High Holy Days 2022

 

Dear Friends & Fellow Congregants

 

The start of 5783 on our Jewish calendar has come and gone as it always does no matter what we think of it.  However, it has always been important in this community to ensure that services reflected the needs of our members and there were opportunities for social interaction and fellowship along the way.  Using those things as the basis of appraisal, I am happy to report that success is hardly enough to describe our observances these past two weeks. Those who participated found lots to like and even the few hiccups were overcome with little to no annoyance.

Such success hardly happens on its own and I would like to take just a few moments to thank those of our members who facilitated these last two weeks with little fanfare but much effort.At the top of the list is our Gabbait, Fanny Dolansky, who began working on important details like who would be called for pulpit honours and on which day.  This task was made more difficult since there are so many of you who decided whether or not to attend based upon our Covid-related policies.  In the end, Fanny ran a very smooth ship up on the bima and managed to deal politely with my slip-ups from time to time.

Next I want to acknowledge our two rabbis, Moshe and Harvey Meirovich. When Rabbi Moshe ended up in hospital with a very serious infection so close to the holidays, his first thought was how we were going to manage at C. B. I. without a rabbi. He enlisted the help of his brother Harvey who made our transition from one twin to the other seamless and our transition from Zoom to In-House painless and so much easier.  We thank both of them for the efforts on our behalf and Rabbi Harvey for his role in our excellent in-house services.

While not so much in the public eye, our fantastic office manager, Serge Chriqui made everything so much easier.  He often did not wait  for instructions, but knew, instinctively, when something needed to be attended to and did it.  He was the perfect right hand man to all of us while sitting at his desk and pulling all the strings.Someone else who is not seen very often unless you look for him is our caretaker and custodian and caterer, all rolled into one.  Tim Bishop, and his wife Irene, responded to the needs as they arose and always reminded us to smile.  Tim and Irene went out of their way especially to ensure our shared kiddushes and break the fast were not just delicious, but inviting as well, with flowers and little touches that went way beyond what they needed to do to consider it a done job.  When you see them next, please say thanks for everything.

Throughout the last more than several weeks leading up to the High Holy Days, more than a few people helped in very specific ways.  My wife Marlene did a bang up and very successful job with our annual Yizkor Book campaign with the help of Serge Chriqui and Bernice Caplan and Fanny Dolansky.  Marilyn Lackie and her team spent a morning making the kugels which have always been such a treat and will continue to be served at our kiddushes on Shabbat.   The Re-entry Committee under the leadership of Mark Steinman met more than once or twice to decide collectively what the protocols would be for participation and entry to the building.

Many of you responded more than generously to the call for donations in support of the various events of the last ten days and we all know nothing happens in any synagogue without funds to underwrite it.  We thank all of you who have been elsewhere acknowledged for your generosity.Finally,  a special and profound thank you to all of you who withstood all the many upsets over these past 30 months of Covid-related restrictions and the demands about finally getting into the building and came to services sometimes each time, sometimes more than once and sometimes, just one time. It is you who we celebrate the most because without your support, we would have nothing.

Now…..onwards…….Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot – October 15th – Join us in the Sukkah after services for a light lunch and the dedication of our new Sukkah.

Howard