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FROM THE PRESIDENT

APPEAL TO THE CONGREGATION ON KOL NIDRE

“SHABBAT SHALOM
I have the good fortune to stand before you today, as your newly-elected President.  I am following the footsteps of the great past presidents of Sutton Place Synagogue whose guiding wisdom created a warm and inviting shul.

After being elected President this past June, I was working late one evening reviewing the organizational structure. I had folders and notes on membership, the annual appeal, finances, Nursery, Hebrew schools, and other papers scattered across my desk. Also on my desk were current newspapers, headlining the difficulties Israel was facing. The United States had just called for the return to the 1967 borders and Netanyahu was addressing the US Congress, telling them that Israel cannot return to these indefensible borders.  It was obvious that world opinion was against Israel.  Feeling helpless because there was nothing I could do, I turned back to the Sutton Place Synagogue folders, thinking how I can deal with the issues.
 
I needed help! So I went into my closet in search of my old Genie lamp. I dusted it off, gave it a rub and my old Genie appeared and said: ‘Rick, so you are the new President of Sutton Place Synagogue?  Mazal tov!  I will grant you one wish.’  I felt the most pressing issue was the peace and security of Israel.  I took out a map of the Middle East and said, ‘Genie, do you see this land of Israel? My wish would be that Israel would have lasting peace. No more wars, no more conflicts, and world opinion should be on the side of Israel.’ The Genie took a step back and said, ‘The Middle East has been at war for too many years. Many great Genies before me have tried to grant peace in the Middle East and have failed. To be honest, I am not a better Genie and I don’t know how to grant that wish. You will need to think of some other wish.’
 
I thought for a moment, and looked down at the Sutton Place Synagogue folders and I said, ‘Genie, my wish then, is to have the wisdom of the past presidents - to be able to understand all the issues of the Synagogue and help me make the right decisions. Help me balance the budget - help me write this Kol Nidre speech.’  The Genie looked at all the files and pondered for a moment. Then said, ‘On second thought, let me see that Middle East map again.’
 
My Genie is back in the lamp, the lamp is back in the closet and I am here all alone.  At the risk of sounding repetitious to some; I want to tell you a little bit about my upbringing. 

My parents, both Holocaust survivors, came from Poland; my father was born in a town called Keltz and my mother was born near the city of Lodz.  During the war, they were forced into ghettos and eventually they were transported to a concentration camp.  Except for my aunt and one uncle, none of my family survived.

Growing up, I was told many stories about life during the Holocaust.  But I have to confess, as a teenager I could not relate to them. To me these stories were not believable, they sounded more like novels.  Nobody believed during those terrible times that there would be a next generation.  It is unthinkable that my parents would have thought during those horrendous years of torture, degradation and mass murder that they would eventually be liberated, marry, start a family and that their son would become the president of this great NY Synagogue. 

From these stories I began to understand that during the most horrific times in the concentration camps, the Jewish sense of responsibility to each other stood out. Many say that during such duress, basic human spirit endures and triumphs over evil.  One such story stands out and I want to share it with you.

My Dad was a very strong athlete - well known in his home town of Keltz, where he competed in amateur boxing.  That gave him a degree of fame and prestige. My Dad Schulim was only 5 feet tall, very strong, extremely agile and very quick on his feet.  During his life in the Nazi concentration camp, his reputation followed him as he showed his strength by demonstrating that he could move, single handedly, a train car on its tracks.
 
It may be hard to believe, but because of his small size and great physical strength the Nazis had a certain admiration for him.  My father was in several camps, but in one concentration camp named Chebinia, the word got out that Schulim was a boxer and the Nazis thought he would be good entertainment.  One day, a boxing match was organized between my father and, no less, a German Capo.  My father knew that whether he won or lost, his future did not look good.  If he lost he would be killed and if he won the outcome might even be worse.  As the story was told (and I heard this from other witnesses), the match had three rounds. 

During the fight, the Capo could not get in a good punch because of Schulim’s speed and fast foot action.  However, my father landed many good punches; I also heard Schulim bit the Capo’s ear. The match ended with the Capo being beaten.

After the fight the camp commander called my father over. My father, thinking the worst, was surprised when the commander, rather than condemning him to some unspeakable torture, told my father that he could make one request. He would grant him one wish.

One would think that my father would wish for food or some kind of preferential treatment; after all life in the camp was by any standards much worse than anyone could bear.  But my father had only one wish and he said in German:  “Schlag nicht di kleine kinder“(don’t beat the small children).  His wish was granted. From that day on, the young Jewish children were no longer beaten at this camp.
 
My father did not think of his needs. He could have asked for a soft bed, extra food or maybe a job that was tolerable.  But his thoughts were of someone else’s needs -“di kleine yiddishe kinder.”  He knew he could take care of himself, but he realized that the small Jewish children were helpless.  He made a righteous decision and for that I say he was a righteous person.
In Hebrew we have a word for that, it’s called a Tzadik. A Tzadik is a righteous person; someone who fulfills his or her moral obligations. 
 
A closely related Hebrew word is tzedka, which is commonly translated as charity.  But this is a misleading translation. “Charity” implies that your heart motivates you to go beyond the call of duty. “Charity” suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and powerful for the benefit of the poor and needy. However, the nature of tzedaka is very different.  Tzedaka literally means “righteousness”—doing the right thing.
Tzedaka is a mitzvah, a commandment. One should give tzedaka out of a sense of obligation.  Tzedaka should be given according to a plan, on a regular basis.  The goal of tzedaka is to be less selfish, to show ourselves that we can live with less than what we have.
 
