This month, I wanted to share my thoughts I shared during Kol Nidre for those that may not have attended or missed the playback on our YouTube channel. The inspiration for my message is one of personal connection that leads us to examine how we got to TKC and where we go from here. Regardless of the road we took to arrive at this moment, the most important thing is we are present and hope to have a presence here at TKC moving forward. Each of us has our own unique story about how we came to be together today to worship on these High Holidays. For some, our Judaism was a path we were born into, while for others, Judaism was a path that was chosen. Some of us had deeply rich Jewish experiences filled with summer sleepaway camp and B’nai Mitzvah classes of more than 20 students, while others’ Jewish experiences were characterized by much smaller numbers and perhaps less structure.
For some personal background, I was raised in a very small Jewish community in Lynchburg, Virginia. For those who may not know, Lynchburg is home to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and is situated in an area rich in history and historical landmarks such as the Appomattox Courthouse and the D-Day Memorial in Bedford. Lynchburg is also home to Liberty University, a well-known, private evangelical Christian university. So in a town of 64,000 people in the late 90’s, Liberty’s student enrollment accounted for an additional 10-12,000 people in the city and was largely supported by many in the community. My family was a member of the only synagogue in a 60 mile radius with approximately 100 Jewish families at that time. I was 1 of 5 Jewish kids in my grade in Religious school. Not only that, but I was the ONLY Jew in my entire secular high school. During my senior year, I remember my mom taking me to a meeting to discuss what the Baccalaureate service, a supposedly non-denominational event, would look like. It didn’t take long for us to realize this was not the place for us, so my mom politely thanked the group, told them we hoped it would be a lovely service, but this was not something we would be part of. We left, with me in tears, and I never felt so alone in my Jewishness. It’s not surprising that these were formative experiences from childhood that helped shape my perspective and feelings about being Jewish and “how” I would be Jewish moving forward. What I learned was it was easier to be Jewish among other Jews. It is hard to be Jewish alone.
So here we are. Each of us has a slightly different connection to their Judaism, but we have chosen to be here and worship together. We choose to be together. When Mike and I chose to become members of TKC 8 years ago, we sought a personal connection with a place and its people. We made a conscious decision to live in an area that had what we considered to be a healthy mix of Jews and non-Jews – a happy medium between my hometown where it was common for me to be the only Jew and Mike’s upbringing in well…Boca Raton. We found our home here and along with our 2 children, Hannah and Noah, we are active participants in the life of this Kehillah. Whatever our backgrounds, our politics, our childhood experiences, we are all connected by overarching Jewish values: our belief in Adonai our G-d, the teachings of the Torah, keeping the Sabbath, freedom, and the moral principles of justice, kindness, tzedakah and tikun olam. This is our foundation, but it is not the end of the story.
We have something incredible here at TKC. I’m not just talking about our wonderfully involved Rabbi, our talented cantorial student, our active Religious School and youth groups, or the host of programming and activities planned by our various auxiliaries. Yes, we want to preserve and maintain what we’ve already created, but we must also look into our future and find ways to innovate and grow. If this past year has taught our people anything, it’s that we must look to the future and have hope. And this takes every one of us.
Our health and longevity depends on a variety of factors: contributions of time and volunteer hours, creativity and ideas, the execution of these ideas, and yes, financial support. Our annual dues are key, but they alone will not be enough. Why should we want to do the bare minimum to merely exist when we could do more? We want to grow, we want to innovate, we want to thrive. The beautiful music during this High Holiday season from our lovely choir members and Steve Best was enhanced this year by the addition of Kyra and her soulful voice and guitar. The improvement with our virtual and audio capabilities this past year were made possible with resources and the personal commitment of Jim Koppel. It is in this spirit that we want to continue to improve and build upon an already solid foundation here at TKC. To be clear, these contributions can take many forms, both of human capital and financial. One is not better than the other and both are needed to ensure our future and are appreciated. So please consider donating of your time, or your money, or both. It is not too late.
From the bottom of my heart, TKC and its congregants have provided so many intangible benefits to our family. I feel a strong personal connection to TKC in the same way I know my parents felt about Agudath Shalom back in my childhood.
TKC is the place our children and grandchildren learn about and embrace our Judaism, our holidays and traditions.
TKC is the place where we come for spiritual strength and emotional support, both in times of celebration and in grief.
TKC is the place where we come to help the greater community or those in need.
TKC is the place we build new friendships and feel a sense of belonging, without the need to explain ourselves or our existence.
TKC is the place we come together to worship and teach our Jewish values from generation to generation.
Finally, TKC is important to our family. Even my 10 and 12 year olds know that this place is something special, are proud to be a part of this Kehillah, and literally thank us during the car ride home when we leave TKC after a Shabbat service or Hanukkah celebration.
We all have a vested interest in TKC and my wish this new year is for my children, your children, our grandchildren, and our future generations to continue to have a place to come that means as much to them as it does for us today. Do not take what we have for granted. Now more than ever, we all need a safe and meaningful space to come together and just be.
It's hard to be Jewish alone and we all have choices to make. I’m beyond grateful we chose TKC and will continue to invest in our future here. I invite you all to join us because you also have meaningful connections you’ve made along the way that make you part of this Kehillah.
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