Connections

As I assume the presidency of Oak Park Temple, I feel compelled to reflect on almost 32years as a member of the congregation. When I first walked in to OPT in 1979, I entered a congregation that I didn't think I needed, filled with people I didn't know.

Today, while there are many, many more people I do know, there continue to be many people who are unfamiliar to me. In such a situation, some “old timers” like me might react in dismay with, ‘where did my temple go?’ Instead, I am personally thrilled by the new faces. It means that we are a vital, ever-evolving Jewish community.

Coming in to OPT is like coming in to the middle of a conversation which has been in progress for some time and will continue into the future. We enter, become oriented, listen, contribute and learn. Long after we leave, the ‘conversation’ continues. When those in the conversation are known to us, it’s easy to join in. When they are not known, it may feel awkward and take some time to feel comfortable with the repartee.

Connections take time to create. With apologies to NIKE, “Just Do It!” Get involved in small and big ways. Show up. Come to the Congregational Retreat, this year, next year and the year after that. Wear your name tag! Allow yourself to be known and come to know others.

There are wonderful ways to be connected. On Friday, February 25th, we will inaugurate a tradition at Oak Park Temple that I think will be cherished for years to come. "4th Friday Kabbalat Shabbat" will be a wonderful way to welcome Shabbat, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with some wine, cheese, juice and cookies, a short Kabbalat service filled with song and prayer and concluding at 7:15 p.m. to allow us to have Shabbat dinner at home. In March, we have the Retreat the weekend of the 4th -6th, Purim celebrations that will include a carnival, Megillah reading, adult party honoring Cantor Green’s “Bat Mitzvah” year at OPT, social action, adult education, torah study, havurot and Sisterhood events, Bagel Boy Sunday morning bagels and “schmeers,” the list goes on and on and on… But wait, there’s more! There is a wealth of activities for our kids too.

So, as you are planning your ways to be connected, consider this. Someone who has just walked in to our rotunda for the first time may become a future president of OPT. Hopefully they will feel at home in the bosom of a thriving, welcoming Jewish community. It's not science fiction. It happened to me.

I am excited to be on this Jewish journey with all of you. Together, I believe that we can find a special kind of joy that none of us can find alone.

L'shalom,

Jeff Blaine,
President

This has fortunately been a pretty unstressfull year at OPT. As far as I know, there have been no major disasters, no scandals, no threats, no fires, no one on the staff has quit, and the roof hasn’t caved in. Unlike in the beginning, when I thought my entire presidency would be marked by transition, we’ve had a remarkably stable year. While our finances could always look better, we’re holding our own. People are attending services and we use every inch of space we have on Sundays. New events have brought us together and many more are planned for the future. All in all its been a pretty good year. You can read about it in my message in the Annual report, so why waste your time now?

After more than 31 months (not that I was counting), I’m finally being replaced as President of this congregation. As your next president, Jeff, mentioned at the last Board meeting, it looks as though I have held the job longer than anyone else in our congregation’s history. Sometimes it has felt like I’ve been doing this my whole life and other times, I felt as though I just took over the job. While only my hairdresser knows for sure how much grayer I’ve gotten during the last 2 ½ years, I certainly know how much I have gained from the experience. Aside from loosing my fear of public speaking, and maybe a few hours of sleep obsessing about certain issues, I have made so many new friends I couldn’t begin to count. And as I’ve mentioned time and again in speeches and in writing, I’ve truly found a home that I can’t imagine ever leaving.

There are many people that have helped make the job of the president easier, and I’d be here way passed the first kick off if I started mentioning them all, but a few deserve extra attention. I’m proud to admit that I was involved in hiring Danielle Sandler, and with out her, this place would definitely not be as stable as it currently is, both literally and figuratively. Our almost daily conversations, which often took place even on her vacation and sick days will be missed. However, I hope that now we can be friends since I will no longer be her employer. One past president, Marsha Cooper, really stepped up as my mentor and friend, thank you. And especially my friends who listened to me kvetch, especially those of you who met me for lunch weekly for “therapy”.. I owe you. Finally, I’ve been blessed with a terrific exec board who whipped this place into shape and made it almost easy to be a leader. Thank you all.

And now my final story…


At last year's URJ Biennial, I attended a gathering of congregational leaders. There, I overheard one man asking a woman, who looked to be my age, how it was that she came to be President. Well, she responded matter- of -factly, "When you join my temple you get a beautiful silk bag filled with glittering glass marbles. And each time you volunteer you return one marble to the temple office. When you have finally lost all your marbles..... they make you President!"

So, when you go home, check your bag of marbles… you may be up here soon.