President's Column - April 2024

Dear TBT Family,

With the arrival of spring, we are greeted with the gentle warmth of the sun and the promise of new beginnings. For me, this season signifies the blossoming of flowers in my garden, the return of geese to the lake, and the anticipation of celebrating Passover together as a community. It fills my heart with joy to announce that after our time in exile, because we are back in our beloved building, we will be gathering for a Seder on April 26th. (RSVP here)

I hold wonderful memories of my dear friend Sharon Besser, may her name be for blessing, who tirelessly organized this Seder for many years. I can only imagine her delight in knowing that we are continuing this cherished tradition once more.

Passover holds a special place in our hearts as it commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from the horrors of slavery in ancient Egypt. It stands as a testament to the unwavering faith, resilience, and divine intervention that guided our ancestors through those dark hours. As we observe Passover, we are reminded of our journey from bondage to freedom and the enduring values of faith, perseverance, and justice that have sustained us through the ages.

The Seder not only allows us to come together with our families, friends, and fellow members of the TBT community, but also serves as a time for introspection and reflection. It is an opportunity to deepen our connection to our rich heritage, express gratitude for our blessings, and strengthen the bonds that unite us as a sacred community.

In the spirit of Passover, may we find renewal, inspiration, and strength in our shared traditions and experiences. I extend a heartfelt invitation to each one of you to join us as we break Matzah together and celebrate the blessings of freedom and community.

I am deeply grateful to the Passover Seder Committee, comprising Kate Lee and Jon Katz as chairs, along with Nancy Rosen, David Rosen, and Gloria Kindman, for their dedicated efforts in ensuring that this evening will be both beautiful and meaningful. Your hard work and commitment are truly appreciated.

Chag Pesach Sameach – may this Passover be filled with joy, meaning, and abundant blessings for us all. Karen Goldberg

President's Column - February 2024

Dear TBT Family,

Last week there was a New York Times Opinion piece entitled “Train Yourself to Always Show Up.” It caught my attention not only because this is one of my life’s mottos but also because it referenced the Mishnah. The text Middot 2:2 describes a ritual from the time of the Second Temple. Thousands of Jews would climb to the Temple Mount and walk in a circle in the plaza. Most people would walk counterclockwise. Meanwhile, the people suffering would make this same ritual walk but they would walk in the opposite direction, clockwise. This way the downtrodden would get comforted by the other people passing them. Those who walked counterclockwise would offer a blessing: “May the Holy One comfort you. You are not alone,” and then would continue to walk until the next person approached.

How proud I am to be a descendent from a tradition like this. Our ancestors understood the transformative power of our presence in the lives of others. In a world that is constantly buzzing with activity, it’s easy to get caught up in our own hectic schedules and responsibilities. However, our souls are enriched when we extend ourselves beyond our personal sphere and embrace the opportunity to support and uplift one another. In times of joy, our presence magnifies the celebration; in times of sorrow, it provides a comforting embrace. The simple act of showing up for someone can make a world of difference.

Our Chesed committee is working to create a community of caring for our fellow congregants. We want to create a culture not only of helping those in need, but also the expectation that if something difficult happens, you call the temple, you reach out, you let us know that you need care. I am sure that many of us are willing to step up to help. I suspect that the more difficult challenge for our congregation will be to ask for help. In our fiercely independent society, it feels weak to admit we are suffering. I, however, would say that it takes great strength to reach out when you need a helping hand. We all must learn to both give and receive.

In this spirit, you will all be receiving an invitation to sign up on a platform called Helping Hands. This does not commit you to do anything. It will just allow us to email you when the Chesed committee identifies a need. It may be for rides, visiting a sick congregant, making food for a mourner, etc. I hope to get a great response from our devoted community.

I will end the way I began, with the ritual from our ancient text. Sometimes we will walk counter clockwise but there will be times when we walk against the current. I pray that TBT, our Jewish tribe, can support us while we walk the walk.

