Divrei HaRav -- Words From Weisman -- June 2010

One of the items I had promised to post here were my Temple Topics columns, and somehow, that appears not to have happened to date. And so, going back to June of this year, we attempt to make up for that shortcoming.

Divrei HaRav – Words from Weisman

One of the advantages of being the Rabbi is that, most months, I have the chance to look over the rest of the material in Temple Topics before composing my own words. Besides giving me the chance to make sure that nothing of importance is missed, it also allows me to help set the tone for the issue with my column. This month is one of those months. However, by the time I sit down to write this, I know that Rod already has TOO MUCH material for this edition, and so, I am truly being held to a word count!

So I begin by necessarily understating (but at least now I have an excuse, for cover!) my thanks to EVERYONE who helped make this a remarkably successful year for Temple Solel, especially under some trying external circumstances, like the poor economy and the re-organization at the URJ. Louise has done a remarkable job thanking those most responsible, as well as outlining the significant achievements of the last 2 years. Although neither presidents nor Rabbis ever have the chance to absolutely mention EVERYONE deserving of acknowledgment, Louise has done her typically thorough job – and I add my thanks to hers, both personally, and on behalf of our congregation.

There is, however, one person who, for obvious reasons, Louise did NOT thank. That person IS Louise. As her tenure as President comes to a close, I will let her own list of what we have accomplished over the last 2 years stand loudly as the legacy of her term. We are clearly better off as a congregation at the conclusion of her term than we were at its start, and for that she deserves thanks from ALL of us for a difficult job in a difficult moment done very well!

I want to congratulate our newly elected board, and our new President, Bob Levin. Obviously he, and they, will have large shoes to fill, and still have some significant challenges to face. I look forward to working with him, and them, along with our newly elected Sisterhood leadership, our re-emerging Men’s Club, SOSTY, and more, to make Temple Solel as strong as we can be collectively, and making membership and involvement as positive an experience for each of us as individuals as well.

And, I want to thank the congregation for your continued support for, toleration of, and faith in me as our spiritual leader, as demonstrated in (what has not yet occurred as I write this, but hopefully will by the time you read this, or we will all have egg on our faces!) your approval of my new contract extension. As I conclude my tenth year at Solel, this truly has become home, not only for me, but for my family. I look forward to continuing to grow together with you over these next five years, as much or more than we have over the last 10!

There is much more that you need to know, that I want to share, and I will try to do so briefly in short articles that may follow this column or be spread all over this edition as space warrants. I will be here, as usual, through July 4th, before taking my customary time off, this time to serve on the faculties of BOTH Camp Harlam and our new URJ 6 Points Sports Academy. I will be back, as always, after the first week in August, and look forward to celebrating my 50th birthday, as I did my 40th, back here at home. I wish everyone a good, healthy, and Jewish summer that leaves us all reinvigorated, and ready to face 5771 together in strength and joy.

Temple Solel – A URJ Leader in Supporting Jewish Camping

Despite the economy, and the Rabbi’s promise to back off pushing for participation in Jewish summer camping programs, Temple Solel will be sending a record number of our young people to Jewish summer camps this summer! Our 19 campers, 1 staff member (and 1 Rabbinic faculty member!) represent just under 20% of our religious school enrollment (even though our religious school encompasses a greater age range!) The few congregations that send more kids to Jewish summer camps than we do have much larger school populations. In addition to 13 campers and a staff member at Harlam, and 5 at 6 Points, we will also be represented among the participants at Camp Louise this summer. We look forward to acknowledging ALL of the campers and families when the summer is over, and learning from the experiences and excitement you will surely bring home to the rest of us.