Three Numbers
by President David Weisberg
Yom Kippur 5777
Three numbers I’d like for you to remember – 14 million, 520 and One. So why are these important? And more importantly, why are they significant to you? Keep these numbers in mind, 14 million, 520 and One, as hopefully I will be able to give you something to think about.
First, let me introduce myself to you. I am David Weisberg. I am proud to be the current President for Temple Emanuel. Some of you may know me as the husband of my beautiful wife Rikki. Others of you may be connected to me as the son-in-law of Suzi and Richard. For those long-time Pittsburghers, my parents are Charles and Gail who, as any proud parent would want to do, are here today to listen to their son. Speaking of parenthood, of all the ways that you may be familiar with me, my highlight is being a father to my kids who are busy having fun and learning in today’s children’s program.
Before my current role on the Board of Trustees, some of you may recognize me from my prior roles these past six plus years. I was in a Treasurer role and then Vice President of Finance. So of course, numbers are something with which I am comfortable.
Professionally I am a banker, specifically a lender. I understand finances. My kids ask me what I do when I go to work. I took them to “Take Your Children to Work” day this past Spring, so as far as they know I eat lollipops and donuts, count paperclips, color on Post It notes and play on the computer all day.
As you would expect, that’s not my typical day at work. I tell my kids that I help people and I help them achieve their dreams. Just as I do with my clients, I look to do so with my efforts here at Temple Emanuel. I want to help all of you achieve your and your family’s dreams and ultimately gain fulfillment here at Temple Emanuel. I want you to be connected to each other, to greater Pittsburgh and to our community both inside and outside of this building.
So why these numbers: 14 million, 520 and One?
14 million – this is the estimated world Jewish population as of 2014. The world’s total population is greater than 7 billion so we as Jews are less than 1%. Of that 14 million Jews in this world, the United States has approximately 6 million, only 2% of the total US population.
So why should this be important to you? It is because we as Jews truly have made an impact both in our country and in the world in a magnitude that is far greater than our actual numbers. We are notable actors and actresses, business professionals, artists, musicians, scientists, inventors, intellectuals, medical professionals, legal scholars, politicians, fashion designers, comedians, just to name a few. Most importantly, we are connected to each other. You’ve heard the expression that all people in the world are connected by six degrees of separation. In the Jewish community, my thinking is that it is far less. We’ve all played “Jewish geography”, right? Why? It’s because we’re all connected.
Of the American Jews who describe themselves as “strongly connected” to Judaism, their active engagement with Judaism ranges from attending daily prayer services on one end of the spectrum to as little as attending Passover Seders or lighting Hanukkah candles on the other. Of those “strongly connected” Jews, just under half belong to a synagogue with the largest percentage being in the Reform movement. We at Temple Emanuel are one of the greater than 800 Reform Jewish congregations in North America. As many congregations are struggling, many have lots of positives. This leads me to my next number.
- This is number of member families that we have here at Temple Emanuel. Look around. You are this 520. You are Temple Emanuel. You make Temple Emanuel what it is today as well as tomorrow and the next day. You are the current and the future. Why do you belong to Temple Emanuel? Why is being a member of Temple Emanuel important to you?
We at Temple Emanuel should be proud and have centerpieces from which we can build. We are the largest congregation in the South Hills with 520 member families. We have greater than 150 children in our Torah Center which is the largest Jewish religious school in Greater Pittsburgh outside of Community Day, the Jewish Day School in Squirrel Hill. We have 180 children in our ECDC, the largest of any nursery school in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.
Yes we have things with which we can improve but your generosity and connection are what keep this place going. For that, we thank you. $1.8 million keeps this place running on an annual basis and that does not include necessary improvements that are needed like the parking lot patchwork and roof repairs, which have been funded out of our capital campaign.
520 is the number of member families, but the actual number of people in our congregation is well over 1,000. As an example, my family of four is one member family. All of us together make Temple Emanuel. All of us should be proud. You are the 520. We all are the 520.
The most important number is the final number I told you were going to be discussing. The number One. Why? One is you. One is me. One is each of us. Why is One important? It is important because you are here. You are here today. Maybe you are here in this building for more than just today but you all have a reason for being here. You all have a reason for being a One. You all have a reason for being a part of Temple Emanuel. You all have a connection.
