Tonight is not a High Holy Day, and so it is a different section of Yitro on which I would like to focus this evening. For tonight, I have been asked to share my vision for the congregation; and it seems reasonable that I should find my vision in this week’s parsha.

Last week’s parsha focused on a story familiar to all of us - the safe crossing the Sea of Reeds. Last week we celebrated Shabbat Shira, the Shabbat of Song, of joy and jubilation. Miriam and the women danced; and everyone was filled with optimism.

 

Then came the day when Moses realized there were decisions to be reached, judgments to be made. Yitro, Jethro, finds Moses about to convene a hearing and stops him. Few of us may expect to receive great wisdom from our fathers-in-law, but Moses is not like us; and he receives wisdom that comes down to us across time and space.

Moses, you have enough to do! Don’t tire yourself out by taking on that task along with everything else you have to do. You have an entire community of people—surely there are others wise enough to serve as judges. You think being the leader isn’t enough? Well it is. You don’t have to do everything yourself; others have skill; others have wisdom, let them use those skills, let them use their wisdom and you will strengthen the community.

Jethro did the best thing he could; he saw that Moses needed advice and he spoke up. Moses was able to build on that advice, and invited others to serve as judges; he was not alone, and did not have to do everything himself.

 

Now I am no Moses, but I do hope to learn from this parsha, as I hope to learn something every time I read Torah. This time when I read Yitro I saw a great model of community leadership; one I hope to follow. For surely, just as that community was strengthened by engaging members in new ways, our community, the Bet Mishpachah community, needs to find ways for each of us to share our skills, our knowledge; our wisdom.

Each member of this Board you have elected takes their responsibility, and your trust, seriously. Each of them will give of their skills, their strength, their wisdom and their time. This Board is no clique; while some of us are dear friends, others of us do not know each other beyond saying “Shabbat Shalom.” Perhaps over the next year we will all become friends - that would be lovely - but more importantly, we will all work on your behalf to keep this congregation thriving.

We accept these responsibilities, but those responsibilities lead us to view this congregation from a different perspective. Board members do not have the luxury of viewing the congregation as the wonderful, spiritual congregation it is. We learn to see this as a financial institution, one that employs five people, one that serves about 250 members, many of which have different needs and their own vision of what Bet Mishpachah should be. We accept responsibility to maintain relationships with other congregations, other Jewish organizations, other GLBTQQ organizations. We do this willingly, but we cannot do it by ourselves.

My Mother loves to tell the story about my kindergarten teacher being “amazed” at my ability to add and subtract when I entered school. Now most Jewish mothers might tell that story to show off how smart their kid was; but not mine.

 

My Mother tells that story to show off how each of us kids had chores very early in life. I needed to add and subtract because my Dad was on the road when I was young, and I needed to know how many places to set for dinner; that being one of my chores.

My Dad, whose memory is a blessing, always felt that every one of us had a responsibility to do something to support the family. Sure those chores were based on gender! I was never expected to take out the garbage, and my brothers never learned to iron their own clothes. But regardless, we all had to pitch in. We were a team and every single one of us had a valuable and important role in making it all work.

So I come to you tonight to ask that you take a look at this Bet Mishpachah - this house of a family - and consider not only what belonging means to you - what chores are yours -  what will you do to keep this family strong?

This congregation has faced challenges in the past, as all families do. We have lost members who have followed another path; finding a congregation closer to home or with earlier services on Friday nights, or with a religious school for their children.

We face an increasingly competitive Jewish community as more congregations advertise that they welcome gay members.

 

We have gained new members whose path has brought them through our doors. Some are new to the GeLiBTe Jewish community, some are newly out, some are straight, and glad to find we too are a welcoming congregation.

I arrived in Washington back in 1994. My one and only friend in town at that time; who helped arrange the job that brought me here; is here tonight. My trust in her is endless; as is my trust in each of you.

We are about to embark on a new and perhaps frightening journey. Our beloved Rabbi Saks expects his life’s journey to take him in a new direction in about 18 months. He is not the only member of this family looking forward to retirement. But his decision somewhat changes the charge facing this Board.

As a congregation we will be asking ourselves hard questions.

Do we need to hire another Rabbi?

What will that Rabbi do for us?

Does that new Rabbi have to be a gay Rabbi, which means we will discriminate against applicants based on their sexual orientation?

Are we willing to increase dues in order to pay for a Rabbi who works more hours?

These are some of the questions that face us; and this Board is not going to make those decisions alone; because if we did we know we would never hear the end of it.

More than the sum of all the questions I could list tonight, whenever a change like this faces a congregation the final decision will never make everyone happy. But my vision is that the process for making these decisions will be as open and transparent as it can possibly be.

I know some members will not like where this new journey takes us. This congregation, like all congregations, like all families, is resistant to change. But together I trust we can face this challenge with courage, and with the conviction that wherever the journey takes us, we will celebrate when it is time to.

I have heard that hiring Rabbi Saks was not a decision that sat well with everyone. I was on the Board when the decision to move here was made, and that was not a unanimous decision, loved by everyone either.

I hope that each of you takes a serious look at what your membership means to you. Where does this congregation sit in your heart?

At the annual meeting held in December, about three or four people asked about our marketing strategy. I don’t know who those folks were, but I ask them to identify themselves to any member of the Board. We may decide we need a marketing strategy, and if you know how to do that, step up to the plate and do it. If you don’t, I can assure you it may not get done.

Do you love Purim? Would you like to see us have a fabulous Purim celebration? Let someone on the Board know, and we will make sure you have the opportunity to plan Purim.

Do you love kids? Do you want Bet Mishpachah to organize and offer family-friendly events? Honestly, I wouldn’t have a clue how to do that. Let someone on the Board know this would interest you and we will make sure you have the opportunity to create something great for families with children.

Do you think this congregation should have more social events? Raise more money so we can expand our programming? Let someone on the Board what interests you and we will make sure you have the opportunity to make it happen.

My vision of this congregation is that if we want something done, we have to find the folks who are vested enough to make it happen. There will be task forces to put together, committees to populate, committees to revitalize; conversations to have.

But don’t think joining a committee is the only way to get involved! There are certainly tasks, short term tasks requiring little time—that can be done by one person (usually with a computer).

And lest I abrogate my responsibility before my term actually starts, let me acknowledge those members who do not participate by joining a committee or attending a town hall meeting, but who will write a check. I thank you in advance, for your participation in this community is deeply appreciated.

My vision of this congregation is that is it not somehow magically more my congregation because I have been elected President. Neither is this my Board.

My vision of this congregation is that it is our congregation; that we share the responsibility for making it work. This Board is made up of members of this congregation who have decided to give of their time and skills. But do not assume their time or their skills are limitless; each of us has other commitments; to jobs or partners or pets or parents or children.

I have been on the Board before; I have been a Board Member at Large, I have been Vice President for Administration, I have been Vice President for Religious Affairs. I have co-chaired High Holy Days more times than I can count. One year I was on the Board, co-chaired High Holy Days and chaired a committee. By the end of that year I seriously thought, truly believed I either had to leave the congregation or learn to never volunteer for anything, ever again. So you can understand that more than anything you will share my vision of shared responsibility.

I ask each of you for your prayers, and your kindness and your time and your commitment.

I ask each of you be reasonable in your expectations of what one Board can do in one year.

I ask that each of you join us on this next journey facing us; facing this house, this family.

And I ask God’s blessing upon us as we embark on the road facing us,

May Adonai bless us and keep us.

May Adonai enlighten us, and be gracious unto us.

May Adonai inspire us and grant us peace, and let us say,