Transitions

Since it was announced that I was leaving Temple Beth El in Charlotte for Temple Beth El in Ft. Myers, Florida, I have had many touching conversations with so many people about my future and my time here in Charlotte. In almost every instance when I am asked how I feel about moving on, I respond that I am nervous and excited. Of course I am excited to start this new chapter in my life, just as I was when I graduated high school and went to college, and then from college to rabbinic school, and then from rabbinic school to Charlotte. Each transition brought with it new challenges and new opportunities, fresh starts and wonderful people eager to help me grow and succeed. And ultimately, as I have progressed from one stage of life to another, I have continued to find new avenues towards education, growth and maturity.

I once had a conversation with a professor of mine in college when he spotted me outside the college student center. I was a senior at the time, and the one and only class I ever had with this professor was three years earlier during my freshman year. I guess it seemed longer than that to him, because he approached me, and said, “You are still here. I thought you would have graduated by now.” I responded that I was a senior and was set to graduate in the spring. However, I lamented to him that I had to graduate because I loved college so much and did not want to leave. He responded to me, “No, no. It is time for you to go. It is part of the growth.” For some reason this very brief exchange has always stuck with me, and its subtle poignancy continues to remind me that life is about growth—about growing in wisdom, in maturity, in life experiences, and for many of us, in spirituality.

Sometimes it takes a move to a new job or a new career or a new city for an individual to grow. We all benefit from a change of scenery once in a while. Professionally, it is my hope that my move to Florida will help me grow as a rabbi and in my service to the Jewish people. Yet certainly one does not need such a drastic change to grow in life. Transition can be a potently positive force in our lives in so many ways. Perhaps the change to a healthier diet will change the way we feel or view ourselves. Maybe a renewed commitment to our Jewish education will enrich our sense of spirituality.
Simple innovations in our life patterns, from a new hobby to a new friend to a renewed commitment to something meaningful from our pasts, have the capacity to nourish our souls and enrich our lives. For my family and me, this is a time of great change in our lives.

And we are very appreciative of the new opportunities that lay before us. Yet it does not take such a drastic transition to achieve growth and maturity in our lives. This year has allowed me the chance to take stock of who I am, what I have learned and where I am going. Hopefully, we can all find times in our lives to evaluate where we stand in our lives, and what transitions are needed to continue growing,
learning and maturing.

L’Shalom,
Jeremy Barras