Rabbi Joseph R. Black
Annual Report to the Congregation
Temple Emanuel, Denver CO
March 31, 2017
Dear Friends,
In the Jewish mystical tradition, numbers have important
significance. The ancient practice of Gematria involves taking the numerical
value of words and phrases and finding hidden meaning in these numbers. For the past 21 years I have utilized
Gematria as I have compiled my report to the congregation at our annual meeting
– finding meaning in the numerical value of the number of years we have been in
existence. Since tonight is the 142st annual meeting of Temple
Emanuel, I thought I would try to find some significance in the number 142. Looking into the Torah, I discovered that the
Hebrew word, נִצָּב (Nitzav)
adds up to 142. נִצָּב means standing at attention. The
plural of נִצָּב is נִצָּבִים (Nitzavim). On Yom Kippur morning, in the
Reform tradition, we read from the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 29, verse 9:
אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים
הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי יְהוָֹה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם
Ahtem Nitzavim, kulchem, lifnei Adonai Eloheychem
You are standing this day, all of
you, before Adonai, Your God
This text
reflects on a seminal moment in our ancient history when we, as a people
united, gathered together to remember and affirm the sacred covenant between
God and the People of Israel. But נִצָּב does not merely mean
“Stand.” It means to stand at attention: prepared to act; anticipating a momentous and
life-changing event that will impact everything we do and how we see the world.
- When we are
about to embark on a new adventure – we stand – נִצָּבִים
- When we anticipate a major change in our lives – we stand נִצָּבִים
- When we become aware of God’s presence – we stand נִצָּבִים
The
act of standing at attention does not mean that we refrain from moving ahead –
it implies a willingness to look at ourselves and explore not only where we are
going, but also taking stock in ourselves and measuring how far we have come
along on our collective journey.
During
the High Holy Days and throughout the course of the past year, we have stood
together and focused on a key principle – that of
Honoring our past and celebrating
our future.
We have had many opportunities these past 12 months to both look back
and ahead as we build upon the solid foundations of those who have come
before us while simultaneously planning for our future. What follows are some key highlights of a
year of growth and renewal.
Staff Transition
and Reorganization
While
I will address each member of our professional team individually below, I want
to begin with the acknowledgement of the fact that every member of our Senior
Team has come on board during my tenure at Temple. This is an important
statement because it means that the vision that I brought to Temple Emanuel
when I was hired to be your new Sr. Rabbi is now being implemented by
individuals who were all hired under the auspices of that vision. Everyone is on board and enthusiastic about the direction we are taking. While we all understand, cherish and celebrate the
pathways that were forged that have allowed us to get where we are, we also are
not beholden to them. We are free to
evaluate and, when appropriate, to make changes to the ways things have been in
the past. The phrase: “But
we’ve always done it that way….” which can sometimes lead to stagnation and
lack of growth, is no longer an impediment to cautious, visionary and serious reflective
thinking and implementation.
In
addition, the format that we implemented last year of reorganizing into three
distinct Staff Teams: Clergy, Learning
and Engagement and Operations has been very powerful and effective. We have increased both our efficiency and
accountability while opening new avenues for communication and cooperation.
This
past summer we held a retreat for all the members of our staff teams. We analyzed our Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) and set forth ambitious but manageable goals
for this year. I am happy to report that
not only is each team well on the way to meeting these goals, but the process
of accomplishing them has been very healthy and inspiring.
New Additions
and Programs At Temple Emanuel
Mishkan Ha Nefesh
High Holy Day Prayerbooks
These
past High Holy Days we successfully introduced our new Machzor (High Holy Day Prayerbook), Mishkan Ha Nefesh. Prior to
its introduction, we spent several months working with a lay and professional
task force where we explored the book together and experimented with different
modalities of prayer. From all accounts
received, the roll out of our new book went very well.
B’nai Mitzvah
We
have been blessed with a significant increase in the number of B’nai Mitzvah that will be celebrated in
the very near future. Our numbers are
rising so quickly that we will very soon be in the position of having more B’nai Mitzvah to celebrate than Shabbat
mornings that can accommodate them. As
such, we put together a task force to explore options for service timing. We came up with the decision to have two
services on Shabbat mornings – one at 9:00 AM and the other at 11:30. In
addition, we also decided to offer a community Israel Trip that is primarily
(but not exclusively) aimed at B’nai mitzvah families. This summer, during the first two weeks of
August, Cantor Sacks, Sue and I will be co-leading our first of what we expect
will be a biennial Israel pilgrimage. We have
41 individuals signed up for the trip – during which we will celebrate 5
children who are becoming B’nai Mitzvah.
