Last night’s annual dinner was a magical event.It had every facet of a well-planned and well-run program. That is mostly thanks to the tireless work and preparation of Rachel Spirgel and our office staff. The food and music were great, the ambiance was excellent and there were no speeches. What could be better?
The Beis Medrash is almost finished and just seeing so many smiling faces without masks was a profound joy. All this amounts to an exciting and bright future as we approach our 150th year. The mix of constituents at the dinner is a microcosm of the gorgeous diversity of our shul. There are ways for everyone to be a player and to make a mark. It is perfectly fine to ask what your shul can do for you, as long as you are ready to ask what you can do for your shul at the same time. We are all family and that’s what family does.
This Shabbos is the 34th anniversary of my first Shabbos at OZ. It was also Parshas Hachodesh and I recall speaking about the excitement of renewal and rejuvenation. Let us recreate the same enthusiasm. Get in the game. Attend. Volunteer. Say Good Shabbos to someone you don’t know. There will be many people in shul this Shabbos who have been around over 30 years, and many people who have been around for a few years or less. Let’s show everyone how happy we are that they came, and let’s maintain the good will that abounds before us.
Thank you for keeping us strong, well into our second century.
Be healthy. Be strong. Be excellent.
Rabbi Allen Schwartz
Congregation OhabZedek 118 West 95th Street New York, NY 10025
