Thank you to everyone who helped make Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at Temple Shalom so special and successful.
To all of those who joined me on the bima to lift us up with music: Jodie, Ava, Jenn, Jamey, and Anat.
Bob Chodos, for organizing an ever-growing roster of Torah and haftarah readers, and to all of those who read Torah and haftarah over the course of the holidays.
Jenn Rosen, as ritual chair, for coordinating multiple moving pieces to ensure everything on the bima happened smoothly.
August Adelman – I cannot even begin to list all the multiple roles and jobs that you do over the course of the High Holy Days and throughout the year! We are so grateful for your presence and everything you do!
The entire Temple Shalom board – thank you for your sacred leadership, and especially to Jay, as he completes his term as president.
Thank you to all those who contributed to the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur break fast potlucks, and who helped set up and clean up.
Thank you to Eva Wolfe for running an excellent children’s programming!
Thank you to Waterloo Police for keeping us safe over the course of the holidays.
And to everyone who had any role in this year’s High Holy Days – an honour, a reading, bringing a potluck dish, showing up – we would not be the same without you.
My colleague Rabbi Paul Kipnes invites his congregation to wait 3 days after Yom Kippur before sharing any kvetches, any complaints, with the clergy and the lay leadership. If you have a kvell – something to celebrate, something that made your High Holy Days special – whether it was August’s warm greeting, a new piece of music that lifted your spirit, a piece of Torah or an idea you heard that made you think – share that right away! And if after 3 days, the kvetches still feel important and relevant, please do send them along, so our lay leadership and I can do everything we can to continue to build on this year’s experience. But let’s start by kvelling, by saying thank you to those who made the High Holy Days here at Temple Shalom as smooth, safe, and successful as possible.
