News flash! Jews are a minority in our country and in Illinois! We make up approximately 2.2% of the populations of both the U.S. and Illinois. In 2011, it is estimated that approximately 97% of the Jewish population of Illinois is in the Chicago metropolitan area. Most of us living near Oak Park Temple know that we are a small pocket of Judaism in the Western Suburbs. Concentrations of Jews are greater North and Northwest. It's not hard to feel that OPT is a bit of an island. However, we are really not as much of an island as you might think.
In the last few weeks, I have had remarkable experiences in connecting with a much larger community of Reform Jews in North America. I had the privilege to attend the Scheidt Seminar, conducted by the Union for Reform Judaism for Presidents and Presidents-Elect of URJ congregations. I spent four days with 81 presidents, 21 of them from congregations with between 350 and 500 members, very much like Oak Park Temple. This seminar was easily one of the most meaningful professional development experiences of my entire career. I took away useful information, made valuable contacts and I feel in a much better position to understand and navigate the resources of the larger Reform Jewish community of North America for the benefit of Oak Park Temple.
Not only was this an inspiring leadership development experience, it was a meaningful Jewish experience, as well. Praying, singing and studying with my fellow Presidents and Presidents-Elect strengthened my connection to our shared spiritual heritage. The things I saw and heard moved me deeply.
The Scheidt Seminar was like getting a view of being a temple president from 35,000 feet. Many more things make sense. I was comforted to realize that there are numerous ways that Oak Park Temple excels as a congregation. However, I also was able to learn things from other presidents, and our gifted faculty, that can help us to improve. Most importantly, the problems that we face are shared by other congregations and are not unique. There is a vast network of assistance into which we can tap. If your committee has a challenge, let me know. The “wheel'” has probably been invented before, many, many times.
After the Scheidt Seminar, I flew directly to New Orleans to join the Oak Park Temple group of 25, led by Rabbi Weiss, on a "Tour of the Deep Jewish South." The South is a part of Jewish America of which many of us on the trip had had no knowledge or experience. It was informative, enlightening and fun. We saw synagogues, important sites in southern Jewish culture, places of historic significance in the civil rights movement in our country and the home of the Blues, the Mississippi Delta. Oh, and did I tell you we ate? It's a very Jewish thing to do, you know! From New Orleans to Memphis, we saw a different slice of the Jewish world and history. My view of who “we” are as a people has expanded. We’re not such an island.
So remember, Oak Park Temple is part of something big, very big, and wonderful.
L’shalom,
Jeff Blaine
President
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Community
This has been a time filled with activity at Oak Park Temple. So, you ask, what’s different about that? Probably not much, but I have a sense that something wonderful is afoot. The new Board of Directors convened some weeks back for a five hour retreat. Rabbi Weiss, using a verse from Pirke Avot, led us in discussion of the value of joining the study of Torah with work. We shared our personal goals for service on the Board and our visions for Oak Park Temple going forward. If there was any one common theme, it was that of our shared hope to expand, support and cultivate a strong sense of community at Oak Park Temple and, indeed, there are many indicators of that work in progress.
Our new worship initiative, 4th Friday, got off to an incredible start on February 25th with a sanctuary filled to the brim with a multi-generational congregation sharing connections of prayer, song, food and fellowship. It was thrilling to see the beginning of a new tradition at Oak Park Temple. Every month, on the "Fourth Friday", there will be an early gathering for wine, cheese, crackers, juice and cookies beginning at 6:00 p.m. A time to connect at the end of the week; a time to welcome Shabbat. A brief, but beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat service filled with music and prayer will begin at 6:30 p.m. and we will conclude at 7:15 p.m. For those with small children, the early time will prevent disrupting bed times and for those with greater flexibility, there will be time to go home, or out, for a Shabbat dinner with family and friends. Community.
Our annual Oak Park Temple Retreat at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, was a huge success, enjoyed by all and another example of community in action. This year’s theme was “Reveal, Rejoice, Redeem: Party Hearty in the Torah!!!” One hundred and seventy-three members of our congregation fought through Friday afternoon traffic and less than ideal weather to spend two delightful days kicking back enjoying one another, participating in educational and entertaining workshops run by talented members of our congregation, and joining together in song, food, laughter, ruach (spirit) and Sabbath prayer. There are few things on our calendar that I enjoy more than the Retreat. This was my fourteenth Retreat and I’m looking forward to my fifteenth next year. I would like to extend my very sincere thanks to all who made the Retreat such a success. A great deal of work made it happen, and many relationships were created and strengthened. Community.
