Jonathan Howard (right) presents Outgoing President Fred Dumas with a gift from the Temple

It was my own mother who encouraged me to attend temple services when I was growing up. She led by example, and, in fact, she even served on the congregation’s board of directors for a number of years herself. Recently, I had the opportunity to tell Mom that I was in line to become the next president of Temple Beth El. Right away, I could see her kvelling with pride. Clearly, she was delighted and excited – and, although she didn’t say it out loud, she certainly felt that she had played a major role in my decision to accept this great responsibility. What she did say to me, however, was simply this: “It is a great honor for you to be able to serve your community and your congregation.”

As all of this was going on, my father was across the room, listening intently, and waiting for my mother to finish. At that point, Dad just looked at me. He shrugged his shoulders, and said: “Jonathan… Why do you need all this aggravation?”

As usual, I suspect they are both right: Yes, it is a great honor to serve the congregation… and no, I certainly don’t need any excess aggravation in my life. But I am an optimist by nature – so I’m hoping we won’t have to worry about it.

This coming week, we will read a Torah portion from the book of Leviticus-- Behar is all about following a vision, implementing a long-range plan, and working to create social justice wherein everyone is equal in the eyes of God – and within God’s Temple. Much of the vision and long-range plan that we have established as our roadmap is part of the wonderful legacies that my distinguished predecessors, Fred Dumas and Larry Farber, have passed on to us along with our other Past Presidents.

Larry Farber introduced us to the One for All Ball, a joint venture with Temple Beth El, Temple Israel and the Sandra and Leon Levine Jewish Community Center, to bring the community together for a gala to raise money for the three agencies. This year’s gala is September 9th, and we hope to see everyone there.

In Fred’s and his administration’s remarkably productive two-year term, we have been able to renovate almost every room in this Temple. It was a tall order – skillfully accomplished. But that was only phase one. Expansion is on the horizon – and given our role in the community, continued growth is our destiny!

To sustain this growth, we will soon announce plans for a capital campaign over the next one-and-a-half to two years – the first major effort of this kind for the Temple since we began planning for this building some 15 years ago.

Part of the proceeds will be used to continue renovating and to add approximately 18,000 square feet of new space; in essence, to double our physical plant. The remaining dollars will be used to increase our endowment in order to help defray additional operating costs as well as to provide a financially secure future for our Temple.

The campaign goal is anticipated to be $10 to $11 million! Even for a congregation of our size, this is not an insignificant sum. Yet, I am very confident that, working together, we will succeed in meeting this vital – albeit ambitious – goal.

Having said that, let me also tell you that, in my view, money will always be secondary to the success of this institution. Ultimately, we will thrive because of the quality of the people that we can attract and retain as members of our extended Temple family.

While the officers, the board of directors, and the staff will continue to work the best available business practices, we must always be mindful that Temple Beth El is not here to be a business – or to turn a profit; rather, it exists solely to serve the various needs of our community – its religious needs, its social needs, its spiritual needs, and so forth.

So how can we work together to make this happen most efficiently and effectively? How can we help our clergy serve us even better? And how can we lead Temple Beth El in even more successful ways of fulfilling its sacred mission?

As an organization, we are blessed with a board of directors that is diverse and dynamic. This summer, we’ll be holding a retreat at which time we must challenge ourselves to come up with new ways to engage our fellow members who are currently inactive.

We have to follow up on those members who have simply “dropped out” after their children’s last B’nei Mitzvah or Confirmation. And we need to come up with creative, innovative ways in which to reach out to the legions of unaffiliated Jews all around us here in Charlotte.

We have many “portals” to our Temple – adult education, youth programming, a pair of Friday night services, Tot Shabbat, social action, and various committees. And they are all wonderful. But let’s do some “market research” and figure out what “portals” we don’t have – and what would it take to create them?

And what about our regular “mainstream” membership? Are these families truly enjoying an “optimal synagogue experience?”

Is Temple Beth El really the “center of their spiritual life?” Are we making an impact on how they connect with and express their Jewishness? And even if the answer is yes to all of these questions, can we still do more?

These are just some of the questions that I am wrestling with as I assume the role of Temple president. And I raise these questions not as one who has been cast in the role of cynical congregant, but rather as a person who “loves” his Temple and enjoys coming here – to pray, to study, to meditate, to socialize, to participate, and, of course, to have fun.

So I raise these questions as one who finds that being an active Temple member can be a fulfilling lifestyle, but I know that there are others in our midst who could also be active, but they elect not to – and frankly, that troubles me.

I raise these questions not only to share what’s on my mind, but in the hopes that some of you may have answers or ideas or thoughts that you can offer, either to me or to the Rabbis, the Cantor, or Sara Schreibman, our Executive Director.

In order for the Temple to serve you better, we need to hear from you and to establish strong, open, two-way communications.

Lastly, I raise these questions in the spirit of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who frequently paraphrased George Bernard Shaw as follows: “Some see things as they are and ask `Why?’ I choose to see things as they never were, and ask `Why not?’”

If we can double our physical facility and increase the quality of services we provide by an order of magnitude, I ask: “Why not?”

If we can energize certain segments of our Temple population who have lost the habit of coming here other than the High Holidays, I ask: “Why not?”

And if there are literally thousands of unaffiliated Jews wandering the local malls, disconnected from their heritage, and we can create a spiritual home for them, I ask: “Why not?”

Perfection is something that is reserved for the Lord – but men and women can strive to attain a level of excellence. Why not strive to make Temple Beth El a center of excellence?

Why not, indeed? No less a rabbinic authority than Donald Trump once said that “if you’re going to have dreams, then you might as well have big ones!”

I do have some big dreams for what we can achieve. But I am also reality-based. I know that whatever we accomplish will be the fruit of a team effort at every level. And each of you is a critical member of the Temple Beth El team.

I’m reaching out to enlist your support, your input, and your active help. I hope that you will agree that the tasks ahead of us are daunting, but that is more than offset by the challenges that are invigorating, and the promise that is so inspiring.

So what do y’all say? Let’s get to work!

Thank you.