Vision Statement

Imagine walls of water standing strange and strong on either side of a muddy-bottomed path. We celebrate and retell our aquatic miracle from Exodus three times a day, chant her words uniquely each year during Shabbat Shira and mark the ending of our Passover narrative. We celebrate our liberation from slavery. While I know we were not there physically, Jewish educator Avram Infeld declares, “You were there.” The repetition, slavery to freedom, in Jewish tradition makes it essential to the collective memory of the Jewish people. This collective memory helped us navigate this pandemic.

To be clear, this often traumatic experience was not equal to enslavement for four hundred years. Our biblical narrative demonstrates resilience. It has provided a source of comfort and strength throughout collectively harrowing times. We live from one frightening statistic and piece of news to another. We wrestle with making the best decisions for ourselves, our families and communities with the information and opinions accessible. As I consider my vision for the future, that range of vision feels shorter than it once did. Even now, making decisions for next week can seem ambitious. Just as we seemed to be climbing up on dry land, able to imagine a health-filled future, we find ourselves circling back.

The other side of this pandemic is back in view. We are reminded each time we sing Mi Chamocha how the Israelites reacted when they attained freedom. We sang! We danced! We hugged, all without masks on! We celebrated reaching the other side. We have hope again for that outcome.

When we look back, we see sadness and loss. Just up ahead is jubilation and redemption. After the Israelites celebrated, they entered a new wilderness. Will our next forty years procure manna and the ten commandments? Will it be fertile ground for creativity and community building? What is next for our modern Jewish people?

Resonant Leadership

I would like to further this metaphor by referring to the concept of “Resonant Leadership”. As a “resonant leader," I acknowledge the fear inherent in the unknown. I see this as a truly exciting moment for shaping and leading our Jewish community. In the book Becoming a Resonant Leader, the authors explain, “Resonant leaders embrace today’s challenges and tomorrow’s promise... Such leaders face reality with courage and creativity. Resonant leaders live and lead with hope and optimism. They capture passion - their own and that of others - and use emotion, relationships, and vision to move people toward a better future!”

Re-forming our tradition is nothing new for our people. When Jewish leaders faced the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E., a decentralization of Jewish life became the focus. They replaced sacrifice with prayer. Today, we too are redefining the role of our buildings. We are sanctifying digital space and going beyond our four walls. Our resonance is going farther than many of us ever imagined. No longer is our membership merely our geographical catchment.

Passion

I thrive in a collaborative environment, when reverberations of many exuberant voices bring their ideas, wisdom, creativity and joy to synagogue life. The best ideas, in my experience, are born from a collaborative process. In the end, no one remembers who suggested which element. All take passionate ownership of the creative and implementation processes. Creativity flourishes in a collective process, as it sparks new perspectives.

Emotion

When colleagues are working in harmony, their flow is experienced from the bima. Musical resonance adds another positive layer. The vibrations of the voice send wavelengths throughout a space. These are experienced as sounds we hear. Through kavanah, intention, musical prayer resonates beyond the ear. It resonates as rhythm brings the beating of our hearts into sync. It resonates in the feet as people are moved to act justly in the world. It resonates in the soul when music allows someone the release of tears. At the heart of resonance is the experience of the community.

Relationships

Kehillah: A Group B’nei Mitzvah Experience empowers and develops leadership in teens. The process began many years ago. I taught a few savvy tweens to chant Torah leading up to their B’nei Mitzvah. The following year, we teamed up to create a game-based, sixth grade Torah chanting class. Each creative lesson was designed together and then executed together. Over the years, their confidence as teachers grew and I was able to support them quietly in the background. The final step, having developed knowledge and confidence, was developing a group learning model. The teens became peer mentors. They passed along their chanting skills with poise, clarity and enthusiasm. The cacophony of young voices learning and teaching resonates deep in my memory.

After six months, there were a greater number of peer mentors than students. The excitement for B’nei Mitzvah learning had greatly increased. Teens expressed greater confidence in themselves as leaders and Jews. In Pirkei Avot we learn, “Make yourself a teacher; make yourself a friend.” We watched this in real life as the k’hillah of teens grew and strengthened. The participation in all areas of youth programming increased from those core relationships developed during B’nei Mitzvah preparation.

Vision and Hope

As a lifelong creative person, my teammates wore black dresses and tuxedos rather than jerseys and helmets. When I was invited to join the Interfaith Clergy Curlers of Greater Toronto, I couldn’t turn down the chance to build relationships with local clergy of all denominations. In time, we created Curling for Peace, an annual interfaith concert. We brought together our choirs to sing for peace and grow in fellowship. The resonance that filled our sanctuary in song was a source of hope and inspiration. We celebrated our commitment to peace through our diversity and our music. When we joined together in times of unfortunate tragedy, it was as brothers and sisters; enduring friends.

Our future as a Jewish people and members of the human community is being re-written by strong and thoughtful leaders. I am excited to join a team creating a vision for the future. I don’t have the answers. I do have many ideas and the passion that I am excited to bring to a synagogue team. I want Judaism to resonate far into the twenty-first century in whatever form is relevant and meaningful. Our exodus into the unknown is just beginning. Let us “capture passion...use emotion, relationships and vision to move people toward a better future.”