Past President's Writings - Al Herbach

It hardly seems possible that my two year term as president is coming to an end.

As I look back on the prior two years, I am very proud of who we are as a community. We are proud. We are honest.  We are fiscally responsible.  We are friendly. We are diverse. We believe in education and Tikkun Olam and creativity. Some of these are basic Jewish beliefs, handed down from generation to generation. Others are uniquely ours, which we have started to teach to our children and grandchildren.

Our synagogue is truly a community, made up of over 550 families who join together in worship, education, philanthropy and social activities. It thrills me to be at the synagogue on Sunday mornings, eating a bagel at Tumler and watch the parents and grandparents escort their charges - our future - to classes and assemblies. It is amazing to see the multi-generational families who attend the Family Retreat in Oconomowoc. It is always fascinating to watch the children’s eyes light up as they see the Rabbis at Purim for the first time and understand who is beneath those costumes. It is always a pleasure to watch a committee come together to develop a program or a project – folks who had not known each other before, working as a team to achieve a goal.  As president, I have had the honor of watching and participating in all of these activities.

But I have not done it alone.  Any leader is only as good as the people that he or she is surrounded by. In this, I am most appreciative to a number of people who help to maintain our special place of community – our Kehila Kedusha.

Rabbi Bob, Rabbi Cosnowsky and Anne Stein are unbelievable partners in the maintenance and growth of our community values. They each devote numerous hours and significant effort into making our synagogue and religious school the warm, caring and nationally recognized places that they are. Greg Zelman and Cindy Michelassi bring vibrant music into our spiritual lives. Rachel Wood works to help our children become adults in the Jewish world through B’nai Mitzvah preparation. Our teachers give of themselves to ensure that all of our children are exposed to Jewish ideas and ideals.

Carol Meyer runs the synagogue office with the deft hand that one would want when maintaining our home. Not just the facilities, but the entire way that we communicate and deal with the members of our congregational family and our guests. Michele, Mike, Susan, Diane, Herbert and Eddie each provide that smile and care when dealing with our congregants that we expect and treasure.

I am very indebted to our vice presidents, Jan Widmaier, Julie Kalwat, Bruce Beiersdorf and Jacob Margulies for their hard work over the last 2 years with all of our committees. Dave Wortsman has been a tremendous asset (pun intended) as treasurer in managing our finances, in a difficult economic environment. Deb Schodrof had a significant task in working with our families with financial difficulties in a caring manner. Linda Longman and Kathie Bender have diligently maintained the records of the synagogue as recording secretaries. 

Our committee chairs lead the bulk of the programming and planning for the synagogue. They are blessed with excellent organization skills, political skills to encourage and mediate the discussions that arise and delegation skills to encourage more congregant volunteers to participate in our programs.

I would also like to recognize my family. Kathy has always been supportive of my taking on this role, even though it meant missed family dinners, long phone calls, planning meetings and other assorted interruptions to our family life. Our kids, Eric and Danna have been there for me as well, as we learned about synagogue leadership together.

And lastly, I would like to thank you – our congregants. Of course, we would not have a congregation without you. You are the reason that we can do so much. We are the Reform Jews of DuPage County. Your participation allows us all to be better.

I have been honored to be able to participate in the leadership of the synagogue for the past two years. I am very confident that I am leaving synagogue leadership in good hands. Etz Chaim will be well served by Jan and the incoming Executive Board.  t is my hope that we will continue moving L’Dor v’Dor – from generation to generation and bring our spirit and sense of community with us.

B’Shalom

Last week, we all celebrated Pesach. At our seders, we had the opportunity to talk about the history of Moses leading the Jewish people out from Egypt, where they had been enslaved, to become free people in the desert (and eventually receive the Torah).

There are a lot of lessons in the Haggadah that can be taught. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of my family together at the seder table, singing and eating. Others recall times where the discussions on the meanings of the Haggadah raged into the night. Still others are of having special guests enjoy and participate in the seder meal and service.

Today, I would like to pick out a couple of themes from the seder and bring them into our congregational life in our time.

