From the Rabbi - May 2005

Dear Friends,

Last month, Sue and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. This was a wonderful event, but it was all the more special because our anniversary coincided with the 50th anniversary celebration of my parents, Sidney and Sophie Black. Many of you have met my parents over the years so you will not be surprised when I tell you that they did not want their simcha to be celebrated in a "normal" fashion. There would be no dinner dance for Sid and Sophie, no cruise to the Bahamas, no extravagant gifts. They decided that they wanted their celebration to reflect their values. As such, they invited and sponsored Dr. Benjamin Sommer, Director of the Crown Family Center for Jewish Studies at Northwestern University to serve as Scholar in Residence for the weekend at their synagogue. In addition, they asked me if I would give a concert on Saturday night as well. (A little naches [pride] from the children has to be a part of every celebration, right?) Dr. Sommer delivered three lectures during the course of the weekend. My concert was the final event. All of these events took place at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston, Il.

I was profoundly moved by the experience - not only because it revolved around my parents, but because it truly was a reflection of their values and the values that they instilled in my sister and me. When we were growing up, the synagogue was the center of my family's spiritual, social, educational and cultural life. My parents have remained very active in Beth Emet over the years, so it was inevitable that they would want to mark this important milestone in the Synagogue setting.

Rabbi Peter Knobel, my parents' rabbi and a former scholar-in-residence at Congregation Albert, when blessing my parents, noted that they have always served as role models for the community. This celebration was no exception. Instead of testimonials or travel, they opted for Torah and tradition. The sanctuary was overflowing with learning and love the entire weekend, and all those who were fortunate to be in attendance were truly blessed. Rabbi Knobel hinted that if anybody else was considering celebrating an important milestone in the near future, that my parents' example could easily be replicated.

I would echo Rabbi Knobel's comments and emphatically state that if anyone wants to know more about the possibility of sponsoring a special program at Congregation Albert in honor of an important simcha - or even for the sake of adding to the life of our community, we would be thrilled to make this happen.

May this month of May - filled with graduations, Confirmation, celebration and transformation - bring you all that is good.

B'Shalom,
Rabbi Joseph R. Black

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