Annual Appeal

Temple Emanuel Annual Appeal - Sustaining Our Vibrant Community

August 2011 - Av 5771

Dear Friends:

A story is told about one of the Reichmann brothers, a Canadian real estate mogul who died with an estate of more than a billion dollars. He left two letters to his children, one to be opened before his funeral, the other to be opened thirty days thereafter. The first letter contained a bizarre request.
"My dear children, please bury me in a certain pair of socks that I left out on the dresser." Intent on fulfilling their father's wish, the children presented his letter to the chevrah kadishah, the burial society. But the chevrah kadishah said no. Mr. Reichmann was buried without his socks.

Thirty days later, the children opened up the second letter, which read as follows: "My dear children, by now, you have buried me without my socks. I wanted you to understand, at a deep level, that a man can have one billion dollars, but in the end, he cannot take along with him even one pair of socks."

Things don't last. But what we do here, at Temple Emanuel, lasts. Rooted in the day to day, we reach out to touch the transcendent.

It happens in family celebrations of the holidays, where generations come together to
eat and drink, to sing and to learn, to love and to rejoice, whether Simchat Torah in
the fall, Hanukkah in the winter, or Purim in the spring.

• It happens with musical events when hundreds of people come together to experience
  the power of sacred song.
• It happens with the multiple small communities that gather in friendship all the time,
  whether the three Brotherhood softball teams, Sisterhood's many learning and social
  groups, chavurot of singles and families, or empty nesters who fill their new-found time with new-found friendship.
• It happens in serious learning that takes place here every week, at Me'ah, Ikkarim,
  Hartman learning, Bible, Talmud and Adult B'nei Mitzvah classes.
• It happens in the constant deepening of our connection to Israel, whether it is bringing Newton to Jerusalem (adults and teens going to Israel during the summer), or bringing Jerusalem to Newton (lectures and classes filled with Israel content throughout the year).

All of that sacred energy and activity, all of that content and community, in all seven gates, requires resources that dues and seats alone do not provide, particularly since we are a shul for all, and we accommodate many requests by our members in need of abatements.

That is why we count on the Annual Appeal.

We can't even take our socks with us. But we can each do our part to make sure magic and meaning happen here every day. Thank you for your generosity which allows us to thrive.

Shanah tovah u'metukah - a happy and sweet New Year.

Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz
Amy B. Klein, President
Michael S. Benjamin, Annual Appeal Co-Chair
Adam Suttin, Annual Appeal Co-Chair