I think we’ll title this article “Home for the Holidays.” I am writing these reflections during the Days of Awe. Rosh Hashana has passed and I await the arrival of Kol Nidre.

We had just ended our observance of Passover last April when a friend of mine, who is a program director at a very large synagogue in New York, told me that their senior leadership team was meeting to discuss what to do for the High Holy Days should this pandemic continue into fall. I guess I was naïve, or perhaps just hopeful, when I responded that surely this would all be over by September.

It wasn’t too many weeks later that here in Canton, we recognized that we must at least consider the possibility. And so the conversations began. How could we be us – Temple Israel in Canton, Ohio – if we could not be together in community?

It seems that we did okay. Thank you to all who have provided positive and constructive feedback. Thank you for recognizing that we strive to listen and incorporate your feedback in the decisions being made. Thank you for your patience with our prayer book and information distribution process. We’ve certainly learned things that will inform our process if we do this again. We are, of course, hopeful that we will not be doing this again. We’ll see what else we learn as we make an effort to have 100% of our prayer books returned so that they are available in our sanctuary next year.

It was great to see so many congregants at our drive-thru pick-up line and during deliveries. Even from many feet away, with masks in place, it was nice to say hello in person and wish everyone a healthy, sweet new year.

With appreciation to our Temple volunteers and staff who organized our prayer book distribution process, provided counsel to the rabbi as a member of the High Holy Day task force or as a member of our Temple Board, who participated in our worship services by reading Torah, bringing blessing, helping us hear the familiar sounds of the harmonizing shofarote, or who helped coordinate location usage from the recording spaces to our cemeteries, I bring you the thanks of a grateful congregation. To all of the professionals and staff in our community who work tirelessly behind the scenes – and sometimes out front – I bring the thanks of a grateful congregation.

If you happen to talk to any of the following people (listed in alphabetical order), please join me in thanking them for helping to shape this year’s High Holy Day experience. Whether they served in one or multiple capacities, all of these people contributed to this year’s High Holy Day planning and implementation process: Rabbi Jon Adland, Sandy Adland, Cathy Atleson, Mark Atleson, Jim Barnett, Abram Blau, Chelle Cohen, Diana Collum, Daniel Silverman, Bob Friedman, Matthew Garfinkle, Paul Garfinkle, Adele Gelb, Ron Gelb, Madelyn Gratop, Patti Green, Bev Gross, Lori Houck, Marty Jacobson, Greer Kabb-Langkamp, Lee Karelitz, Paulette Karelitz, Rabbi David Komerofsky, Bonnie Manello, Steve Manello, Alan Mostov, Denise Nielson, Toni Olenick, Joan Ortman, Anita Porter, Stan Rosenblatt, Eileen, Saltarelli, Rob Schweitzer, Sue Shafer, Ronit Sherwin, Linda Simon-Mietus, Barb Spera, John Spera, Debbie Spetich, Rabbi John Spitzer, John Strauss, Cindy Taylor, Mark Taylor, Mark Tenenbaum, Sheryl White, Jonathan Wilkof, Rabbi David Wolfman, Julie Zorn. My apologies if I have inadvertently omitted anyone from this list, which is current as of this writing.

We hope that your High Holy Day experience was meaningful and joyful. Please plan to drop off borrowed prayer books at the Temple Sunday, October 4^th or Sunday, October 11^th between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

If you can help, contact either Jeff Fricker at [email protected] or Rabbi Adland at [email protected].

Sue E. Monsell, who passed away on August 31, 2020. Sue was the wife of Rick Monsell; mother of Lynn (Todd) Kotler; grandmother of Lauren LeBlanc and Lucas Kotler; sister of Joan (Ken) Symonds.

Dr. Robert Sharkis, who passed away on September 6, 2020. Robert was the father of Dr. David (Kathy) Sharkis and Lisa (Hadley) Lowy; grandfather of Ethan and Abigail Sharkis and Gabriella and Colette Lowy.

Arnold Rubin, who passed away on September 13, 2020. Arnold was the father of Nancy (Bruce) Bailey, Karl (Sharon Simon) Rubin, Judson (Linda) Rubin; grandfather of Jacob Rubin, Alison and Shannon Rubin, Joshua Bailey, Benjamin Bailey, Leah Bailey, and Rachel (Marshal) Slayton; great-grandfather of Zoe and Rose Slayton.

Marion Sherwin, who passed away on September 15, 2020. Marion was the wife of Ben(z'l); mother of Allan Sherwin, Carolyn (Ed) Gabelman, Eddie (Debbie) Sherwin and Sanford Sherwin; grandmother of Ronit (Rabbi David Komerofsky) Sherwin, Ari (Tracy Turoff) Sherwin, Rafi Sherwin, Kelly Sherwin Trommels, Ilana (Scott) Wolfson, Heather Gabelman, Joel (Ashley Braun) Gabelman, Michael (Diana) Gabelman, Bridgette Sherwin and Benjamin Sherwin.

Welcome to Jeff Sherman, who joined the Temple on August 27, 2020.

Welcome to Richard & Cynthia Flaksman, who joined the Temple on September 6, 2020.