L’Shalom,

Karen

President's Column - January 2024

Dear TBT,

Happy New Year! As Jews we are lucky to celebrate the new year not once but twice a year. As we do on Rosh Hashanah, we now have the precious opportunity to reflect on the passing year and commit ourselves to positive change and growth for 2024.

What was your resolution? Google tells me that the top resolutions are 1- quit smoking, 2- exercise more, 3- eat healthier, 4- lose weight. I must admit that some of these have been on my list in the past. Now I am looking for something more meaningful, more specific, more spiritual.

I encourage each of you to consider making a meaningful resolution that will enrich your spiritual lives and contribute to your overall well-being. Whether it’s dedicating more time to prayer and meditation (Shabbat services, Saturday morning meditation), extending acts of kindness and compassion to others (Chesed committee), learning something new (Israel book group, Talmud study group, Torah study group), making new friendships (Haverim/ Kol Ami groups), or working to make our community and world more just (the social justice committee). Let’s embrace these resolutions with sincerity and dedication.

My resolution is to make a better effort to meet and get to know our new TBT families. We have had over 30 new families join TBT in the last few months. This speaks to our new beautiful building, the strength of our religious school and preschool, our meaningful services, our interesting and fun programming but mostly it speaks to the need for Jews to gather in community together. We need each other. We need to know that we are not alone. On February 11th, I will be hosting a new member’s luncheon at my house. If you have joined the synagogue in the last year, you will be receiving an invitation. I hope you will come. I am so happy to have you join our TBT mishpacha and want to get to know you.

I am proud of the strength of our community in 2023. I reflect on our first high holy days back in our renovated synagogue, our vibrant religious school with our new director, our full preschool with noisy happy children, our Israel vigil right after Oct 7th, our volunteers planting a beautiful garden, our book club (over 50 strong) to discuss the history of the Israeli-Palestinian crises, and most recently our Hannukah gathering with over 100 people lighting menorahs and eating brisket and latkes. May we grow on these strengths in 2024.

May the coming year be filled with blessing, spiritual growth, and peace. Peace in the Middle East, peace in our country, peace in our homes and peace in our hearts.

Happy New Year,
Karen Goldberg

President's Column - December 2023

Dear TBT family,

Reflecting on the recent season of Thanksgiving, I am deeply moved by the whirlwind of emotions over this past week. My extended family gathered 20 strong in Boston and had a beautiful Thanksgiving only to then rush to Washington, D.C. as my father-in-law entered hospice and then passed away. At this moment, I choose to focus on gratitude. I am grateful for my brother and his wife who host Thanksgiving every year and for my car that drove me over 900 miles this week. I am thankful for the good health of my husband, children, and parents, and for the kindness of hospice nurses. I am thankful for cornbread stuffing and for having the honor of holding Marv’s hand as he took his last breath. I am also especially thankful for the support and solidarity within our temple community.

It is times like this when it is especially obvious how important our Jewish home is. The strength of our community, evident in your care and empathy, has been a guiding light through these moments of darkness. My dear neighbor who is not Jewish talked to me after our service and said, “I am always jealous of the Jewish people. They know how to do death right.” We do. There was joy, sadness, celebration, love, songs, prayers, hugs, and lots and lots of food.

As we move forward, let us carry the spirit of Thanksgiving today and every day, recognizing and appreciating the value of gratitude. I often remind myself of a bumper sticker that caught my attention. It said, “Someone is praying for something that you are taking for granted.” Death teaches us to appreciate the here and now, to remember what is important, and to not worry about things that really don’t matter.

I am immensely grateful for each member of our TBT family and the friendship, traditions, and faith that connects us. Your continued support uplifts and strengthens us. May our ongoing journey together be filled with shared blessings and moments of profound gratitude.

