Occasionally our community comes together around a theme, and this year we’ve decided to weave the idea of “telling our story” into our programming. At Beth El Temple Center, we’ve begun to share our Jewish stories with one another. What role does Judaism play in our lives? How did it shape our childhood or enter our lives as adults? How does our Judaism express itself in our work of Tikkun Olam, study, or celebrations? As Rabbi Kraus would ask, how are we living the Torah?

The stories we’ve heard have inspired and entertained us…and sometimes left us in awe. Temple President John Weiss kicked off the year with a Yom Kippur speech that included amusing memories from his childhood. Table Talk speaker Richard Hillel regaled us with stories about his uncle’s daring rescues of Iraqi Jews and his kibbutz’s secret production of ammunition (underground – literally!) during Israel’s founding years. Jesse Weiss, another Table Talk speaker, related how his education at Beth El Temple Center led him to activism on Beacon Hill on behalf of unemployed teenagers, and eventually to teach with City Year. During Social Action Shabbat, our Social Action Committee members shared tales of Tikkun Olam (or “repairing the world”). A newsletter article by Elissa Grad described the winding path of relationships that led her, much to her own surprise, to BETC (where she is now serves as vice president).

Stories enrich our community by making us laugh, making us think, and making us wonder. When we share our stories, we learn more about one another, and deepen our connections to each other. We all have stories – we hope you will share yours. We look forward to many more during the year.