Family Promise
During
the High Holy Days last Fall, I introduced Family Promise – a program where our
congregation actively partners with other religious institutions in the community and the Family Promise staff to
house and feed a small group of homeless families who are in transition from
homelessness to stability. Under the capable
leadership of Suzie Moss, Deb Herman and Sherry Stark, we gathered over 300 volunteers who wanted to help with the
program. Our first group of guests
arrived the week of February 12-19. By
all accounts, it was a smashing success.
Suzie, Deb and Sherry led an amazing corps of volunteers who did everything
from helping to transform classrooms into bedrooms, schlepping beds and cooking
meals, to sleeping overnight at Temple with our guests. I am very excited about the many
possibilities for engagement, social justice and Tikkun Olam that this national
program affords us. Special Kudos go out
to our volunteers and leaders – Suzie, Deb and Sherry. Thank you for making my dream a reality!
Racial Justice
Programming
Rabbi
Immerman has been leading a group of congregants as they discuss issues of
racial justice in our community.
In the wake of his Rosh Hashanah sermon, we gathered together on Yom
Kippur afternoon for a special program on the important topic of racial inequality. The South Social Hall was overflowing with
people who wanted to learn more about this topic and continue a dialogue with
the African American Community. Following
this program, a Racial Justice Task-force was formed. This group continues to
meet and we look forward to exciting new developments on this in the near
future.
Shwayder Campaign
We are
very excited about the progress that is being made at Shwayder Camp. Last summer, we installed two new cabins and
we look forward to all of the camper’s cabins being in place before the
beginning of this year’s camp season.
Fundraising for all of our new facilities continues apace and we will
soon unveil the final portion of this important campaign to maintain Shwayder
Camp and ensure that the “Shwayder Magic” will live on for many more years to
come.
Foster Early
Learning Center
After
a long period of visioning and planning for the future, we are re-imagining our
Early Childhood Center. Under the
capable leadership of Susan Wartchow and her team, there are many exciting
changes in the works. In addition to
looking at curricula and program offerings, we also have changed the name of
our program to the Rabbi Steven Foster
Early Learning Center. This is a fitting tribute to the vision of Rabbi Foster who understood how important it was for our congregation to meet the needs of families with young children and the vital importance of Earl;y Childhood Education in creating a sense of connection to the Jewish People. We have
created a new logo with the tagline: “Where Discovery Meets Community.” In addition to our remodeled foyer that
was designed to be a place where ECC parents can gather together and celebrate
community (see below), we also have added programming for students as young as
12 months old. There are many more
exciting changes in the works.
New Lobby
Decor
Our
president, Ellen Abrams, and Board member, Kelly Pfaff worked with Steve Stark,
the ECC Leadership team and a design firm to spruce up our Forest Street
Lobby. They wanted it to be brighter,
family friendly and more conducive to gathering and schmoozing. New couches, tables and chairs were installed
– as well as installing a welcome window for the Foster Early Learning
Center. We also built a new welcome area
for the front desk of the Temple Office.
Hospitality and
Security
As
part of our ongoing effort to create an atmosphere of “Audacious Hospitality,”
a task force was created to explore signage and security at Temple. Many visible (and some not so visible)
changes were made and more are in the works.
We re-striped the parking lot and installed security cameras around the
building. We also engaged the services
of a security firm and we will have security guards in place this spring.
Hineini Project
Rabbi
Immerman continues to work closely with this important group of young adults in
our community. In addition to monthly
“Brews and Jews” programs that take place in local taverns around the city,
Hineini Project members have become involved in many important areas of
congregational life including Mitzvah Day, Family Promise, Shabbat and holiday
worship and other educational and social events. They have engaged over 300 individuals over
the course of the year.
Nashir Songleader
Training
Working
closely with the URJ and NFTY, Cantor Sacks and Steve Brodsky have been meeting
with 7 Junior High and High School students to train them to be songleaders in
our religious school and throughout the community. This is an exciting new program that we
strongly believe will be an important part of building leadership and musical
resources for years to come.