At our seders, we proclaim "All who are hungry, come and eat; all who are needy come and celebrate Passover." Some say that this is for the people who are already at the seder and need to be fully engaged at the seder table. Others use this to point to our long held traditions around Tzedakah and Tikkun Olam. I would point to our PADS shelter that we support every Sunday evening. We call out to all of the people in DuPage County that if you need a place to stay, we have a hot meal, warm shelter and smiling faces. This year, during Pesach, we served a completely Passover friendly meal for our guests on Sunday evening, from Matzo Ball Soup to deviled eggs.

During the seder, we sing the song Dayenu. Dayenu means it would have been enough. “Had God just fed us with manna, and not given us the Sabbath rest. (Dayenu) “ At Etz Chaim, we also use Manna. Manna is our fundraising program that allows each congregant to purchase gift cards at face value which triggers a donation back to the synagogue. The best news is that you retain the full value of the gift card. So for all those times that you go to Jewel or Lettuce Entertain You restaurants or Home Depot or Chipotle, you could be using gift cards and help the synagogue raise funds. If you were just to purchase $100 in grocery gift cards, Dayenu. Manna is run monthly during the school year. Our next Manna collection day is May 15th.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Passover, filled with food, family and friends.

It sure is hard to believe that it is 2010. Why, I remember when… No, I won’t go into what I can (and can’t) remember. But it does feel a bit different to be in a new decade. There has been a lot going on at the temple and I would like to review and preview some special events.

In December, we started off the month with the Brotherhood sponsored Art Auction. This year we tried something new and held the art over through Sunday morning, so that additional people could participate in purchasing art. The results were positive, with almost 2/3 of the total sales coming on Sunday morning. We will look to make this a part of future art campaigns.

Next we celebrated Hanukkah with all of the required events: Candlelighting during services at Shabbat (twice), the Hanukkah Kids Craft Party and the Hanukkah Family Fun Night (a tradition in the making). During Hanukkah, we were also privileged to hear Samantha Margolis from AIPAC explain the purpose of AIPAC and gave her impressions of the current Israeli issues. Later in the month, the Library Committee presented two movie events, an adult movie night featuring Defiance and a children’s movie presentation of An American Tail.

On Christmas Eve, the PADS team opened our Social Hall for PADS guests on a Thursday night, since other churches that are usually open on Thursday were closed for the holiday. A hearty thank you to all of the PADS volunteers who cooked, served, oversaw and cleaned up for this occasion.

On Friday the 25th, we offered a little more with our Shabbat services. Like many Jewish homes in America, we ate Chinese food on December 25th. We offered a Chinese Dinner at the temple before services.

But December is behind us and most of our kids are back at school. January is here and the calendar is pretty full for January as well.

Brotherhood and Sisterhood will be joining together for several events this month. On January 10th, they will have a joint meeting. Then on January 15th, they will have the annual Brotherhood/Sisterhood Shabbat dinner and service, where members of the ‘hoods will lead us in worship.

January 10th is also the next day to purchase Manna. Remember that Manna is one way to contribute to the temple without costing you anything additional. Buy your grocery, restaurant, airline or hotel gift cards and a percentage of the purchase price goes directly to the temple.

On January 17th, we will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a special presentation in the sanctuary at 10:00AM.

On January 23rd, Brotherhood and Sisterhood bring us the always fun, always tasty, Soup Bread and Game night for adults. Bring a soup or bread (or even dessert) and a game.

We end January on a high note with our annual Shabbat Shira, a service with singing led by the LifeTree Ramblers on January 29th, and prior to services our Membership committee invites you to come at 7:30PM and enjoy some Wine and Cheese.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind everyone that our 50th Anniversary Celebration is set for April 16-18. There is a committee putting together a commemorative book for the occasion and if you would like to place an ad, please contact Ken Markwell or Jim Weiskopf with any questions concerning ad placements.

Keep warm!