Toda Raba,
Karen Goldberg

President's Column - November 2023

Dear TBT family,

I can’t believe it has only been one month since I wrote my last shofar column. It feels like years ago. A month ago I had no idea that Hamas was planning a deadly terror attack on Israel that would launch our homeland into a war. I didn’t know I would be helping to organize a vigil of solidarity for our community. I never thought I would have to rush to the synagogue after we received a threatening email or that I would be meeting with tearful preschool parents who were frightened about the safety of their children. It never occurred to me that antisemitism would erupt on our college campuses. I didn’t anticipate the need for security guards and police to protect us in our holy space. I feel like we have been living through a nightmare and I just want to wake up back in September.

I always try to keep these columns positive, and I’m sorry, but I just don’t have it in me today. This weekend was really hard. It was supposed to be parents’ weekend at my daughter's college in Maine. Instead, she came home after being in lockdown in her dorm for two days. She was traumatized. And then today, I wake up to find out that there was a violent threat against Jews at Cornell, the university my son attends. There are now armed guards outside the center for Jewish living and the Jewish fraternities. This is what our children are living through; this is what we are living through.

Sometimes we will be strong and forge ahead with gratitude and hope. But other times, we will just feel exhausted, frightened, and hopeless. This is when our Jewish community is so essential. It was such a comfort to come to the wine tasting last night and get hugs and support from my friends and my TBT family. Thank you, it made a difference to me. I want TBT to be able to provide that for you as well. This is what it means to be a true, genuine, sacred community.

B’Shalom,
Karen Goldberg

President's Column - September 2023

Dear TBT friends,

This is a time of great transition for me and my family, as well as for all of us as a TBT congregational family.

My youngest child just left for college, and as the saying goes, we now have an “empty nest.” It is a challenging transition. Phil and I certainly feel great loss when we return each night to a clean, quiet, and calm (boring) home. However, it is intensely rewarding to see my three children pursuing their dreams, and to know that the foundation we helped them create has contributed to their sense of purpose.

This reflection is similar to how I feel about our High Holy Days this year. The sacrifice and the work we put into creating our sacred space while continuing to build community, is finally coming to fruition. This year, we are blessed to celebrate the High Holy Days in our synagogue after three long years of exile.

First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible sense of unity and resilience that our TBT community has displayed throughout the last three years. Despite many challenges, your unwavering commitment to our shared faith and values has been a source of inspiration.

The High Holidays are profoundly significant in our tradition, offering us the opportunity for introspection, renewal, and reconnection with our spiritual roots. I look forward to sharing these experiences together in our beautiful new building. So, please join us for Selichot on September 9th, when we will consecrate our Sanctuary and bring our Torahs home.

In closing, I must admit that I don’t really like the empty nest metaphor. I prefer to think of my home as a fun, exciting retreat center, or even as a serene, replenishing spa. A place where my kids can come when they need some TLC, want to reconnect, or simply need a place to think, to relax, and to grow. This year may Temple Beth Tikvah also be such a place for all of you.

Karen Goldberg

President's Column - Summer 2023

eaar TBT Family,

As Independence Day approaches, I would like to share my background. I was born in Santiago, Chile. My father had the opportunity to go to New York City to train in Kidney Transplantation. The plan was to spend three years in the United States, then go back home. While we were in New York, there was a military coup in Chile and Augusto Pinochet took control as a violent dictator. He ruled from 1973 to 1990. Even though my grandparents missed us very much, they warned us not to come back. It is with this backdrop that I truly love this country and appreciate the freedoms that many take for granted. On July 4th, we will celebrate the birth of a nation built on the principles of freedom, equality, and justice for all. We know that our country is not perfect, and we still have work to do, but this is our inspiration, this is our goal.

For us, as Jews, Independence Day, and our commitment to freedom, resonates deeply. Rabbi Sharon Brous said, “The idea that it’s possible to move from slavery to freedom and from darkness to light and from despair to hope – that is the greatest Jewish story ever told.”

Independence Day should be a reminder that we must continue to uphold our democracy. As Jews we understand the importance of supporting our religious and cultural differences while also embracing our society’s diversity.