We are now preparing for Purim celebrations for adults and kids. We are honoring Cantor Green’s bat mitzvah year at Oak Park Temple with a 70’s style Purim Disco extravaganza, and we’ve prepared a wonderful Purim carnival, Megillah reading, and entertainment. Insider tip: Purim is one of Rabbi Weiss’s very favorite holidays; the potential for rabbinic mischief is high! Orange alert! These are all further opportunities for us to play and connect. Community.
Right around the corner, on April 18th, Passover begins. Passover is the holiday that is most observed by Jews the world over. It marks our deliverance from slavery and the beginning of our journey together as a people. Community.
So, in the days, weeks and months ahead, be a part of the Oak Park Temple kehilla kedusha. Our holy community.
Our new worship initiative, 4th Friday, got off to an incredible start on February 25th with a sanctuary filled to the brim with a multi-generational congregation sharing connections of prayer, song, food and fellowship. It was thrilling to see the beginning of a new tradition at Oak Park Temple. Every month, on the "Fourth Friday", there will be an early gathering for wine, cheese, crackers, juice and cookies beginning at 6:00 p.m. A time to connect at the end of the week; a time to welcome Shabbat. A brief, but beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat service filled with music and prayer will begin at 6:30 p.m. and we will conclude at 7:15 p.m. For those with small children, the early time will prevent disrupting bed times and for those with greater flexibility, there will be time to go home, or out, for a Shabbat dinner with family and friends. Community.
Our annual Oak Park Temple Retreat at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, was a huge success, enjoyed by all and another example of community in action. This year’s theme was “Reveal, Rejoice, Redeem: Party Hearty in the Torah!!!” One hundred and seventy-three members of our congregation fought through Friday afternoon traffic and less than ideal weather to spend two delightful days kicking back enjoying one another, participating in educational and entertaining workshops run by talented members of our congregation, and joining together in song, food, laughter, ruach (spirit) and Sabbath prayer. There are few things on our calendar that I enjoy more than the Retreat. This was my fourteenth Retreat and I’m looking forward to my fifteenth next year. I would like to extend my very sincere thanks to all who made the Retreat such a success. A great deal of work made it happen, and many relationships were created and strengthened. Community.
We are now preparing for Purim celebrations for adults and kids. We are honoring Cantor Green’s bat mitzvah year at Oak Park Temple with a 70’s style Purim Disco extravaganza, and we’ve prepared a wonderful Purim carnival, Megillah reading, and entertainment. Insider tip: Purim is one of Rabbi Weiss’s very favorite holidays; the potential for rabbinic mischief is high! Orange alert! These are all further opportunities for us to play and connect. Community.
Right around the corner, on April 18th, Passover begins. Passover is the holiday that is most observed by Jews the world over. It marks our deliverance from slavery and the beginning of our journey together as a people. Community.
So, in the days, weeks and months ahead, be a part of the Oak Park Temple kehilla kedusha. Our holy community.
Monday, February 21, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Finding your way at OPT
Since I’ve been President, I often hear Board Members, and especially past-Board Members complain that they never found their “voice” while they were on the Board. This also holds for congregants who are looking to find community here at Temple. Well… after almost 20 years as a member, 6 years on the Board and 2 ½ years as President, I have the answer. VOLUNTEER. JOIN. BE HERE.
I too spent some time as a “drop-off” parent. You know who you are. You drive by, open the door, let your child into the building and then drive off. You can’t get involved that way, and you can’t complain about not getting connected if you never enter the building. Each week we send out an email that lists activities in the building. It also has information about committee meetings and events that need workers. If you want to get something out of your membership, you have to put something in. In you want to find a support system within the congregation, you have to be where others are. If you work on a committee you meet the other members, same thing with helping out cooking a dinner or organizing an event. We currently need committee chairs and volunteers to organize events for Tu B’shvat, Purim, Pesach, and the up-coming 150th Anniversary of our congregation. There’s a Used Book Sale in January that needs lots of help, too. The more you do, the more you get. Yes, you can just drop off your kid, but there is so much more we have to offer. We can’t go to your house and drag you in. And once you are in the building, we need to know who you are. Are you a great organizer, a great cook, can you decorate like Martha Stewart, or do you just take directions well. We need to know what you can do and what you want to do before we can get you to the right place. And sometimes things don’t work out exactly as you thought they would but so what, you tried. Try again with another group if you don’t like the first one, or even the second or third.
