President's Message -

"If you don't know where you are going any road will take you there"

Last month, I noted that we need to go back to Genesis and once again clearly answer the three essential questions God asks us in the first book of the Torah: “Where are we?” “What is our name?” and “What are we seeking?” before we begin a capital campaign.” These are critical questions for us to consider with any actions we take, not only as we consider a capital campaign.

To begin to develop current answers to these questions, we should consider our Vision and Mission statements:

Vision Statement: A vibrant, caring Reform congregation of living Judaism that embraces the rich legacy of Jewish thought, practice and spirituality.

Mission Statement: To actively engage in a journey of Jewish spiritual, educational and social growth.

These statements are the foundation for the actions we will take. The Vision is the statement that forms the dream for what we’d like our Temple to become. The Mission is the more specific guiding path for making operational our strategic planning and fund raising.

I believe that we are at a crossroads on our journey. We have come a long way in the past couple of years. Spiritually, more people are attending our services. We congregants have taken on more responsibility for our worship, as exemplified by Rabbi Moskowitz’s Shabbat Morning Service and by the upcoming Shabbat Morning Services this July. Increasingly, we have taken advantage of the greater opportunities our Temple is offering for learning, and we are both socializing as a congregation and participating in social action activities. But as some of us have expanded our horizons, what about the rest of our congregants? Who is not participating? Why not? Are these people going in a different direction? What is it? Should we be more inclusive? How?

There is a difference between not being included and going off in a different direction. If you feel you’ve not been included, please let us* know. Perhaps we can help each other. If you have been going off in a different direction, please let us know. Maybe we should join you. If you are not engaged in ways that are meaningful to you, if you are waiting to be included or feel you are on the periphery, what is keeping you from getting more engaged? What can we do to help you feel more comfortable with your Mischpacha Temple Israel?

Our leadership, both lay and professional, needs to further examine what we have learned from our successes and our less-than-successful efforts. I think we are learning that our vision is attainable. We are vibrant. We do care. We are living Judaism, and our Judaism is alive in Temple Israel. We are embracing our legacy and beginning to work on our mission of actively engaging in a journey of Jewish spiritual, educational, and social growth. But, we know we are just beginning. Your board will be taking up the strategy to attain our vision and mission in the coming months, specifically at our upcoming board retreat. As we attempt to turn our mission into tangible goals, please provide us with your ideas, comments, and thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.

Mark Levinstein
President, Temple Israel