Thoughts From The President

A Renewable Source of Energy—the OJC!

This article is my final message to you as president of the OJC. When I took office during my first term in July 2002, a congregant asked me a simple but dramatic question, which, strangely enough, I had not yet considered: “So, what are your goals for the next two years as president?” Two hard truths came to my consciousness. I had not entirely considered the possibility that I now shared a responsibility for leading a congregation forward and that the way forward did not necessarily have a predestined route. When that term ended in June 2004 I was both satisfied and relieved. The synagogue’s expansion project was completed, the congregation was thriving, and the Religious School was growing. We had added a new position of associate rabbi and there was shalom bayit. The OJC continued to flourish under the able leadership of Arthur Sanders for the next two years.

When I accepted the presidency again, two years ago, I challenged myself with that same question regarding my goals and determined that along with continued growth of the congregation, Religious and Nursery Schools, developing a succession of lay leadership was of great importance. Like any volunteer organization, the OJC has a core of energetic, dedicated, and skilled leaders always ready to answer the call when there is a need. As our congregation has continued to grow like few others over the last two years, our need for volunteers has grown exponentially. The OJC professionals, the members of the clergy, educational and youth directors, have been very successful in creating our active, educated and vibrant Jewish community in southern Rockland that is eager to study, to learn about ourselves, and to reach out to those in need in our world community. This love of learning has created the necessity for more educational programming, greater outreach services, and of course, the enlistment and involvement of still more volunteers. We need look no further than to the Dr. Seymour Cohen Torah Project and the 60-to-60 Celebration of Israel programs to confirm this.

As we begin the 2008–2009 fiscal year, welcoming a new OJC Executive Board and Board of Trustees, I am confident that our congregation will be in strong and capable hands for many years to come. The nominating committee, chaired by Past-President Arthur Sanders, presented the congregation with a group of women and men who have volunteered to continue the work of those pioneers who began the OJC almost sixty years ago. We now have a board with a very healthy mix of experienced trustees and enthusiastic individuals who will be serving their first terms.

I am grateful to the members of the Executive Board, several of whom served with me during all four years of my presidency. Together we learned about collaboration and compromise. We set our own goals for service, taught each other, learned from each other, and pushed ourselves to consider alternative opinions, developing friendships and growing during the process. My thanks go to the Board of Trustees. They always gave generously of their time and gave serious consideration to important matters before our congregation. Their openness and respectfulness when confronted with divergent opinions and suggestions is commendable.

God bless our spiritual leaders. Rabbi Scheff, Rabbi Drill, and Cantor Yucht continuously give of themselves to sustain us. They inspire and challenge us to set individual goals that stretch us beyond our comfort level while supporting us in those endeavors. I found the strength to serve this congregation from them. They are the core of this community, pulling us together to enrich our souls.

There are extraordinary challenges for lay leaders in a large organization that encourages participation and a free exchange of ideas. That challenge is compounded when most of the leadership and workers are volunteers who have competing responsibilities in other aspects of their lives. I am grateful to office administrator Krista Bohn, Helen Barnett, and Martin Gannon, and the part-time members of our support staff who have been a continuous source of knowledge and skills and make it possible for this organization to be effective every day.

I am looking forward to celebrating with the congregation in the autumn when we honor Rosina and Glenn Hirsh and Dina and Cantor Vadim Yucht. We will be providing you with details of this special event soon.

I wish you all a restful and pleasurable summer.

B’shalom,

Barry