Words of the Rabba

 

The receiving of the Shabat, lectures, holidays, happenings and circles - many targets for a not very large community. For somebody from the outside it looks as if things are done all by themselves, but if you stop a minute and think, you will understand that of course this is not so. Of course there are things that stream like the reception of the Shabat and the lectures, but even for those it needs investment of people who mostly do these works voluntarily. Somebody has to prepare the list of the turn of duty of the Khazanim and the lecturers. Somebody has to take care that the lecturer send a short version of their lectures to the newspapers in time, to remind and sometimes to remind again (thanks to Ester Sohar !!!). The person on duty has to be aware that their month of duty arrived and that they should come to perform it.

And I still did not speak about the larger happenings and the holidays, that need a lot more preparation  of a lot more people. And what about the holidays? and the relation with sister communities in the US, "Oak Park Temple", and the hosting of  their youth group in the summer of 2008, and how we can have the members of the community participate more? Maybe we want too much but from the other side how can we grow if we go on to keep quiet with what we have? Maybe in their hearts the members of our community are not so interested to grow?

All these are questions important enough to find an answer them, first of all to ourselves. The community is a mirror of the members, and a mirror of their will. In order to start giving an answer to these questions and to see how to proceed  according to the vision of the community that we formulated some 4 years ago. This coming Motza'e Shabat we shall have a "meeting". In order that the community shall advance in the direction of the will of the majority of its members the presence of as many as possible is very important.

One more word that is connected herewith: Two weeks ago I took part in the celebration of initiation of 5 new Rabbanim, a very emotional moment that put me back one year. From one side it felt like it happened only yesterday that I stood there and on the other is was as if it happened many years ago. That reminds me  that very soon it will be a year that I am your Rabba on a half day basis. I am trying to make a professional soulsearching: what did I and what did I not do this year, where did I succeed and where not, what was good and what not. I would like to hear from you what you believe.

 I wish everybody a successful meeting with many participants with ongoing momentum.

Yours in love, Corrie