Charity on the other hand is given only when we feel like it, and on a random occasional basis.  The purpose of charity is to give to the needy.  But if we are not aware of someone in need, then we do not have to give.  Tzedaka on the other hand means that even the poorest have to give something!
Judaism also acknowledges that many people or institutions who ask for contributions have no genuine need. In fact, the Talmud suggests that this is a good thing: because if all people who ask for contributions were in genuine need, we would have to give to everyone that asks.
 
It is also said that tzedaka is the highest of all commandments, equal to all of them combined. Tzedakah is one of the three acts that help us attain forgiveness from our sins; I call it the three T’s. During the High Holidays, it repeatedly states that God has inscribed a judgment against all who have sinned, but the three T’s; teshuvah (repentance), tefilah (prayer) and tzedakah can alleviate the decree.
 
We have many Tzadikim among our congregants.  I would think everyone here is a righteous person. To illustrate that let me give you some examples.
This synagogue could not function without the dedicated work of its congregants who give so much of their time, energy, and resources.  I thank all of you who serve this community through our committees, the executive officers, the Trustees and the exceptional Women’s League. It is because of their hard work and selfless dedication that we are able to provide the activities and religious experiences that make up the fiber of this Synagogue.  It is written in the Talmud, that when a person works for the community, it is as if that person is studying Torah.  Here are some of these Torah students:
 
Religious Observance Committee; co-chaired by Harold Alper and Hal Fishman. They are both dedicated to maintain the protocols of Conservative Judaism.  They have great knowledge and skills which provide the continuity of our religious activities.

Membership Committee, chaired by Carol Mazin.  Carol and her committee are working hard to enroll new members and make them feel welcome in our Synagogue so they, too, can feel the spirit and know the joy.  This is a challenging task that requires everyone’s help.  Membership is an issue that constantly needs to be on our minds.  We cannot remain stagnant.
 
Kaplan Nursery School Committee; headed by Steven Horowitz.  His warm personality, innovative ideas and caring for our children gives him the tools he needs to serve as a bridge between the parents and the Synagogue.  I find it particularly rewarding to see the youngest of our congregants attend our services, and to watch them grow into young adults.

Jackson Religious School Committee; chaired by Shari Pochapin.  She is highly focused, dedicated and professional.  Her committee strives for the best Jewish education and involvement of our young people.  It is always great to see these young adults participate in various functions.
 
Audit Finance and Budget Committee; headed by Merrie Frankel. Merrie works tirelessly and will tackle any task our shul asks her to perform.  This committee is the lifeline of our Synagogue and makes all the financial and investment decisions.  It is where the budgets are developed and the checkbook is balanced.  Ed Weinstein headed this committee for several years and recently turned over the reins to Merrie. 

Program Committee, headed by Randi Cannata. She coordinates events and activities.  Together with her hard working committee members, they bring us the Purim Shpiel, guest speakers, Kristallnacht, Yom Hashoah observances, film festival and many other events.  Everyone benefits from Randy’s work.

Richard Coopersmith heads our Legal Committee.  Richard is always there to provide guidance, but I must say we are fortunate that we don’t have to ask him too many questions.
 
Personnel Committee is headed by Jonathan Sack, whose wisdom has helped promote good relations with our great staff.

The Woman’s League president is Randi Cannata, she does wear many hats.  If you are a member of Women’s League I am sure you know Randi’s dedication.  If you are not a member I urge you to join. I also filled out an application and am waiting to be approved.
 
Recently, two Ad Hoc committees were formed: The Young Families Committee is chaired by Jennifer Klein, who inspires the commitment of our younger members towards the Synagogue and the Development Committee, chaired by Lisa Byala. From this committee, we formed a Legacy Committee, headed by David Sachs. The Legacy Committee is finalizing proposals that will provide our congregants with ways to include SPS in their long term planning. Many members want to leave a legacy to assure that we will continue to thrive and provide spiritual service to this community.  
 
How great is it to have all these hard working and dedicated people. Besides being the Torah students among us, they are also Tzadiks.
 
I realized that when I reached into my closet to find the Genie inside my old lamp, he was the wrong Genie; he could not even grant me my wish. But now I know that the true Genies are here - right in front of me.   I am asking you to grant me one wish and to do the right thing, Be a righteous person and give from your heart during this Yom Kippur Appeal.  The Talmud recognizes the importance of giving from your heart as the highest mitzvah. 

Rashi said:  It takes one person to support a person or an institution to keep it from falling.   But after it falls, even five people may not be able to lift it.

We need all the Tzadikim here today to think of the one place that needs your support.  Without you, this Synagogue will not be able to stand and sustain itself. Sutton Place Synagogue works because of the spirit that burns in all of us. Your tzedakah will keep this spirit alive and that spirit is our investment in the next generation. L’Dor V’Dor! (From generation to generation!).
 
Membership dues support only one third of the budget.  We solely rely on this Yom Kippur appeal because it is the only appeal we make for the entire year. Your contribution is needed to keep Sutton Place Synagogue vibrant and active.  Your contribution is the lifeline that keeps the synagogue standing proud. 

We should not let it fall, as it will take much more than this appeal to lift it again!

We have placed pledge cards in front of everyone, and before you make a pledge, ask yourself this:
 
  1. What is it worth to you to ensure the future of our congregation? 
  2. What is it worth to you to have this spiritual home be a leader in this community?
  3. What is it worth to you to have this warm and supportive community for simchas, for your milestones in life, for our great events and God forbid, for the difficult times?
May you all be sealed in the Book of Life.  Shabbat Shalom – an easy Fast.  Anita and I wish you and all your family gut and gezunten yur  - a zizen yur.  L’Shanah Tovah!”
 
 
Rick Kaminer, President