When you see me at meetings, you refer to me as the Temple President. When you watch Shabbat Service (and you don’t see me, but you know that I am there) I am that Audio Visual Tech guy. When you catch me changing burned-out lights, fixing a toilet, or maybe putting up the Sukkah, there is the Building and Grounds guy. Maybe you catch me looking at our cameras or hear about the steps the Security Committee is taking to make us safer. There I am, the Security Committee guy. When you see me on a Sunday morning dropping off my kids at Sinai School – hopefully, you say – there is that parent guy. There might be one more hat. Yes, yes… it’s the Temple Sinai Grant guy! So which hat do you need me to wear today? To be honest, sometimes I am not sure what hat I am wearing minute to minute!

This is the case for so many of us in our community and especially here at Temple Sinai. So much is going on, and then we add on to that the additional stress of Covid and maybe throw a personal emergency in here and there, and we find ourselves bobbling at the water’s surface. We all get tied up in this continuous loop of work, family, maybe some sleep and we often forget that we are all human. So we all need to be able to stop, take a breath of fresh air, and enjoy the company around us. As busy as we are, it is easy to become disconnected, especially as things are closed and many of our usual activities are limited.

This hits home for me even wearing the many hats that I do around the synagogue. It sure looks like I have a connection. I have all of the activities and responsibilities listed above, with a cherry on top, and recently had a conversation about feeling connected or being connected to the Rabbis and Temple Sinai. To be honest, when I started thinking about my connection, that connection is of service, service to my synagogue, and to the building that supports my faith and Jewish Life. I do not get an opportunity to join in on all the programming available, and although often in the Rabbis’ presence, never get to engage in anything spiritual, just work and business.

This is who I am. I know that our congregants have varying levels of connectedness and varying ways that they connect. Is it the Rabbis that draw your attention or Temple Sinai as a whole? Some of us have not felt that connectedness. Maybe we once did and then the one thing that worked for us changed. Maybe we changed. Maybe it was the rabbis that drew our attention, or maybe Temple Sinai itself, but we can’t enjoy either as we did.

For some, just having our doors open on Shabbat and all the special events and holidays will restore the connection. But please realize some things are not entirely in our control. What we can control is how we communicate. In any relationship, it takes communication to help maintain a connection. If there are things we can do, talk to us. Is there something you can offer to create a feeling of connection for yourself and others? Let us know how we can help to give you the comfort of Temple Sinai. There is so much that we can do – take it from the guy with all the hats! We, the Board and the Rabbis, want to work with you. As much as I do, I cannot do it alone. I have volunteers, committees, and Rabbis working alongside me. Let’s build our connections and our community, together.

Also, please do not forget to sign up online for our upcoming Passover Seder and watch out for other Temple Sinai news.

L’shalom,
Michael