Dear {{first_name}},
We are just a few hours away from entering a new year on the Jewish calendar and our sacred space is set at the JCC ready for a full offering of services for all ages. My heart is very full of gratitude for the many, many people whose kindness and generosity has got us here, ready (well almost) to begin another round of Yamim Noraim, Days of Awe. This is my 19th Rosh HaShanah with this wonderful community. Thank you to our incredible professional staff; Education Director Esther BenAri-Altman, Executive Director, Jennifer Herrington, Mags, Ben and Lisa for all the dedication and hard work. So many volunteers have given countless hours of their time planning, baking, beautifying, shlepping, printing, organizing and more. I especially want to thank and congratulate our new co-presidents of the board, Ellen Kort and Cass Gottlieb, and to acknowledge Michelle Goldman who has continued to give so much beyond her term as president. Caron Robinson has spent many hours in the kitchen and Cecille Zelensky in the office. Susan Cohen and Sam Flaxman have co-led our High Holiday planning team and Larry Cohn has, once again, coordinated our move across the street with a great team of volunteers! Thank you all so, so much. Your service to this community is an inspiration!
One of the traditional greetings is Shanah Tovah u'metukah, meaning a good and sweet year. I learned from our teacher Morah Yehudis that one way to understand this is that we are blessing one another that the goodness that we experience this coming year will be so good that we can taste it and its taste will be as sweet as honey!
Talking of food, if you are planning to join us for Rosh HaShanah lunch, catered by Jessica Hersh of Sweet Pea Cuisine tomorrow, it will be at the back of Bonai Shalom now by the creek, not at the JCC as originally announced.
The world feels fragile and turbulent and as we enter 5783, may we all be blessed to be written and sealed in the Book of Life for a healthy, joyful, grateful, rich and sweet year!
Rabbi Marc
