Skip to main content

My Words from the TBE Bash 2023

 Good Evening.


What an honor it is to see you all tonight. First and foremost, thank you to Derek, Shayna, and the gala committee for putting together this fabulous evening. Thank you to everyone from our staff, clergy, members, and sponsors for helping make tonight possible. And, of course, a heartfelt thank you to my family for being here with me tonight and by my side, as Myra would, too. I love you all.


Standing up here tonight, there are many faces I have known for years, and what a joy to see you all. At the same time, there are faces I have yet to meet, which shows the congregation’s growth. From seasoned members to new members, we are all a temple family, and may tonight be a joyous evening to share our love for our community and each other.


For those I have known for many years, I appreciate your commitment and dedication to the temple. To the newer members, I appreciate your commitment to joining this great synagogue and helping it move forward into the future. Together, each and everyone one of us makes this place wonderful. Temple Beth El is more than just a building; Temple Beth El is a community that is fostered by the love and kindness we bestow upon each other. That is what matters.


Lastly, to my fellow honorary co-chairs, Dick and Sheila Asher, thank you for the years of friendship and the good fortune you have vested in this synagogue.


To my family, friends, colleagues, members, and personal associates…I thank you all.


Now, let’s get back to celebrating our temple!


 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Supporting Israel Today, and Always

This past week we faced an unfathomable reality. The situation happening in Israel is complex. Our hearts are in the West while we remain in the East, trying to comprehend the inhumane destruction of our people. We sit here in confusion, sadness, anger, and some may feel hopeless.  While I always allude to hope and prayers, today, your voice and support for Israel is paramount. Education fosters understanding and counters hate, so join me in continuing to educate the community and beyond. With an open-mind and an open heart, individuals will appreciate fact-based sentiments…the very principles that perpetuate kindness, equality and connection. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors, and remember, silence is the opposite of advocacy. Silence speaks volumes and amplifies the acts of hatred against Israel and the Jewish people. The Jewish community depends on the support of our non-Jewish allies to help us stand up against hate impacting Jews in America, Israel and around the worl...

The Power in Thriving

  Where do we go from here? That is the question I am receiving each day. First and foremost, never lose hope. Then, find an organization that supports Israel and donate. If you are non-Jewish, reach out to your Jewish friends to connect and find ways to offers support. Our very fiber of humanity is kindness in connection.   How do we as Jewish Americans move forward? I must lament the criticality to never stop sharing of the war, remaining aware of the tragedies, and while rigorous, never stop living your daily life. The enemy thrive when we freeze, but we cannot permit the monsters of their ecstasy. Celebrate Judaism triumphantly each moment and embrace our Judaic joy during war. This is our power to survival.   And while we hold strong, lest the war plummets at our hearts. A turbulence of feeling helpless given the distance. An emotion I understand as my heart weeps for each child and adult murdered ever so barbarically. My brain can only muster so much yet I rem...

Moving As A Part of Life

  Moving is a part of life. We move from day one as we are welcomed into this world. We move as we reach new life milestones and academic journeys and as we encounter career paths and destinations. Life as we know it is a continuum of moving. As one can relate, part of moving requires packing our life into boxes, reflecting the passing of time and the promise of growth.   As a chapter closes, your heart and emotions are intermixed with joy, hope, and sadness, finding ways to relish the precious assets of time. My words may send buoyant memories to your heart as you recall the moves in your life journey, hoping to build new connections and friendships and settle into a new community. In 2023, settling into a new community was an achievement at my age. A life stage only possible with the support of my family and work associates, helping me find ease and calm in my new quarters set to establish new memories while holding close to the past. As my family and I packed up my ...