As Temple Shalom moves into a new fiscal year with a new board and leadership, we want to take the time to say thank you to Sharon and Toby for all the work they put in and all they accomplished during the last two years. They became co-presidents of Temple Shalom during a period of unprecedented change and they navigated the resulting hurdles with grace.
Now that our Temple is reopening and we can come together in more expanded ways, we want to take the time to refocus on kehillah – on community. During the past two years we have welcomed several new members even as others moved away. We have also seen expressions of interest in our community from many who are not yet members. In the coming weeks and months, we want to take action to reinforce and increase community links between our older and younger, our long-serving and new members. Be on the lookout for news and opportunities to make kehillah.
As we work to strengthen our community, we are also coming into our new position as co-presidents with a back-to-the-basics mentality. Temple Shalom is heading into its 13th year in our beautiful synagogue. Just as our building needs maintenance, so do our policies and procedures to ensure we are in a strong place to guide our growth in the years to come. Policy, governance and maintenance are not the exciting parts of leadership, but they are the framework upon which a strong congregation is built. Temple members can look for more information in the coming weeks as the new board discusses next steps and priorities.
Jewish texts tell us that participation in communal affairs is not just part of our Jewish experience, but actually a religious obligation. Although we express our Judaism in diverse ways, the sense of Judaism as a “peoplehood” prevails as a defining trait for many of us. At Temple Shalom, our commitment to community has allowed us to grow and thrive for over 30 years. As we look back to the founders of Temple Shalom, may we continue to honor their commitment to kehillah, and persist with the hard work of coming together again and again in the name of community.
Above all, we look forward to working with you, communing with you and celebrating with you for the next two years of our tenure. Please reach out to either of us if you have questions, ideas or input. We are always interested in hearing from you. Years ago, our esteemed community leader, Daniel Levine created a cheer for our religious school students: “Rah, Rah for Kehillah! Unity, Unity We Love Community!” May we all come together in the spirit of community as we work together to ensure Temple Shalom’s continued success.
Erin Cohen and Melissa Woods
