The Operative Word

“To infinity, and beyond…”

While for many, this saying immediately conjures images of Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and the entire Toy Story crew, for me it perfectly encapsulates how I feel starting 2022 at Beth Tfiloh . To mix metaphors, we have rounded the corner of this new calendar year, and we are now poised to take the best of what has come before and combine it with all of the energy and excitement that accompanies BT’s transition to leadership under our new senior rabbi .

Rabbi Wohlberg and the entire staff put BT in a place where we can say we are the premier Modern Orthodox shul in the country . The transition to Rabbi Posner as senior rabbi, and the implementation of his vision, will ensure BT remains that leader for years to come .

What does this leadership position mean for the operations of Beth Tfiloh? As your DSO, it means working with my programming team, under the direction of Talia Jordan, to make sure we are providing inspiring, authentic, and relevant programming . Perhaps more importantly, it means rethinking what a successful program means . The best programs are not necessarily those with the highest attendance or the most “buzz,” but rather those where the participants come away feeling engaged, connected, and more excited about being a part of the BT community than before . This is why a major focus of our programming (and frankly, overall efforts) in the coming year will be focused on helping anyone who wants to feel more a part of the BT family, do so . Perhaps counterintuitively, engagement also does not mean making sure every member comes to as many programs as possible . Someone can be highly engaged through attendance at a single program, deepening their relationship to the BT community, while someone who attends many programs feels little connection at all . Engagement is about quality, not quantity .

Engagement and excellence are equally important for our lay leaders . Together, we have already begun restructuring how our board meetings run, both to increase meaningful participation and to allow BT to benefit from the amazing talent pool we have within our midst . Lay leaders are key to ensuring a bright future for BT, and Rabbi Posner and I are committed to continuing to develop and maximize the potential of those who are moved to serve .

Being a premier institution also means that our staff is committed to providing top notch customer service . To make sure this happens, as Rabbi Posner mentioned in his column, we need to ensure that our staff and our systems are designed to meet our current and future needs, and that we are efficient, friendly, and responsive in all that we do . We are looking at the tools we use, the processes that are in place, and both the internal communication and member communication that does (and should) exist . This will be a journey, and one that may take some time . I am committed to working with your BT staff to make this shul the best it can be .

As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your perspectives . Getting better means admitting some things can (and should) be improved . Stay with us as we move forward on our journey to infinity… and beyond!