Rabbi’s Message
This month a very short Rabbi’s message but an important one. As we all know, the last two weekends of this month and the first weekend of March, Sinai will be hosting 3 candidates for the rabbinic position. As the synagogue’s Rabbi Search committee has posted to the congregation, it isn’t just the synagogue that is judging the candidates, but the candidates are judging the congregation. They will be asking themselves, Is this the kind of synagogue that I can see myself serving in the future? Is this a good place for my family to grow?
Clearly it is important that the majority of the congregation come to hear all the candidates, so that means you will need to set aside times on each of those three weekends to meet them – daily minyan, Shabbat services, Sunday morning, etc.
But this message is about what happens after we make a good shidduch (union). To be a rabbi in a small synagogue like ours is a little bit like running a mom-and-pop shop. The rabbi and the rabbi’s spouse do a lot more for the synagogue than what most congregants see. The rabbi will adapt over time to taking on many mundane tasks but at least for the first year it would be useful for many of these tasks to be taken on by congregants so the new rabbi can start to enact his vision for the community.
So I have compiled a list of things that I (and Lizzie) do that would be most useful for people to think about taking on:
- Daily minyan. We need at least one new volunteer each morning. The rabbi can replace my role in daily minyan (every morning but Wednesday my day off - he may choose another day), but Lizzie is at morning minyan M-T-Th-F. Sinai cannot expect the spouse to take Lizzie’s place. Lizzie has taken that responsibility on her own; expecting the spouse to do anything except what she volunteers to do is not appropriate. The rabbi is being hired, not the spouse.
- We need more ritual specialists! I have been calling for this for the last two years and other than our terrific evening minyan group, we have not expanded our role call yet. We need more who can lead the three parts of weekday morning minyan – Pesukei D’zimra (the prep service) Shacharit and the concluding service.
- We need more Shabbat davveners – Pesukei D’zimra (includes willingness to show up at 9:30), Shacharit and Musaf.
- We need more folks willing to sign up as Gabbaim.
- This is a big one that will really help the new rabbi – an Assignment editor for Shabbat davvening and Torah reading and Haftarah. It can take me up to an hour or more to figure out the monthly list of Davveners, Torah readers, Haftarah readers and Gabbaim. Not putting this on the rabbi’s shoulders would free up valuable time for him.
- Speaking of Torah – there is a possibility that the new rabbi will move to a triennial Torah reading. That still takes Torah readers to help! It isn’t easy to read Torah, but if you can decode Hebrew, can hold a tune and have ever enjoyed playing the game Memory, you can do this.
- In memory of Hugh Metzger, it would be very helpful if a member was willing to take responsibility for setting up the Torah scrolls whenever there is a special Torah reading. This requires following the English Luach (the calendar of Scriptural and holiday readings) and coming in the week before to set up and designate the proper Torah scrolls. Hugh learned over the years how to do this and loved this responsibility until he just could not lift the scrolls any more.
- Coffee and pastries, anyone? You don’t have to roast the coffee, but the Sunday morning crowd enjoys drinking my coffee after minyan. I like sharing my coffee, but unless one of the candidates is a serious roaster, it would be nice for someone to just put out coffee on Sundays.
Regarding all of this I am willing to spend time teaching and preparing Sinai folks to learn any of these skills or tasks over the next 4 months, one on one or in a group. So in addition to making these three candidate weekends a priority, please think about how to assist the new rabbi and the congregation after the rabbi is hired! Thanks!
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March 15 Sunday 10 AM Hebrew Reading Crash Course II
This class is for every one who can recognize the Hebrew letters and knows what sounds they make. We will focus on specific prayers, the meaning of the words, and the melodies we use to sing these prayers at Sinai, for both weekday and Shabbat. It will probably continue through April and May.
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Purim Celebration and Multimedia Extravaganza
March 2 Monday
5:30 Dinner
6:00 Megillah reading and songs
Not to get too emotional, but this is the last time you will be able to hear Rabbi Friedland do his Megillah reading with voices and song! So make sure you come to hear!
Come in Costume!
Mishloach Manot
The three key mitzvot for Purim:
1) Listen to Megillat Esther - Monday evening at Sinai March 6
2) Send Mishloah Manot - gift baskets to friends - through Sinai's Sisterhood. For only $125 you can send to every member of the synagogue. Or $2 per individual
3) Tzedakah - Matnot L'evyonim. A great way to do this mitzvah is through Leket Yisrael, an organization that collects unused farm produce from Israel and feeds the hungry
Donations can be made online here or via check made payable to “American Friends of Leket Israel” and sent to P.O. Box 2090, Teaneck, NJ 07666