So when you get that email that says “WE NEED HELP”, help!
When someone calls you and says “WE NEED HELP”, help!
When someone comes to you and says “WE NEED HELP”, help!
Or stop kvetching that you can’t find your place… We really are talking to YOU!
Written with hope,
Lauren Levrant
President
I too spent some time as a “drop-off” parent. You know who you are. You drive by, open the door, let your child into the building and then drive off. You can’t get involved that way, and you can’t complain about not getting connected if you never enter the building. Each week we send out an email that lists activities in the building. It also has information about committee meetings and events that need workers. If you want to get something out of your membership, you have to put something in. In you want to find a support system within the congregation, you have to be where others are. If you work on a committee you meet the other members, same thing with helping out cooking a dinner or organizing an event. We currently need committee chairs and volunteers to organize events for Tu B’shvat, Purim, Pesach, and the up-coming 150th Anniversary of our congregation. There’s a Used Book Sale in January that needs lots of help, too. The more you do, the more you get. Yes, you can just drop off your kid, but there is so much more we have to offer. We can’t go to your house and drag you in. And once you are in the building, we need to know who you are. Are you a great organizer, a great cook, can you decorate like Martha Stewart, or do you just take directions well. We need to know what you can do and what you want to do before we can get you to the right place. And sometimes things don’t work out exactly as you thought they would but so what, you tried. Try again with another group if you don’t like the first one, or even the second or third.
So when you get that email that says “WE NEED HELP”, help!
When someone calls you and says “WE NEED HELP”, help!
When someone comes to you and says “WE NEED HELP”, help!
Or stop kvetching that you can’t find your place… We really are talking to YOU!
Written with hope,
Lauren Levrant
President
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Find your talking donkey
And now a story…
During a Friday night service this summer, Rabbi Weiss did a sermon on Balak and Balaam. For those of you who missed it, and that means most of you, I 'd like to give a brief recap.
The Israelites are traveling thru the desert, despite popular belief, they are actually battling there way thru populated lands and they’re winning! Balak, king of the Moabites, is afraid of them and tries to hire a powerful prophet, Balaam to curse this powerful group who has come out of Egypt, so that his army can conquer them. Balaam talks to god and god tells him “Don’t do it”, so he refuses. Once again, Balak sends officials to Balaam, this time with the promise of great rewards. Balaam once again asks god what he should do. This time god says its ok for him to go with Balak’s officials, but he can only do what god tells him to do.
Without giving him a chance to do more than saddle up his donkey, god gets angry seeing Balaam on his way, and sends a sword bearing angel to block the donkey’s way. The donkey veers off the road and gets hit for his troubles. On they go, and this time the angel forces the donkey against a wall and Balaam’s leg gets scraped. And the donkey gets hit again. The third time the angel is right in front of them, and the donkey lays down. Once again, smack.
Only this time, the donkey asks Balaam “Hey, why are you hitting me?” I repeat, the donkey says “why are you hitting me?” Imagine that, a talking donkey.
Now our rabbi is a great story teller and while he is telling us this story, it truly sounds like a Disney story, complete with a talking donkey. I'm there, thinking Shrek. Then I remember, this was the very first story I read when I joined my Torah study group back in 1993.
Can you imagine? Before that day, I'd never read the bible, and I walk in and they're reading a story featuring a talking donkey! I was hooked!
Of course, its not always that much fun. Sometimes we read long lists of names, we never skip a word. Sometimes its a travelog naming all the wells and stone alters the Hebrews passed on the way, but then you get something amazing...something that reads like a movie script... mothers bewailing that their sons are marrying shiksas. More variations on incest than you can imagine, battles, angels, god gambling with satan, and don't forget that talking donkey!
Now, in my torah study group we each read from whatever version grabs our attention on that day. Some of us use the Plaut version that you should all be familiar with, or the King James. There are versions written by Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox jews, poets, scholars and many more. But they all tell the same story. The thing to remember is that they are all translations of the same scroll that is housed in the Ark right behind me.
