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If you were asked whether you "work to live" or "live to work" how would you respond? Most of us "live to work" while many of us yearn to shift so that we can once again "work to live." With our limited time, we need to make the most of each moment, especially after a grueling week, month, year in our work lives. How does this happen? By making sure we make our Jewish lives count. We need to constantly be building upon whatever spiritual capital we have to draw on and get us through those demanding aspects of our lives. So too, we learned over Shavuot, the time of Matan Torah or Receiving Torah and beginning our covenantal commitment anew that we are coming to a close on last year’s commitment and beginning this year’s commitment to Jewish life and learning. Where do we want to grow this year? In what part of our Jewish lives do we need to rededicate focus and caring? These questions should be in all of our hearts and minds and then serves as bookends of community as well, between Receiving Torah and Dancing with Torah. Taking note of this discrete time in our communal calendar, we notice how blessed indeed we are to have future rabbinic leaders as interns, joining our team to promote Jewish continuity at JCCH and for the larger Jewish world. In connecting with these interns, who are a true blessing, we learn again what it means to "work to live" and make our Jewish lives count. So our new chapter of rabbinic internship at JCCH continues with the Atidat Ami Rabbinic Fellowship. We are grateful and inspired by the purpose of this internship at JCCH which is to partner with the Jewish Theological Seminary Rabbinical School’s Resnick Internship that facilitates senior rabbinical students’ placement in the community under the guidance of a mentoring rabbi. Our Atidat Ami Rabbinic Fellowship tells a story of Ami Atheda Gold Texon (1917-2009), z”l, a woman who tirelessly served on behalf of Judaism and Israel. Her legacy is embodied in the continuity and preservation of Judaism and Jewish scholarship as the foundation for the future of the Jewish people. Her very name explains her place in Jewish history. It was given to her by her father, Rabbi, Doctor Henry Raphael Gold, who was a renowned Zionist, and both a rabbi and a psychiatrist. Her Hebrew name, Atidat Ami, literally means, “the future of my people”. Her wise father understood that it is only through education and the preservation of Jewish tradition that the Jewish people can survive and flourish. As Atidat Ami cared about Jewish continuity (for that was her namesake), so too her family, our JCCH member, Sylvia & Tom Rogers carry on that caring through their commitment to making this Atidat Ami Rabbinic Fellowship possible each year. Thanks to Sylvia & Tom in partnership with JTSA, this is one way that JCCH makes a difference locally and globally for Jewish continuity. We are making Judaism count! As we bid farewell to last year's Atidat Ami Rabbinic Intern, Tal Sessler (and his wife, Nina Finkel) who has brought to our JCCH his own unique passion and commitment to Jewish thinking, observance and continuity, we are overjoyed to welcome our new intern, Josh Ratner (and his wife Elena, and children Dimitri and Elijah). Josh comes to JTSA Rabbinical School having graduated from Columbia with a B. A. in International Politics and Comparative Religion as well as Juris Doctor from the School of Law. Josh practiced law for five years in Manhattan and Connecticut prior to starting rabbinical school. His diverse interests and passion for Judaism, which include exploring the contemporary meaning of Jewish theology, pastoral counseling, and Jewish perspectives on social justice outreach, will be a welcome addition to our JCCH team. Josh hopes to have experiences in as many facets of our communal life as possible. So as Tal Sessler continues on in his journey to complete his rabbinical studies to serve the Jewish community at large, he nears ordination as we close another inspiring door. And with Josh Ratner our new intern a new doorway is opening this summer. Keep your eyes posted on the Scribe and our website for upcoming opportunities to connect with our new intern. He is ready to make Judaism count; Are you ready to join us in stepping into a new year of growth and renewal to make our time together really count? Have a great summer!
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