Presidential Address Rosh Hashanah 2026

Last year, as I stood before you on these High Holy Days, I shared a vision for the year ahead. But to borrow a Yiddish expression, “Man plans, and God laughs.” Or, as a notable boxer put it, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

This past year’s events certainly reminded me of the validity of those expressions.

When I began my presidency, I did not expect that we would be searching for either a new Executive Director or a new Assistant Rabbi. We could not anticipate the challenges that would test our leadership, our staff, and our congregation.

I’m not going to pretend it was easy.

But while the year did not unfold as we expected, ultimately, our community responded with resilience, compassion, flexibility, and faith in each other and our institution.

If you recall, I laid out an agenda. It did not fall by the wayside. In fact, we made meaningful progress on many of those goals. At the same time, we were called upon to address urgent needs we hadn’t anticipated.

And that, perhaps, is the lesson of leadership: success is not measured by how closely we follow a plan, but by how resiliently we respond when the plan changes.  Sometimes that works smoothly, and sometimes there are bumps in the road.

One of the goals I spoke about last year was strengthening the systems that support our synagogue. Sometimes those improvements aren’t glamorous, but they matter enormously.

This fall we are introducing a long-overdue employee handbook, providing greater clarity, consistency, and support for our dedicated staff. We have also completely revised our bookkeeping processes and structure, giving us access to financial information that will allow us to make wiser decisions, budget more effectively, and steward our congregation’s resources most responsibly.

These improvements may not be apparent, but they strengthen everything we do.

One change I am especially excited about is the arrival of our new Executive Director, Chip Shrager.

After an extensive search, we found someone whose experience, wisdom, warmth, and enthusiasm have already made an impact. Chip has embraced this community wholeheartedly, and if you have not yet had the opportunity to meet him, I encourage you to introduce yourself. I believe you’ll quickly understand why we are so excited about WJC’s future.

Of course, before Chip arrived, someone else answered the call.

Larry Thaler stepped into the role of Interim Executive Director with extraordinary generosity and dedication. He assumed responsibilities that demanded countless hours, patience, skills, and steady leadership—far more than anyone could reasonably have expected.

Larry, we simply could not have navigated this transition without you.

And Sherry, thank you for sharing Larry with all of us during a year that asked so much of him. We owe both of you a tremendous debt of gratitude.

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Our search for a new Assistant Rabbi has taken longer than we hoped. Although we met interesting candidates, we did not find the right match for our community. At the time, we knew that this was a possibility.  Though we do not employ particular litmus tests for candidates, make no mistake about it: we will never hire someone who is not aligned with our core values.

So, we will continue the search.  As we finish up these holidays, we will be getting right to work on this effort.  Please look out for the communications in the next few weeks, giving you the opportunity to provide feedback regarding what you are looking for in the next assistant Rabbi.

In the meantime, our clergy and professional staff have developed a thoughtful plan to ensure that our community continues to receive the care, guidance, and leadership it deserves.

Please join me in expressing our heartfelt gratitude to Rabbi Dalton. We wish her every success and every blessing as she begins her next chapter.  Please extend your best wishes as you see her over these holidays.

Interestingly, this search reminded us of something.

It reminded us that healthy communities, just like families, don’t avoid disagreement—they learn how to navigate it with respect.

We are a wonderfully diverse congregation. We come from different backgrounds, generations, and perspectives. That diversity is not a weakness; it is one of our greatest strengths.

To help us continue growing together, we have established a group, aptly called the Shemah —or Listen—Collaborative.  This Shemah Collaborative is dedicated to strengthening respectful dialogue and fostering deeper understanding within our community. They have also been considering how we can open greater lines of communication.  We are learning from organizations that have successfully done this work, and I believe WJC will emerge even stronger, kinder, and more connected because of it.

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Another development has been our partnership with the Rye Y childcare program.

After a full year together, it has proven to be a good complement to our Early Childhood Center, while generating important revenue for our synagogue—all without disrupting the daily life of our congregation.  And we have been building bridges to the broader outside community. 

That additional support is especially meaningful as we continue investing heavily in the security of our community.

