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