Jay S. Goodgold
September 21, 2007

35 years ago, my father had a patient, a very eminent Rabbi, in his office about three weeks before Yom Kippur. He was well up in years, but his mind was quite clear. My father, his physician, told him quite emphatically that this Yom Kippur he had to eat. The rabbi was silent; he nodded and left. The following week he came back and handed my father a piece of paper with about 20 words on it. My father read the note and asked him to explain it. The Rabbi said that if he had to eat on the holiest day of the year he did not have to enjoy it; he would only eat those foods he detested, and what he had given my father was a list of products he had not touched since childhood. My sin, he said, would be not to eat if you tell me I have to eat to live.  The two of them worked together and were satisfied with the menu they devised. 
     It is the uniqueness of each individual and the ability of Judaism to find solutions, which resonates both during these holidays and during the year.
     This story reenters my mind at this time and it always has me thinking about that one individual who has a special issue, who has received the unique attentiveness to meet his or her own specific needs. At this time of the year, we gather communally at our Synagogue, Anshe Emet, to ascertain the uniqueness of our lives and to share these ten days with family, friends and the community. It is here at Anshe Emet where we enter into a different realm of introspection. It is here where we are able to create an atmosphere where we can step back, reflect and learn. It is here where we can create an environment where the individual and his and her family are welcomed, acknowledged and respected.
      We have a great clergy, a pristine balance sheet, and a great list of programs, which recognizes our varied individuals own needs.  At Anshe Emet our clergy and lay leadership understand that while the material needs of the Synagogue have to be met, all is lost without the right welcoming environment.
       At our Synagogue this is our mantra; we have a welcoming environment.  It is manifest in the great growth we have had over last years amongst our entire congregation. Our future has never been brighter. Throughout the Synagogue and the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School there is a genuine enthusiasm regarding our present and our future. Just hear these numbers: a record 175 children enrolled in our Braun religious school, an astonishing 491 enrolled at BZAEDS, our Nation-wide leading Jews by Choice program with 49 participants and expanding, 1000 congregants under the age of 23! They are here for knowledge and an experience they can find in this Jewish community and our growth continues every day and all of us are an integral part of it. Anshe Emet's growth and vision is evident in the generational change occurring within the Conservative Movement now.
        The Conservative Jewish Movement is in the midst of its most critical and transformative times. The newly installed Chancellor, Arnie Eisen, has, with alacrity, brought dynamic leadership, insight and most importantly a purpose of mitzvot to the rabbinic community.  At Anshe Emet, as we enter our 135th year, we are a major part of this change. Because of our leadership across the spectrum we are at the forefront of the Conservative Movement. We have alone in our two senior clergy, Rabbi Siegel and Hazzan Mizrahi, the most outstanding team of leaders both locally and nationally in the Conservative Jewish Movement. Rabbi Cosgrove is one of the most visible and recognized Rabbis of his generation. Rabbi Burg has brought new energy and focus and Debbie Lewis' great love of her work has firmed up our position as one of the top tier Synagogues.
      All of our the clergy leadership, outstanding programs, staff, religious and Day Schools have been so successful because of our community’s deep involvement. We want your input, leadership and participation to make Anshe Emet your home. Your views are of great importance to our board of trustees. We have an energetic and professionally based group of lay leaders. Our sole mission is to focus and refocus on the spiritual, cultural, and educational needs of our Conservative Jewish community. It is one we take seriously but with great humility. We want to hear your creative ideas to make our Synagogue a more inviting place-please, do not be shy or hesitant with suggestions. Speak to my colleagues or me whether in person tonight, on Shabbat or through e-mail.
     I love this place and I love every time I walk though its doors, and I love what it means to all of us. Each time I enter, it's as if I'm doing it for the first time. And I am very grateful. Grateful to be here with my wife, Karen and our three children, ages 6, 4 and 6 months. Grateful to be part of a very special group of individuals. We must always embrace and nourish the uniqueness which each of us has to offer. It is an important part of our culture and heritage. Whether it is a specific area of prayer or learning or an issue of emotional concern, we want Anshe Emet to be a home for our families.
      We have an exciting and dynamic future at Anshe Emet, emboldened by our children and the 3000 individuals who have made our Synagogue a place where the prospects of a better life, a better world will be attained. Like the Rabbi's unique solution to eating on Yom Kippur, each one of us has his or her special needs, which our Synagogue, Anshe Emet, embraces.
       My family and I wish you a healthy and joyous New Year. Shabbat Shalom. Gemar Hatimah Tovah.