New Heights Capital Campaign: Stories From the Heart
When did you join BHS and what inspired you to do so?
We joined in 1980, when our daughter Rachel was 8 and our son Dan was 5. Previously, we were members of a Reconstructionist synagogue, but it just got too difficult to schelp to the Upper West Side. We chose BHS for its vibe and warmth.
How are you involved with BHS?
I was chair of the religious school committee. I am a child and adult psychologist, and when our former rabbi, Rick Jacobs, would meet with religious school parents, he wanted me there at all of the meetings. My husband Richard, now deceased, was on the BHS board. I chaired the committee to hire our first preschool director. I am on the BHS board and have served on the executive committee. I also chair the Lifelong Learning Committee.
What draws you to BHS?
One of the things that keeps me coming to BHS is the services. I love to greet people and welcome them. I don’t light candles every Friday night, but singing is very important. I love the choir. I love the community.
I also truly enjoy the studying that goes on at BHS. There is so much sharing and learning. I lead a workshop every January that’s very meaningful to me for people 50 and over. There are four sessions, and each is about a different topic addressing family, friendship, health and thriving as we age.
What aspects of the new building project most excite you?
One of the wonderful things about the new building is that we finally will have space to spread out. I’m thrilled that we will have an outdoor playspace for the little kids to run around and play. That is something they need developmentally. We will also have a beautiful room for parties and events. Event space is important for us as modern day Jews — I still wish I could have held my son’s bar mitzvah at the synagogue. One of the things that we understand about a healthy life is that community helps us cope with loneliness. I’d like our synagogue to be a place where people can come and feel attached. We need a lot more room to do that.
What would you like to tell families or individuals thinking of giving to the New Heights capital campaign?
The synagogue is here for you, and you have to be here for it. It can’t be something that just gives to you. You have a stake in its growth and development. We need to here for one another, from cradle to grave, as connected Jews.