Rabbi Weitzman: Building a Sacred Future Together

This article first appeared in our Aug/Sept '26 edition of The Bulletin

August has always felt like a bridge month. Summer is winding down. Families are squeezing in final vacations, students are preparing to return to school, and before long the familiar rhythms of congregational life will fill our building again. The sounds of children learning, worshippers gathering, volunteers serving, and friends reconnecting will return to our hallways and classrooms.

This year feels especially significant. As we gather once again, we will welcome back familiar faces and beloved traditions while embracing exciting new beginnings. We are thrilled to welcome Cantor Sharon Kohn back to Beth Emeth after three years of dedicated service as our Interim Cantor. We will also officially welcome Rabbi Spencer Mandell as our new Assistant Rabbi. Our religious school will soon come alive with nearly 200 students learning and growing together. In so many ways, this is a year of building - building relationships, building community, and building toward the future we hope to create together.

As we approach the High Holy Days, I am excited to share this year’s theme: One Community, Many Voices. The inspiration comes from a beautiful phrase in our High Holy Day liturgy: “V’ya’asu kulam agudah achat: May all become bound together as one.” Those words feel particularly meaningful this year.

Over the past year, Beth Emeth has been engaged in an important process of reflection and discovery. Through conversations with congregants, staff, clergy, board members, and community partners, we have begun asking the fundamental questions that will shape our next chapter: Who are we? What do we stand for? What kind of congregation do we hope to become?

As I have listened to the many voices of Beth Emeth, one thing has become clear: our congregation is filled with people who care deeply about Jewish learning, worship, Israel, social justice, tradition, innovation, and the future of Jewish life. We do not always see every issue the same way. We bring different experiences, different perspectives, and different hopes to our community. Yet again and again, I have witnessed a shared commitment to Beth Emeth and a sincere desire to help our congregation flourish.

That is what One Community, Many Voices is all about. Jewish tradition has never demanded uniformity. The pages of the Talmud preserve centuries of debate and disagreement. Some of our greatest teachers argued passionately with one another while remaining committed to the same sacred enterprise. What bound them together was not unanimity. It was a shared sense of purpose, responsibility, and covenant.

That is my hope for Beth Emeth as well. I envision a congregation where every person feels welcomed and valued. Where relationships matter as much as programs, where people can ask difficult questions and listen to one another with curiosity and respect, where worship inspires us, learning challenges us, and acts of caring and service strengthen us. Most importantly, I envision a congregation where people know they belong, even when they disagree.

The mission, vision, and values work currently underway is helping us articulate these aspirations more clearly, defining not only what we do, but why we do it. I am grateful to our Board of Trustees, Mission and Vision Task Force, staff, and congregants who have devoted so many hours to imagining Beth Emeth’s next chapter. But that future cannot be created by clergy, staff, or board members alone. It will be shaped by all of us.

Every voice matters. Every perspective matters. Every story matters.

The High Holy Days invite us to reflect on our lives, renew our commitments, and imagine the future we wish to create together. So as summer comes to an end and a new congregational year begins, I invite you to be part of what comes next. Come reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Come hear familiar melodies and fresh perspectives. Come add your voice to the conversation.

The future of Beth Emeth will be shaped by all of us. One community, many voices, building a sacred future together.

Ashley, Eden, Jonathan, and I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful end to the summer. We look forward to welcoming you home.