I told you so. Last year, I warned you that Rosh Hashanah would be early. Let me prepare you again.  Rosh Hashanah will fall on Labour Day. In 2032. I hope that most of you will be around to complain in 19 years.

Have you noticed that people approach significant birthdays and anniversaries in different ways? Children are excited by birthdays, but many adults are dismayed. Young people can’t wait, but older folk want to savour or reassess.  

Shlomo and Rivka had been married for 50 years. Lying down together, Rivka said: I remember when you used to kiss me every chance you had.” Shlomo gave her a gentle peck. Then Rivka said, “I remember when you used to hold my hand.” Shlomo placed his hand on hers. Then Rivka added, “I remember how you used to nibble on my neck”.  Shlomo got up and began to walk to the bathroom.  “Shlomo! Did I say something wrong?” “No, I’m just going to get my teeth!”

How many of you are marking significant birthdays or anniversaries this year? We have couples who have been married 60 years. Some to the same person. Anniversaries and birthdays are times for reviewing and appreciating. For some, they are times for determining what we still want to accomplish.

כָּל־הַדּוֹרוֹת שֶׁלְּפַָנַי תָּרְמוּ אוֹתִי
קִמְעָה קִמְעָה כְּדֵי שֶׁאוּקַם כָּאן בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם
בְּבַת אַחַת, כְּמוֹ בֵּית תְּפִלָּה אוֹ מוּסַד צְדָקָה
זֶה מְחַיֵּב. שְׁמִי הוּא שֵׁם תּוֹרְמַי
.זֶה מְחַיֵּב

All the generations before me donated me
bit by bit so I might be erected here in Jerusalem…
My name is my donors’ name.
It obligates. 

.אֲנִי מִתְקָרֵב לְגִיל מוֹת אָבִי
,צַוָּאתִי מֻטְלֵאת בְּהַרְבֵּה טְלָאִים
אֲנִי צָרִיךְ לְשַׁנּוֹת אֶת־חַיַּי וְאֶת מוֹתִי
יוֹם יוֹם כְּדֵי לְקַיֵּם אֶת־כָּל־הַנְּבוּאוֹת
.שֶׁנִּבְּאוּ אוֹתִי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ שֶׁקֶר
.זֶה מְחַיֵּב

I am approaching the age when my father died….
I must change my life and my death
day by day and so fulfill all the prophecies
they prophesied about me. So they do not become a lie.
It obligates. 

עָבַרְתִּי אֶת־שְׁנַת הָאַרְבָּעִים
יֵשׁ מִשְׂרוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן לֹא יְקַבְּלוּ אוֹתִי
,בְּשֶׁל כָּךְ. אִלּוּ הָיִיתִי בְּאוֹשְׁוִיץ
,לֹא הָיוּ שׁוֹלְחִים אוֹתִי לַעֲבֹד
.הָיוּ שׂוֹרְפִים אוֹתִי מִיָּד
.זֶה מְחַיֵּב

I’ve passed the age of forty. There are
jobs for which they will not take me…
If I were in Auschwitz,
they would not have sent me out to labor,
they would have instantly fed me to the flames.
It obligates. 1

Later, we’ll sing hayom, “this day, give us strength,” a reminder of the important decisions we make today. We’ll also mention hayom when we say “היום הרת עולם”. “This day the world was called into being.” Today the world trembles” because of the uncertainty of judgment - whether by God or ourselves.

Our Sages identify two anniversaries that are connected to Rosh Hashanah. They are intended to give a moral message. Rosh Hashanah is imagined as the day when the first human was created, endowed with moral potential, with the possibility of nobility of soul. Hayom, today, we are called to remember and to recommit to our ideals. Another tradition imagines Rosh Hashanah as the day when Yosef, sold into slavery, was released from prison. The takeaway: we too have the possibility of liberation from what restricts and limits us, to reach new heights.2

My first Rosh Hashanah here was 1993. During twenty years, I have seen my family grow. We have made it through challenges, survived losses and celebrated semahot. Thank you for your kind words and wishes for our son, Amir, who married Amanda this summer in the courtyard. Hayom, I reflect on the past and consider the future.

