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CEO Report - continued<br />
as a means of eradicating poverty<br />
across the developing world.<br />
In his book, Wood speaks about<br />
the numerous failed attempts of the<br />
World Bank, National Geographic<br />
and others, to improve literacy in<br />
developing countries. He highlights<br />
that success doesn’t come from one<br />
drop of good-will in well-intentioned<br />
projects. The ‘high’ of a successful<br />
event or successful completion<br />
of a project, and the good feeling<br />
of the photo opportunity are not<br />
good enough to create a sustainable<br />
change. What makes the difference<br />
is the ownership of the community.<br />
After the last HHD I went to<br />
New York and visited the Central<br />
Synagogue. Although I arrived on<br />
my own, I left with two invitations<br />
to connect while I was there, enjoyed<br />
a lovely conversation over Kiddush<br />
with a number of locals, and was<br />
offered three business cards.<br />
I would like to think that kind of<br />
welcome extends to strangers in our<br />
synagogue. Our rabbis encourage<br />
conversation between members, and<br />
yet, once the service is over, do we<br />
search out those we may not know,<br />
do we look for ways to include others<br />
in our lives or, do we all quietly<br />
leave by ourselves? As one membermunchkin<br />
described, “I came; I<br />
had a conversation about smoked<br />
salmon with someone whose name<br />
I don’t know, and then I left.”<br />
So what shall we all do?<br />
A call to action:<br />
Now that we have all this beautiful<br />
space, garden and unique campus, it<br />
is up to each of us, when we come to<br />
the synagogue to introduce ourselves<br />
to our neighbour and find out who<br />
else is in our community. Be present<br />
and interested. <strong>May</strong>be we will find<br />
our next friend for life, a neighbour<br />
who knows our cousin or a first<br />
cousin of our aunt - I don’t know. I<br />
am not promising that we will find<br />
husbands or wives, but I do know<br />
that a community is very important,<br />
and a sense of belonging is what<br />
we humans need and long for.<br />
John Wood has identified – success<br />
of an initiative was achieved<br />
only when the community took<br />
ownership. Communities don’t<br />
get built by themselves, they get<br />
built by us, the individuals.<br />
In the meantime, our rabbis and<br />
office are going to help out a little.<br />
We will coordinate volunteering<br />
activities for ushers, to welcome<br />
visitors and members to the services,<br />
introduce people to each other<br />
and perhaps providing some useful<br />
information about our synagogue.<br />
Ushers will explain to people<br />
which service is where, and make<br />
people feel like they are coming to<br />
their ‘castle’ - to their home. Every<br />
Shabbat service we would like to<br />
have people who make each one of<br />
us feel like we belong. Perhaps you<br />
might want to join this first cohort<br />
of ushers? We invite each and every<br />
one of you to leave the fear behind<br />
and introduce yourselves; accept an<br />
invitation to Shabbat dinner or even<br />
an event. Really participate in the<br />
life of the congregation, in making<br />
new relationships and building this<br />
community together! The more you<br />
come, the more you get to know,<br />
the more you will belong.<br />
Expecting a baby?<br />
Jewnatal is a program for those expecting<br />
a baby in their lives, whether through birth<br />
or adoption, and whether the 1st or 5th!<br />
The concept is to foster/build relationships with<br />
people going through the same life stage that<br />
will carry forward after the class has concluded.<br />
Dates for 2nd cycle <strong>2019</strong><br />
Oct 27, Nov 17, Dec 1, Dec 15<br />
Contact the office for details.<br />
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