President's Message

Sum Sum Summertime

As the temperature rises and the kids get out of school, many of us turn our attention away from the temple for a few months. Without religious school or major holidays to draw us back to Kings Valley Road, we can go many weeks without seeing our Or Chadash friends. Perhaps this summer we should each make an effort to connect with our congregation just a bit more than in previous years. I’m not suggesting you commit to weekly Torah study every Saturday morning (although some people do!) or spend all your vacation days volunteering in the office (Cindy sure could use some filing help!) this summer. There are some smaller ways we can maintain our connections with Or Chadash this summer.

¬ Check out a book from the Or Chadash library to read this summer

¬ Attend services on a “random” Friday night and enjoy a small, intimate Shabbat service

¬ Volunteer to help the Religious School Committee prepare for the new school year by organizing materials, decluttering classrooms, decorating the doors,….

¬ Host a dinner, brunch, or dessert gathering in your home for a small group of congregants to meet Rabbi Kobey

¬ Join the Or Chadash Singers for our first rehearsal in August and see if you’d like to sing with the choir at High Holidays this year

¬ Pull out your school directory and make a play date for your child with someone from their class at Or Chadash

¬ Enjoy a final sermon by Rabbi Tuchman at services on Friday, June 26^th

¬ Drop the teenagers off at the Dissin’s house on June 27^th for the CORY sleepover and spend an evening without their endearing presence

¬ Watch the July 4^th fireworks in Gaithersburg with Or Chadash families

¬ Be part of a new beginning as Rabbi Kobey leads her first service at Or Chadash on July 3^rd, or enjoy the meet-and-greet prior to her next service on July 10th

¬ Have an adult night out at the annual BBQ at Fred and Barbara Marx’s house on July 18^th

¬ Plan to join us for a strategic planning retreat on Sunday, July 26^th as we map out the future of our congregation

¬ Send your kids (or yourself!) to Vacation Torah School the first week of August

¬ Meet up for Girls’ Night Out (first Thursdays) or Guys’ Night Out (fourth Thursdays) at a local watering hole

¬ Help plan our 25^th Anniversary Celebration – currently scheduled to include Rabbi Kobey’s Installation Service as well as an open house event for the community – contact me if you are interested

¬ Browse the new “Or Chadash Volunteers” Board that was introduced at our Annual Meeting and consider what you’d like to do in the coming year to benefit our community as well as yourself

I hope you have a wonderful summer and enjoy the opportunity to reconnect with family, with nature, and with Or Chadash.

L’shalom,
Stephanie

July 2009

According to our rabbis, we are reminded that “it is not our duty to complete the work, but neither are we free to desist from it” (Pirkei Avot 2:21). One of the ongoing goals of my rabbinate is to help people enrich their lives by increasing their exposure to Torah and find entry-ways to discover, or rediscover, Torah, our most sacred text. Whether through worship, a life-cycle event, education, social action or a counseling session, I foster and support all efforts to embrace Judaism through different pathways while helping us come together as one community. I am truly blessed with a love of Judaism and welcome the diversity that supports our abilities to embrace Judaism through different pathways while helping us come together as one family.

Jewish traditions, worship, and spirituality stand at a congregation’s core and they are essential parts of my rabbinate. The worship experience must satisfy and reflect the needs of the congregation; as part of that ideal, I invite and encourage congregational participation in all facets of the worship service. I am dedicated to the full cycle of the Jewish calendar and marking sacred moments in our lives by composing innovative and creative rituals, where appropriate, and by drawing from the many liturgies (prayers) and rituals of our tradition.

The sanctity of life cycle events is also very important to me. It is always an honor and a privilege for me to be part of a sacred moment, whether one of great joy or great sadness, a time of celebration or a time of vulnerability or loss. I have worked with individuals, couples, and families in life cycle events of every nature, including bris/namings, B’nai Mitzvah, weddings, funerals, and moments for creative rituals. In addition, I counsel people about their own transgressions, or those of their loved ones, their feelings of fear, confusion, stress, theological questions, or more. It is a privilege for me to talk with individuals or couples on a wide variety of topics. For some people, I serve simply as a sympathetic ear, or as a sounding board, for other individuals I serve as an entry point back into Judaism. In all cases, I am humbled with the reminder that the synagogue should be a safe space in daily living throughout one’s life.

I am committed to a congregational rabbinate in which I can excel as both a teacher and student of Torah. Life-long Jewish learning for everyone is an essential part of my rabbinic vision, with teaching being one of my great joys. Jewish learning is vital to the life and vibrancy of a congregation, and I aim to provide high-quality Jewish educational programs for children and adults of all ages, Jews and non-Jews, and members and non-members. I am committed to offering a diversity of classes at any given season, helping to reach people wherever they may be. I delight in facilitating “aha” moments, watching peoples’ faces light up as they relate something in their lives to something Jewish or when they understand a new concept relating to our sacred religion. Learning and teaching take an active place in my life.

We are taught “na’aseh v’nishmah,” to learn in order to do (Exodus 24:7). I place great emphasis on tzedakah, and social action/social justice. We must reach within and beyond our own congregational family and offer support to people in need. Judaism has always been a role-model for other faith communities with its emphasis on tikkun olam, “repairing the world.” As part of my rabbinate, I am committed to participating on a personal level and leading the congregation in acts of gemilut chasadim (loving-kindness) and social justice. Interfaith dialogues are also crucial to me. Thirty-six times in Torah, more than any other commandment, we are taught to “welcome the stranger” and I hold that message close to my heart. In addition, we must support and guide interfaith families with opportunities to enhance their connection to Judaism and recognize their unique spiritual journeys.

A connection to Israel is also critical to my vision. Israel is enhanced by American Judaism and we are enriched by Israel. I advocate for people to visit there in order to experience first hand the richness of our sacred homeland. I enjoy sister-city partnerships with communities in Israel that allow all of us to learn and grow from one another.

Through Jewish “in-reach,” outreach, education, camps, youth groups, worship, social action, . . . the pathways are open. We can open whichever door or doors of our choosing, but all of these “doorways” uphold my vision that the congregational family can come together to build community, strengthen relationships, and give honor to Judaism.

In every element of my rabbinate I hope to provide strong leadership that works in partnership with lay leaders and other professionals to respond to the needs of the congregation. I am committed to being a rabbinic leader who brings integrity, holiness, respect, and a love of Judaism and Jewish living into all that I do.

L'shalom,
Rabbi Kobey
RabbiKobey@gmail.com