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Re-covenanting usually involves a revisiting
of an organization’s mission statement and
larger purposes – and often its constitution or
bylaws (documents usually created at a much
earlier time and by a different group of people)
– seeing whether these still reflect the hopes
and needs of the members, and making whatever
changes are necessary to bring about a
re-dedication of the membership.
That normal process is a re-covenating
through documents and language. The process
Rachel has initiated is a re-covenanting through
deeds and action. We are doing nothing less
than re-establishing our purposes and priorities
by putting into action those elements of
Judaism closest to our hearts. Many volunteer “seed” persons have been stepping forward
and are now beginning to enlist groups of members
to organize such events as bike tours,
social history projects, unique worship services
and other activities which, as Rachel noted, are
likely to extend as far as the imagination can
reach. I can’t wait to see what will emerge!
And what a wonderful message this sends to
our children — seeing their parents passionately
involved in some aspect of Jewish life, seeing
them taking initiatives rather than simply
attending functions, being part of a Jewish congregation
that lives and breathes and feels like
a real community, and wrestles together with
the most engaging of challenges.
To fully grasp the significance of this, all that
most of us need do is reflect back on the Jewish
congregations in which we ourselves were
raised, all too many of them hierarchical, maledominated
entities which decreed the way
things would be done and devoted much of
their energies to extracting money from their
members.
Rachel’s re-covenanting initiative reflects, for
me, by contrast, the best of creative Judaism –
and reflects the kind of innovation and freshness
that drew many of us to Vermont in the
first place. Let’s grab on to this and turn it into
wondrous adventures. It will bestow the richest
of dividends on us…and on our children.
B’Shalom, Jim
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