From the Rabbi - August 1999

My Dear Friends,

In a recent conversation with a member of the congregation I learned about a type of water fowl that makes an annual pilgrimage to the Manzano Mountains. The birds are flying in search of a lake. The problem is, the lakebed for which they search has been dry for thousands of years. The glaciers that formed it have since disappeared. The water has given way to the desert and its unique ecosystem. There is nothing left except a memory. And yet, the birds keep coming back, year after year. Some basic instinct propels them to return to an ancient ancestral gathering place long after it has been gone.

There are some of us who, during the Yamim Noraim - the high holidays, feel like those birds. Once a year, we are drawn, instinctively, to a place of spiritual nourishment - the synagogue. Some of us don't know why we go: Habit? Guilt? Fear? Connection? The difference between us and those birds is that when the waterfowl arrive at their ancestral lake they find nothing. When we walk through the doors of the Synagogue, however, we find an oasis of community, spirituality and study.

When I see all of you gathered together for the High Holidays I am filled with joy. When I hear over a thousand voices joining together in sacred words and music I am overcome with a sense of hope and promise. When I work with students of all ages who are eager to embrace their tradition and learn new ways of seeing God's creation, I realize the vitality of our ancient yet ever-new tradition.

This year, I hope that many of you will be inspired by the High Holidays to reconnect with the congregation. Ours is a dynamic, vibrant community. It is yours to embrace.

I want to wish all of you a Shanah Tovah u'Metukah - a good and sweet new year. May the sound of the shofar bring you peace and a renewed sense of purpose and spiritual vision.

L'Shalom,
Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Previous Bulletin Page
August 1999 Bulletin Home Page
Next Bulletin Page