From Rabbi Black - December 2005

My Dear Friends,

During the weekend of Shabbat Sukkot I had the supreme pleasure of officiating at the installation ceremony of Rabbi Darah Lerner in her new pulpit at Congregation Beth El in Bangor, Maine. Many of you know Darah from her time here at Congregation Albert, both as a member and a Rabbinic Intern. The opportunity for me to share in this simcha was both humbling and heartwarming. In the Mishnah, Tractate Avot, we read: "Raise up my students…"  There is no greater honor for a Rabbi or a Cantor than to see a former student ascend her own pulpit.

Traveling to Bangor meant that I had to spend a lot of time in various airports. This, in turn, allowed me to recognize that there are fewer and fewer opportunities for human interaction while traveling. Gone are the days of ticket and travel agents, friendly skies and copious service. Downsizing and marketplace realities have replaced human interaction with computerized ticket sales and baggage check-in, video monitors and automated information centers. Frequently, the only non-digitized voices one hears in the airport terminal come from security guards, disembodied telephone operators originating in call centers several thousand miles away, and the cell phone conversations of other travelers.

Against the backdrop of this mechanized and impersonal world, the synagogue takes on a more vital role. We remain one of the few places where human interaction is our primary goal, not merely a necessary tool for the dispensation of our "services." Installing Rabbi Lerner was a celebration of the holy relationship between a rabbi and her congregation. Each time we walk into a synagogue, we expect that the quality of interaction and the level of recognition that we receive will be different from all other contacts in our lives.

Soon we will celebrate Chanukah. The light of the Chanukah candles will remind us yet again of the light of God's presence. This is the light that we feel when we come together in the synagogue to worship, study and celebrate the joy of community.

May your homes and your hearts be filled with light this Chanukah season.

B'shalom,
Rabbi Joseph R. Black

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