The Days of Awe are approaching––the High Holy Days. Time when we take stock and attempt to redeem ourselves before our Creator. So often, as the actual days arrive, I find myself feeling somehow unprepared. The holidays seem to demand that we be prepared, that we reflect, that we seek forgiveness from those that we have wronged in any way, and finally to seek forgiveness from God. A tall order. Not something that we can leap into by arriving at synagogue just in time for the holidays and taking our seats.

I do not come from an observant background, so some of the ritual still remains somewhat new to me. But, what I do yearn for is some meaning that I can take away from these ten days, and Shomrei and our Rabbi never fail to deliver. How well I remember the first sermon the Rabbi gave upon his arrival five years ago on the dangers of a society being consumed by fear. Sadly, not much has changed in the world. We still are a society that is dominated by fear and “talking heads” who scream at each other, never taking a moment to reflect or think about what they are saying. Continue reading →

With the adoption of the sustaining share membership model and the approval of a no-nonsense bottoms-up budget, Shomrei begins a new era, one which I believe will usher in energy and a new sense of possibility. The challenge now is to keep the momentum going. Our plan is to do just that. The next task for us is to develop a comprehensive volunteer program that speaks to the desire of our stakeholders to be more engaged and invested in our community. The kick-off event will be a High Holiday Volunteer Workshop to be given Wednesday, September 9th at 7:30 PM. Everyone in our community – including, but not limited to our experienced ushers, gabaim, greeters, etc.–– is invited to participate as we discuss the opportunity that the HHDs present to welcome and embrace our members, guests, and visitors in the holiday season. Our goal is to ensure that all attending are greeted warmly and welcomed into our community.

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This past Shavuot a number of us attended a Tikkun Liel Shavuot sponsored by Shomrei and four other synagogues in the area. The guest speaker was Rabbi Norman J. Cohen. His topic… Midrashim on Hineni. I found his lecture particularly illuminating as I have always thought about Hineni (Here I am) in a biblical context. However, he talked about it in modern terms, illustrating his point with several stories about his father and the need for him as a son to be present in his father’s life as his father entered his senior years and cried out in different ways for the attention of his son. What Rabbi Cohen described was the need and the power of declaring one’s presence in other people’s lives.

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The choice is yours! The date for voting approaches!

On Wednesday, May 27th at 7:30 PM, Shomrei will have its annual meeting. While these meetings are always important, the fact is that historically only a small percentage of the congregation attends. However, there will be one item in particular that will make this Annual Meeting different from all others – we will be voting on the adoption of the Sustaining Share membership model for Shomrei.

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I have been fortunate enough to have been a member of three synagogues. At each, no matter how good things are, the often-prevailing conversation begins with the words, “The trouble with this place is…” It is so easy to find fault, rather than to celebrate.

As a relatively new congregant (I have been at Shomrei for five years) and now president, I am simply overwhelmed by what Shomrei has to offer. And by that, I do not mean only our incredibly devoted and learned Rabbi, our diverse membership, the programs and services that one would expect from a community such as ours, or our committed Preschool and JLC Education Directors, or our Executive Director and staff, but the very spirit of the place.

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