You’ve heard a lot of encouraging things tonight about our achievements, progress and the current state of affairs. I don’t need to talk about the Budget, or Membership or Programming.

I want to talk about us.

My incoming term has recently been referred to as the Integration Presidency. As Ted Lasso would say, “I like that!”

So Let’s Do This. Let’s make this a moment when we choose to be engaged. Let’s make this a moment when we decide we can do a little more. Let’s make this a moment to show up for others. Let’s make this a moment to be present as a strong vibrant Jewish community.

Let’s make this Day 1, NOT just ONE DAY…

I am a big believer in get it done. I’m also a big believer in collaboration, and innovation. And creativity.

I’ll leave it up to you to decide how much you want to participate, and when, and where. But throughout my Presidency I’m going to ask many of you for your ideas, observations and input. And yes, I’m also occasionally going to ask you to lend a hand. And I hope you will HELP ME, HELP YOU. (For those of you keeping score, that the 2nd cinema reference – Jerry Maguire).

I want us to be a congregation of doers, of people with pride in being Jewish, of showing up and showing how. I want us to reach out to people we know who could use a HELLO. I want us to offer rides to congregants who may not be able to get to Shabbat services, or to First Fridays or Bagels & Banter on their own. I want us to make time to visit some of our congregants who may be experiencing a variety challenges. I want us to help make Shiva minyans, and minyan in general. As my Mom would say, why not be a friend to a Jewish person?

Make those connections – maintain and strengthen your existing connections, and also make new connections. At First Fridays if you see someone you don’t know, please go introduce yourself. Ask them to join you at your table. Form a group that gets together even informally for Shabbat dinners. Go to a park with Oheb friends and their children on a weekend. Host a BBQ or a Social Mixer. Attend the South Orange Wednesday night concerts at Floods Hill. Meet people where they are. Our Oheb community does not just exist in this building within these walls. It is defined by who we are.

The Strategic Plan acknowledged that our secret sauce is our Culture. But we knew that already. Our sense of community is tangible.

For me, this is personal. And I hope it will be for you too. I started as a class parent over a dozen years ago collecting holiday gifts for Jordan’s Zeman teachers. It’s easy to start to become involved with something manageable and work your way (if you choose) through to successive levels of engagement and leadership. If you don’t know how to get started, please ask me. We want to build a bullpen of volunteers who are engaged, accountable and enthusiastic.

My family and I only have a relatively small piece of history here (18 years), but there are members who have generations of involvement. And we also have many families who are very new to our congregation. Let’s make sure that we all feel warmly welcomed in our community.

I am genuinely humbled by those who have come before me (56 Presidents, 166 years). I reflected on this often in the days leading up to tonight.

One of the first times we became involved was my first year of the Free Will Campaign. Kellee and I were invited to Charles Wantman’s home studio to record a video appeal to Oheb Shalom. At the end of our session, Charles asked what we’d like to say to wrap it up. And Kellee said, “Let’s all do this together!”

I can’t think of a better phrase to kick off my Presidency.

I don’t take this responsibility lightly. And I am up to the task. I thank you all for your confidence in me.