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May, 2000
Thanks, Michael - Ritual Director
Judaism provides a b’rakhah to say on every
occasion, or so I’m told. Therefore,
I am issuing a challenge to Rabbi Abramson:
on Friday, June 30, I want to learn the b’rakhah we recite when
we rise above the trivial preoccupations of daily existence and recognize
something meaningful, real, and enduring in our lives.
Our B’nai Emet world won’t be the same after June 30,
the last day of Michael’s official service as Ritual Director of B’nai Emet.
Through the last 44 years of change for B’nai Emet and its predecessor
congregations, Michael, as our Ritual Director, has been our constant—our
beloved leader, example, teacher, friend, and inspiration.
We will mark June 30 with a special Shabbat service, dinner, and
program to pay tribute to Michael.
When I try to articulate the very best attributes of
B’nai Emet, several things come to mind:
we are inclusive, participatory, and egalitarian; we respect tradition,
learning, and knowledge; we see ourselves as personal, welcoming, and heimish;
we try to look beyond the superficial and recognize deeper values.
In my opinion, Michael personifies the best of what we are.
He is central to so much of what makes us proud to be B’nai Emet.
A visit to the morning minyan any day will reveal
more about Michael than 1,000 of my words.
Rain, shine, or snow, Michael is at B’nai Emet bright and early.
He has a smile and a welcome for everyone who comes.
He introduces himself to newcomers and offers them a role in the service. Every person at minyan truly feels counted, and leaves
remembering the warmth of Michael’s interest, personal appreciation, kindness,
or sympathy. Michael places
tremendous value on the contributions of each person—male, female, young, and
old. He knows the entire Torah
and, in the space of a few minutes, communicates in a powerful way the wisdom
and beauty of a parsha, whether it deals with marital relations or
leprosy. Following the service,
Michael hosts refreshments, most often including something he baked for the
occasion.
Michael is a storyteller.
My favorite story that Michael tells is the one about the paratrooper
whose mother always described her shul as the most beautiful place.
I could never retell this story and do it justice, but I plan to ask
Michael to tell that story, along with anything else he wants to say, when our
congregation honors him the evening of June 30.
Despite Michael’s reservations, we will gather on June 30, and the
group will be large and enthusiastic. Please
watch your mail for your invitation.
No gifts are required on this occasion.
But if you are inclined to honor Michael with a gift, I can tell you
without hesitation exactly what he wants. You
don’t have to worry about size, color, or cost.
Come to the daily minyan—I know without even asking him that
this would mean more to Michael than any material object you could buy.
We at B’nai Emet are lucky to have dedicated,
knowledgeable, hard-working members who will carry on in the roles Michael will
no longer fill. Michael continues
to assure me (is my panic that obvious?) that he is “not going anywhere” and
will continue, in a volunteer capacity, to do much of the same work he has done
for the past 44 years. I haven’t
used the “R” word in this message—you know, the word we associate with
advancing age and Social Security. The
June 30 event will not be about gold watches or fond farewells.
We want Michael to stay with us in as active a role as he is willing to
assume for many, many years to come. If
Michael is not comfortable with receiving our praise and gratitude, then let’s
just say we need to celebrate to remind ourselves of what really matters to us
at B’nai Emet and throughout our lives. And
to join in Rabbi Abramson’s b’rakhah.
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