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THANK YOU TO ALL MY TEACHERS!
Dear Friends,
I will always remember your outpouring of warmth and affection on Friday evening, May 13, when you honored me and my wife, Marilyn, at dinner before our Shabbat service. As I said on that occasion, you have all been my teachers, in a variety of ways. You also made us feel that we were “family” from day one. I’m grateful to all of you for giving me the opportunity to do meaningful rabbinical work while pursuing my studies and also for helping me to get better at it as a result of your many comments and suggestions.
I would like to thank a number of you specifically. I’m sure that I will overlook some people and I hope you will forgive me for that. Again, I’m very grateful to everyone.
First of all, I would like to thank my amazing mentor, Rabbi Ken Emert, who taught me the tachlis “real” stuff needed to be an effective congregational rabbi that isn’t taught in seminaries. Rabbi Emert taught me so much more besides. He has become a dear friend and I will always cherish the good times we had together.
Second, I would like to thank Cantor Ilan Mamber, who has also been a mentor to me. I’ve enjoyed working with him in leading services and in jointly conducting many Hebrew School programs and assemblies. Cantor Mamber has improved my musical skills and greatly expanded my liturgical and song repertory.
Next, I would like to thank all the temple officers and trustees with whom I’ve worked, especially Past Presidents Dr. Michael Goldberg and Laura Freeman, current President Ian Zimmerman, VPs of Education Dr. Laura Eisdorfer and Randi Goldberg, VPs of Religion Mark Niederman and Sharon Weiss and technology guru Dr. Jack Berger.
I would like to thank our outstanding Hebrew School teachers who have taught me a lot about Jewish education and also sharpened my Hebrew in our daily conversations.
I would like to thank all the participants in our Nosh & Drash Torah breakfasts whose insightful questions pushed me to think more deeply about our weekly Torah portions and kept me from feeling that I knew them well enough (one never does).
I would like to thank our wonderful Hebrew School students, especially the youngest ones, whose bright faces and eyes filled with wonder inspired me to seek new ways to engage their minds. I especially want to thank everyone who took up my challenge to “Stump the Rabbi” and in the process gave me openings to introduce new lessons.
As I write this, I’m looking ahead to Friday night, May 20, when we will honor the many volunteers who support this temple community. Those with whom I’ve had the most direct contact are Dr. Amanda Zoneraich and the other members of our Hebrew School Board, the parents who volunteered to help with class events and Junior Congregation, Activities VPs Ellen Csaki and Lynn Goldman and “Climate Mama” Harriet Shugarman.
As a rabbi, I would like to thank all of the parents who came to services with your children who were preparing for bar/bat mitzvah and stayed with them. I would also like to thank the parents who worked directly with their children on their haftarah speeches and added their own insights to the teachings that I offered. I would especially like to thank the parents who made the effort to learn Torah readings for your children’s bar/bat mitzvah services for the wonderful examples that you set for your families.
I will miss all of you very much. Although part of me would love to stay at Temple Beth Rishon, which has been such a warm and welcoming home, the same sense of mission that led me to pursue rabbinic studies is now pushing me to seek the fulfillment of leading a congregation. By the time you read this I hope to have found my own pulpit.
Please keep me posted on your families’ good news. I hope to be able to visit Wyckoff when my future duties allow. I will always pray for God’s blessings upon all of you.
Rabbi Sandy Olshansky olshanskys@aol.com
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