Connection is why we’re here. It gives purpose and meaning in our lives

– Researcher storyteller Brene Brown

This past Sunday, Rachel and I hosted a wonderful event in our house. Over 20 “young people” (loosely termed) who are members or are affiliated with our congregation gathered together for a fun barbecue to schmooze, meet each other, and have a good time. It was a lot of fun, and in the words of Torah I shared towards the end of the day I mentioned that it’s in moments like these when we can spend good quality time together in order to make connections that matter, connections that make us feel that this is a group and this is a community in which I belong.

Building these connections that matter is one of (if not the) primary purposes of what we do as a community. Not only can these connections be made through barbecues, but also through phone calls to let people know that we care about them and that we’re here to help in anyway I can. Calls like these have been going out to our community by our hardworking Caring Committee, and just last night our Caring committee came together to analyze what they learned from these phone calls on how we can build connections with senior and homebound members of our community.

Building these connections that matter will not only bring us closer together as individuals, but also to our faith and to our Creator. This Friday night at Shabbat By the Sea, we will have a wonderful opportunity to work on building these connections as we prepare for the High Holiday season and its yearly call to make this year count. Through food (RSVP today!), prayer, storytelling, and sharing our unique Torah we will have yet another opportunity to experience the joy, the purpose, and the meaning of building connections together.

Kol Tuv,

Rabbi Ari Saks

Photo taken from — http://www.edelman.com/insights/intellectual-property/employee-engagement-connections-index/

Category : Ari-archive Caring Committee
Tag : barbecues caring committee connections high holidays phone calls rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat by the sea YJPA