The Measure of Our Success

In 1992, Marion Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s
Defense Fund, wrote a book to her three sons called the Measure of Our Success. In it, she offers them profound wisdom expressing the ways she would like them to build up their lives and the world in which they live. In Edelman’s eyes, our success is measured not only by our own achievements but by the ways through which we help others to thrive as well.

Here at Temple Beth El, we can measure our success in similar ways. As a congregation, we are successful when we are embracing and inclusive, warmly welcoming all who wish to enter our doors. We are successful when we care for those who are in need: the underprivileged, the unemployed, the immigrant, the orphan, the widow, the senior or the stranger in our midst.

Beyond compassion, our success as a congregation needs to be measured by further standards. We can measure our success by how learned we are. We have fulfilled our goals as a synagogue when our members are Jewishly literate: when they have basic knowledge about Judaism and strive continually to increase their understanding. We can measure our success by how we live Judaism not only in our sanctuary, but outside. We have achieved our vision when our members are bringing Judaism into their daily lives.

And finally, we can measure our success by the number of Jewish professionals we create. Our Cantorial Assistant Mary Thomas is currently training to be a cantor at the Jerusalem campus of the Hebrew Union College, and we pray that she is the first of many more cantors, rabbis, teachers and social workers of this generation to move from our Beth El congregation to leadership in the Jewish world.

In an effort to strengthen the ties between Temple Beth El and our Reform movement’s Seminary, Rabbi Aaron Panken, the Dean of the New York Campus of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, will be coming for a visit in early November, so that those who are interested can learn more about the incredible institution that has trained Rabbi Barras, Cantor Bernard, and myself, and has trained virtually every one of the rabbis who have served Beth El in its 64-year history.

Rabbi Aaron Panken is a gifted teacher who has taught Rabbinic and Second Temple Literature at the college for the past decade. He earned his doctorate in Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University and hopes, on this visit, to create stronger bridges between the College-Institute and Beth El.

Rabbi Panken will be meeting with leaders of the congregation, with those interested in learning more about HUC,
and with potential students and parents. If you are interested in learning more about one of our most important Reform Jewish institutions, or if you have a student who might be interested in a Jewish career, please let any of the clergy know.