Shabbat Shalom ~ Tazria Metzora 2025

Shalom WJC Family,

A congregation is only as successful and strong as the individuals that make it. At WJC we are blessed with extraordinary people and our Gala is a chance to celebrate this wonderful community and an opportunity to honor those who do so much to help it stay strong. Today I want to tell you about two of our amazing Gala honorees (and be on the lookout to hear about two more next week!)

Has your family celebrated a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah at WJC in the last six years? Maybe your children have celebrated an auf ruf, the tradition of being called to the Torah on the Shabbat preceding a wedding. Perhaps you took me or the cantor up on our invitation to come for an aliyah to the Torah in memory of a relative whose yahrzeit was approaching? If any one of these is true, your honor was likely facilitated by 2025 WJC Gala honoree Evan Levy, who has served the congregation as volunteer gabbai these past six years.

As gabbai Evan is in shul almost every Saturday morning, studies the honor list to see what’s coming, learns about your family to make sure everyone who can participate has a way to do so, and makes sure all your guests feel like part of the WJC family, whether they are locals or out-of-towners. He even helps you celebrate your simcha (happy occasion) sweetly, by showering you with candy after your aliyah. If coming together in a sacred space to celebrate moments and remember our loved ones is at the core of what a synagogue is, Evan Levy is the person who makes sure it happens.

Just as crucial, though perhaps a little less visible, is the work that Tracey Levy does to ensure that our congregation’s spiritual life is well-served. Tracey has been an extraordinary leader of the Spiritual Life Committee, working behind the scenes to make sure the plethora of spiritual offerings come together smoothly and successfully, as well as being an incredible support to and advisor for me, Rabbi Dalton, and Cantor Goldberg. As she moves into the role of Financial Vice-President of the synagogue, we are thrilled to know she has pledged her wisdom and precious volunteer hours to all of us for the next three years and probably many more. Evan and Tracey’s impact can be felt and seen in so many aspects in our community. 

I hope you will join me and the congregation in honoring them at this year’s 2025 Gala. You can purchase tickets here and if you can’t make it, still show your appreciation by purchasing an ad here.Another good reason to come to the Gala is to be together with your WJC Family. Come celebrate, have fun, and  support our special community at the 2025 Gala, our biggest fundraiser of the year. 

Next week I will tell you all about our other extraordinary honorees, Mark and Marcie Berger. One other thing to look forward to – the community wide Yom HaAztma’ut celebration this coming Sunday, May 4th. Register here to be part of this great event.

See you in shul,

RJA