President's Column

Turning Lemons Into… Applesauce?

As we approach the Jewish New Year, a time for rejoicing and introspection, I am reminded of the resolutions we also make for ourselves during the secular New Year. According to Inc.com, one of the top 10 resolutions made last year was to “spend more time with family and friends”.

While we have had to physically separate ourselves from one another for most of 2020, I am also struck by the opportunity we have been presented with to connect with one another.

During this pandemic, Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks asked, “While miracles are sometimes very painful, what has this moment in time allowed us to do that we couldn’t or wouldn’t have done otherwise?”

When I reflect on this question, I am reminded of when the reality of this health crisis set in for me — for the first time in over 20 years, I was not able to celebrate Passover in person with my family and friends. However, the silver lining in having a virtual Passover Zeder (Seder + Zoom) was that it enabled our household to have the largest and most diverse gathering yet. There were five participants from my side of the family with individuals logging in from New York, Virginia and Washington.

The past six months have also enabled Beth Am to connect even more deeply with our members. Our congregation has seized this moment by creating innovative and thoughtful experiences for our congregants to stay connected with one another. We could not have done this work without the collective and tireless efforts of the clergy team, professional staff and board of directors.

Most of all, I’d like to thank the entire congregation for your flexibility, resilience and commitment to build our kehillah kedoshah (sacred community).

Wishing all of you a Shanah Tovah.

Andy