In my speech on Rosh Hashanah, I discussed the topic of Kehillat Kedosha, or Sacred Community. I introduced the idea of making a Rosh Hashanah resolution to find a way to become more active in the temple. There are a lot of opportunities and throughout the year, I will use this column to identify some ways that you can find a way to help the temple become more Kedosh through your involvement. This month I want to highlight 3 of our committees and talk about their missions. Each of these committees report to Vice President Janet Widmaier.

The Office Committee, chaired by Gina Carter, is responsible for facilitating the efforts of the office staff and ensuring that all of our communications methods are as efficient as possible. Some of the major activities of this committee include managing our technology infrastructure, coordinating the maintenance of the temple website and coordinating our public relations and advertising activities. The committee has recently developed an online directory which will save the congregation approximately $3,000 biannually. Other recent projects included the purchase of a new telephone system, a change to the website header and development of a procedure for committees to use to reserve space in the temple for an event. Meetings of this committee are usually held on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 PM in the Social Hall and include dinner.

The Library Committee, chaired by Ellie Lapidus, is responsible for all activities in the Jeremy Bruder Memorial Library. Our library is a place filled with adult and children’s books, religious books, DVD’s and audio disks, periodicals and computer access all in a welcoming and relaxing facility. The Library Committee coordinates the activities of a group of passionate volunteers as well as making acquisition decisions for the collection. In addition, the Committee has developed programs that work with the Religious School, such as the Umbrella Decoration project and held social events, including Movie Nights. This year, the committee also developed a reading contest that attracted over 100 religious school students to win prizes for reading materials checked out of the library. Meetings of this committee are held monthly.

The Adult Education Committee, chaired by Robin Dombeck, is responsible for the learning programs directed towards adults of the congregation. A main responsibility for the committee each year is to coordinate the Jack and Sophie Edwards Scholar in Residence Program. This program regularly brings in acclaimed scholars to teach our congregation in depth about a particular topic over a weekend. In addition, the committee manages our Artist in Residence program biannually. There are also a number of additional programs throughout the year, taught by Rabbi Bob or Rabbi Cosnowsky or other local speakers that are coordinated through this committee. Meetings of this committee are usually held on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM

For more information on any of these committees, please feel free to contact Jan Widmaier or the committee chair.

My favorite holiday is Passover. To me, it represents all that is right with the world. Ok, except for the plagues part. But some of my fondest childhood memories are of seders with my grandparents and the rest of the extended family and friends around a table telling a tale that never gets old and discussing what it means to be free.

Some people scoff at the storytelling, saying “Somebody didn’t like us, we fought them, we won, let’s eat”. To me Passover represents the continuing thread of history with our people. My grandparents heard these stories (in other languages) in their homes when they were children 100 years ago and now I get to share with my children the same stories and songs.

The best part of the holiday for me is bringing our children into this long chain of Judaism. Children have special roles at the seder – the Four Questions, the Four Sons and lots of singing. It is through celebrations like this that we help ground the next generation, just like my parents and grandparents did for me many years ago.

Some folks have a problem with the food and dietary restrictions. “Isn’t Passover food bland?” Not in my house. I am blessed to have great cooks in my family that take Passover cooking to the next level. My kids look forward to Pesach so that they can get special foods that they don’t get the rest of the year - like Matza Brei and Farfel and the Seven Layer Chocolate cake. I’m sure that the required 4 glasses of wine don’t hurt either.

Another great tradition about Passover is that we are required to share this holiday with others. In my family, we go to two family seders with different attendees. Other people invite guests to join in their seder, who may not have local family. A third option is to join with others in the Etz Chaim family and share the seder at the Congregational Second Night seder, scheduled this year on March 30th at 6:00 PM.

In any case, it is my fondest wish that each and every one of you have a most enjoyable and meaningful Passover celebration. Chag Samech.

This congregation and I share a special relationship. Yes, of course, I am very proud to be its president, but it is more than that. We both came into being 50 years ago.

Then, after 22 years of living in a shared home, we both moved into our own spaces. Kathy and I got married and we bought our first house. The temple bought our building on Highland Avenue and moved into their our own space.

