I want to thank you all who have already called to pick a date to sponsor an oneg or a Kiddush. Of course if someone does not want to participate we would never force anyone but I wanted to share with you the reason why this program is definitely one of the “best Practices” of the most successful Synagogues. This is why, Shabbat services are truly the pulse of the Synagogue. Though they are not attended by everyone, we do have a solid and growing attendance of congregants, some old timers some new members, the children and their families are regular visitors as are many others who find the services comforting, spiritually nourishing and like “coming home.”
What takes place in the sanctuary every Shabbat is the “constant” in our Jewish lives. The ancient prayers are sung and they allow you to feel as if you’ve landed on solid ground. The outpouring of emotions that are the core text of our liturgy is like a melody to the spirit.
The friendship and the care that defines our B’nai Israel Shabbat culture IS the quiet success of our sacred community. As your Rabbi, I have been completely committed to bringing warmth and joy to the rhythm of our Jewish life and that begins when we share a pray, a meal, a visit with our fellow congregants and that is exactly what happens here on Shabbat.
The first goal of this program is to entice our wonderful congregants to come in and share a piece of their lives with the rest of us. This is how we come to care about each other. This is our chance to truly get to know each other. In life we build relationships with the people we share LIFE with. We want you to come to Shul and let us celebrate with you, your family’s simchas, your important dates and mostly our common heritage that underpins the heart of our collective soul.
This program will make us a stronger family. Our sanctuary is your haven, by sharing our important days together we all are strengthened.
When you participate, you will see that we have given you a chance to stop and take a moment to honor your loved ones, a birthday, a memory or just take a Shabbat to hang out with your Congregational family.
I hope that you will give it a chance. It will enhance our bonding as a community because the future of Jewish synagogue life depends on the family we build from within. This will help us grow closer.
Thank you so much for supporting our hopes and dreams for the best B’nai Israel that we can build.