This past month, I have received two reminders of the power of community. The first came when my father passed away. My family and I were touched and comforted by the many ways that people reached out to us. Some called. Some wrote notes. Some came to visit. Many stood with us as we gathered in our house to pray during the period of shiva.
We were overwhelmed by the kindness of Service of the Heart. I knew that these wonderful people, led by Sherene Borr and Cindy Heilweil, took care of people in times of need. However, much of their work takes place behind the scenes. I found it impossible truly to appreciate how much they do, and how many people are involved, until my family was the beneficiary of both their service and their heart.
The second reminder of the power of community came during our congregational Seder for the second night of Passover. The Religious Activities Committee did an amazing job of putting this together. But what made the evening more special than usual was the community that formed that night. More than 60 people packed into the basement of the Franklin Federated Church. They did not just sit. They read, they sang, they participated. Together, those of us in that room breathed new life into a very old story. The Haggadah enjoins us to see ourselves as if we personally had left Egypt. That night, we shared the giddy joy of discovering freedom.
This is what a holy community can do. It can help us weather the hard times and infuse the good times with energy and passion. We have a holy community here at Temple Etz Chaim. I encourage all of us to participate in it. The reason is not so much because the Temple needs us. It is more because each of us needs what this community can give us.
– Rabbi Tom Alpert