Chaverim yekarim / Dear
friends and fellow congregants:
There is an old joke that
ends with the punchline, “Jews say ‘goodbye’ but never leave.”
By now, many of you know
that I am retiring from the pulpit here at Temple B’nai Hayim / Congregation
Beth Meier effective July 1, 2021. This may seem sudden, but in fact, it has
been in the works for several years. In 2018, I advised our Board of Directors
that I wished to retire from full-time pulpit activities on June 30, 2020. In
2019, the Board requested, and I agreed that I would stay an additional year to
allow for an orderly transition, and in particular to assure that the coming
together of our two congregations had been finalized. This request turned out
to be prescient on the Board’s part, because the COVID-19 pandemic would have
made the difficult nearly impossible.
As the above joke implies,
although I am saying “goodbye” to the pulpit, Lynn and I are not leaving this
wonderful community. I believe Leon Uris once wrote, “’Shalom’ is a beautiful
way to say ‘goodbye’. It’s also a beautiful way to say ‘hello’.” We will be
“Jews in the pews” and active members of the synagogue. In addition, the Board
and Reb Jason have encouraged me to take on Rabbi Emeritus status, so I will be
filling in on the pulpit occasionally, as the need arises, and I will continue to teach
on a regular basis.
I cherish every minute that I have been serving with you for the betterment
of our community and our people, even the difficult times. I'm proud of what we
have accomplished together, though there could have been more. There’s always
more to be done! Rabbi Tarfon taught: “You are not obligated to
complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Pirkei Avot
2:21
I look forward to continuing and expanding our relationships in the coming
years.
Shalom U’vrakhah – Peace and Blessings,
Rabbi Richard Flom