You – the One. You are important. You are valued. Your contribution is key. Your connection is paramount. What else can our Board do to make it more meaningful for you? What can we do to develop greater bonds to each other? We are all in this together. We are One. We are a community, we are Temple Emanuel. We together can continue to build and bring connections to Temple and to each other.
In all deference to Three Dog Night, “One is the loneliest number,” I would beg to differ. One makes connections with another. One can link to another. One and One does indeed make two but One plus One is far greater. It connects. It empowers. It compounds. It multiplies. It helps create dreams. Remember, it all starts with One.
Thank you for being the One. I look forward to what lies ahead here at Temple Emanuel. All of us, each of us as individuals, as Ones, can connect to make this an even better place than it is today.
Thank you. L’Shana Tovah!
20 Days to the Election
We’ve all been inundated with ads, op-eds and Facebook posts about the election. Now we have the chance to hear a different perspective as Rabbi Dr. Danny Schiff returns to Temple Emanuel for a timely and provocative discussion “An Israeli View on the American Election.” This is sure to be an interesting evening, so invite your friends and join us on Wednesday, October 26 at 7PM for Rabbi Schiff’s presentation followed by coffee and dessert.
First SHIM harvest
Learning has come to life for Melinda Freed’s 7th grade Making Meaning From our Food class. Yesterday, they reaped Temple’s first harvest for SHIM (South Hills Interfaith Movement): A large bag of swiss chard and a smaller bag of kale.
A few years in the making, the garden was the brainchild of Social Action Team chair Marty Altschul, who calls it “a dream come true.” When Freed needed a sub for this particular class, she knew Altschul would be perfect.
“I am so glad we have this garden to tie into my curriculum – the mitzvot of feeding the hungry and caring for the earth, knowing where our food comes from,” says Freed. “[The kids] got a hands-on experience picking the vegetables.”
A huge thanks goes out to everyone who made this garden possible. “Its mission goes beyond SHIM — it educates my students, Temple members, and the people who drive past it on Bower Hill Road,” says Freed. “May it ‘grow and grow.'”
Author Dorit Sasson visits Temple
Could you voluntarily sign up for a term in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)? Dorit Sasson left New York City in the early 90s to do just that. She wanted to step out of her comfort zone, escape her fearful mother, and connect more closely with her father’s homeland. Her book, Accidental Soldier, recounts this experience.
This was the Women of Temple Emanuel’s September book selection. The author — who now lives in Squirrel Hill — was kind enough to attend our discussion. She talked about cultural differences, like the wolf-pack mentality that exists in Israel. As a result, she had to leave the country in order to find her voice and be able to write her memoir.
We all enjoyed meeting her and learning more about her experiences. As Sarah Levinthal says, “I admire her courage to put it all out there and be in such a vulnerable position in a lot of ways. That takes guts!”
WTE Book Club meets again Nov. 17 to discuss Aftertaste. Not only does Pittsburgh play a part in the novel, but it’s written by Temple member Meredith Cohen, who will attend and even prepare some delicious food for us to enjoy.
ECDC Playground Project – Part I
Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Development Center is fortunate to have a spacious playground with excellent structures for climbing. The teachers recognized, however, that we also need spaces for children to explore nature and “to dig in the dirt”.
The periphery of the ECDC playground was landscaped, and therefore had been “off limits” for the children. We gradually began to lift restrictions and saw how happily the children worked and played together while digging. Many studies show that there are cognitive, social, emotional and physical benefits of playing with natural materials. http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2016/the-benefits-of-mud-play
We wanted to build more opportunities for children and asked Gabe Goldman for help. Gabe specializes in Jewish Environmental Experiential Education. We have the good fortune of working with Gabe through the Pittsburgh Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative (JECEI), a multi- year quality improvement program supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
We began to gather ideas for the periphery of the playground, including:
- Excavation/dirt play area
- Hiking/tricycle trail
- Shady area
- Garden
- Bird watching area
- Sound garden
On August 2, 2016, eight parents and teachers attended the first “Playground Project Meeting”. With great enthusiasm, the group decided to start with the dirt play area and set the ambitious goal of completing this step before school began. Two weeks later, Gabe met with Mike Bihary, Chair of the Playground Project and Chris Harlan, husband of ECDC Director and Honorary Carpenter. The team chose a “dirt/sand play” table as the model based on its flexibility that will allow children to be creative.
