Newsletter

Letter from Peter Mackler,
President of the Board of Trustees
                                                                
July 22, 2022

Dear Congregation Kol Ami:

As Jews we are taught to honor the lessons and traditions handed down to us by our ancestors. It is our obligation to keep these traditions flowing and strong. L'dor V'dor-from Generation to Generation. With this in mind, and with mixed emotions, I write to you today to share that our Senior Founding Rabbi, Denise Eger, has informed the Board of Trustees of her plans to retire on June 30, 2024, at which time she will become Kol Ami's First Rabbi Emerita. Prior to her retirement, Rabbi Eger will be on a 12-month sabbatical thereby concluding her day-to-day responsibilities on July 1, 2023.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank Rabbi Eger for her unparalleled leadership and dedication and recognize the immeasurable impact she's had on the lives of so many serving as our Senior Rabbi. As a congregational family, Rabbi Eger has nourished our souls through her Jewish teachings and has expanded our view of the world while reminding us of our responsibility to be fighters for justice beyond our Temple walls. We have also benefited from the attention brought to us through her national and international leadership positions and groundbreaking work. It's through these examples of leadership that together we will continue to move our congregation forward and plan for our next chapter.

As mentioned above, we are fortunate to have Rabbi Eger continue as our Senior Rabbi for the next several months, and we look forward to our ongoing relationship with her as our First Rabbi Emerita for many years to come. To move us forward, I have asked Dr. Nancy Cohen to chair the search committee that will start its work immediately for an interim rabbi to begin service on July 1, 2023. The interim rabbi is a specialist with certification in transition management to help us clarify what we want in our next settled rabbi. I've also reached out to the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) for additional guidance and insight to ensure a successful transition process.

As we celebrate our 30th year as Kol Ami, we will also be taking this as an opportunity to celebrate Rabbi Eger, the contributions she's made to our Temple family and our communities at large, as well as the new opportunities that await her. As events are planned, I do hope you'll join us.

If you have further questions, please feel free to email me at president@kol­ami.org .

You may also visit our website at kol-ami.org .
 
Shalom,
 

Peter J. Mackler, Board President

Letter from Rabbi Eger
                                                                
July 22, 2022
 
Dear Congregation Kol Ami:

The author of Ecclesiastes wrote: "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven". As we celebrate the 30th year of our congregation, I have been honored to serve as your Rabbi since the beginning! Today I write to tell you that after 35 years, the time has come to announce my plans to retire as your Senior Rabbi. I will retire officially on June 30, 2024. However, I will be on sabbatical from July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024. Upon my retirement, I will become the First Rabbi Emerita of our congregation.

My decision to retire as your Senior Rabbi was not an easy one to make but is necessary so I may pursue my own next chapter - one that focuses more on teaching and lecturing, as well as the flexibility to support my wife in her career. My relationship with our community will not end, the nature of it will transform. I will always be a rabbi and have a connection to our congregation and to each of you.
I have dedicated my life to Congregation Kol Ami and our congregants. For 30 years it has been the greatest privilege to build this sacred place with you. In partnership with devoted lay leaders, generous congregants, wonderful clergy partners, and staff colleagues, we have created a unique spiritual home like no other. 

The timeframe of my retirement provides our Temple Board with the necessary time to conduct a thorough search for an interim rabbi for the fiscal year 2023-2024, whose specialized training in transition management will help this community discern who will become the next Rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami.

Now it is a new season and a time for a new vision for our congregation. I pray each of you will be involved in creating that vision and strengthening our congregation. As we look to the year before us, let us reflect and celebrate all that we have done for the past 30 years together, offer blessings of love and encouragement, and plan plan for a bright future for Congregation Kol Ami.

Ellie and I have been blessed by each of you and we look forward to a warm relationship with our beloved Temple community for many years to come.

With deepest gratitude and blessings,

 
Rabbi Denise L. Eger Founding Senior Rabbi