This morning you've heard several of our congregants chanting from that scroll. I've had the honor of doing that on several occasions, and I can attest to the power of that experience. The scroll is a work of art. It is hand written with an incredible amount of reverence.
And this brings me to the reason I’ve just told you about my love story with the torah. This year we have a unique opportunity to participate in the repair of our Torah scroll. The very one that our children read from when they become b’nai mitzvah.
You will be getting information about the project and how you can get involved. Our hope is that there will be 100% participation.
There will be educational sessions with the sofer who will be doing the work. There will be social events celebrating the scrolls, and you will each be given the chance to support the work in a very personal way.
This will be a year long process, so watch for information about how you can be a part of this exciting experience. And don't forget, the torah is a scroll, but it is also our story. Get involved. Think about joining a torah study group, its the best way to be introduced to our book, and we have 3 of these groups meeting every Sunday right here in this building who would welcome you with open arms.
I encourage each of you to find your own talking donkey and follow him into the magical world of our Torah.
During a Friday night service this summer, Rabbi Weiss did a sermon on Balak and Balaam. For those of you who missed it, and that means most of you, I 'd like to give a brief recap.
The Israelites are traveling thru the desert, despite popular belief, they are actually battling there way thru populated lands and they’re winning! Balak, king of the Moabites, is afraid of them and tries to hire a powerful prophet, Balaam to curse this powerful group who has come out of Egypt, so that his army can conquer them. Balaam talks to god and god tells him “Don’t do it”, so he refuses. Once again, Balak sends officials to Balaam, this time with the promise of great rewards. Balaam once again asks god what he should do. This time god says its ok for him to go with Balak’s officials, but he can only do what god tells him to do.
Without giving him a chance to do more than saddle up his donkey, god gets angry seeing Balaam on his way, and sends a sword bearing angel to block the donkey’s way. The donkey veers off the road and gets hit for his troubles. On they go, and this time the angel forces the donkey against a wall and Balaam’s leg gets scraped. And the donkey gets hit again. The third time the angel is right in front of them, and the donkey lays down. Once again, smack.
Only this time, the donkey asks Balaam “Hey, why are you hitting me?” I repeat, the donkey says “why are you hitting me?” Imagine that, a talking donkey.
Now our rabbi is a great story teller and while he is telling us this story, it truly sounds like a Disney story, complete with a talking donkey. I'm there, thinking Shrek. Then I remember, this was the very first story I read when I joined my Torah study group back in 1993.
Can you imagine? Before that day, I'd never read the bible, and I walk in and they're reading a story featuring a talking donkey! I was hooked!
Of course, its not always that much fun. Sometimes we read long lists of names, we never skip a word. Sometimes its a travelog naming all the wells and stone alters the Hebrews passed on the way, but then you get something amazing...something that reads like a movie script... mothers bewailing that their sons are marrying shiksas. More variations on incest than you can imagine, battles, angels, god gambling with satan, and don't forget that talking donkey!
Now, in my torah study group we each read from whatever version grabs our attention on that day. Some of us use the Plaut version that you should all be familiar with, or the King James. There are versions written by Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox jews, poets, scholars and many more. But they all tell the same story. The thing to remember is that they are all translations of the same scroll that is housed in the Ark right behind me.
This morning you've heard several of our congregants chanting from that scroll. I've had the honor of doing that on several occasions, and I can attest to the power of that experience. The scroll is a work of art. It is hand written with an incredible amount of reverence.
And this brings me to the reason I’ve just told you about my love story with the torah. This year we have a unique opportunity to participate in the repair of our Torah scroll. The very one that our children read from when they become b’nai mitzvah.
You will be getting information about the project and how you can get involved. Our hope is that there will be 100% participation.
There will be educational sessions with the sofer who will be doing the work. There will be social events celebrating the scrolls, and you will each be given the chance to support the work in a very personal way.
This will be a year long process, so watch for information about how you can be a part of this exciting experience. And don't forget, the torah is a scroll, but it is also our story. Get involved. Think about joining a torah study group, its the best way to be introduced to our book, and we have 3 of these groups meeting every Sunday right here in this building who would welcome you with open arms.
I encourage each of you to find your own talking donkey and follow him into the magical world of our Torah.
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