From the Cantor - June/July 1999

On the desk of my study sit two Rolodexes. These old-fashioned modes of communication are perhaps the last manual relics in my otherwise comfortably electronic professional life. I update them in true Luddite fashion, rejecting all offers of those electronic pocket thingies that encode one's whole life in a little solar battery. One of my two "dinosaurs" contains directory information of colleagues, pertinent businesses, and other resources that enable me to work. The other contains nothing but the names of people in our congregation, alphabetized by family name. However, no addresses or phone numbers are included. The only added information in this directory is the person's Hebrew name.

At Congregation Albert, we are strictly in the business of God, Torah, and Israel. In what order? you ask. The answer depends on which needs our attention most at any given time. But now I'm talking about k'lal Yisra'el, the people Israel. You don't have to fly overseas to find it. Go look in a mirror and you'll see it up close and personal. You'll also see what makes our congregation special and what we cherish most. Chances are that your mirror is a pocket- or portrait-sized one. Can you tell what you're wearing or how much you spent on your outfit? Neither can we. We see your gifts, your concerns, and your needs.

Now, back to that second Rolodex. This collection of names is modeled on an ever-expanding recipe box at the synagogue in Westbury, NY where I served as student cantor. Whenever an aliyah was being given, we could dip into that recipe box to find the Hebrew name with which to call the honoree to the Torah. These days, I try not to let a congregant leave my study without adding to my own directory of our Southwestern piece of k'lal Yisra'el. If I have yet to approach you for this information, please contact me. You deserve an honor in your congregation!

Many thanks to Mel and Paula Schwartz for enabling Rabbi Black and me to widen our scope of honorees during services. Candle blessing, Torah blessing, hag'bah (lifting the Torah after reading) and g'lilah (dressing the Torah after lifting) can and should all be fulfilled by lay people. If you want to perform one or more of these mitzvot but need some coaching first, we'll be glad to help!

B’shalom u-v’shir,
Cantor Jacqueline L. Shuchat-Marx

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