We had a plan for 2020.
After my retirement from the active congregational rabbinate at the end of June, Rhonda and I were going to move to a community in the Midwest that we knew quite well. We had not yet determine what we might do in terms of activities and service to local organizations, but we believed that our connections would organically develop over time.
Normally, I might describe a need to alter our course for the coming months by referring to the Yiddish saying, Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht, (Man Plans, and God Laughs.)
I don’t believe in a God who would laugh at what is happening now. I do believe in a God who would help us to be grateful for our lives, guide us to find new ways to promote healing for ourselves and others, and inspire us to sustain communal hope and to brighten our days enough so that we won’t lose our sense of humor.
My path in May and June towards retirement was always going to include organizing and downsizing files and my collection of books. I had planned to continue leading weekly study groups, conduct worship services, bring the Religious School year to a close (on May 3), officiate at a group Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah (on May 2), and hold a Confirmation service for our oldest students in Religious School.
Most of that is still happening, just not in person. Confirmation will wait until we can be in one another’s presence again, and there are other individual ceremonies that will happen in a virtual space.
So how is this retirement going to be different than the retirement I expected? I will never know. I suppose that we do have only one world and one existence, despite the fact that the alternate timelines of my favorite science fiction series do intrigue me.
What I do know is this: I was ordained almost 39 years ago. I have notebooks containing articles by me and about me from local and national press, Bar/Bat Mitzvah programs, High Holy Day sermons, and photos from significant family and communal events. I have been reviewing some of those materials in recent weeks.
These materials describe my presence at special moments in people’s lives. They recount my reflections on the meaning of Jewish holidays and personal and congregational milestones. They chronicle my efforts to advocate for people in need, combat bigotry and prejudice, foster cooperation among people of different faith groups, and gather people together for study and discussion. They trace my interest in music as a way to give voice to what we hold inside our Jewish souls. They demonstrate how much Rhonda and I have done together to make Judaism come to life for the communities where we have lived.
During our last Religious School session, held on Zoom, I asked the members our learning community what Jewish values they believe are important now, more than ever before. They cited principles that could have been chosen at most any time: being attentive to one’s own health; community; practicing Judaism at home; kindness/Chesed; remembrance; family; generosity; peace in the home/sh’lom bayit; tzedakah; acceptance; patience; connection; compassion; joy/simchah; and gratitude.
Soon after the conclusion of our online meeting, one of the parents called me and asked Rhonda and me to go outside on our driveway. The Religious School families had organized a thank-you drive-by caravan for our years serving Temple and the Religious School.
They were demonstrating one of the most central Jewish values that has sustained our community over the centuries: adaptability.
I can only think as their cars passed by our home, that God had blessed their secret plan...and that God was laughing and smiling at their success.
And that is how I will go into the next chapter of my rabbinate: ready to expect the unexpected, and prepared to serve in any way I can no matter where I will be.
Rhonda and I thank Temple Beth-El, the Las Cruces community, and the regional Jewish community for the opportunity to be partners in enhancing Jewish life. May we always be strong and gain greater strength for ourselves, so that we can strengthen one another.
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