The largest new commitment for the congregation is to hire Geoffrey Fine as Cantor. Rabbi Kraus, Cantor Fine and the lay leadership are trying to resolve the specific tasks, but we have agreed that along with his cantorial duties at services Geoff will be our principle B'nei Mitzvah tutor and will teach in the Religious School. As the skipper of a small sailboat coming about, that is, changing course by tacking, there is a moment after you've pushed the tiller to leeward where the bow of the boat points into the wind and the boat begins to lose way. If you've done it right, that moment is short and the bow swings over, the sails flutter and then fill, the boat heels and picks up speed. But at that moment pointing into the wind you can do nothing but wait for momentum, for the water pressure on the tiller, for the little noise as the tension on the mast shifts from one side to the other.
Institutions come about more slowly than little boats.
Over the winter we have pushed the tiller to change course. Now our bow has passed though the source of the wind, and over the next few months I hope we'll all feel our ship move forward and gain speed. From the Director of Education In April, the Jewish community will be celebrating Israel s 50 th year of statehood. There will be concerts, fairs, lectures and probably some politics. I am lucky to have been to Israel three times.