"It only takes one person to make another feel welcome and special."
-- Laura C. Monteiro

I want to give a big todah rabah to Rabbi Julie and Cantor Jessi for leading us during the High Holiday services. Also, a huge thank you to Bobbi, Roby and Donna for helping to coordinate all of the detailed logistics for the High Holidays.

Most importantly, thanks to all of you for doing everything you did to make these High Holidays enjoyable and such a wonderful experience! Thanks to all of the organizers, ushers, greeters, break fast committee, Torah and Haftorah readers and all of the volunteers. Yasher Koach and Todah Rabah!

I hope that each of you had an easy fast, meaningful services and came away with a feeling of excitement as this new year, 5776 has begun. It will soon be Sukkot, the holiday where we get to share meals with friends in either your own sukkah or a friend's sukkah. The underlying premise is that Sukkot is when we welcome friends and family to come join us to eat under the stars as so many generations before us have done.

In thinking about Sukkot and our upcoming membership event at the first Shabbat Sing!, this is the time of the year to welcome our members to our "tent"....our home. We are reaching out to all within our community to welcome them to join us. Regardless of which portal of entry interests a member, they all need to be welcoming..and not only for Sukkot but throughout the year. So, whether someone's interests are in prayer, education, singing, meditation, or one of our other programs - there should and needs to be a place for everyone within our community.

So, I pray that this year, as Sukkot comes to an end...that the premise of welcoming all to our "tent" continues throughout the year.

Wishing you a sweet, peaceful and meaningful Sukkot and Simchat Torah!

Larry Finkelstein
President