Nothing is more important than ensuring that WJC remains a safe space —physically as well as emotionally, whether you are here to pray, to learn, to celebrate, to mourn, or simply to spend time with friends.

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Last year, I also spoke about building bridges within our congregation.

That wasn’t simply a slogan—it has become a guiding principle.

Just last week, we enjoyed our Welcome Back BBQ.  It was a fun-filled afternoon.  And we had record attendance with 345 people, of all ages, signed up!

The return of our Progressive Dinner was another wonderful example. People from different generations and different circles within WJC gathered around one another’s tables, forming friendships that might never have happened otherwise. After taking a year off, we will likely rename it to make its name better align with its goal—inclusivity.

Our Gala told the same story.

An event that some thought had run its course instead became one of the most successful in recent memory. More than 300 people came together, exceeding every expectation—not only financially, but in spirit.

These vibrant events remind us that when we create opportunities for people to gather, remarkable things happen.

Community deepens.

Relationships grow.

People begin to feel that they truly belong. Just yesterday, I learned that our membership has moved up to 476 families. That is the highest it has been in many years! 

And none of this happens by accident.

Every accomplishment I have mentioned today—and dozens more that I simply don’t have time to mention—exists because of volunteers.

People with careers, families, responsibilities, and countless demands on their time who nevertheless choose to give of themselves because they believe in this community.

That culture of volunteerism is one of WJC’s greatest blessings. Take our daily minyan captains, for example.  This lay-driven initiative ensures that WJC members can say Kaddish twice daily. The dedication of these seven individuals, or as Rabbi Arnowitz calls them, the Magnificent Seven, is a prime example of how our WJC family steps up.  Our daily minyan is the envy of Conservative synagogues near and far.  You can help them,  and the rest of us, by joining the list of individuals they can reach out to.

To every committee chair, every board member, every teacher, every greeter, every event volunteer, every person who quietly says “How can I help?”—thank you.

You are the heart of this synagogue.

If you have been thinking about becoming more involved, I hope you’ll reach out. There is always room for another pair of hands, another creative mind, another generous spirit.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our extraordinary staff.

From our clergy to our teachers, from our office professionals to our custodial team, they work every day—often behind the scenes—to make this synagogue a place where Jewish life flourishes.

This year’s High Holiday theme is Rest, Connect, Renew.

I cannot imagine a more fitting message.

Like many of you, I needed the reminder that renewal doesn’t happen by accident. It requires us to pause. To reconnect with what matters most. To restore ourselves so that we can once again give generously to others.

Rabbi Arnowitz invited us into that conversation in a July email message. I suspect many of us were too busy then to fully appreciate it.

I know I was.

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to step back, reflect, and regain some balance. For that, Rabbi, I thank you.

I return to this new year renewed in spirit and more committed than ever to helping lead this extraordinary congregation.

Finally, I want to offer a few words of gratitude.

To my wife, Wendy, thank you for sharing me with this community.  I know that it is not always easy.

To our Executive Committee, thank you for your wisdom, your counsel, and your friendship. I truly could not have made it through this year without you and am proud of what we have accomplished thus far.

To our officers, thank you for your remarkable dedication. After more than twenty-five years working alongside lay leadership at WJC, I can honestly say I have never been more inspired by the intelligence, commitment, and generosity of the people privileged to serve this congregation.

And to our Trustees, thank you for challenging us, asking difficult questions, and continually raising the bar.  We as a community grow and prosper, not by avoiding difficult topics, but by embracing them with integrity, mutual respect, and faith that we will find a solution.

As we enter this new year, once again, leadership has thorough plans and goals. That said, experience has taught me that none of us know exactly what lies ahead.

But I do know this.

We are blessed with extraordinary clergy, exceptional professionals, devoted volunteers, thoughtful leaders, and a congregation that consistently rises to meet every challenge with courage and compassion.

That gives me tremendous hope and high expectations.

May this be a year in which we continue to strengthen our community, deepen our friendships, welcome new faces, care for one another, and bring ever more meaning into Jewish life.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President. I encourage you to seek me out to share your thoughts and ideas, concerns, and comments.

May you and your families be blessed with a year of health, happiness, peace, and purpose.

Shanah Tovah.

Yale