We have seen many developments: increased involvement of women in prayer and leadership, the initiation and expansion of family education, the development of Synaplex options, including our Little Minyan, and services for learners, families and meditators. Arnold Ages is in his fourth decade here.  We have the Etz Hayyim humashim through the generosity of Anne Tanenbaum z”l, and, this year, because of the vision of Ricky and Peter Cohen and Gaby Weisfeld, new Sim Shalom siddurim  are in the pews.

Over these years, we have pioneered flexible and creative Jewish education in our congregational school, and enhanced Israel engagement, particularly with our Young Emissaries. Our Music program, led by Hazzan Spiro, is widely recognized as one of the finest in North America; he and Aliza have transformed Purim into a festive musical occasion for adults. Our Library and Museum have become educational powerhouses, and we have opportunities for lifelong Jewish learning that are the envy of most communities. This year, we were highlighted in an Israeli documentary, included in a book on political theory, and covered extensively for our series on the future of the synagogue.

You have supported greater interfaith engagement and Hesed initiatives, including Out of the Cold and V’Ahavta vans to feed the homeless, each of which has made an important statement about the relationship of city and synagogue. You have helped Judy Feld Carr in her historic and heroic effort to save Syrian Jewry. Our Tanenbaum Rabbinic Fellows have gone on to serve communities in Halifax, Massachusetts, and throughout Israel; Rav Adam is here at Beth Tzedec.

We have remained a steadfast supporter of Israel, through years of terror, conflict in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, increased anti- Zionism and anti-Semitism, as well as during times of economic growth and high tech success.We have been a strong partner with UJA Federation which – thanks to the Wolfe and Flatt families - is funding our new Wow! educational initiatives. I hope you will support UJA when you are called upon to make an annual contribution.

While the synagogue is program driven, my relationship with many of you is personal. We have shared simchas and sorrows, conversations and counselling, home and hospital visits, study and sports. For some, I remain a youngish rabbi, still pitching, batting and shooting hoops. For others, I’m a mature advisor for vexing personal or communal issues. Now, I am becoming the rabbi who will step aside in three years for a successor.  

This has led me to think about other anniversaries. Twenty years ago, following the signing of the Oslo Accords, I spoke of the two decades since the Yom Kippur War, and expressed hope in the possibility of peace. Despite many changes, we find Israel still engaged in negotiations with the Palestinians and still concerned about its neighboring states. 

Watching the conflict in Egypt, the carnage in Syria and the potential of nuclear weapons in Iran, we know that war is as old as mankind, but peace is a modern work in progress. At this time of great uncertainty, we pray for wisdom for our leaders, solidarity among allies, and the strength to make necessary decisions.

Anniversaries enable us to see historic movement. In 1963, at the March on Washington, Rabbi Joachim Prinz said, “Our ancient history began with slavery and the yearning for freedom.… [As a] rabbi …in Berlin under the Hitler regime… I learned… that …the most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.”3 Our experiences of slavery and redemption, Holocaust and rebirth, inspired Black leaders, who looked to the Bible to chart a course for America.

30 years ago, the immigration of Ethiopian refugees began. Last month this chapter of history came to a close. Over 35,000 Ethiopian Jews have returned to Zion. Pnina Gaday, a leader of the Ethiopian community visited us last April. She said, “It was a Biblical dream, it became a contemporary reality, and it remains a challenge for the future.”

Ten years ago, in the midst of weekly acts of terror, I discussed bus bombings, restaurant explosions, and the war walking into my friends’ apartment. I also spoke about the courage and commitment of ordinary Israelis to continue life. My teacher, Rabbi David Hartman z”l used to say that the real story of the future of Israel is found in the maternity ward of Shaare Zedek Hospital.

Although my granddaughter was born at Hadassah, I am delighted that we will partner with Shaare Zedek to honour Irwin Cotler for his humanitarian leadership. Irwin has often reiterated that we should have immense pride in our history and heritage. He has also emphasized that Jews have important lessons to share with the world.

Hayom, on the mythic anniversary of the creation of Adam and of the liberation of Joseph, we think about the past year. On the big screen of memory, we know of some terrible times:

Floods in India, Alberta and my basement. Buildings collapsing in Bangladesh and Elliot Lake. Hurricane Sandy on the East coast, the Sandy Hook school killings, the Boston Marathon bombings, Lac-Mégantic in Quebec.

