by Michael Saxe-Taller, Executive Director
Change can be tough.
When things that we count on or are used to shift, we can feel disoriented. When people change their roles, or leave or die, adjusting can be difficult. Transitions can cause us to feel unmoored, unsettled and unsure of where we stand.
One of the things that I love most about Judaism is that we have rituals and customs that encourage us to notice transitions, acknowledge the moments we are in and prepare for the changes that are to come. Whether we are doing Havdalah to mark the end of Shabbat, celebrating the coming of age of a Bat/Bar Mitzvah student or sitting shiva at the loss of a loved one, our rituals provide us the opportunity to notice both the joy and sadness that is often present at the time of transition.
The Kehilla community is in a significant period of transition. In addition to a number of births, Bat/Bar Mitzvahs and deaths in our extended community, Kehilla is having major shifts amongst the staff and clergy that serve our congregation. In February, we celebrated Rabbi David and publically acknowledged the change that is coming in his role in our community. In July, Rabbi Dev will move into a new senior rabbinic role. Other staff have retired or decreased their roles while we have hired a new office administrator and are close to hiring a new Kehilla School director.
These changes are an inevitable part of the ongoing life of our community. Nevertheless, many of us may feel apprehensive, off-balance or unsure about how our beloved Kehilla community is going to change in the future. Therefore, it is time to lean into our tradition and acknowledge the period of transition that we are in.
On Wednesday, May 3, from 7:00-9:15, we will hold our annual Community Meeting. It will be an opportunity for us to reflect on our past year together, notice the state of our community in this moment and image how we want to shape our coming year.
I invite you to join us to participate in this important community ritual, as we use our many transitions to strengthen the foundations of our congregation.