Programming for
Multiple Demographics
A key
goal that was identified over the course of this past summer at our team
retreat was trying to create opportunities for multiple Demographics to become
engaged at Temple. One example of this
was our programming for Purim. We
created opportunities for every age-group and demographic to become involved –
from the youngest Early Learning Center students to adults who participated in
a raucous cabaret featuring Temple members.
Artists and
Scholars in Residence
We
hosted many artists and scholars in residence this past year. Some highlights were:
·
Penina
Schram
·
Billy Jonas
·
Josh
Feigelson
·
David Broza
·
Alan Goodis
·
Joanie Leeds
·
Admiral
Herman Shelanski
Task Forces and
Listening Campaigns
In order to discover best practices in
engagement and program, we instituted multiple task forces to explore ways that
we might improve our offerings to the community. These included:
·
High Holiday Prayerbook Task Force
·
Security and Hospitality Task Force
·
B’nai Mitzvah Task Force
·
Erev Shabbat Task Force
·
Dues and Financial Sustainability Task Force
·
Racial Justice Task Force
·
Religious School 20/20 Vision Task Force
The
work that these dedicated volunteers have invested and will continue to invest
in our congregation will be seen in the months and years to come as we
continually strive to achieve excellence.
Ongoing Clergy
Responsibilities
Life Cycle
As your
Rabbi – I, along with my clergy partners, am privileged and sometimes burdened
with the task of helping facilitate important transitions in the life of our
congregation. We have celebrated new
life and helped families cope with the loss of loved ones. We have stood under the Chuppah together and celebrated B’nai
Mitzvah. We have worked with many
eager students of Judaism who wanted to become Jews by Choice and celebrated
conversion ceremonies together. The
opportunity to share with you in these moments of transition continues to be
one of the greatest joys of my rabbinate.
Learning:
In addition
to weekly torah and Talmud study, all member of the clergy team participate in
Confirmation, Meals and Mitzvah, Religious School and ECC programming. We have
taught about Israel and a myriad of topics throughout the course of the
year. We work with every b’nai mitzvah
family: with Cantor Sacks and Steve Brodsky
working closely to prepare our students to lead the congregation in prayer and
chant torah, while Rabbi Immerman and I work with students on preparing their Divrei Torah (Torah Interpretations) for
the service. We also work extensively
with Conversion Candidates.
Pastoral Counseling:
We have met
with many members of the community who are struggling with issues of spiritual
growth. We work with couples preparing
to get married. We provide a sounding
board for adults and children who need help dealing with difficult situations
and crises – guiding them to get the help that they need.
National and Regional
Communal Involvement:
I was
involved in the community in the following areas:
·
RMRC (Rocky
Mountain Rabbinical Council). I am now
the immediate Past President and serve on the Vaad (Executive
Committee).
·
House
Chaplain – I continue to serve in the Colorado State House of Representatives –
delivering a prayer every Thursday morning during the legislative session.
·
Faith Spokesperson
– I work with the Colorado Interfaith Alliance as a spokesperson for social
justice.
·
I serve on
the Board of Jewish Colorado
·
I serve on
Governor Hickenlooper’s Clergy Advisory Council
·
I serve on
the ADL Board
·
I continue
to Teach for RMRC’s community-wide Introduction to Judaism program.
·
Both Steve
Brodsky and I continue to participate in the annual “Jews Do Jews” concert at
Swallow Hill
·
I
participated in a Religious Pluralism Panel at Iliff Theological Seminary
·
I performed
a benefit concert for Habitat For Humanity Interfaith Alliance
·
I continue
to serve on Governor’s Hickenlooper’s Interfaith Clergy Advisory Panel
·
I sit on the
AIPAC National Council
·
I served as
scholar and artist in resident for the Woman of Reform Judaism’s Southwest
Conference
·
Two of my
children’s books: Boker Tov and The Afikoman Mambo
(both based on my original music and lyrics) continue to be part of the PJ Library rotation. This coming year, Boker Tov will be my first international PJ Library book as they expand into Britain and other English
speaking countries around the world.