What about on your personal, small screen? Close your eyes: review your year. What was particularly notable? Think about the setbacks of the year: were there some illnesses or losses? Perhaps there were some special successes? Were there any relationships repaired or restored? Was someone born or buried? Was there a bat mitzvah or wedding? Was there a new job or a retirement? Did someone new come into your life? Where are you today relative to last year? How are you preparing to go forward in this New Year?

On Rosh Hashanah, we emphasize divine majesty and human capacity for change. Teshuvah, repentance, requires us to review our actions and relationships to recalibrate or to correct them. Teshuvah is like an anniversary. It looks backward in order to move forward.

Where do we want to go as a religious community? In our conference, “The End of the Synagogue as We Know it?” we explored challenges facing congregations. Two things were clear. For communities to thrive, people have to feel welcome, wanted and valued.

And synagogues have to transition from being primarily ethnic communities with religious trappings, to become sacred centres wrestling with God.  How do we learn to do this? Who are our teachers?  

The Jew-by-Choice who enters here for love of a person and discovers a way of life that she comes to admire and love. The mourner who comes to say kaddish and finds a community of care and concern to help him through his grief. The families that host our Young Emissaries and find themselves deeply bonded to Israel and synagogue life. The 18 year old Israeli shinshinim, fresh from high school, who come to our community and discover for themselves a Judaism that they lack in Israel. They show us what we take for granted.

The high school student who reads Torah. The kids who come here to play ball-hockey or theatre games on Shabbat afternoon and find in the shul a second home. The Ramah campers who bring their Jewish enthusiasm back here. The teen girl who mentors younger children on Shabbat morning. The students who travel on the March of the Living or Birthright and strengthen their Jewish identities. The students who meet with me in Israel for coffee or dinner. We want to provide more extensive and deeper connections.

The young couple who first met in the foyer and then again on J-date. Our young people who turn to us to help source hospitality in other countries through Masorti Olami. The single adult who studied here, developed cancer, and is now regularly supported by former classmates. The multi-generation family that performs in our Purim musical. The young mother who decides to mark an Adult Bat Mitzvah that unexpectedly transforms her family life. The siblings that come for help to resolve a family conflict. The gay couple that wants to place a mezuzah and celebrate their home. The single woman, determined to create a synagogue environment more inclusive of religious expression by women.

The older man whose wife died and who met a new circle of friends at New Horizons. The Men’s Club volunteers who spend hours sorting old siddurim so that families may reclaim part of their heritage. Our Out-of-the Cold volunteers who learn gratitude from their hesed work. The hundreds who are intellectually stimulated by our Film and Book Club. The thousands of non-Jewish students who visit our Museum each year to learn about our tradition, and the thousands of Israelis who learn about Conservative Judaism when their tour buses stop here for our hospitality.

The hundreds we encounter in our inter-faith seminars, dinners, and excursions. The people who come on the Path of Abraham and discover – through the encounter with Christians and Muslims - new ways of understanding Israel and Jewish life.

All these people teach us the importance of listening and learning. At Beth Tzedec, we want people to be valued, to find value and to deepen values. We need your support as volunteers and donors to enable us to continue to provide powerful linkages to God, Torah and the Jewish people. Membership maintains a base-line of service. Your gracious gift of time and funding helps us to enhance Jewish life.

It’s my 20^th anniversary here. In my now clearly limited time, what would I still like to accomplish?

Restore our building. It is a great facility in need of serious renovation.

Re-energize our prayers and our prayer-ers. We need to match the new Shabbat siddurim in the pews with new mahzorim for the holidays.  While maintaining its traditional character, we must reimagine our prayer service to respond to new needs. We must provide new opportunities to learn the old prayers and to feel competent and confident in a synagogue setting.

Reinvigorate our religious ideals by reclaiming the deep values of the covenant of Abraham. Our commitment to the Jewish people will be deepened and strengthened for the long-run and our mitzvah work for the world will be grounded in that covenant.

Anniversaries are for celebrating, respecting and honouring the past. We also can use them to push ourselves forward. היום הרת עולם, today the world trembles, because of the uncertainty of the moment, the importance of your decisions and the participation of all of us in charting a meaningful future.

1 http://ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com/ancient_hebrew_poetry/2008/09/all-the-generations-before-me-a-poem-by-yehuda-amichai.html
2 Talmud, Rosh Hashanah10b-11a
3 http://www.joachimprinz.com/civilrights.htm