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2010 Annual Meeting Speech
REMARKS TO THE TEMPLE EMANUEL BOARD OF TRUSTEES
ANNUAL MEETING – MAY 23, 2010
RABBI ANDY KOREN
Earlier this year I heard an incredible story related to me by a mom of one of our pre-Kindergartners. They were here at Temple, had been here for a while. The mom turned to her kid and said, “C'mon, honey, it's time to go home.” Her child looked up at her, and innocently replied, “But mommy, we are already home.”
Stories like this warm our hearts. Especially this year as we have focused on the theme “Bringing It Home.” We have more than 120 students in our Religious School on Sundays; dozens of our 4th through 6th graders study Hebrew on Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. They consider Temple Emanuel home. This is also so true for our 9th to 12th grade madrichim. Temple is a home away from home for each and every one of them. Just like home, it is a place where they can revel in the sights and sounds that are uniquely theirs. They are comfortable here. When they are at Temple they don't have to explain themselves. They are not the only Jew in their class or one of a handful; they are not different. On the contrary. At Temple, they can celebrate, question, seek comfort, comment, and explore – they can just “be” – Jewish.
As proud as we are that Temple Emanuel is a central address for Jewish life for our families of all ages, we know that for Judaism to thrive in the coming years, decades, and generations, Temple cannot be the only place where Judaism happens. The Jewish home, our sages tell us, is a Mikdash M'at, a small replica of the Holy Temple that once stood in Jerusalem. Temple cannot be the only place where Shabbat is celebrated. It must also be done at home. Temple cannot be the only place where we engage in prayer and Jewish song. We must do these things and more at home. And Temple cannot be the only place where Torah is studied. It must also take place in the comfort of our own homes where we can model it for our kids and grandkids; where we can teach and learn the lessons that our people have held near and dear for nearly 4000 years.
I am so proud that this year we had two sessions for parents – one for parents of elementary school students and one for parents of our youngest kids – during which Rabbi Guttman focused on the importance of making Shabbat and being Jewish a part of what we do at home.
Here are some of the other ways that our educational programs helped to bring home and reinforce critical messages about being Jewish, at home and in the world around us:
As Rabbi Guttman emphasized, our high school activities this year were unprecedented. In addition to the March of the Living and our highly successful Madrichim program, I want to highlight two programs. First,for the second straight year, we ran a teen trip to New Orleans for students 16 and older. This was the 4th year since Hurricane Katrina passed; the amount of work left is still mind-boggling. 12 Jewish high school students from Greensboro, together with another 11 from North Miami Beach, Florida, volunteered their time for 4 days. We can only wonder what the full impact of the recent oil spill will be. One thing is for sure: we are planning to go back next year. I am most grateful to everyone who has supported this trip, especially to Rabbi Amy Morrison from the American Hebrew Academy who brought a group of students from AHA and served as one of our Rabbinic chaperones.
Also, this year 16 high school students went to DC as part of the L'Taken Social Justice Seminar. While in DC, they learned about critical social justice issues such as hunger, homelessness, health care, immigration, and Israel. Most importantly, they lobbied our representatives in Congress on these issues. This was my first time leading this trip and I was so impressed by our high schoolers. Many of them are emerging as leaders and bringing home the messages of their Jewish education and involvement. I am most grateful to Scott Van der Linden for driving and chaperoning this trip.
For the third straight year, we ran the Sacred Choices program for our eighth graders. This exploration of Adolescent Relationships and Sexual Ethics was expertly facilitated by Dr. Sheryl Siar and Cate Wineberg with assistance from other teachers. Sacred Choices for eighth grade boys and girls is a logical continuation of the outstanding Rosh Chodesh program we've offered for the past few years for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls.
At the same time that our programs for girls have been successful, we know that society in general and the Jewish world in particular is experiencing a significant drop out of Jewish boys. The question “where are the boys?” is a real one that no Jewish community can ignore. This past year, we instituted special programs for boys. Working with Gillian Goodman and our middle school teachers, we split our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes so that boys and girls were studying separately. This was not a return to the “old world.” Boys and girls still interacted and were learning the same material, just in separate venues. While this was far from perfect, it was a start and places us among the few Jewish communities that are taking this issue seriously. Among the dedicated programs that we ran for boys this year were a fall whitewater rafting trip for 9th through 11th graders and a winter ski trip for 6th graders which was generously supported by the Temple brotherhood.
Temple works with students of all abilities, including those with special needs. Marlene Davis has been a special assistant on Sunday mornings and Karen Dresser has been a Hebrew instructor as well as Bar and Bat Mitzvah tutor for students who just don't fit the traditional molds of Jewish students or who might otherwise “fall through the cracks.” Our work in this area allows us to live up to the Jewish notion of “no child left behind."
