On January 9th of 2017 I sent in my resume to Beth Sholom, on January 13th I spoke to Danny Schaffzin (serving as co-chair of the search committee), and on January 15th I sat with Jonathan Ross, who grew up here, in his New York City apartment for 3 hours to hear about Beth Sholom. On Friday, February 10th, Abe and I flew down to Memphis, after a canceled flight due to a New York snowstorm, which we hoped wasn’t a bad omen. On Sunday, March 5th, Judy Bookman (the other co-chair) called me to offer the job. I immediately accepted.
In May, Abe and I returned to Memphis to look for a house. In June, we packed up our tiny 1-bedroom New York City apartment and arrived in Memphis 2 weeks later, mid-July.
Beth Sholom, you and I have been running together since then. I had 5 meet and greets where I got to hear from almost 100 of you about your hopes for this synagogue and your memories that shape your vision. We celebrated our first High Holy Days together, we studied together, we sang together, we cried together. And this, I realize, is only the beginning. I still get a feeling of excitement when I get to deepen my connection to one of you.
As the year progressed, so did our relationship. One year ago I could not have imagined where we would be, together, at this point. I pray that the coming year will allow us to continue to deepen and develop our relationships, that it will bring us continued joy and love, and that we will reach unexpected places. May we overcome challenges and obstacles, may we each grow and experience blessing, and may we be delightfully surprised by what 2018 will bring our way.
Abe and I wish you and your families a Happy New Year, and we couldn’t imagine ringing in the new year anywhere else.
