It is a privilege to serve as one of the guest commentators for our Daily Kavanah. Like many of you, I start each day with a beautiful teaching from one of our wonderful clergy members. Currently, with Rabbi Yoshi taking a much deserved sabbatical, the Temple has asked others to fill in for him.
This week’s Torah portion, from Exodus, is all about rules for priests—it explains how each day they need to bring oil to burn, how they must wear certain kinds of robes, and how priests are to be ordained in a special ceremony.
The rules for clergy that are expressed in this Torah portion remind me of my service as Temple president these past few years. Not as having set rules for clergy but rather in having had the privilege of working with and supporting our incredibly talented clergy team. My term as president of Stephen Wise Temple is ending, and I have mixed emotions. On the one hand, I know that the Temple will be extremely well served by our presumptive president-elect, Vic Svilik. Vic has served the Temple in critical volunteer roles for many years. He is a wonderful person and will be an incredible leader for our congregation. On the other hand, I feel like there is more I would have liked to accomplish.
Among the actions from my term which I am most proud of are: my establishment of a Shalom Baeyit committee to facilitate greater understanding between school families and the broader temple; the establishment of our new committees on antisemitism and support for Israel; having helped with issues relating to the completion of our world-class AMC building; improving how our Executive Committee functions to provide important leadership to the temple; assisting with the ongoing development of the temple’s new strategic plan; signing Rabbi Yoshi, Cantor Emma, and Tami to long-term contract extensions; having helped in the search and then onboarding process for our new outstanding Executive Director, Jodi Berman; having helped Cantor Emma find our wonderful new cantor who will be joining us soon; and advising the temple on numerous legal and financial issues to keep the temple operating at peak efficiency.
There is more work to be done of course. The temple could use an endowment and we have other building projects on the wish list. However, the most important lesson I have learned over the past couple of years is just how important Stephen Wise Temple is to our members, to the Los Angeles community, and to the world. I experienced first hand the caring nature of our clergy when my beloved grandmother passed away. I also know from speaking with others that they have had similar experiences of warmth and love during difficult times. I witnessed the power of our community several times after October 7, along with our clergy’s steadfast commitment to Israel and to standing up against antisemitism at home. I remain impressed by all of the good deeds facilitated by our clergy to help those in need here and in Israel. In short, in these difficult times, having a vibrant synagogue like Stephen Wise Temple is our people’s best hope for continuing our existence in yet another challenging time.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your President. And thank you to Stephen Wise Temple for being my wife and my spiritual home.
—Stephen Wise Temple President, Jeremy Rosen