CBE Exec Director: A Year of Finding Gratitude and Light

This article first appeared in our Nov/Dec '26 edition of The Bulletin

As November and December arrive, we enter a season of contrasts. The days get shorter, the temperatures get colder, and somehow we find ourselves looking for - and creating - more light. We light candles, gather around tables, celebrate, give thanks, and find more reasons to be together.

It is a season that invites us to pause and think about what sustains us, what brings us joy, and how we can bring a little more warmth and kindness into the lives of others.

For me, this season feels especially meaningful as my first year at Congregation Beth Emeth comes to a close. And what a year it has been!

Like any new job, there has been a lot to learn. I have learned how the congregation works, discovered things I think might work a little differently, met an awful lot of new people, and tried to understand a history and community culture that has been taking shape since 1838. That is a lot of history to absorb!

One of the things I have come to understand very quickly is that the greatest strength of this congregation is not its building, its programs, or even its history. It is its people. It is the relationships we build, the traditions we carry forward, the new ideas we embrace, and the way we show up for one another.

And I have been incredibly fortunate to have so many people show up for me this year.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our staff. I treasure the partnership I have built with Rabbi Weitzman and the ways we work together to make sure that the business of the congregation supports our mission and our shared values. I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Cantor Kohn and Rabbi Mandell, who are both so generous with their knowledge and good humor.

And then there is our office.

I love the way this group works together. We anticipate each other’s needs. We pitch in without being asked. We solve problems. We laugh. We care. There are days when there is way too much to accomplish in way too little time, and somehow we get it done. And we share snacks. Lots of snacks.

The things that have been possible this past year could not have happened without Lita, Courtney, Sara, Jillian, Siobhan, Danielle, Irene, and Iyal. Each brings many assets to our team, and I am grateful for their talent, dedication, flexibility, and willingness to jump in wherever they are needed.

I am grateful for Steve and Billy, and Todd and Larry, who make sure that the places and spaces that support our congregation are in good working order - which is no small feat - and who accomplish it with great skill and care.

I am also grateful for the light of the incredible network of volunteers and members who support all that we do: the people who stuff envelopes, cook meals, deliver goodwill bags, make phone calls, lend a helping hand, or simply notice that something needs to be done and do it.

I am grateful for the members who share their concerns with us, but also for those who stop to say, “Thank you,” or “That was wonderful,” or simply offer a word of encouragement. Those moments matter more than you may realize.

And then there is our Board, which provides steady support and encouragement. I am particularly grateful for our Executive Committee - Robin, Rob, Kerryn, Karen, and Zak - who have been there for me and for our staff every step of the way. They take my calls and texts, and answer my questions at a moment’s notice. They drop by to sign checks, give advice, talk through a challenge, or help me think through a decision.

The week before the High Holy Days, they showed up with lunch for an exhausted staff. We are truly an army that runs on its stomach.

On a more personal note, this season of gratitude also has me thinking about my own family. My three siblings and I are working together to plan a celebration in November for my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary.

Sixty years! I feel incredibly fortunate that my family is healthy and that we are able to come together to celebrate this milestone.

Thank you for welcoming me this year. Thank you for your patience as I learn, for your willingness to share your ideas, for your support, your humor, your honesty, and your trust. I am grateful to be part of this community and excited about all that we can accomplish together.

As we enter this season of gratitude and light, I hope we will each take a moment to notice the light around us—and perhaps think about how we can add a little more of our own.

May the coming months bring each of us opportunities for gratitude, generosity, joy, and connection. May our homes be filled with warmth, our tables with good food and good company, and our congregation with the light that comes from people caring for one another.

With gratitude and light,

Jill Rafferty-Weinisch, Executive Director