President’s Bulletin Column July – August 2025

Fellow Congregants,

As we approach the summer months, I want to take a final time to express my deep gratitude to Jody Dietch, who served as our Executive Director with incredible care, dedication, and strength. Jody guided Beth El through significant moments of growth and challenge with professionalism and heart, and we owe her our thanks for all that she has done for our community.

Transitions like these — whether in professional leadership or within the broader synagogue community — are opportunities for reflection and renewal. They are also moments that call for extra care, understanding, and unity.

In the Jewish calendar, the upcoming summer period includes Shiva Asar Tammuz and Tisha b’Av, solemn dates that commemorate the beginning of the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the First and Second Temples. According to the Talmud, while the First Temple fell due to idolatry, immorality, and bloodshed, the Second Temple was destroyed for a more insidious reason, a single reason that equaled the depravity of all three reasons for the the destruction of the First Temple:

“But why was the Second Temple destroyed?
Because therein was baseless hatred (Sin’at Chinam).”
— Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 9b

This sobering reminder from our tradition teaches us that internal division can be as dangerous to the Jewish people as any external threat. In times of transition, we must guard even more carefully against the temptation to assign blame, judge harshly, or speak carelessly.  As I write this article, there are too many opportunities for Jews to point fingers at other Jews, and we must work ever so hard to reduce the level of vitriol and rediscover common purpose and community.

To that end, it is important to note that the summer calendar doesn’t end with mourning. Just six days after Tisha B’Av, we reach Tu B’Av, the 15th of Av — a lesser-known but beautiful day historically associated with love, reconciliation, and new beginnings. We cannot ever lose sight that after mourning the destruction of the Temples, our ancient sages made sure to mark a special day reserved for optimism and renewal.

Changing professional leadership is nothing like a national destruction, and I am indebted to the search committee – Andrew Moss, Ellen Wasserman, Mary Oster, Jonathan Cohen, along with Rabbi Paskind – for their hard work in ensuring there was an exemplary approach to identifying and interviewing the candidates to replace Jody.  I can testify that no idolatry, immorality, bloodshed or baseless hatred took place during the search process; indeed, there was a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration that each candidate openly acknowledged and appreciated.

As Beth El experiences change and prepares for a new season, I hope the entire Beth El family can commit to building a community grounded in cooperation, mutual respect, and shared purpose. Let’s work to ensure that our synagogue continues to be a place that exemplifies the antithesis of Sin’at Chinam, Ahavat Chinam – welcome, warmth, and spiritual growth or everyone who walks through our doors – professional leaders, congregants and guests.

B’shalom,

David