Dear Friends & Members of Temple Micah,

 

    I write this with a heavy heart as I share with you some difficult news.  As each and every one of you has brought me and my family an abundance of joy and happiness, the emotional magnitude of sharing this news grieves me.  

 

    I assume that many of you know that I am a breast cancer survivor. This January would have been the 4-year celebration of being in remission from TNBC (triple negative breast cancer). However, we have discovered that the cancer has returned. A liver biopsy this Wednesday will yield additional necessary information, but we are proceeding forward immediately with treatment. The plan is to begin chemotherapy this Thursday at the NJ Cancer Institute at RWJ in New Brunswick. We are actively pursuing clinical studies at Memorial Sloan Kettering NYC and elsewhere.

 

    It is my goal to remain "in touch" and I am hopeful that I will be able to work in some-type of part-time fashion.  However, we have no clear answers as I must first begin treatment and evaluate the situation day by day.


    I have already met with Larry Leder, our Temple Micah president, as well as Bob Pollack, one of our emeritus Presidents and have started discussions on immediate and long-term coverage. I met with Adrienne Rubin, our Cantorial Soloist, to review calendars, responsibilities, upcoming Life Cycle events (especially the Bar/Bat Mitzvah schedule) and we have mapped out coverage in order for life at Temple Micah to proceed. Even with cancer - I cannot help wanting to make sure "my flock" is well-taken care of!


    Rob and I have begun to have conversations with our children and family members and have built up the support systems around our family.  Rob's mom, Janet (also a Temple Micah member!) has moved back from Florida to be with us in order to lend us a helping hand... and so much more! Nothing like having a Jewish mother move in to take care of her ducklings.


    When I went through treatment 4 years ago - one of the "outlets" that I found most therapeutic was my ability to scribe my thoughts and feelings, share my journey, relay correct information and post pictures through the Caring Bridge "blog site". The Rabbi in me still wants to teach, to preach, to learn & to reflect. 


     Please know, my Temple Micah community is my spiritual HOME.  But when I say the word "community" - I do not personally experience "us" as 1 amorphous group of people. (Unless I am on the Bima during High Holidays not wearing my glasses!)   Rather - I see individual faces, I hear your voices, I listen to your stories, I enjoy the laughter of our children playing at Religious School, I glow from the look of wonder when a child has had an "aha!" moment of Jewish learning right before my very eyes!  I feel your child standing next to me on the Bima, slightly quivering with anxiety as their Bar/Bat Mitzvah service is about to begin.  I am reaching for my own tissues when I stand beside you at the grave of your loved one, whom we have come to bury together.  There are way too many memories to recount in this letter; for I care deeply about each and every encounter and each and every one of you.  It is Temple Micah where all of my training as a Rabbi has blossomed into a form of professional completeness.


 

The information for CaringBridge web-site is: 

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/vickituckman

 

If the link does not work -

Google "CaringBridge" - enter "Vicki Tuckman" which will bring you to my site.  I have chosen to "reactivate" my old site, so my original story is there, as well.  I have already written much in my own journal, but sometime this week, I suspect writing Caring Bridge blog posts (with some to be authored by Rob) will, once again, become part of our "new normal". 


   It is fine to share this news with others or to forward this newsletter, as everyone does not open these congregational emails. Please note, we will not be posting this letter on the Temple Micah web-site. Rather, the home-page of the web-site will simply contain information regarding the connection to the "Caring Bridge" site.  Adrienne, myself, committee chairs, or Board members will continue to update the Temple Micah FaceBook page and other Temple Micah correspondence regarding temple services/happenings/events. 


   If you have any questions/thoughts -

Please reach out to Larry Leder, Adrienne Rubin, or Felice Schlessinger.

Information below...


   Efforts of support will be communicated and organized through Temple Micah's Caring Committee, which is comprised of Felice Schlessinger, Mary Kuller, and Faith Wight.  Of course, please be in touch with Felice if you would like to be part of that committee's leadership group to support all members of our TM community who are in need of help.


 

All of my love & blessings,

Rabbi Vicki


 

Temple Micah

Contact Information:


609-921-1128 (TM main number)

Temple Micah MAILING ADDRESS:
P.O. Box 6355
Lawrenceville, NJ
08648

Temple Micah STREET ADDRESS:
2688 Main Street (Route 206)
Lawrenceville, NJ08648
PCOL main # 609-896-1212

Larry Leder, Temple President - larryj408505@yahoo.com
609-291-0883 (home #)

Rabbi Vicki Seren Tuckman - rabbivicki@gmail.com 
609-731-9996 (cell/work #)

Adrienne Rubin, Cantorial Soloist - adrienne.rubin@gmail.com
609-252-9129 (home #)

Felice Schlessinger, Chair, Caring Committee - feliceteach@gmail.com
609-619-3826 (home #)


 
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