Lay
Leadership Partners:
Ellen Abrams, our outgoing president has finishes
her three year term next month. Ellen
has been a true partner to me and the rest of our team. She cares deeply about Temple Emanuel and was
very involved in many areas of our congregation. She oversaw and co-coordinated the
badly-needed renewal of our Forest street foyer – working closely with Steve,
Stark, Kelly Pfaff and the design team to create a warm and welcoming reception
area. She was very involved in our
annual fundraising concert and Shwayder campaign. Her attention to detail and ability to see the
“big picture” have been invaluable traits that have enhanced our congregation
and the greater Denver Jewish community.
Ellen’s passionate dedication to our congregation has truly been a
blessing.
I look
forward to working with Mark Idelberg,
our incoming president over the next 3 years.
Mark is not only a dear friend, but he brings a tremendous amount of
experience as past president of Hillel, our Temple Brotherhood and a keen
insight into organizational dynamics that is coupled with a deep love of
Judaism.
Our
Board of Trustees continues to impress me with their overall dedication to our
congregation. Their willingness to
learn, grow and champion new and innovation initiatives – all the while
celebrating the important traditions of Temple Emanuel – is a vital part of our
continued growth and success.
Professional Team
As I
mentioned above, the vast majority of our professional team have come on board
during my tenure at Temple. I truly feel
blessed to be able to partner with them on a daily basis. Together, we stand, נִצָּבִים – poised and
ready to move ahead to even greater heights in the future.
Rabbi Steven Foster is a gift to me and our
congregation. As Rabbi Emeritus, he is a
constant source of support and encouragement.
I appreciate his friendship, encouragement and partnership.
Steve Stark, my co-CEO and our Executive Director
– brings a wealth of experience and dedication to his position. He shares our vision for a congregation that is not satisfied with
being “ordinary” – he wants us all to rise up and find new avenues of
excellence. He makes sure that all of us
have the tools we need to serve our community while also ensuring that we are
fiscally responsible. Steve’s warmth and
mentshlichkeit are genuine and a
wonderful reflection of our congregation’s values.
Sr. Cantor Elizabeth Sacks brings so many invaluable skills
to Temple Emanuel that I am not able to enumerate them all due to lack of space
and time. Not only does she possess a beautiful voice, but her overall knowledge of Torah, Rabbinics, Liturgy,
Educational Philosophy and corporate management is invaluable to me and our
entire team. Liz is a thoughtful and
comprehensive teacher, a visionary in every aspect of our congregation and a
true partner. We are so very fortunate
to have her as an integral part of our team.
Rabbi Brian Immerman has continued to grow and
flourish this past year. He continues to
“tweak” our 10th grade Confirmation Curriculum – combining issues of
Jewish Values and current events in a way that continues to challenge our
students while providing them with a strong basis for making Jewish decisions
in the future. As noted above, the
Hineini project continues to grow and become more and more integral to our
congregation. He has facilitated many listening
projects – especially in our Religious School where we are now poised to move
ahead with plans. His work for social
justice – here in the congregation and out in the community is an important
part of our overall vision for Tikkun
Olam – repairing the world.
Steve Brodsky, our Cantoral Soloist and Music
Director, has had a steep learning curve this past year. While he is no stranger to Temple (He has
been a part of our congregation for the better part of the last 30+ years in
various capacities), the experience of serving as a full time member of our clergy
team has been new for him. I’m so
thankful that he has not only taken his new role so seriously, but he has grown
tremendously in the process. Together
with Cantor Sacks, Steve has brought incredible energy into our worship and
educational programs. The B’nai Mitzvah
classes that the two of them teach are joyous, intense and filled to the brim.
Our Nashir songleading training for
youth will be a vital resource – not only for our congregation, but the
community at large. Of course, Shabbat
Unplugged, Rosh Hashanah Unplugged and Shema
Koleynu are a testimony to Steve’s musical vision, but he works tireless
behind the scenes making sure that every event has the equipment, sound and
staging that we need. Steve’s genuine warmth and incredible work ethic enhance
every part of our congregational life.
Zachary Rolf – Our Director of Learning and
Engagement, is completing his first year at Temple. It’s hard to believe that he arrived last
summer. He has become an integral part
of our Sr. Staff Team. His warmth,
charisma, hard work and energy have been a blessing to all of us. He has transformed our Religious School into
a caring and exciting center of Educational Excellence. I am so excited about seeing what comes next!
