It seems like I always start out my rabbi report with the words—“we have been so busy this past year at Temple Bat Yam.” And yet—every year that seems more and more true. When I talk to rabbis from much larger congregations around the country they are truly surprised at what our little temple by the ocean does. We are a

 rockin’ place!

          There is so much for us to celebrate this morning. Our core of volunteers is amazing. There are so many who do so much for our congregation. All I can say is thank you to each and every one of you who has reached out when asked, who has initiated a new program or event, or who quietly and anonymously has seen what needs to be done and just taken care of it. I encourage you all to lend your own special talents to Temple Bat Yam so that our community will continue to grow and flourish.

          This past year was a fantastic year for the religious school. We celebrated six B’nai Mitzvot. Our students continue to learn and grow, and each year seem to become more confident in their mastery of Hebrew and in their commitment to Judaism. We had a fun bus trip to visit the Jewish Museum in New York, and are planning this coming year on joining the Men’s Club to visit the new Jewish Museum in Philadelphia in the fall, and to visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC in the spring. One of our priorities this coming year will be involving the young people who are post-B’nai Mitzvot in an exciting and meaningful Jewish experience.

          It just works out that there will be no 13-year-old B’nai Mitzvot at Temple Bat Yam in the next two years, but I am planning that we will continue to have adult B’nai Mitzvot. I will be teaching a class to prepare adults for a B’nai Mitzvah beginning in January with a B’nai Mitzvah date of May, 2013. Several of you have spoken to me about wanting to have a Bar/Bat Mitzvah but are unsure. Well, let me tell you now, just go for it. It is NEVER too late. You will feel so much more secure in your Jewish knowledge after this study. And I promise you that each one of you will be successful and that you CAN do it. There will be more information about this class in the fall, but I urge you to think about it.

          Adult Ed is an important part of what we do here at Temple Bat Yam. This past year we studied Mussar (Jewish ethics), Talmud, Islam, we had a class called Questions About Being Jewish, and we had a wonderful group of Christian adults who came because they wanted to learn about Judaism. In the coming year we will continue with the Mussar group that is already in place, but will also start a new Mussar group. We will continue with our every-other-week Lunch and Learn Talmud study; in January I will teach a very exciting course, complete with DVD’s from leading scholars, theologians, politicians, and thinkers called Engaging Israel. Come and learn with us—-and please let me know if there are other courses or topics that you are interested in.

          There is a very exciting event coming up this December that I want to tell you about. It is the URJ Biennial which this year will be at Harbor Place near Washington DC. If you have never attended a Biennial this is the one to go to. I can’t tell you what an amazing experience it is to celebrate Shabbat services on Friday night with 5,000 other Jews. There are workshops and programs for every level of interest, and I know you will come back enthused and excited for Judaism and for Temple Bat Yam. I hope that our congregation will be well represented. You will be hearing more about this wonderful opportunity in the next few weeks. So set aside December 14-18. You will regret it if you don’t attend.

          One more thing—-if you have never been to Israel or would like to revisit this amazing country our Temple has a congregational trip at the end of October. We have an incredible journey planned for you, visiting Israel from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea,  from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Sea, and will also go to the ancient city carved out of stone in Jordan called Petra. We have space available, and would love to have ALL of you join us. Talk to anyone who went on our last trip and you will learn what a special journey this can be.

          Sometimes at TBY Board meetings we ask ourselves, why should any of us belong to a temple? So let’s talk about that a little. First of all, we are here for you for all that defines your lives. Community is so important, and Temple Bat Yam is a true community. We may not always agree, we may not always like each other, but we are always there for each other. Sometimes we don’t even know we need a community until we need it—-and during this past year I have seen our community support each other in amazing ways, from happy occasions to sad times, and everything in-between. Our community can be described in many ways—we are friendly, inclusive, and have someone at the door welcoming everyone to services; we love the beautiful music our incredible cantors provide, we are a community of learners, we are there when we get a call that a family needs people for a shiva minyan, or for a baby naming; we are there to celebrate with B’nai Mitzvah families, we are there when a loved one needs a MiShebeirach said for them, we are there supporting each other when a name is read for Kaddish; we are there at an oneg to help celebrate a birthday or anniversary. We may show our caring in different ways, but we ARE there, we are mispocha (family). We live by our Jewish values. That is Temple Bat Yam, and that is why we belong and support this very special place.

          Finally, I want to thank each one of you for the gift of being your Temple Bat Yam rabbi. I learn from you every day. I pray that I may serve you well, that I may be there when you need me, and that I may be able to support you in realizing a fulfilling and meaningful Jewish life.