President's Message

I have more questions than answers.

 

We have many reasons these days not to attend synagogue: Fear of COVID, protocols, masks, no kiddush, streaming or Zoom services from other sources, changes in our routine, business, hobbies, sports, TV, internet, etc. What’s your reason? What permanent effects will this have on our lives as Jews?

 

Our synagogue has continued to function. We continue to have meetings, daily minyan, lifecycle ceremonies, learning, special interest groups, fundraising, building, and maintaining our shul. We are not shutdown, we are not fading away, but we are changing, growing apart, and many of us have become disengaged.

 

How will we respond to these questions:

Will the pandemic pass anytime soon? When will it be safe to return?

When this pandemic is past, what will compel us to return to shul?

 

The answers to these questions are not clear today. Zoom and Stream are helpful tools and will likely continue after the pandemic mavens give us an all clear signal. But a virtual service is missing the important need we all have for real human interaction, shared spirituality, and real joy and empathy we get from communal prayer and socialization.

 

It won’t be easy for some of us to return. Synagogue life and culture won’t simply return to “normal.” We may first need to discover what “normal” means. Some of us can’t wait to get back to shul, yet others have changed their routines and other things have filled that time and space in their lives. We need to look for reasons to re-engage in any and every way we can think of. No one has the magic answers. We will need to experiment, and proactively bolster our Kol Rinah community so it is more relevant than before.

 

I wish I had the answers. But I think it is time for us to start considering some answers.