From the Rabbi - June/July 2004

My Dear Friends,

I have a tradition, on the last day of religious school, of telling a story about a man who sees a beautiful, enchanted bird in the forest outside of his village. After his encounter with the bird, the man is unable to speak - he can only sing a hauntingly beautiful melody over and over. Eventually everyone in the village learns to sing it as well. As soon as all the villagers learn the melody, the spell is broken.

This story is about many things - but chiefly it is about how we share precious legacies with one another. As we prepare to bid farewell to Cantor Jacqueline, Mark and Harry Shuchat-Marx, I want to take this opportunity to thank them for the beautiful melodies and deep connections that they have shared with our Congregation over the past seven years. It has been my pleasure to work with Cantor Jacquie on a daily basis. She has inspired me and all of us - not only with her beautiful voice, but with her pure soul as well. She has shared both joys and sorrows with many members of our community. She has touched our lives, taught us Torah and made us laugh.

Of course, watching Mark and Jacquie kvelling over their precious son, Harry, has been a never-ending source of joy for us all. I want to wish them only the best in the future. May they find many more opportunities to grow and share their special gifts with others.

I want to remind the congregation that we will be honoring Cantor Jacquie at Erev Shabbat services on Friday night, June 18th at 8:00 pm. I hope that our sanctuary will be filled to overflowing on this special Shabbat of tribute.

With my best wishes for a joyous summer, I am…

B'Shalom,
Rabbi Joseph R. Black

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