On August 16th, I will mark my twelfth year of service as your Rabbi. It is hard to believe that all this time has passed. Time does fly by, as the Psalter David opined, like “the blink of an eye.”

When I first came to you, I had just turned forty, and my oldest son, Ariel, was twelve. Now, our youngest, Akiva, is about as tall as I am, Ariel is in law school, and our twin daughters, Tziona and Shifra, will be heading off to Jerusalem, Israel, in the coming weeks for a year of posthigh school Torah study. Elisheva, our soon-to-be seventeen-year-old, will be a senior this fall at Yeshiva University’s High School for Girls.

Our children are growing up, fast and furious, and they are, if I may say, well turned out, for which I thank, in no small part, our beloved congregational family. No Rabbi could have asked for a more loving, caring and nurturing community. It is, frankly, more than any Rabbi could possibly deserve, no matter his attainments. Chani’s and my children are uniquely confident and well-grounded in an age where debilitating insecurity and diffidence proliferate and mercilessly plague our youth. Your love has made for me and my family all the difference in the world.

You and I have been through so much together. I have named your daughters and presided over your sons’ brissim; I have bar and bat mitzvahed and married many of your sons and daughters; and, I have comforted you in the face of serious illness and death in your families. We have also built a great deal together, from reintroducing a Talmud Torah and revitalizing our minyanim, and our shul attendance on Shabbos and Yom Tov, to a myriad of exciting, innovative programs from Community S’darim, Cantorial Concerts and Shabbat Scholars-in-Residence, to Jewish holiday carnivals, Aish Hatorah workshops, mini Kollels, Torah Tours, and our “venerable” Comedy Cabarets, drawing interest from throngs of Jews throughout Westchester. In fact, we are even planning our first ever mission trip to Israel (see cover). Sisterhood has never been stronger and our Board of Trustees has worked tirelessly to beautify our synagogue structure, to solidify our resources, and to lead us forward in strength. By way of illustration, our Board, under the leadership of our great president, Gary Waller, has begun a strategic planning initiative, having commissioned a professional consulting group, The Alban Institute, to help us grow again.

So, where are we then? A lot of successful, well-attended programs, big crowds, many grand occasions, and a wider public reach. And yet, there is a palpable sense among us that we are on the edge of danger.

A number of new apartments, condos and co-op developments, on Pelham Road, Main Street, and Huguenot Street (e.g., Trump, Avalon I and II) have helped some, but have not nearly been the boon to our membership that we initially hoped would be the case. It seems that if we are going to grow again, it will not come from the housing stock, or the real estate developments, but rather from building and promoting a more appealing spiritual product that will draw young, traditional Jewish families into our magnetic orbit.

Anshe Sholom boasts a most interesting amalgamation of people from every walk of life. This broad diversity is something that we have come to appreciate at our shul. I don’t doubt that some of us are concerned that new efforts at growth might change or tilt the balance of our membership in a more rightward, religious direction as we target with the help of the Alban Institute young observant families. Rest assured, dear friends, that as I help to steer our spiritual ship, going forward, I will be ever mindful of you. Our shul will always be, the good L-rd willing, an open house that is welcoming to any and all comers, whatever their levels of religious observance or commitment. To fear the unknown is a basic human emotion. Take comfort, then, in what you know for real and certain. You know who your shepherds are and have always been. Our love for you and our wholesome embrace of your families are constants in this narrative that you can bank on. So, join me, Gary and our leadership, as we march forward in pursuit of dreams of growth and promise for our beloved shul community. Ours is the good fight, waged to keep us alive, well, and meaningfully relevant as a Torah community into the next generation. May Hashem bless well our efforts for the good cause.

“Taste and see that G-d is good. Happy is the one who trusts in Him (Psalms, Ch. 34).”

With love and devotion, I remain . . .

Faithfully yours,

Ely J. Rosenzveig, Rabbi

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