President's Column

As I’ve noted in the past, our archives hold a recording of Rabbi Sidney Akselrad, of blessed memory, describing the art and architecture of Beth Am. As he reflected on the continuity of our faith, the values we inherited, those we practice, and those we espouse, he explained that when our temple was completed, it would not be enough to simply have a building, but that the building would reflect Jewish values, Jewish rituals, and Jewish symbolism.

To me, their efforts mean that when I join our community in the Outdoor Sanctuary for summer Erev Shabbat services, feeling the warmth of the setting sun, or the chill of an evening breeze, and watching the hummingbirds flit through the trees, my breath slows and my heart is more open to the wonder around me. Or, when I stand with all of you for the Amidah (the standing prayer) in our indoor sanctuary and my voice lifts with yours, I visualize our voices swirling and rising powerfully upward, stronger and more beautiful together. The decision of those early congregants to make the high point of our Sanctuary not over the bima but over the congregation, thus reflecting our identity as the “House of the People” — a sacred community where all people are valued, was formative in how I viewed myself as a Jew. It has remained central in how I see myself within this community, whose members are placed in a position to contribute to our shared spiritual home.  

I quoted author Peter Wehner earlier this year, and I now share words he wrote in The Atlantic:

When we see ourselves in the context of wonder, it makes us humbler… Awe also seems to encourage people to be more helpful, more charitable, and more likely to volunteer. The moral circle of care — the boundary that encompasses those whom we consider worthy of our concern — expands.

As we honor our 70th year together, what Beth Am moments have allowed you to reflect and wonder, and how might we expand and inspire the Beth Am voices of tomorrow that will be added to our own from today?

In community,
Deb Radin
president@betham.org