Jodie Abrams – our Director of
Shwayder Camp – continues
to impress everyone she meets. Her
ability to juggle managing camp while, at the same time, overseeing the
installation of new cabins and facilities at Shwayder is truly spectacular. She
has built a national reputation for herself and for Shwayder that is second to
none. Her ability both hire and retain a
superb camp staff is yet another example of her love to Shwayder and Temple
Emanuel and her overall excellence.
Susan Wartchow – our ECC Director continues to weave her
magic. The Rabbi Steven Foster Early
Learning Center is an incredible place – full of energy and caring, learning
and development. Her absolute dedication
to the healthy growth of every child – along with parents and siblings – while
earning the respect and devotion of her staff, families and the greater Denver
ECC community is a blessing. In
addition, Susan has shared her expertise in human development and educational
philosophy with many other programs at Temple.
She and her amazing team did an incredible job with the role-out and
rededication of the ELC and we look forward to many exciting new developments
in the near future.
Francie Miran, our Development
Manager, continues
to raise the bar for our fundraising efforts.
With our Shwayder Campaign well under way, she and her committee of
committed volunteers broke all records with our annual fundraising concert with
Israeli superstar David Broza. She also
coordinates our “Live On” Endowment campaign and many other projects. She is a loyal and long-time member of our
congregation who gives of her time to lead our 5:30 service, chant Torah and
lead in many other areas.
Sarah Brown, our Director of Adult Engagement, has
more energy than anyone I’ve ever met!
She works closely with many members of our professional team and lay
leadership – helping to ensure that every program and event that involves
membership is successful. Sarah was an
integral part of the success of our first week of Family Promise hosting. She helped smooth out the rough edges as we
learned the ins and outs of a new program and its implications on our
facilities. She greets every new member
with a smile and is a wonderful ambassador of our congregation to the
community. Sarah also continues to teach
in our 9th grade Confirmation program and has forged wonderful
relationships with our students.
Julie Lucas, our bookkeeper, keeps us all in line
with her laughter and enthusiasm. Her
love for Temple and everyone involved in our congregation is a blessing for us
all – and we love her in return.
Rita Dahlke, our religious school Assistant
Principal and Librarian does a wonderful job making sure that everything is in
place in our school programs. She and
Zach have developed a wonderful working relationship and are busy planning for
the future of our Religious School. Stay
tuned!
Patricia Lackner, my administrative assistant has
the unenviable task of managing my crazy schedule – as well as that of Rabbi
Immerman and other members of the Senior Team - and keeping me organized. Her patience, persistence, professionalism
and sense of humor mean the world to me.
Rayna Wandel, our Educational Assistant, keeps the
religious school humming. She also is
our Bulletin Editor – an often thankless task that involves chasing down errant
clergy to hand in their articles on time….Her energy, enthusiasm and joy are
truly a blessing.
Kathleen Holt serves as Steve Stark’s personal
assistant and is a wonderful addition to our team. She works very hard and, in just a short time
has become an integral part of everything we do.
Sura Veta, our receptionist, is the voice of
Temple Emanuel – her warm welcome makes everyone feel at home the minute they
call or step through our doors.
Cairo Lopez and the rest of the maintenance staff
do an incredible job of keeping our building spotless and making sure that
every service and program is set up.
Fond Farewells
Simi Adler, Assistant Director of Shwayder Camp,
is moving on this summer. We will miss
his hard work, integrity, love of Judaism, devotion to Shwayder and the Jewish
people and strange sense of humor. We
wish Simi only the best in all of his future endeavors.
Robyn Kaplan, Director of Youth Engagement, is also
leaving us at the end of the year. Robyn
has developed wonderful relationships with our young people. Her approachability, compassion,
professionalism and joy have been an important part of our team. We will miss her and we wish her well as she
moves on to new opportunities.
As we
continue to Celebrate our Past and Move
Into the Future, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve this holy
community. Sue and I are truly blessed
to be able to partner with all of you.
Tonight we all stand – נִצָּבִים
- poised to enter into new opportunities for growth and
renewal. Thank you for the opportunity
to be a part of something so remarkable.
Shabbat Shalom.
No comments:
Post a Comment