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Shana Tovah

As many of you know by now, because I repeat it often, I became more deeply involved in SZBE when my mom passed away in April 2018. I started off saying Kaddish slowly, but by the third month I was coming to shul twice a day. My dad then passed away in May of 2021 when I was beginning my presidency and of course I said Kaddish twice a day for the 11 months.

I am dedicating this Kol Nidre appeal to my parents Rita and Leo Geiger.

The amount of comfort, support, and compassion I received from the shul was tremendous and invaluable to me.

I am beginning my appeal speech this way, because as you will see, my experience  is one of the many reasons why it is so important to be a member of a synagogue and in particular SZBE.

This year I will not recite all the wonderful programs we have here at SZBE Synagogue. You can learn about those by reading our weekly emails or on our website. I am going to ask for a few minutes of your attention to encourage each and every one of you to open up your pockets and make a pledge, and hopefully a very generous pledge this year.

It’s very important to me and many of you sitting out there that SZBE has a strong and viable future. As you all know, the number of Ashkenazi Jewish families living in Montreal  has been on the decline for years. AND now, those young Jewish families who stay believe, unlike all of you, that they no longer have a need for a synagogue. Their focus has shifted completely.

That thinking, of course, could potentially lead to the end of synagogue life as we know it. But, as most of you know, synagogue life, whether you attend one or two days a year or every week of the year, is vital to us to maintain our Jewish identity. It’s more important than ever that we have a place to go to – where we act as one, with a common heritage, common holidays, common rituals, common morals, common principles, and common beliefs.

SZBE is that place. Our synagogue serves to bring Jews together – for worship, study, and community. Each of us has our own reasons for being a member of SZBE Synagogue. In the spirit of Jewish tradition, if I asked everyone here for your reasons, I’d get many, many different answers.

To me, SZBE is the place to come together to support others in crisis, to rally together to help others in need, and console one another when a loss of a loved one must be confronted.

To me, SZBE  is the place where we meet new friends, experience friendship, and have a sense of belonging.

To me, SZBE is the place where our children and grandchildren are being taught to love and embrace Judaism and enjoy the many wonderful holidays and traditions our religion boasts. 

To me, SZBE Synagogue is the place where we can celebrate together holidays, mitzvahs, and other joyous occasions.

To me, SZBE Synagogue is the place where we come to address larger Jewish concerns by addressing anti-Semitism, engaging in Tikkun Olam – and worship together to improve the nature of our society and the world.

To me, SZBE Synagogue is the place where we form a new link in the chain of Jewish tradition carrying on historic values for future generations to inherit.

SZBE Synagogue is, in essence, a community, a special community consisting of each and every one of you and it plays an important role in our lives.

It’s hard to be Jewish alone. Through a congregation, one’s Jewish life experience is enhanced and expanded by partnering with a community that is lasting and offers a rich menu of experiences throughout the year. That is what a Synagogue like SZBE is all about – a place to provide for the spiritual, communal, and educational needs of every generation of Jews.

Now some of you may be thinking, that all that I am saying is fine, but let someone else come forward to pay for the privilege of maintaining our synagogue and synagogue life – I already pay my dues. But dues barely get us by each year. It’s your Kol Nidre pledges and continuing membership that will take us into the future.

If you leave it up to others, sooner or later, there will no longer be any others and Jewish life as we now experience it here at SZBE Synagogue may come to an end. Now, I don’t want to scare anyone into thinking that SZBE Synagogue is about to shut down. It’s not – and I expect it will be here for many, many more years to come. But it’s important, that we do not take that for granted.

So, I ask each of you to be generous this year when you make your Kol Nidre pledge.

Do it for yourselves. Do it for your family. Do it for your children. Do it for your grandchildren and do it for the generations to come.

On behalf of myself, my family, the staff, the clergy and the entire Board of Trustees of SZBE Synagogue, La Shana Tovah, a healthy and prosperous New Year to you and your families and thank you for being a part of the SZBE Synagogue family.

Gmar Chatima Tovah

May we all be sealed in the book of Life