CyberTorah

Where Next

I will admit it: I feel pretty good about the holidays. Kol Emeth did something very special as we showed up for each other. In a time that could have felt isolating, we experienced community. In a time that could have been anxious and sad, we shared joy and hope. It was a team effort, Rabbis, Board, staff, community. Everyone committed to the same goal of making these High Holidays memorable and great and everyone showing up for each other.

Now, having seen the possibilities, I am asking myself where to go with what I learned. I feel Kol Emeth took on a hugely significant role in our lives this past month and was there for us at a critical time. Further, I believe many of the programs we have been able to craft in the last few months have done more than just be substitutions. From our virtual Israel trip to our family Fridays, the KE team has used Zoom and streaming to do and be more than we ever imagined.

So where should we go with what we have learned? We have months more of some kind of quarantine, and then years of openness to apply the learnings of these last few months. What should we be doing with what we have learned and experienced?

I tend to reach out to smart and thoughtful people whenever I want to create creative solutions. Who better than the KE community and other readers of CyberTorah? The synagogue survey pre-High Holidays was hugely influential and helpful in crafting our experiences, reinforcing my sense that getting input can help shape creative and positive thinking.

People from around the country came to our services this year, many from areas with little or no developed Jewish community. Should that be something to develop into the future? How can we reach young people and families burned out on Zoom and tech? As we experiment with in-person activities, how do we hold our community together as some participate and many stay virtual?

I would love to know your thoughts and ideas. What would you suggest we be thinking about right now? What should our priorities be? What do you think you learned from the experiences so far?

The mission of Congregation Kol Emeth is to create a joyous and welcoming pluralistic community that brings people closer to each other and their faith through Torah-infused Judaism. That hasn’t changed. What have we learned that can help us do this better?

I look forward to reading your responses!

May this new year be one of peace, health, and joy.

Rabbi David Booth