We again offered a school-wide Taste of Passover matzah making program. Our school-wide Maccabiah Games celebrating Israel's 62nd Independence Day was also a big hit.
Our presence at Mitzvah Day was significant, as it always has been. We have also sought to make every day an opportunity to help others. Our 6th graders have been involved in a number of Mitzvah projects including taking part in a walk for the Victory Junction Gang and visiting Abbotswood. Our 7th and 8th graders also did many hands-on Mitzvah projects including taking monthly trips to Welfare Reform Liaison.
Even in tough economic times, Jewish camps such as Coleman and Judaea remain summer destinations for our youth. This summer, the Reform movement is opening a new summer sports camp literally in our backyard. 6 Points Academy will open in June on the campus of the American Hebrew Academy. A good number of our youth have signed up for this inaugural summer. I will be working there for 2 weeks as one of the camp Rabbis. 6 Points has already exceeded its expected registration. While there are still spaces open, I am so glad that so many of our kids will be there this summer. It is also exciting that Reform Jewish youth from congregations all over the country will have a first, and hopefully ongoing, connection to Temple and Jewish Greensboro.
Jewish education takes place at home and away. It also takes many forms – art, music, movement and much more. Since words can only express so much, I want to share with you a brief photo presentation of this past year. (video shown here)
Just a few concluding words. I want to echo Rabbi Guttman's sentiments about TEPS and the next steps we will be taking with Early Childhood Engagement. It has been a delight to work with Janet for these past seven years and to be part of the team educating our youngest learners. Louise Van Schaack has been teaching with Temple's Religious School for the past three years. I look forward to this next phase in the work we do with preschoolers and their families under her able leadership.
The effort we devote to youth education is only matched by our adult learning programs. This past year they included: our ongoing Chevra Torah on Shabbat Morning, Adult Hebrew classes, and a wonderful year-long exploration of the Jewish tradition taught by Rabbi Guttman on Tuesday evenings. What a delight it was to celebrate this past November as Roy Bargebuhr, Wilma Glick, and Nancy Poole became Adult B’nai Mitzvah.
Education is a central value at all levels in our community. None of what we do would be possible without tons of hard work from a long list of people. This morning, special thank-yous go out to:
· The Temple Emanuel Education Committee, the volunteers and parents who have given so much to make everything work so well. Thank you to everyone who brought snack, organized programs, and did what needed to be done to make things run smoothly. Sincerest thanks and blessings to Robyn Weissburg for her exceptional leadership as the chair of the Education Committee these past two years. I look forward to working with Amy Epstein, our incoming Committee chair.
· Thanks to our teachers, madrichim, b’nei mitzvah tutors, adult education instructors, and youth advisors for sharing their many talents with our community.
· Thanks to the Temple Brotherhood, especially for helping us start the year in grand fashion with a great lunch, for another great Purim carnival, and for hosting this afternoon's end-of-the year picnic. Thanks to the Sisterhood for their support of our library and to Marcia Berger, Stacey Papier, and Amy Torchinsky for their work on Sundays organizing our stacks, checking books in and out, and reading to our classes.
· A special thanks to my assistant Mary Lou Robison. Mary Lou came on board late last summer and has gone up and above the call of duty to learn the ins and outs of Temple life. She is great to work with and I am so grateful for all that she does to make my life simpler even as we are working on many projects at once.
· Thanks to John, Dima, and Marie for taking care of the essentials that make us look good.
· Temple's warmth and heimish feeling is due in large part to the love and care of our incredible administrative staff led by our Executive Director Laura Bonasia. Many thanks to her, Brenda, Amanda, Natasha, and Jessie.
For seven years now, it has been my privilege to serve as one of your Rabbis. Every day of those seven years I have given thanks that I get to work with my Rav, teacher, and spiritual big brother, Rabbi Fred Guttman. Fred, you were the one who first taught me that Judaism was more than just a mental exercise. It is meant to be lived – at home and away from home – to the highest degree. Thank you for your friendship, leadership, guidance, direction, and care, not just to my family and me, but to our entire community.
And to our Temple family, Michal, Avishai, and Shiri, join me in thanking each of you for all of the blessings that you have shared with us. This past year had its ups and downs for our family – a Bar Mitzvah for our son just a few months after the passing of my father. We are so grateful for everyone who provided help when we needed it. We are so lucky to call Greensboro and Temple Emanuel home.
Let's conclude with the blessing for Torah study: Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu la'asok b'divrei Torah.
Thank You God for making Torah study the true occupation of our people and for guiding us to bring Torah and the love of Judaism into our communities and our homes. AMEN |
