President’s remarks – RH 1 – September 10, 2018
Welcome! I am Henry Morris, President of Shir Hadash.
It is our custom at Shir Hadash for the president to address the congregation on Rosh Hashanah. As someone new to this office, this is my first opportunity to do so. So this is a new event. Yet so much of this situation seems not at all new.
After all, Rosh Hashanah is not new. We assemble together each year for the High Holidays, a time to reflect on our lives and what is most important to us. A time to commit to change. We do this every year. So what is new? The operative Hebrew word here is “teshuvah” which means a return. That is, teshuvah is a return to something or somewhere that was once familiar to us. Thus it can’t be new.
This paradox of the new reminds me of the Susan Werner song (a wonderful singer/songwriter) that Arthur Walitt(longtime member and past President) and Sheila Nemser (his late, beloved partner) introduced to Madelyn and me some years ago when we went together to see her perform at the HomegrownCoffeehouse in the Needham Unitarian Church. In this song, Ms. Werner sings sadly about her anxiety that she may lose her lover. She recounts all the things she could try to do or try to bein order to win her lover back. But she finally notes with resignation:
When you need a laugh
I can be your joker
Cut a loss in half
I can be your broker
'Cos all of that and more
You have been for me
I can be your girl
Through the best and worst time
But I can't be the girl you notice
For the first time
There's so much I can do
But I can't be new
Susan Werner’sthought is profound. Is it possible to be new? This season challenges us, nevertheless, to renew ourselves – to make ourselves new even though this hardly seems possible. Still we know that this day, this season for each of us is new. For each of us individually, life is not the same at this moment as it was a year ago. There may be a loved one who has passed away during the last year, changing our lives from that time forward. There may be a new life in our midst – a grandchild, a new partner, a parent who has returned to be near us. We may have left a job and gone to another one or retired, changing our daily routine. We may have personally suffered a serious illness or disability - making us aware of our limitations. Given any significant change, we seek to understand its impact, measure what is important, and commit to rebuild our livesin the face of the new reality. If, as the singer says, we can’t be new – we can still aspire to renew. The couple that has been together for many years cannot be new to each other. But they can aspire to renew their relationship by trying new things, listening more closely to each other’s words and feelings – better that than a gray-haired divorce – all too common nowadays.
What can be said for individuals and relationships can also be said for communities.
This year, 5779 on the Hebrew calendar, is the 38th year of Shir Hadash – the first Reconstructionist congregation in the Boston area. The havurah has been a core part of my life for the last 21 years – I’ve built friendships, shared experiences that changed my life and that changed the lives of fellow members. Having gone to rabbinical school and having afterwards left the profession, I found a new purpose here – by volunteering at the havurah, I was able to return, to relearn anew the value of Jewish life and experience in a way that has enriched my life and the life of my friends and family. The havurah has been life enriching and life changing for many of us. What sustains the havurah is that our community always finds ways to renew itself.
Our situation today is not the same as it was last year or the year before.
-We have lost members – Chuck Rich, Aaron Seidman, wonderful people who were core to the havurah.
-We have also gained members. Several are children of members who have passed on. It is great to see David Mark with his niece Allie Mark.
We are a member-led organization and we celebrate what our members bring to the community:
-We honor achievements of our members in the greater community
- Bill Gabovitch (winner of the Barry Shrage Community Builder award by the JCRC)
- Rachel Adler Golden for Newton Mothers Out Front, an environmental action group
-We celebrate our members who add poetry, music, thoughtful insights to our services and to our Jewish life discussions
- Our popular Books and Bagels co-ed book club on contemporary Jewish fiction started by our outgoing President Muriel Gillick has lively discussions of provocative ideas
- Shir Hadash goes to the theater, launched by Larry Gillick and Warren Hurwitz of our adult ed committee, brings havurah members together to share the experience of plays that explore Jewish themes
In pursuit of continued renewal, in addition to our members, we have brought in professional resources who enrich our lives:
-We are aided by our part-time rabbi, Rachel Schoenfeld – come to one of her breakfast studies or ask the rabbi session; and we appreciate the dedicated pastoral care she provides, aided by our hesed committee, led by Joyce Lazarus and Rachel Adler-Golden.
We’ve started the year well.
-We had a big turnout for 2 summer kabbalat shabbat and potluck services. Thanks to Gerard and Carl and Joyce for hosting these.
-A popular tradition, the President’s BBQ, attracted 63 people several weeks ago – a larger crowd than we have had in the past several years – graciously hosted by the Adler-Goldens.
We look ahead to celebrating new happy occasions. Within the next several weeks, we will celebrate:
- September 15 –Heather Platt’s Birthday
- September 28 – kabbalat Shabbat in the sukkah at the Axelrod-Freeds
- October 1 – simhattorah with our Shir Madness band playing while we dance with the torah
- October 6 - the Lazarus Aufruf
- October 20 -Baby naming for the grandchild of Ellie Huberman and Chris George
- November 10 - Former cantorial intern, Vera Broekhuysen, visits us again to lead a musically themed service
Welook forward tonew programs coming up this fall:
- I’ve asked each havurah committee to sponsor a service. So we look forward this fall to:
- A social action themed service (on refugees)
- A House & operations themed service (with a discussion on the operational importance of the shabbesgoy)
And we look to further enrich our programs in new directions in collaboration with other groups:
- HBT – simhattorah morning service on October 1, adult education-sponsored films starting with Wrestling with Jerusalem on November 10
- Ohabei Shalom – erevhanukkahmusical service (December 7), Modern Ethical Dilemmas from a Jewish Perspective (3 Thursday nights in December) led by their assistant rabbi
Now the Boston area is rich with creative Jewish institutions. So it’s natural to look around and see what other synagogue groups are doing. Experiencing the unfamiliar is the appeal of thenew.
But our havurah, though not new, is being everrenewed. That’s what our members expect and what our members make possible. With your help, we are doing well in renewing our community and its services and activities. We don’t need to make the havurah great again – to my mind, it’s always been great. But with your help, we are constantly making the havurah new again.
We welcome our visitors here on the High Holidays. And we welcome you throughout the year to share some of the events and experiences I’ve mentioned. We appreciate your support (contributions are voluntary but much appreciated.)
We look forward to an inspiring High Holidays here at Shir Hadash. Shana Tova – a blessing for a good year!