In some ways, 50 years seems like a long time. It certainly is when my kids think about their father. 50 years ago, much of where we live in DuPage County was farmland. Gas was priced at about $.20 a gallon. Israel was 12 years old. We had 4 channels on the tv and that tv was in black and white for most of us. A lot of the things that we take for granted today, like jet travel, long distance telephony and life saving drugs were available, but only at a very high price. Other things were only to be found in science fiction, like the internet, cell phones, in-vitro fertilization and GPS.

But in the larger picture, 50 years is just a blip. Based upon our scientific understanding of the universe, it is relatively smaller than a second in our lifetime. It is a little less than 1% of Jewish history as counted by our calendar.

This weekend as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of our congregation, we will have the opportunity to look back on our history and celebrate the people who made this congregation what it is today. We will look back on the events that shaped our community and we can look forward to the next chapter of our congregational life.

Thank you for being a part of the life of the congregation as we move into our next stage.

When people outside of our congregation ask me what is different about our synagogue, I often talk about our Religious School. We have a vibrant school that encourages family participation and a diverse curriculum that provides for many ways to teach topics from field trips to lectures to chugim to music and art. Much of that is due to the vision of Anne Stein and her steadfast dedication to our children. But one other way that we are different is that our Judaica teachers are all dedicated volunteers. In our younger grades, these teachers provide a curriculum based on holidays or life cycle events or history. But as we move into the 7th through 10th graders, the classes become more Socratic, more discussion based and more focused on the role of Jews in the greater world. They learn about topics such as the Holocaust and Ethics.

One of our Judaica teachers, Uli Widmaier, teaches the 9th graders Ethics. He writes an email to the students each week on their topic. Recently, he wrote the following on Ethics within our congregation. I thought it important enough to share. Thanks to all of our teachers who provide such a strong love of learning in our children. And a special thanks to Uli for allowing me to reprint this letter.

Dear Students,

Last Sunday, on the occasion of Congregation Etz Chaim's 50th anniversary, I told you about some of the ethical accomplishments of our Congregation. I don't mean PADS and other social action items. Those are wonderful things, and very important. But I want to draw your attention to some different aspects, ones that you perhaps haven't thought about before. I am sending this e-mail also to my students from last semester because I think you may find it interesting.

I want to talk about some aspects of the ordinary communal life of our Congregation - the way we interact, volunteer, engage at the synagogue, attend religious school and teach. Much of this may be completely normal and unremarkable to us. But there are some real ethical gems here, and we should be aware of them and treasure them. I will discuss those that stand out most for me personally.

1. Money
In many religious congregations, both Jewish and Christian, it matters a lot how much money you have. People who donate a lot of money tend to be more important, have more of a say, and get more respect, than people who don't. For example, big donors often have the best seats and get important readings at High Holiday services, and they strongly influence the many policy decisions that have to be made.

That's not the case at Congregation Etz Chaim. I have been a member since 1994, but I don't know who is rich and who is not. In our congregation, people are not judged by how much money they have which is a good thing, because preferential treatment for rich folks can make the rest of us feel really bad. At Etz Chaim we don't really judge people at all. You are who you are, and you are accepted as such. I've never felt any conformist pressure at our synagogue. Some people are very engaged in synagogue activities, others less so, but everyone is welcomed pretty much the same. And if anyone were to try to show off because they're rich, it would get them precisely nowhere. Not that I've seen a lot of people try.

2. Gossip and factions
Gossip and factions are a big part of congregational life at many religious institutions. Not so at Congregation Etz Chaim. We have remarkably little gossip, and not really any factions (blocks of people who have different plans or ideas and fight each other). People feel generally very comfortable here, and they seem to feel no need to be self-important or try to tear each other down.

All that may sound a bit corny, but it's true. And it's hugely important. Gossip is a horrid thing, very destructive, very corrosive. Factions can tear an organization apart, or make it a miserable place to be. None of this exists in any serious form at Etz Chaim. Think about that. Think about why that is. It's a big ethical accomplishment. It's a culture of good, positive human interaction. How do you create that? It's not a given and should never be taken for granted. It may feel normal to us, but statistically speaking it's not normal at all. It's the result of real effort and hard work over many decades. I don't know how we got to where we are (I suspect it has to do with the outlook of the founding members 50 years ago and with Rabbi Bob's work for the last 30 years), but I'm sure grateful we are there, and I'm trying my best to continue it.

