June 11, 2011
Rabbi Tom Heyn's Consecration Service Remarks
Remember chain letters? You were supposed to add your name to the bottom of a list and send money to someone at the top of the list, then make copies and send it to six or more other people. And, of course, something terrible will happen if you break the chain. Not exactly a Ponzi scheme but it guarantees success if you follow the instructions.
Well there's an old story of a synagogue secretary who received such a letter, which read as follows:
Dear Madame: If you are looking for the perfect Rabbi, read on. As you know, the perfect Rabbi is twenty-eight years old but has preached for thirty years. He makes fifteen calls a day to shut-ins and hospitalized congregants and is always in his office when needed. He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all his time with senior citizens. He earns $50 a week, wears nice clothes, drives a nice car, and gives about $50 a week in tzedakah. (The letter goes on and on, then ends as follows...) If your Rabbi does not measure up, simply send this letter to six other synagogues that are tired of their Rabbi too. Then bundle up your Rabbi and send him to the synagogue on the top of the list. In one week, you will receive 1,643 Rabbis and one of them will be perfect. Have faith in this procedure. One congregation broke the chain and got its old Rabbi back in less than three weeks.
There are many more true stories, some funny and some horrific, of congregations searching for the perfect rabbi. Finding the perfect rabbi, or at least a good rabbi, is not an easy task, but being a good rabbi is even harder. The competencies needed amidst the growing complexities of synagogue life have become ever more challenging. We're expected to master not only traditional areas of rabbinic studies, like teaching Torah, developing spiritual and theological leadership, offering pastoral care, and officiating at life-cycle events. We should also be able to manage issues and personalities unique to Jewish communities, to implement strategies for communal organizing, to cultivate strategic thinking and collaborative leadership, to possess emotional intelligence and a keen social intelligence. We should be able to foster capacity-building and team-building in organizational life, to be effective in fund-raising and development, outreach and marketing, public speaking, mediation and advocacy. And along with all of these skills, a rabbi needs to be reflective and maintain that delicate balance between self-confidence and humility.
These competencies correspond to the increasingly complex dynamics of the Jewish community. There are shifting attitudes – no, declining attitudes – towards synagogue affiliation, in the perception of authority and institutions, in levels and types of engagement, in financial support and giving, in political and societal currents, in permeability of ethnic and religious identities, and in diverse opinions people have with regard Israel. More and more people describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Twentieth century institutional models are under siege.
And so we face serious issues with no consensus over how to deal with them. Underlying all of this, our nation, our world, is in the midst of more extensive social and environmental problems that affect our relationships and affiliations in other ways. If a rabbi is to help people cope with these stresses and to be an agent for positive change in the midst of this turmoil, that's a big job. And this is only one of my jobs. I also work as a hospice chaplain for two different organizations in three different states, helping patients and families deal with terminal illness and all the complex psycho-social issues around loss and grieving, all of which demand an entirely different range of competencies, not to mention the administrative and technical skills – and time.
But in addition to balancing these three jobs and my role as a husband and father of three boys, I have one other job I'd like to tell you about, which is really my primary vocation. It's a religious or spiritual practice which I could describe as a personal relationship with what I call “God.” This is something I'm happy to say more about at a later time. Let me say here, however, that Rabbi Meyer knows my thoughts on this subject. He was there for me twenty years ago when I left the ashram after practicing Eastern spirituality for decade. When I came to him for advice, he was serving as assistant rabbi at Congregation Sherith Israel, a huge congregation in San Francisco. He helped me to realize that there was a way of integrating the inner worlds through which I traveled with the outer world in which most of us live. It was a way that was consistent with more down-to-earth values such as tzedakah and tikkun olam. And it was a way in which I could fully participate in a community rooted in a deeply spiritual tradition that was respected, even if it wasn't fully understood, by those who chose to be part of this community.
This balancing of vocations, and I'm talking about balancing our inner work with the inner work, is a daunting task for anyone to manage. But this task, I believe, is the most important task that a rabbi could and should fulfill. There are people in this community, in almost any community, who are probably better qualified in any single task in which a rabbi must engage, and a good rabbi can inspire them and enlist them in this work. But the subtle work of encountering the subconscious, of wrestling with God, the epic journey of the kabbalist through the sefirot, - however you might describe this inner work; this is the one task that a rabbi cannot leave for someone else to do.
In the meantime, we have been together for a year and have gotten to know one another. I love being here and getting to know you. Every interaction has filled me with love and appreciation for who you are and what you have accomplished here. Building on a foundation that began forty years ago, the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community is like a jewel. It's not for me to say that I'm the perfect rabbi for you, but I am increasingly convinced you are the perfect congregation for me.
In the year that we've been together, we've built a really solid, working relationship. We've had many successful programs, events and services. The number of people who enjoy our newsletter and email updates is growing. We've had a successful year with our Hebrew School and we are in a stable position to now build on our strengths. We now have a beautiful property, a synagogue, an office, a barn (pause) a rabbi, and a really vibrant and diverse membership. And being affiliated with the Reform movement gives us access to a wealth of resources and experience that can help us to become a vital force in our broader community.
Our plans for the future are taking shape. We plan to make enhancements to our facilities to insure that this property is recognizably sacred space. We plan to reach more people through Shabbat dinners and other gatherings here and in people's homes throughout the community. We'll be upgrading our website and our communications in such a way that will help us fulfill our mission, which I have come to embrace as my most fundamental task as your rabbi: Our mission is to provide a context and structure for people to be Jewish together in a rural environment. This community fosters Jewish pride and identity by participating together in religious, spiritual, educational, social and cultural experiences. And, we welcome anyone interested in participating and learning.
Basically, we want to make it possible for people to be Jewish together. We want to foster strong and healthy Jewish identities and relationships. And we want to be inclusive. Although there are many ways in which we can be even more effective in each of these areas, we are definitely moving in the right direction. Of this I am very proud and believe you too can be proud.
I'm probably quite far from being the 'perfect' rabbi, but I believe that if I can build on what strengths I possess, then I will at least be a good rabbi. I believe that between us, we possess all the qualities and skills needed to make BAJC an incredibly successful, distinctive, unique and vibrant Jewish community.
I see myself as an interim rabbi. Who knows how long that interim period may last. Another year? Five years? Ten years? Forty years? Who can say? But it is my joy to remain engaged in the work we are doing and hope you will support me and join me in that work.
I would like to thank all of you who have supported me and supported this community in a multitude of ways. I want to give a special 'thank you' to the members of our Board and to our leadership, particularly our president Marty Cohn and our vice-president Julie Strothman. Your commitment to our community and to Jewish values has been felt on every level of my inner and outer worlds. I would also like to thank Rabbi Meyer who helped me to find my way twenty years ago and has come back to consecrate me on this next stage of my Jewish journey. I would also like to thank my local interfaith colleagues, some of whom are here this evening, for their support and good faith. And I would like to thank my family and my wife, Alexandra.
In closing, I gratefully accept and embrace this sacred covenant between us. You have blessed me and so I pray that, through our work together, I may be a blessing to you.
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