A group of twelve ECDC parents and community members gathered with Gabe on the 95-degree morning of August 28 for the first ECDC Playground Project Day. The team accomplished so much including digging the area for the “mud kitchen”, weeding, and creating a shady grove.
The Real Test
During the first week of school, the Mud Kitchen proved to be a great success
As we had hoped, the area generated collaboration, socialization and imaginative play.
Thank you to our wonderful team of teachers, parent and community volunteers: Mike Bihary, Chairperson; Gabe Goldman, JECEI Consultant; Pam Goldman; Chris Harlan; Jeff May; Anne May; Ellen Drook; Irene Luchinsky; Michelle Dreyfuss; Kim Mackin; Julia Meisel; Daniel Meisel; William Konitsky; Charles Donnellan; Melissa Maher; David Brooks; Alice Mahler; and Lynn Rubin.
Would you like to join the team? Stay tuned for more opportunities as we begin Playground Project Part II – a sound garden and a hiking trail.
Labor Day Picnic
One of the most popular events at Temple is our annual Labor Day picnic. Here are a few photos highlighting the fun, including Gaga and several new members who joined us for the first time. We look forward to seeing you at our next event!
Are We More Than Facebook Friends?
by President David Weisberg
Temple Emanuel is like an iPhone. When it’s plugged in, it glows. The iPhone is charging — the green light is on, it’s connected. It can be a beacon in a dark night. However, the phone itself isn’t anything but a chunk of plastic and battery power. It is a vessel for us to find those connections. It’s what you can do with the iPhone that makes it so omnipotent and allows us to make all the connections we want to make.
We all use our iPhones for everything from the old-fashioned phone conversations to other features like texting, Facebook, or other social media. It’s not the iPhone itself but rather the features and the content that makes it so enticing. Those apps are what make the iPhone an addictive appendage. It is a way for us to remain more engaged.
The best aspects of Facebook and other social media are that they give us an opportunity to connect and share. We all look for ways to make connections, develop relationships and ultimately make our lives more meaningful. How do we do that? We share pictures, videos, and stories. Why are we drawn to this? Why is this so enticing? We all love to know what’s going on. We all love to hear the latest and greatest. We are curious and we want to make connections.
So if Temple is the iPhone, we the members are the features, content, and apps. Just as Facebook gives us an opportunity to connect with people who we know or may have crossed paths with throughout our lives, we too as congregants can make connections. We can “like” or “share.”
My goal is to find more connections for each of us. The spark. The electric charge. The green light. How can we as congregants get connected? Get charged? What can Temple do to help make your light glow? The members of Temple can become more connected with each other as well as the greater South Hills and Pittsburgh community. Stay tuned as we will be having more opportunities to share and connect. Remember, we’re all Friends.
New board members
Temple Emanuel’s new Executive Committee and Board of Trustees met earlier this month at the home of President David Weisberg. It has become a tradition for the incoming board to hold their first meeting at the president’s home. This casual setting allows the board to get to know one another without the weight of a typical meeting. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for the president to speak of his/her focus for the next two years.
David spoke on the theme of connection. Specifically, the board’s connection to you; the board’s connection to the temple itself, our connection to each of the committees we’re tasked to oversee and chair, our connection to the South Hills Jewish community and beyond, and our connection to the world beyond the communities we call home.
All of us have a special connection to Temple and a special place for both it and our Jewish identity. For some it’s the adult education classes we attend or Torah Study each Sunday. For others it’s the community felt at different picnics and Shabbat dinners. Still others feel it in the children’s Torah Center classrooms each Wednesday and Sunday. Or your connection may be a family friend you’ve had since the founding of Temple (what a unique gift we have that founding members are still young enough to call Temple home!).
There was excitement in the room as we discussed all the connections the board felt and the new ones we want to build. We are all excited about our roles and are looking forward to help plan for the future of Temple. You, though, are the most important link in the chain of connection. Every board member and Temple employee wants to hear from you and learn your opinion. Reach out to use with suggestions for programs or events or worship service ideas. Each board member chairs a committee and volunteers are always welcome. Whatever your interest, there is a committee on which you can serve. You can leave us a note in the mailboxes located in Temple’s offices or you can find us at any of Temple’s various services or events. We’re anxious to hear from you and make this a Temple where everyone’s connection is felt and lasts for generations to come.
