Milestones and Growth

July 2018 Newsletter Article

Dear friends,

June can be a bit overwhelming for many of us.  I mean that in a good way.

There is so much to take note of and celebrate this time of year.  Many of us have family members graduating from college, high school, or even kindergarten and we stop to commemorate these happy events. Here at the temple we have recently had an adult B’nai Mitzvah service, Chai School graduation, and installation of our new Board. Not too long ago we passed the Torah down to our incoming Kitah Hay class, and Jodi led our children’s choir at our Teacher Appreciation Shabbat. Most weeks from spring through June a son or daughter in our community becomes a bar or bat mitzvah. There is indeed much that we take time to celebrate every year at this time.

Transitions can fall into all kinds of categories. We had a beautiful evening honoring Yael and, though we will miss her immensely, we have already started to forge new bonds with Dale as leader of our school. A number of temple members have stepped up recently to chair committees, often taking over from other temple members who had served in those spots for years. And just recently our membership voted to accept a new set of Bylaws, bringing our top governing document into the 21^stcentury.

The point is that all of this represents growth, and that’s a good thing. Those who move on to new things are growing. Those who step into their shoes are growing. We have these sorts of milestones and transitions happening around us all year long. But in the early summer we all tend to stop and take notice a bit more.

L’shalom,

Joanna Myers