During the Yamim Noraim (“Days of Awe”), the period from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, our community came together to pray, study and reflect on the year just past and to consider the year to come.  During this time of spiritual searching, we also experienced a time of fearful upheaval in our economic markets. Rabbi Bachman and our clergy team showed both sensitivity and wisdom in teaching us how Judaism might give us strength, direction, and a sense of meaning in these unparalleled times. Personally, and on behalf of our congregation, I want to thank our clergy, facilitated by our musical director Rose Moskowitz and the CBE Singers, for leading us in our quest for teshuvah and spiritual renewal.  

I would also like to thank our staff, led by Paul Basista, our Executive Director. This year, due to both our dramatic membership growth and our expanded array of services for both members and non-members, our congregation served an ever-growing community. Although exact numbers are not yet in, it looks like approximately 2,500 people attended services at our congregation this year.  

And making all this happen was an office staff that worked around the clock.  Thanks to the staff for their great efforts.  Our thanks are also due to Ivan Payan, our maintenance supervisor, and his staff—their hard work and hustle were critical to our success. And a special posthumous recognition to Jean Calixte, of blessed memory, who for so many years guarded our comings and goings as we entered the Sanctuary. 

Finally, I want to thank all of our congregants for being so welcoming and giving to each other during this holiday season. I would like to thank the many congregants who participated on the bimah(s), and who ushered.  Specifically, let me thank Jules Hirsh for ushering in the New Year with the blast of the shofar, Joel and Rosalie Boosin for coordinating the holiday seating and Michael Glanzer who oversaw the scheduling of the ushers. Kol ha kavod to one and all. 

In closing, I would like to remark on a phenomenon of the High Holy Days.  During this time of year, we are called on to turn to God and the Jewish community, and to renew ourselves. To meet this demand, we now offer three complete services, in addition to our services held in the Sanctuary: a Tots service, a Youth and Family service, and a “Brooklyn Jews” service for the unaffiliated.  Each service aimed to be uniquely tailored for its participants, from Klezmer music in the Youth and Family services, to acoustic guitar in the Brooklyn Jews services, to a choir, keyboard and guitar in our Sanctuary service.   

So my question to you is this: did you like the service(s) that you were in?  Did it meet your spiritual needs?  Or were you thinking to yourself, “I wonder what that other service was like—maybe that would be more to my liking?”  I’d like to hear from you about your experiences at services.  Were you inspired?  Were you woken from your slumber? Did you find that you liked the music? Did the liturgy move you?