President's Column November 2019

Reprint of the President's Talk from the Kol Nidre Service:

Shana Tova.
This is my third year speaking to you on the High Holidays as TBT’s President. I’ve had to think — what fresh ideas can I come up with that aren’t a repeat of previous years? But then I remembered that this is Kol Nidre. We repeat the same prayer three times in one night. And, of course, we repeat the same prayers every year on the High Holidays. We Jews revel in tradition and repetition. It gives us comfort, renews us, and inspires us to do better, each and every year. It is what binds us together as a community, here at TBT and with Jews around the world.

Your membership at TBT, also renewed every year, is another tradition that binds us together. I cannot repeat enough how grateful I am for your continued membership. Membership is the backbone of our synagogue. It’s what keeps us upright and sustains us. Whether you’re at TBT every week or just once a year, your membership is an expression of commitment to TBT’s mission, to everything we do to maintain a Jewish presence on the shoreline. That includes being ambassadors to the greater community; actively participating in interfaith cooperation; and promoting social justice. It’s about maintaining the roof over our own heads here at 196 Durham Road but also about helping others, as with our participation in Raise the Roof, the shoreline’s affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, building homes for families in need and creating goodwill in the greater community. What we do here is thanks to your membership and your support.

Sometimes, sitting in the sanctuary, I’ll see a prayer in our Siddur that reminds me of TBT’s mission. One prayer reads: “Have we not all one Parent? Did not one God create us? This is the call from Sinai: There shall be one law, for the citizen and the stranger in your midst.”

A second prayer says, “I have asked of God to dwell in God’s House …, and to gaze in delight at God’s Temple.” Well, I do gaze in delight at this temple, the building, and all we do in it.

Now, here’s a third saying, but I didn’t find it in the prayer book. This was written by the wise sage, Mick Jagger. Mick sang: “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well, you might find you get what you need.”

Because it’s not in the prayer book, I can take issue with that statement. I think we can do better. If we come together as a community at TBT, we can get both what we need and what we want. As we proceed with our renovation project, we will have comfortable, safe, accessible, and well-maintained facilities for years to come. And we can go beyond that. We can have a Jewish home that invites and welcomes all of us to worship, study, and celebrate together. An inspiring, sun-lit sanctuary. A vibrant social hall with a covered outdoor veranda that connects us to the beauty of our surroundings.

I am hoping to see many of you at the special event we are holding at TBT the evening of Saturday, November 9. We have mailed invitations to bring all of the adults in the TBT community together to learn about and celebrate our future while continuing the traditions of our past. We will gather at 6:00 p.m. to hear about our capital campaign, entitled “Building Community.” We will talk about the campaign’s success to date and how each and every one of us can build on that success over the next year. We will unveil the final designs for enhancing our beautiful home. And once the talking is over, we will celebrate with a delightful Kosher Chinese dinner and festive music. This will be a memorable night to start a memorable next phase of TBT’s life serving the Jewish shoreline community.

So many of you have already joined us on this campaign journey by serving on committees and attending congregational meetings to plan for our future. November 9th will be a time to bring all of us together in one place, at one time, to acknowledge our accomplishments and learn of the tasks ahead.

Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, once said, “Most of the things worth doing in the world were declared impossible before they were done.” With your help and participation, we will reach our goals and, one day, look back with satisfaction and pride for what we have accomplished.

On behalf of our Board of Directors, myself, and my family, we wish you a sweet, healthy, and productive new year.
G’mar Tov.
Jeff Babbin

President's Column October 2019

Shalom. As I’m writing this, the outcome of the Israeli election remains too close to call, and there is much uncertainty which party or parties will govern as a majority and who will be named Prime Minister to lead the government. We are all drawn to follow the events of another country halfway around the world (well, not quite that far.) I can’t think of any other foreign election that holds my attention (and that of many of my fellow American Jews) as much as an Israeli election—although the craziness of Brexit has lifted U.K. politics to the level of a gripping soap opera. It is remarkable how we can feel that an election in the tiny and still relatively new country of Israel can have such an impact on our lives.

