L’Shana Tova,

I am Carrie Ettinger, the new president of Kehilat Shalom. I have to laugh a little bit as I say that because when I think back to the first time I walked through the doors of Kehilat Shalom, this is the last position I would have expected to hold. But when we begin to explore a new community, we can’t predict the ways in which it’s members will help to shape our lives, and the paths we will choose in an effort to give something in return.

In 1991, I enrolled my daughter, Jessica, in Linda Berman’s and Nadine Greenbaum’s two year-old class. Her sister, Sarah, followed a few short years later. There are probably few relationships that form bonds as quickly or as tightly as those between preschool classmates and preschool parents. For the parents, it could be the shared lack of sleep that connects us, or possibly comfort found when confiding in another preschool parent, particularly on difficult mornings. Or, it could be that no one else but a preschool parent can fully appreciate how emotionally overwhelming life is at this age.

During those early years, we were involved inside and outside of the classroom. We volunteered as Shabbat parents on Friday mornings; joined the PTA and worked together on events to raise money for classroom supplies and playground equipment. I have fond memories of creating the first Kehilat Shalom Preschool Cookbook and working with Janet Rutchik, Bonnie Sosin and many other parents to bring it to life.

We were busy and life was full, but with a blink our preschoolers were graduating and heading onto religious school. I’m not sure which of us was more relieved to see that we all moved on together, the 4 year-olds who couldn’t imagine losing their new friends, or the parents who couldn’t imagine losing their new friends!

During our years of religious school, we continued to provide and derive support from each other as we shared new experiences and gained new friends. Some of us volunteered our time when we could, through the school board and in the synagogue auxiliaries, but demands on our time were great and we were spread very thin. Our kids advanced through the school years, junior congregation and life cycle events. We attended 4th grade weddings, explored Israel with our 5th graders and celebrated family histories at the generations fair during 6th grade. We shared the joy and excitement of receiving our b’nai mitzvah date, and empathized with each other over hours upon hours of haftorah practice. Months gave way to weeks, and before we knew it we were sitting right here watching our 13 year-old on the bima, in the company of all those friends, those preschool and religious school families, who made the journey with us, sharing our joy and our pride as our child became a bar and a bat mitzvah. We followed 7th grade with Upper School, because we couldn’t imagine it any other way, and difficult teenage years were made easier with support from these same friends reassuring us, “this too shall pass.” Religious school was sealed with confirmation and car pools gave way to a driver’s license, and while our kids stayed on for two more years they no longer invited us along. The weekly routine that consumed our lives for so many years dramatically changed, and we were left feeling a bit detached, uncertain of our new role in our synagogue life.

Now, whether you are a veteran parent, possibly with grandchildren in our preschool, or if you are a recent empty nester, the emotions we experience during this stroll down memory lane are the same. What we need to realize is, as parents we are not only valuable in shaping the lives of our children, but we are invaluable in helping to shape and support our synagogue community, our “kehilla”. We became confident parents, as we watched our children grow into secure young adults. We were role models, showing them that a very valuable part of their weekly life was spent in our shul. We sat with them in junior congregation until they were comfortable sitting alone, and drove them here until they could drive themselves.

Parents make sacrifices and give selflessly, without thinking twice about it. During our years as religious school parents, we become keenly aware of the valuable role volunteers play in synagogue life and particularly in our weekly Shabbat service. As part of our b’nai mitzvah responsibilities, we are asked to volunteer in the kitchen helping to prepare the Kiddush, as well as assist with ushering during Friday evening and Saturday morning services. This experience gives us a glimpse of the vital role volunteers’ play in our synagogue community. Quite honestly, without volunteers serving on the school board and synagogue boards, ritual committee, auxiliary and membership committees, we simply could not effectively provide the structural, social and emotional support for our members and our community.

Not surprisingly, our volunteers would tell us that without participation and support for our major synagogue and auxiliary events, their efforts would be pointless. Attend a Men’s Club Pizza & Game Night, or share in Sisterhood’s annual Women’s Seder or our Pre-Passover Wine Tasting. There is no family experience quite like Spaghetti in the Sukkah, except perhaps our Purim Carnival. Consider exploring an educational opportunity with the rabbi, possibly his bi-monthly evening Bible Study, always open to new learners. Or, bring a brown bag lunch and spend an hour in the afternoon once each month learning with Rabbi Raphael. I cannot think of a more sincere way to say to our staff and our volunteers, “thank you for all you do,” than by supporting their hard work through our participation in synagogue programs and auxiliaries’ events.

Over the next year, the CE 21 (congregational education for the 21st century) team will continue to explore and develop educational programs in response to suggestions from our members. After a year of meeting with adults of various ages, Karen Klemow and the CE 21 team have learned that we would like to have more social interaction with fellow congregants and experience learning in a less structured more interactive way. We plan to provide programs and events that will engage more lay leadership as we tap into the talents of our community.

You may recall the Cantors’ concert we hosted in the spring of 2009. We enjoyed wonderful success with this event not only because the music was spectacular, but also because we were able to touch the hearts of so many of our congregants who shared fond memories of working with each of our Hazzans. We plan to continue to bring programs that provide this same sense of warmth, nostalgia and connection to our community. In fact, in March, our USY organization, United Synagogue Youth, under the guidance of Wendy Weisbard, is planning a congregation wide musical event, March Music Madness. USY will invite congregants of all ages to participate and share their musical talents with our community. As information about this event follows, we hope many of you will consider participating, and the rest of us will enjoy an afternoon of delightful entertainment.

For the past year, we have reached out and asked our synagogue community to embrace our Mitzvah 613 Torah program. Larry Froehlich and I shared a vision for Kehilat Shalom of writing our own Torah; creating an opportunity for our community to fulfill the last mitzvah in the Torah, Mitzvah 613. Over the course of this entire year, throughout our series of Torah programs and the inking of letters, participation by the religious school children and the preschoolers, our congregation and our community have been amazing. As families gathered to write their letters in our new Torah, I witnessed the significance of this event. Many were overwhelmed by the enormity of the opportunity to write in our Torah. There were tears and hugs, heavy sighs and trembling hands. The depth of their own feelings surprised people. Congregants brought extended family members, sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces and grandparents. Laura Wallace’s mother traveled from Texas to share this experience with her grandchildren. I will never forget Sam Kaufman’s mother, Dorothy, at 93, as she stood so proudly with her two sons and grandson and shared the occasion. And Helen Podolsky and Thelma Sundick. Thelma no longer drives, but Helen made sure they did not miss the chance to participate in this once in a lifetime experience. I feel privileged to have been a part of our Mitzvah 613 Torah Program. We will dedicate our new Torah next Sunday, September 26th, when Rabbi Raphael will write the final letter spiritually connecting our entire Kehilat Shalom community to our Torah.

In closing, I would simply like to say that our most valuable resource is our synagogue families. We are a tapestry of talent woven together through a common identity and with a deep commitment and love for our congregation, our community, our “kehilla”. I hope as your family grows and evolves, you will continue to explore new opportunities, embrace new friends and test new paths to involve yourself and share your talents with our Kehilat Shalom family.

L’Shanah Tova Tikatevu

May you be inscribed for a good year.