President's Message

 

Tovah asked me to submit my president’s article to the “VOICE”. It will likely be my last. It makes me wonder if anyone actually reads my articles. My reason for being president had little to do with me, and everything to do with sustaining a community that is committed to preserving our beautiful culture and traditions.

We recently completed the monumental task of sorting, cleaning, organizing, posting and cataloging 4000 memorial plaques. Making the decision to preserve our memorials was complicated at first. Some thought that they should be discarded and replaced by an electronic inventory. Others expressed our legal obligation to maintain these in perpetuity. We also heard concerns for the physical space limitations, aesthetics, cost, etc. However, many felt it was a physical representation of our loved ones whom we continue to memorialize each day at our daily services. So many of us agreed to perpetuate our memorial and contributed generously with their funding and with their precious time. THANK YOU ALL for helping us accomplish this monumental project.

 

I have always remembered a sermon Rabbi Miller gave decades ago where he said, “most people are forgotten in just two generations.” Aren’t we all worthy of being honored and remembered for generations to come, regardless if we have children or family among our current Kol Rinah family?

 

Some might say it is just a bunch of old names. Who cares about the past? We have more important matters facing us today, and perhaps we need to focus all our attention on the future. But that is not what makes us Jews. That is not why we hang so tightly to Torah, to our culture and traditions. Those names that now adorn the walls of our new Kol Rinah facility are important to us. They can still be recognized, speak to us, and to those who will succeed us.