3. Religious school attendance
That's you. You are a real ethical accomplishment, perhaps the most important one of Congregation Etz Chaim. Believe me, you are. Let me explain. In most reform and conservative congregations in the U.S., religious school attendance falls off dramatically after people have their bat or bar mitzvah. I've heard that most congregations retain only about 30% of their post-b'nei mitzvah religious school students. That's pretty pathetic.

In contrast, at Etz Chaim we lose only about 5% of our students after they've had their b'nei mitzvah. Our 95% retention rate is just incredible, outrageous, through the roof, off the charts. But it's not really "our" retention rate. It's you. Most of you feel it's worth the effort to get up on Sunday morning and drag yourselves to the synagogue. Or at least you're not putting up a huge fight to stay in bed. So without any question, the main praise goes to you for voluntarily continuing your religious education even after the "Big Party". You don't have to, yet you do. Be proud of that. Given your commitment, there isn't all that much I have to teach you about ethics. You're already living it.

A lot of credit goes, of course, also to your parents, who are themselves committed enough to at least get you up on Sunday morning and drive you to synagogue. Why do you do it? Why do they? What explains this commitment? I'd love to hear your opinions.

One other thing. Most of the teachers at our religious school are all congregation members, and the Judaica teachers are all unpaid volunteers (the Hebrew teachers get a small stipend). I understand that we are the only Reform Congregation in the U.S. with an all-volunteer teaching staff. That, too, may have something to do with our high student retention rate. Anne Stein deserves a lot of credit for encouraging and maintaining this practice.

Actually, that's probably a big part of the secret here. A culture of warm, open, accepting interaction among congregants and of serious commitment by students, parents, and teachers - that needs to grow, to become entrenched, to be part of the normal way we live our lives. It is a tremendous accomplishment of Rabbi Bob, Anne Stein, and Rabbi Cosnowsky that they have managed to foster and maintain this culture of lived Jewish ethics.

But you are the most important part in all this. In the end, what we do matters not one bit if we don't pass it on to the next generation. But it's tricky. As the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein put it, you - I mean each of you, personally - have to make a "passionate commitment" to Judaism "of your own accord." We - your parents, your teachers, Anne Stein, our Rabbis - can't do it for you. When I see how many of you still come to Sunday School after your b'nei mitzvah, and how many of you choose to teach at Etz Chaim even after your confirmation, it's clear to me that you are in fact making that "passionate commitment." And that is without a doubt the greatest ethical accomplishment of all. In the end, ethics means a well-lived life.

You're off to a good start.

As the immortal Alice Cooper once stated, “Schools out for the summer”. No, I can’t put exactly the right intonation into that last statement, but most of you probably have Alice’s voice in your head right now.

We closed yet another great school year several weeks ago. My admiration goes to Anne Stein and her team of teachers, assistants and parent helpers who make our Religious School the special place that it has become over the years. Also I would like to give thanks to all of the parents that make the effort to ensure that their children get a solid grounding in their religion.

Although our children are out of school on summer vacation, many of them will continue their Jewish education while at camp at OSRUI. Our congregation regularly sends a large number of children to Oconomowoc. This year is no exception. We will send over 60 kids to a variety of programs. 10% of the campers in the Chalutzim program, a seven week all Hebrew immersion program, will be Etz Chaim members this year.

Back at home, we will hold lay led services during the month of July. These services always provide an opportunity for a slightly different take on Friday evening services. Sometimes a family will lead, other times a committee will take on the responsibility. Certainly the sermon will be done differently. Cindy has the opportunity to teach us new melodies for our worship services. All in all, this is a different way to enjoy Shabbat services.

