Today is the first day of the month of Elul and this particular day holds significance for me. And, the name of the month is significant as well. Elul is an acronym for the very well known expression "Ani l'dodi v dodi li" - meaning "I am my beloved and my beloved is mine." The month of Elul is the month of love. The first of Elul just so happens to be the date on which I was married.
In thinking about the first Shabbat in the month of Elul, how can we not think about things that we love - family, friends, our community and consequently the things that should make us happy.
While there are so many complications when it comes to Israel, thinking about what Israel offers to the world always makes me proud. I came across this video earlier in the week. It was put together in honor of Israel's 60th birthday and was circulated via email for a long time. If you have seen in it, you may enjoy watching it again - I did. If you haven't seen it - I encourage you to watch it. It should make you happy and feel a genuine warmth and love of Israel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZX7WKsn5QEParents, hopefully, are a source of love for us in our lives. Mine certainly have been for me. This week a fabulous article arrived in the mail from my Mom. This piece is an article about leadership written by Bill George for U.S. News and World Report. While the piece was written in 2006, it is still very relevant today. I found the article online and if you are interested in reading the whole piece, here is the link that you will need to copy and paste:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/061022/30authentic.htm#
If you do not have the time or interest to read the whole piece, the last paragraph of the article is a good summary. Bill George writes, "No individual achievement can equal the pleasure of leading a group of
people to achieve a worthy goal. When you cross the finish line
together, there's a deep satisfaction that it was your leadership that
made the difference. There's simply nothing that can compare with that." I believe that even though Bill George is referring to individual people, we can apply his concept to agencies lead by groups of leaders as well.
As Federation continues to take on leadership in the community, our achievements will bring great satisfaction to our community. Our leadership role in convening the community, raising funds for now and the future and cultivating the next generation will serve us well.
On this first weekend of Elul, remember your loved ones and let's cherish our community. I know that I will happily spend my anniversary with those most dear to me and I hope you do too.