I am proud to say that TBT is doing that. We have a strong relationship with our interfaith community. We continue to sponsor Afghan refugee families. Our Kulanu group is leading us in fighting hate and antisemitism. We are supporting Madison PrideFest and literally raising the roof for people in poverty. We are proud of our big tent, and we acknowledge that the diversity in our synagogue makes us better. In this light, I will end with a quote from Nelson Mandela: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

Shalom and Happy Independence Day,
Karen Goldberg

President's Column - June 2023

Hello Friends,

What a month it has been for Temple Beth Tikvah! What an honor it has been to be the president of TBT during these special Shehecheyanu moments.

Let’s start with our May 12th Shabbat service in our new sanctuary when we revealed the ark doors. We had set up for 100 people. Who could possibly have predicted that would not be enough? We scrambled to get more chairs and Gary Damiano rushed off to Stop and Shop to buy more food for the Oneg. As Taylor Swift says, “champagne problems.” The service filled me with memories that I will never forget. Seeing my son and so many of our incredible high school seniors honored in our new sanctuary brought tears to my eyes. Hearing Rabbi Offner on the bimah talking about the Interior Design Committee’s vision for the ark door three years ago filled me with gratitude. Having our Bat Mitzvah, Olivia Mervine-Schiff, help uncover our ark doors was beautiful, symbolic, and perfect. Then seeing those ark doors . . . the colors, the reflections, the Torah illuminated through the glass, the artistry . . . Shehecheyanu.

We had the opportunity to celebrate three B’nei Mitzvot in our new sanctuary this month. Mazel Tov to Simona Cottrill, Olivia Mervine-Schiff, and Joshua Glazer. Shehecheyanu.

We held our first annual meeting in our building in three years. We started that sacred meeting with a prayer, together singing Shehecheyanu.

We honored our Religious School teachers and had a special moment for Judy Pozzi who is retiring after 18 years of service at our Religious School. We are so grateful. Shehecheyanu.

Confirmation Shabbat celebrating our amazing teens. Shehecheyanu.

And finally, the greatest miracle of all . . . the birth of Rabbi Danny Moss and Rabbi Susan Landau Moss’s baby boy. On Friday July 28th, our congregation will have the opportunity to share in a blessing for our Rabbinic family. Shehecheyanu.

The literal translation of Shehecheyanu means “that we are alive.” As Jews we have a tradition of gratitude. We are thankful for all our blessings and that we are alive at this moment. As a community we have had a challenging three years. We had social isolation from COVID, we had clergy transitions, and we had what felt like a never-ending building renovation. I feel as if I am now at the top of the mountain seeing the holy land . . . and it is beautiful.

Praised are you G-d, ruler of the universe, for granting us life, for sustaining us, and for helping us to reach this day. Shehecheyanu.

Blessings,
Karen Goldberg

President's Column - May 2023

Hello Friends,

April 17 was Yom HaShoah, and I attended the beautiful service at our sister congregation in Chester. It started with a powerful presentation by Judith Altmann, a Holocaust survivor who was liberated by the allies from Auschwitz. She spoke about her early memories: her parents’ store being closed, not being allowed to attend school, her family’s move to the ghetto, the crowded train to the camps, being separated from her parents, standing on the line that was allowed to live, and watching her parents on the other line. . . She talked about the hunger, the smell, the death march, and the sickness. She finished by telling us that it was her responsibility as one of the survivors to continue to tell her story. It made me realize that soon there will no longer be firsthand witnesses to the Holocaust, and it will be up to us to continue to retell their stories. Not only must we never forget, we also cannot allow the rest of the world to forget.

This is my family’s story. All four of my grandparents were from Eastern Europe, and they were all Holocaust survivors. Many of you know that my mother lived in a displaced persons camp for five years, and she was one of the lucky ones. It is hard to even wrap my brain around 6 million Jews lost, among them 1.5 million children. European Jewry decimated. Jews scattering around the world. This painful history is part of the fabric of my Jewish soul.