It can be exhausting to closely follow the U.S. presidential race with the crowded Democratic primary field and then add the Israeli election on top of that. Yet, the fact that there are choices, and that outcomes are actually in doubt, highlights the beauty of democracy. Change can be made by the people if they want it, or they can reject if they like the status quo (and not just because some dictator imposes it). We should be thankful for our political institutions and express our appreciation by staying informed and exercising our vote. I am glad that Israel, somewhat unique in that part of the world, also continues to value the ability to vote. Sure there are challenges, in both Israel and in the U.S. (after all, we wouldn’t have needed the Voting Rights Act if things always went smoothly in this country). So long as fundamental values are respected and continue to be upheld, I am hopeful that the people in both the United State and Israel will find the right paths for their countries to shine brightly in the years to come.

Jeff Babbin

President's Column September 2019

Shalom.

TBT is already gearing up for the end of summer and start of fall. The clergy, choir, and musicians are hard at work to prepare a meaningful and memorable High Holiday experience. The religious school has the teachers it needs and is getting ready to welcome the students back. The TBT Preschool (just renamed from the Nursery School) is excited to be opening its doors soon for another year—and it still has openings if you or a friend is looking for an enriching experience for a young child. And in September we return to our regular, non-summer Shabbat rhythm of 7:15pm Friday services, except for the 6:00pm First Friday service that starts with a cozy “preneg.”

The Fall will also be a time of renewal for TBT. You will see work being done on the first phase of our renovation project, to expand our parking capacity. And there will be congregational meetings to keep you all informed of our progress and to share ideas as we move forward together.

Looking forward to a wonderful year ahead. Thank you for your membership and being part of the TBT community.

- Jeff

President's Column Summer 2019

Shalom.

Summer has finally arrived, and we can now open our windows, enjoy the warmth of the sun, and take walks on the beach. We can even pray at the beach, with TBT’s wonderful annual tradition of Beach Shabbat at Madison’s East Wharf Pavilion on July 19th and August 9th. Like all of our Friday night services in July and August, these services will be at 6:00 p.m. Friday nights at TBT can be part of a healthy, balanced summer diet of community and spirituality— with the long summer evenings still ahead of you after the early services.

We also will be seeing changes this summer on TBT’s grounds, while school is not in session. If you have been following our building renovation progress, or attended our fun Paving the Way barbecue recently on our patio, you will know that Phase I of our project is about to get underway with much improved entranceways from Route 79 and parking to welcome you each time you arrive at TBT. While the final landscape plan won’t be fully put into place until the end of the construction process, we will enjoy this tangible sign of moving toward TBT’s future when we all arrive for the High Holidays this fall.

Summer is too hot for a long column, so I’m off to drink an iced tea and sit on my own porch right after delivering this column to the TBT office. And let me put in a word of thanks to the TBT office staff and volunteers who diligently assemble, produce, and distribute this Shofar newsletter month after month, especially our dedicated Administrative Assistant, Bonnie Mahon.

Happy Summer!
Jeff Babbin

President's Column June 2019

Shalom.

Fires set at two Chabad houses outside of Boston and a deadly shooting at a Chabad house near San Diego. A fire set at a mosque in New Haven. These are the most recent attacks on houses of worship in the United States in just the last month. I don’t need to list all of the other attacks on worshipers and on synagogues, churches, and mosques worldwide in the last several months. I don’t mention all of this to be an alarmist. Instead, I am heartened by the outpouring of support for all of these places of worship, with Muslims marching to support Jews, and Jews marching to support Muslims.

Our country was settled in part by those seeking the freedom to worship and follow their own consciences. We must continue to support that freedom and find ways to stem the tide of hatred directed at disrupting our way of life. As Senator Dianne Feinstein said after the Chabad of Poway shooting in California, “America stands for openness and tolerance, and those values suffer greatly from these terrible shootings.” Yet, we risk becoming numb to the violence and therefore losing the will to work hard to find solutions. In just the last couple of months, there were college and high school shootings in North Carolina and Colorado that were not even the lead story—but were “below the fold” on the front page of the paper I read—as deadly violence seems to become more of the norm in our everyday lives. Having just returned from the TBT trip led by Rabbi Offner in Vienna, Prague, Krakow, and Warsaw, we were witness to the sites and memories that told us how hate and violence can destroy the fabric of even the most developed societies of their day. I cannot in this short column provide advice on how we, in the U.S., can take steps to change course, but I can ask everyone to devote their attention to the problem so collectively we can find solutions and not accept the status quo as the new norm.