While the kids are on vacation, however, the Office staff is hard at work preparing for our new fiscal year which starts on July 1st. Coming soon to a mailbox near you is a package containing your membership commitment forms and other registration materials. Please review and return as soon as possible. This year, Rosh Hashanah services will be held during Labor Day week, so our normal registration periods have been compressed. Time is of the essence in order to ensure that you receive your tickets and that your children are able to register for Religious School.

Summer in Chicago is a glorious time. Enjoy your summer and get those packets back at your earliest convenience.

Even though school is out, there is still a lot going on at Etz Chaim over the summer. Believe it or not, we are less than 2 months away from Rosh Hashanah. Preparations for the High Holidays are well underway. We also use the time over the summer to freshen up the inside and outside of the building in areas such as the parking lot and painting the interiors. The office staff is busily processing Membership Commitment and School Registration forms. Mazel Tov to Carol and Howard Meyer on the upcoming marriage of their son Brad to Tracy Johnson.

The rabbis have their own work to accomplish. Mazel Tov to Rabbi Andie and Jane Cosnowsky on the birth of Jared and Joseph. Rabbi Cosnowsky will be taking some time on maternity leave, but it won’t be long before the twins are showing up for Tot Shabbat. Another Mazel Tov to Rabbi Bob and Tammie Bob on the upcoming marriage of their daughter Abbey to Asaf Nagola. Rabbi Bob is participating in the second half of Chalutzim at OSRUI, playing soccer, teaching Hebrew and Jonah and not leading the songfests.

Speaking of OSRUI, there are a lot of Etz Chaim kids at OSRUI this summer. All reports are that our children are having a fantastic time, making new friends, learning some Hebrew and learning new skills.

Anne Stein is preparing for another year of Religious and Hebrew school, after returning from her sessions at OSRUI. Thanks to Anne for taking numerous pictures and posting them on the web for parents to see. Reminder to all parents… get those registration forms in to ensure that you are able to choose your preferred times for Hebrew school. First come, first served.

Lastly, our Membership Committee is planning a Prospective Member Brunch on August 15th. If you know of a Jewish family that is not already a member, please let Nikki Sigale know. We would love to be able to show off for any new prospective members.

Even though the heat has not really abated, it is starting to feel a little more like fall is on the way. Events and programs at the temple have started to take shape for the New Year (5771).

All of our kids are back from OSRUI and by all reports it was another hugely successful year in Oconomowoc, with most kids planning for their next summer’s adventures.

High Holiday tickets will be mailed out this week to those who have submitted their Membership Commitment forms. If you haven’t sent yours in yet, please do so as soon as possible. Remember that you must be a member to get your High Holiday tickets and to enroll in Religious School. Speaking of High Holiday tickets, just a reminder that this year you will receive color coded tickets for each service. The ushers will be collecting tickets at the door this year, so make sure that you bring your tickets to services.

It is just a few weeks until Religious School starts. Class lists are being prepared and book orders have been placed. As has been our custom over the past several years, the Brotherhood will prepare and serve a BBQ lunch on the first day of school on September 19th. Don’t miss any of the fun or food.

This past Sunday we held our annual Prospective Member open house/brunch. There were a large number of families that attended who were able to get a tour of our facilities and hear from the Rabbis and Anne Stein. Several members of the board were also present to answer questions and tell their own stories. Thanks to the Membership Committee and the Board of Trustees for helping to welcome all of our prospective members.

Our calendar is starting to fill up with some informational events.

On Monday, August 23rd at 7:00 PM, we will be hosting a speaker from the College of DuPage who will bring us up to date on what is going on at the college. On Tuesday, August 24th at 7:00 PM, US Representative Peter Roskam of the 6th District will speak at the synagogue on his recent trip to Israel. I look forward to meeting Congressman Roskam and hearing his perspectives on the situation in Israel.

As you know, much of the work of the temple is done by our many volunteer committees. We are always looking for interested volunteers to join these committees. In order to provide as much information about the work of our committees in a single venue, our committee chairs will be hosting two Committee Rushes. These events held on September 26th at Westlake and October 3rd at the synagogue will provide information about all of our committees. Please stop by and find a place where you can lend your skills and passions to enrich the life of the community.

B’Shalom,
Al