each year is a challenge—to provide all that we
do, in a way that properly recognizes those who work so hard for us,
and in a way that allows us to adequately meet the needs of those
who require financial assistance, and to do all of this in the context
of what continue to be difficult economic times.
So I again ask those who are able to consider contributing “above
and beyond.” We can meet our challenges if we come together as
a community, relying on each other, sharing our various strengths
and resources.
Our congregants give in so many ways: Some give of their time
and effort; some, if they are able, give additional financial support;
many do both. In truth, for a community such as ours to survive
and flourish, we need it all; but we can make a commitment to you:
We will do our very best to make your volunteer commitments
worthwhile and rewarding; we’ll try to engage you where you
want to be engaged and where you will feel the most personal
satisfaction; we’ll do all that we can to use your donations wisely to
meet the important needs that we face, and so that we can continue
to provide the community, worship experiences, and programs that
we all cherish and value from our synagogue. And we will do so
with respect for all of the different types of contributions that we are
all able to make.
On behalf of myself and my family, Anne, Alison and Emily, I wish each of you a sweet, happy and healthy new year.
L’Shanah Tovah!
Mark A. Kirsch, President
[These remarks are reprinted from Mark’s address given at Erev Rosh Hashanah services, Wednesday, September 28, 2011.]