Jeff Babbin

President's Column May 2019

Shalom.

I am looking forward to many gatherings of friends, family, congregants, and community in the coming month. I am writing this just before the start of Passover, where it is so important to gather with family and friends in one’s home that we skip going to synagogue on Friday when the Seder falls on that night. Passover makes us think instead about hospitality, welcoming the stranger and the refugee into our midst (as we are thankful for our own exodus from the land of Egypt) and (of course) opening the door for Elijah! How wonderful, then, that TBT then comes together to make our synagogue our symbolic home for the communal Second Seder.

As soon as Passover ends, many TBT congregants are gathering together for a journey to the “Old World,” to Central and Eastern Europe where we will explore the ancestral homes of many American Jews but also bear witness to forces that destroyed centuries-old communities. I look forward to this TBT group adventure as well.

And right on the heels of our return from Europe will be our congregation-wide gathering—the TBT Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 14, at 7:00 p.m. Please put this on your calendar and join us as we come together to reflect on the past year and consider the year ahead.

I also want to thank everyone who participated in another community-building event: the Social Justice Committee’s Spring Food Drive, our first food drive held entirely online, allowing us to order healthy, perishable food for delivery directly to the Branford Community Dining Room. The Committee exceeded its goal thanks to so many in our TBT community.

- Jeff Babbin

President's Column

Shalom.

In a column last year, I wrote about the importance of civility. Sad to say, the need for more civil conversation has only become more urgent by the tragic events of Pittsburgh and now New Zealand. Social media seems to have further inflamed the delusions of those who see the world through the filter of hate and distrust of people different from themselves, and thus resort to violence in pursuit of their twisted views.

I was recently in Charleston, SC, where I was reminded of a similar event in 2015 when nine black congregants were gunned down during a church service. Jews, Muslims, African-Americans – all people going about their lives, killed during communal prayer. The crisis of these events transcends any one group. Only by coming together as a community to speak out against all hate, against all groups, can we hope for a better future. There is a direct line between Pittsburgh and New Zealand. On the Friday night after the New Zealand shootings, Rabbi Offner spoke passionately against hate and violence in all of its forms and lit a candle in memory of the victims. People of all faiths have attended vigils, in Connecticut and elsewhere, to mourn the dead and support the people of New Zealand.

The holiday of Purim was celebrated shortly after the events in New Zealand. Purim can remind us of how hate toward others different from oneself can potentially lead to tragedy – but also how brave people who speak out to educate our leaders and community about the dangers of zealotry can change the conversation and lead to peaceful co-existence in a diverse society.

One final note, on a more local scale, TBT’s Social Justice Committee has organized an opportunity for us to help those in our community in need of basic sustenance. Our Spring Food Drive begins on April 1 and continues until April 19. This drive is entirely online. You can click HERE and order healthy, perishable food (including eggs, milk, fresh fruit, and vegetables) for delivery to the Branford Community Dining Room. Please partake in this important event to help our own friends and neighbors.

Jeff Babbin

President's Column March 2019

Shalom.

Spring is around the corner—although, let’s admit it: March often disappoints in Connecticut, making us wait until April for spring. But spring definitely comes to TBT in March. We have a wonderful Purim celebration scheduled on Wednesday, March 20 with a 5:15 p.m. communal dinner and then the 6:00 p.m. Purim service with the megillah reading and— most exciting—a Purim spiel. Cantor Stanton will coordinate TBT teens and choir in presenting a play to dramatize the Purim story (a tradition in many synagogues), and it’s not to be missed! Of course, we’ll have TBT’s annual Purim carnival on Sunday, March 17 at noon, organized as always by our SALTY youth group.

