President Kristine Goldstein's High Holy Day "State of the Congregation" speech:

Thank you for joining your Ner Tamid family for the High Holidays.

This year has brought many changes for us all but by far the biggest one for us as a congregation is the move to our own space.  We are working to make the required changes to our selected building so we can take occupancy as soon as possible.  This will be the first time our services and Religious School will be held in the same space and I know we all are looking forward to it.

In the meantime, we will continue to hold Religious School and weekday Hebrew classes at Mountain View Prep thanks to the generosity of Sue and Bob Huebsch.

We need to continue the momentum that was started 8 years ago.   Moving into a rented space of our own is the next step in our journey in becoming the Jewish center of learning and worship of West Cobb and the surrounding areas.

For the next few months we will once again be the wandering congregation, holding services where we can.  Over the last month both the Liebschutz and the Zeid family each hosted lively and engaging Shabbat Services.  Our services will continue to be hosted by individuals at their homes or clubhouses during this transition period.  You will find up-to-date information regarding the building and move as well as the current service schedule in our weekly e-newsletter, Foundations of Faith. If you would like to host an upcoming service please see Robert Goldstein. - Robert, raise your hand.

We have come so far from our very humble beginnings and are continually increasing activities and events both within the congregation and the community.  Over the past year we had 10 individuals participate in our first adult B'nai Mitzvah class with another class currently in session.  The Religious School had its first Confirmation which included 7 of our post B'nai Mitzvah students, most of whom have returned to assist in the Religious School.  This year will mark the second year we participate in the Ruach Relay for Life with both an adult and youth group team.  I am proud to say as a congregation we continually participate in community charity organizations such as the Atlanta Food Bank, Med Share, and URJ Mitzvah day.

To continue this growth we must all stay actively engaged in the congregation.  We must inspire, encourage and support those around us with our thoughts, deeds and words.  As individuals we need to take initiative to help where ever our time and talents are needed. 

One way to do this is to attend Friday night services.  Many people have stated that "Shabbat Service is not for me" or something similar.  However, Shabbat service is not always about you or me or our spiritual growth.  It is sometimes about staying connected to your Jewish neighbor and community.   Other times it is to be there for someone else.  Picture these scenarios: A person may have had an adverse life event and needs the support of their community.  Another person new to the area is having a hard time adjusting and may need the familiarity of a Shabbat service.  Another may need to say the Mourner's Kaddish and cannot do it alone.  Our mitzvah is to be part of that community, the congregation that helps those around us, even if is just to say Shabbat Shalom to a stranger. 

A thought that continually runs through my mind, and I'm hoping yours as well, is that what I do for the congregation is not just for my family, ....not just for today, ...tomorrow, ...or next year, but it is so that Congregation Ner Tamid has a solid foundation.  I want to ensure that there is a still a center of Jewish learning and worship 20 years ...30 years, and even longer from now in West Cobb - a place that people once questioned "are there really Jews out there??"

Sukkot, a Hebrew word meaning "booths" or "huts," refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest.  It also commemorates the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah atop Mt. Sinai. Sukkot is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur on the 15th of Tishrei, and is marked by several distinct traditions. One, which takes the commandment to dwell in booths literally, is to erect a sukkah, a small, temporary booth or hut. Sukkot (in this case, the plural of sukkah) are commonly used during the seven-day festival for eating, entertaining and even for sleeping.

Sukkot also called Z'man Simchateinu (Season of Our Rejoicing), is the only festival associated with an explicit commandment to rejoice. A final name for Sukkot is Chag HaAsif, (Festival of the Ingathering), representing a time to give thanks for the bounty of the earth during the fall harvest.