My parents ended up in Chile. For a long time, I thought everyone in Chile was Jewish. My cousins went to Jewish schools, had Jewish friends, attended Jewish camps, and belonged to Jewish pool clubs. Their ingrained trauma bonded them together and reinforced the importance of being Jewish.

When Rabbi Moss asked us, “Why be Jewish?” my first response was this: it is a miracle that I am alive. Four of my grandparents had to beat the odds for me to be here today. My grandparents survived as proud and strong Jews. How could I walk away from that legacy?

Although this is true, on further reflection, I believe there must more to “why Jewish” then just a response to evil. Even as antisemitism is on the rise, and we are banding together, I prefer to choose Judaism out of joy and respect. So, to further answer Rabbi Moss’s question, “Why be Jewish?” I say -

I choose Judaism because I love our values, I love our music, I love our focus on learning, I love our community, I love our traditions, I love our spirituality, I love our prayers, I love our priority on family, and I love Israel.

My grandparents were deeply traumatized by the Holocaust, and they rarely spoke about their experiences. The one message that I do remember from my grandmother Anna was that all those Jewish lives were not lost in vain, because after the Holocaust we were given the land of Israel. My grandparents were all fervent Zionists, and they passed along that love to my parents and to me. Israel is a complicated place, and it is problematic in many ways, but I can’t help but to love Israel deeply.

The service last night ended with the Hatikvah. I too will end this column with those powerful words.

So long as within the inmost heart a Jewish spirit sings, so long as the eye looks eastward, gazing toward Zion, our hope is not lost. The hope of two thousand years: to be a free people in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem.

Blessings,
Karen Goldberg

President's Column- March 2023

Dear Friends,

I recently had a conversation with a friend that reminded me how differently people think. This woman was feeling very dissatisfied with work and was under a lot of stress trying to decide if she should quit. She had gone to her son’s sporting event and while waiting for the game to end had spoken about this to another parent. The next day that parent showed up at her house with a dinner she had made for my friend “since she was going through a hard time.” What a nice thing to do, right?

Well, my friend was livid and embarrassed, and this act of kindness sent her into a spiral. She felt pathetic, pitied, and as she said, "felt like punching this woman in the face.” Luckily, she did not act on this impulse. This story reminds me that what I need and appreciate is not necessarily what others need and appreciate. 

I bring this up because Temple Beth Tikvah is embarking on a new initiative, called Chesed - the Hebrew word for kindness or love between people. During the first year of the pandemic Rabbi Offner reached out to congregants asking for “helping hands.” There was an outpouring of support to help people with groceries, meals, camaraderie, etc. 

I believe you shouldn’t need a pandemic for our congregation to spread kindness and love. Amy Lee and Leslie Hyman are leading the efforts - one we hope will become a foundational value of TBT. We had our initial meeting with 10 members and have come up with a first step. You all will receive a survey to inform our group about our community’s most important needs. Some ideas we have brainstormed are providing meals when a family member is sick or has passed away, driving people who need a ride, providing companionship to people who may need a friend, babysitting for overworked parents that need a break, and on and on. Those were OUR thoughts but more importantly we want to know YOURS. We will also be asking if you are willing to join our efforts. 

We are going to need more people to help us with this project. My concern, however, is not a lack of people wanting to help but people feeling shy or embarrassed to ask for assistance. Therefore, I remind you that it is a mitzvah to do acts of loving kindness, but I believe that it is even more of a MITZVAH to receive assistance when needed. It makes you vulnerable, but it is just this genuine vulnerability that opens us to true connections with our TBT family. Learning to receive is a gift to ourselves but also a gift to the giver. There is no greater feeling for me than that sense that I have made someone else’s day easier and brighter. Therefore, it is a win/win situation. 

So please, fill out the questionnaire when you receive it and if you feel inspired to participate feel free to email Amy Lee amyjolee22@gmail.com or Leslie Hyman lch711@aol.com.

May we all be givers and receivers and may Chesed always be the culture of Temple Beth Tikvah.

Blessings,
Karen Goldberg