We’ll also fast forward some 2,400 years to the present day in March, when we are blessed by noted Jewish author Tal Keinan speaking at a free JCC-sponsored book author event at TBT on Sunday, March 10, at 12:30 p.m. The author’s book, God Is in the Crowd, is a modern and timely look at the Jewish people in the 21st Century. To help plan, please respond to the Evite.

Then, looking toward the future, please come to our special congregational meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 14, at 7:00 p.m., to hear the next installment of our periodic updates about the progress of our TBT building renovation project. There’s lots of exciting news and progress since our last congregational (building update) meetings last November.

Hope to see you all then.
Jeff Babbin

President's Column February 2019

Shalom. As I write this, it is nearly zero degrees out on a cold January day. Time to stay inside, hibernate, and do nothing until the dreary days pass.

Well, no. Actually, it’s time to come to TBT and be cheered up with activities and warmed up spiritually. TBT does not hibernate in the dead of winter. We light Shabbat candles and create a space where you can step back from the week in order to reflect, relax, and enjoy the company of fellow congregants in the sanctuary and at an oneg. Perhaps even sponsor an oneg in February! (Call Bonnie in the office to arrange that.)

Also, every other Saturday, there is Mindfulness and Meditation at 8:00 a.m.—and weekly Torah Study on Saturdays at 9:00. What better way to escape the doldrums of February. Well, some would say they prefer TBT’s weekly Mah Jongg on Fridays at 1:00. Better yet, wake up your mind and lungs by joining the TBT Choir, which practices Wednesday evenings. Contact the Cantor about joining—no auditions or special talent required. Do all of this and, before you know it, spring will be here.

February will also be special because Cantor Stanton will lead services with the help of many congregants this month, as Rabbi Offner will be on her month-long Sabbatical. I know you will enjoy learning and praying with the Cantor.

- Jeff Babbin

President's Column January 2019

Shalom. In my capacity as President, I recently attended the annual December orientation program for the students, and the parents of the students, who are about to embark on their b’nei mitzvah training in 2019. Even without a student of my own at this gathering, it was a fun event to attend, bringing back memories of my own daughters’ journeys to Jewish adulthood. Plus, I got to witness the advances TBT has made in teaching “trope” to the b’nei mitzvah students, making them all lifelong Torah readers.

The Rabbi asked me to speak to the parents on the topic of “parent engagement.” Of course, the parents are highly engaged in the b’nei mitzvah program, but the Rabbi meant something broader – parental engagement in the life of the synagogue, to act as role models for their children in their commitment to Jewish lives. That necessarily requires treating b’nei mitzvah studies as not just a milestone to check off a list, but as a springboard to a deeper commitment to communal Jewish life. A central feature of Judaism is its embrace of a sense of peoplehood, of a gathering of a community of Jews as the best way to experience life to its fullest.

So, to that end, I thought that I would share with the entire congregation the words I spoke to the parents of the upcoming b’nei mitzvah students one Sunday afternoon in early December. I am reprinting my talk here verbatim:

“TBT runs on the fuel of congregant engagement, including parent engagement. We have professional clergy and office staff – but, in the end, the congregation runs on the strength of its members’ commitment and support. And that includes engagement with the TBT community – from attending and bringing your children to services, volunteering for Mitzvah Day and class dinners, participating in activities like Habitat for Humanity, and helping TBT committees such as the education committee, social justice, and religious activities, among others.

“Your children certainly take note of the level of your engagement with TBT. I was hesitant to become president when my children were still in the house – and while I am now an empty nester, I am so glad I started my presidency with my twins at home, able to see my commitment to TBT, so I could model the importance of the synagogue to our lives. And now that they are in college, they have pleasantly surprised me by their involvement with their college Hillel programs and involvement with Jewish activities at school.

“We, as parents, are all role models. That also includes remaining as members of TBT following the bar or bat mitzvah, as Judaism is a lifelong pursuit, and supporting the presence of a Jewish congregation on the shoreline is an important way of showing that the bar or bat mitzvah is not the end of Jewish learning and engagement, but only the beginning.

“Thank you, and mazel tov on your child’s upcoming bar or bat mitzvah.”

Jeff Babbin