Clergy Blog

Dear Friends,

Each year, the notion of transitions accompanies our entrance into the new year. In a recent message to the congregation, Rabbi Witkovsky pointed out that this High Holiday season, more than most, the theme transitions figures prominently for our congregation. Personally, this theme resonates deeply.

This High Holiday season I mark several transitions of note:

First, as you know, at the beginning of the summer, I completed my thirty-one year tenure as rabbi of our congregation to enter my retirement. My retirement was marked by celebrations and tributes, all appreciated, all memorable and all filled with pride and joy. All of it, as one might expect, was bittersweet for me and Lori.

Second, and perhaps most obvious, is our transition to a new life in Israel. Lori and I have come to Israel as Olim Chadashim / new immigrants. Following two of our three children who have already made Aliyah, Lori and I have exercised our right as Jews to claim citizenship in Israel. Since our arrival a month ago, we have spent our days navigating Israeli bureaucracy, adjusting to new restrictions and obligations, and trying to set up our new apartment. Taken together, establishing our lives here has become a new full-time job. At the same time, claiming our place in our ancestral Homeland, especially because we join our Israeli children and grandchildren, has been a privilege and a source of great joy.

And third, a couple of weeks ago I celebrated my seventieth birthday. In my youth, I always considered seventy to be “ a ripe old age”. My aches and pains are daily reminders of this adage. And yet, my mind is unable / unwilling to acknowledge the transition into this new decade of life. This dissonance remains unresolved.

As I take note of all that has, and continues to transpire, there is no doubt that my life has changed dramatically. I am mindful of the image of doors closing and new doors opening. Beyond that image, however, I have experienced the challenges which accompany closing doors more than the optimism and excitement of all that is new before me. It is in this context, that I recently recalled an inspiring verse from the Bible.

The verse ( II Samuel 14:14) recounts a moment during which King David sought out a wise woman from Tekoa for advice regarding the meaning and direction of his life. Her response was curious and, at first, seemed harsh. Yet, a deeper understanding brought comfort, I believe, to King David. I too find it comforting. The verse states:

We must all die; we are like water ֑poured out on the ground which cannot be gathered.

The wise woman seems to say that when we die, all traces of our lives shall disappear, as water poured out on parched land. But I believe that the wise woman intended something else.

It is true that we will all die, but if our lives are like water, life gives us the opportunity to share our deeds and our influence carefully and strategically. Like water poured on the earth, where we pour the water matters. If we pour without thought or care, all traces of our lives may, indeed, disappear. But if we pour water where there are seeds, where the water can foster growth and sustain life, what we do during our lives has lasting value.

The transitions which I have experienced raise questions about the future, doubts and questions which I cannot yet answer. Transitions do not provide guarantees. Will we be successful in establishing our lives in Israel? Will retirement provide for us sufficient enjoyment, meaning and fulfillment in our lives? Will the new decade of my life bring with it success, accomplishment, and health? No one knows the answers to these questions.

True, we may not have answers. But that does not mean we are powerless in creating the answers we desire. The woman from Tekoa, it seems, suggests that if we use our lives to establish new roots, to foster growth both internally and in the causes and relationships that are important to us, if we can cultivate new relationships and explore new possibilities, then we can hope that these transitions can provide the opportunity for a future that is rich, potent, meaningful.

I share these thoughts with you in the hopes that each of us utilizes the transitions which mark this new year to find the places in our lives for new growth and new possibilities. And may we all find, in the new year, the kind of fulfillment and joy which brings meaning and import to our lives.

Lori joins me in wishing to our TBH-BE family an easy and meaningful transition into the new year.

From Israel to Wynnewood, from our home and hearts to yours, l’shana tova.

Neil and Lori