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What is Israel like?
After returning from Israel I ran into Jill and Sophie Hicks at the grocery store. Jill was PTA Coordinator during my first year at ECDC and her daughter Sophie was in the Fours. Now as a young girl entering second grade, Sophie asked “What is Israel like?” I thought the question showed remarkable curiosity. Based on my twelve-day experience, I will attempt to answer Sophie’s question for those of you who share her curiosity and have not yet been to Israel.
Israel is sandy and brown with some areas of lush green. The arid terrain of Israel is in immediate and stark contrast to what we know in rainy Pennsylvania. As a bus traveler, I was fascinated by the ever-changing desert topography.
The vegetation in Israel is almost completely different from what we know. During an evening stroll in Karmiel, I saw fig, date, olive, pomegranate and Etrog trees. At first I wondered about the intense aroma, but then noticed the huge bushes of rosemary growing everywhere.
I now understand that Israel really needs more trees. Over the past century, Israeli settlers have made good use of the short rainy season in winter, to store water for cultivating the sandy soil. In earlier years, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) utilized contributions to plant pine trees. Now the funds are used for indigenous varieties. I visited Neot Kedumim Park (and highly recommend it), one of the many sites supported by JNF funds.
Israel is a contrast of very old and very new. In Jerusalem, we walked through tunnels along the Western Wall of the Old City, which were originally built by King Herod in 19 BCE and remain from the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. I had never before walked through a 2000 year old building, yet what astounded me more was the newness of Israel. One hundred years ago there were only sand dunes where Tel Aviv , a metropolitan area of 3.5 million, stands today.
The Mediterranean Sea is blue and breathtaking. Flying into Ben Gurion Airport, I had a chance to spot the coast of Tel Aviv with its white beach and blue waters. Ten days later I was thrilled to actually be in the Mediterranean Sea and to discover that the water temperature is just right (for someone who hates cold water).
The people of Israel speak Hebrew – and English. Almost all signs and labels are in Hebrew only, but it is very comfortable to be an English language speaker. The people of Israel respond to English in a friendly forthcoming way.
The preschools of Israel are public. The Israeli Ministry of Education funds education for children starting at age three. Early Childhood Educators get paid on the same scale as Primary and Secondary Teachers.
Preschool classrooms are large. There are up to 35 children in a classroom with one Teacher and Two Assistants. The children sit in chairs for their meeting times and there is almost no wiggling! There are fewer toys in the classroom. The children play with common household objects and even make lemonade from real lemons.
The outdoor play areas are spacious and sandy. There is no shortage of digging area for Israeli preschoolers, where sand play and gardening are integral parts of every playground. Other than a sliding board, I saw almost no climbing equipment. Surprisingly, the junkyard playground is a well-established and kibbutz-born tradition in Israel. Families donate everything from old microwaves, cushions and car seats. Children create their own small worlds with the “junk” with seemingly no restrictions from teachers.
Shabbat candle-lighting is conducted in the hotel lobby. How wonderful to be in Jerusalem on a Friday evening where candles are available for communal lighting at sundown and where hotel patrons share Shabbat wine, bread and song at long tables.
Israel is hot in the summer. While swimming in the Mediterranean Sea is refreshing, floating in the Dead Sea is most definitely not. However, it was a memorable experience and one that I would not forego next time.
Attending a Bar Mitzvah on Masada provides an instant connection to the ancient history and future of the Jewish people. Our CWB group was fortunate to receive an invitation to a Bar Mitzvah complete with Klezmer musicians. And only in Israel could our videographer stand in as the tenth member of a minyan.
The population of Israel is diverse. I met people whose grandparents or parents were from Poland, Germany, Syria and Yemen. One of our guides shared her story of getting married after the Six-Day War and having her first child during the Yom Kippur War. How moving to learn history through such a personal lens.
What is Israel like? Fabulous, awesome, fascinating, inspiring, complex, contradictory and fun!
It was a blast to travel with my friends and coworkers of Temple Emanuel ECDC and other Pittsburgh Jewish early childhood programs. Thank you to Classrooms without Borders of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the Zolot Israel Adult Scholarship Fund of Temple Emanuel for making this trip possible.
