iURJ

     Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the tallest incoming URJ President ever, says his head is in the clouds but that's ok because his feet are planted firmly on the ground with purpose. “We are the Reform movement. So let's get moving!” One of his first "purposes" was to appoint Rabbi Jonah Pesner to chair the Campaign for Youth Engagement committee, a national effort to stop the revolving door that takes recent bar/bat mitzvah out of active Jewish commitment. Rabbi Eric Yoffie, a slightly built man who has walked not only onto Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University campus but addressed the assembled Islamic Society of North America to seek common ground, said in his final address as URJ President: “We are young enough to have the courage of our doubts.” We will need that courage.

     The URJ is a relatively short history read yet the effectiveness of its leadership is historically profound in the greater community. Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath, the first President of the old UAHC, now the URJ, a dynamo of applied Judaism thru social justice, marched with Dr. King. Rabbi Alexander Schindler welcomed non-Jewish partners, Jews-by-choice, and urged the recognition of patrilineal descent while emphasizing inner spirituality. All these rabbis bring to life a Torah-bound reality. All these rabbis spark to life Torah-based responses to the issues of their lifetimes.

     Rabbi Jacobs wants to tweak as many aspects of URJ as possible. Two issues have consistently been angrily debated on “presconf,” the congregational presidents' online forum: URJ dues paid by congregations (or "MUM") and the 1984 URJ-CCAR Publication ”Guidelines for Rabbinical-Congregational Relationships.”

     When Rabbi Jacobs and incoming URJ chairman Stephen Sacks entered the Conference of Presidents assembly in the biennial's final hours, they both were on a relationship mission. The majority of Rabbi Jacobs' career has been at congregation level not at URJ level. Mr. Sacks urged the presidents to email both of them: “We're only as good as the information we get.” Rabbi Jacobs concurred. Imagine. Now what?

     Rabbi Rick Jacobs then offered a role, as yet undefined, to the Conference of Presidents in future revisions of both the CCAR/URJ's 1984 "Guidelines for Rabbinic-Congregational Relations" and the URJ's (possibly by June 2012) revisions to MUM dues which are the dues congregations pay to URJ. We must use this opportunity to forge a more tenable relationship with URJ as 900 congregations need the strength of a thousand more congregations. Rabbi Jacobs is tweaking everything connected to URJ, you might say like Steve Jobs would tweak multiple Apple product lines. What standing congregational presidents have in this new power sharing (?) arrangement remains to be seen.

     My most memorable experiences were sharing experiences and ideas with other congregational presidents. So many communities as a whole are in trouble economically, in some cases synagogues are competing against each other for the same community. Our troubles here are not unique but are cushioned in comparison to others due to our stable economy.

     My biennial efforts were leadership oriented and much time was spent in the Presidents’ Lounge as stated. On the other hand, on Saturday morning, to be one with 5000 other worshippers, now that is an experience to be cherished. A Torah service conducted by Rabbi's Sagal and Kroloff, a large choir and the voice of Cantor Martha Novick. These moments will be cherished above memory itself for years.

     This column is the last of this two-year term as your president. You have trusted me with the care of our synagogue, its membership, physical structure, leadership, and its holiness. If I have succeeded it has not been by my efforts alone, please thank the One who has safeguarded all our own footsteps. Where I have not succeeded please take the lessons learned to heart for the benefit of future leadership. Thank you Rabbi Feder for your friendship and your Torah classes. Finally, I thank our (simply amazing I might add) Board of Trustees who are your blessing first, then are mine as well for it is they who selected me as President. In all these matters you, the Jewish community, have been my rock and for this blessing my gratitude is enduring.

B'shalom – Ed Gerson 12/2011