Rabbi Benzaquen's Message
Text of the speech given at the 90th Anniversary Dinner on November 21, 2004
I would like to begin by wishing all of us a happy 90th Anniversary
as a synagogue and community, and acknowledge the presence of my dear
colleagues: Rabbi Solomon Maimon, my very dear friend and colleague
from our sister congregation Ezra Bessaroth, Rabbi Cohen-Scali, Rabbi
Kletenik of Bikur Holim Machzikay Hadath, Rabbi Fox of Northwest Yeshiva
High School, and Rabbi Kay of Seattle Hebrew Academy.
Ladies and Gentlemen
I once heard a story about the leader of a tribe that was encamped at the
base of a mountain. The leader of the tribe was dying and summoned his three
sons to his bedside. "I cannot decide which one of you should succeed me," he
said, "so I am setting a special task for you. I am asking you to climb
the mountain and bring back the most important object you can find. The one
who brings the most valuable gift will be my successor."
After several days, the young men returned. The first son brought a beautiful
flower, which he had found at the very summit. The father admired the flower,
but was not overly impressed. The second son presented a handsomely polished
stone that had been buffed to shiny smoothness by wind and rain. The father
expressed muted admiration. The third son arrived empty handed. "I have nothing
to give you," he said, "But when I stood on the mountain top, I saw on the
other side a pleasant land filled with green pastures and streams of fresh water.
I had a vision of our tribe moving to this pleasant land and living a better life."
And the head of the tribe replied, "You shall be the leader, for you have brought
the greatest gift of all - the gift of vision."
As a community, the most precious ability we possess is the power of vision. It
helps us chart new paths and open new avenues for progress. I would like to pose
the question that many of you must be pondering. If our ancestors, our parents and
grandparents were present today at this wonderful SBH 90th Anniversary Celebration,
what would they be saying? How would they be looking at our congregation? I would
say they would be very impressed with our achievements. They would be comparing the
struggle of their humble beginnings when they came to these shores; how they struggled
even to rent a place, a corner or a room in another synagogue to pray and to congregate.
How they struggled to include everyone they knew into their endeavors; how every
penny collected was considered an achievement. They would look at us and see our remarkable
gains - having a beautiful synagogue and social hall and a very tolerant and inclusive
synagogue, with a lot to offer.
It is a remarkable achievement, but they would ask, is the enthusiasm that they
possessed in their humble beginning still with the third and fourth generation? Is the
strong determination to leave an even greater legacy for future generations to ensure
that their children and grandchildren remain in the fold of the community still with us?
Are we ensuring that enthusiasm? That determination?
To that we do not yet have the full answer because there is still much work to be done.
We would know that we have among us, children and grandchildren who are generous, who
are enthusiastic about our synagogue and community, who are determined to continue and
to leave a great legacy for our future generations. But my friends, we need the rest i.e.
all of us. We need your generosity, we need your part to play, we need your determination
to be a player and contributor in every way - with your presence, your effort, your
contributions, your generosity, your heart, and most of all, your enthusiasm.
We, each of us, must follow the example of this third son if we are going to make our
Synagogue the best it can be. We must invest time and energy in the long term planning
to achieve the success that they, as well as we, envision and at the same time we
cannot afford to be idle in the present. Every day that passes, if we are not engaged
in this endeavor, is a missed opportunity.
Our forefathers, our roots, gave us beautiful, valuable and exceptional memories
of their efforts, their enthusiasm and generosity. We need to dream that future and
our dreams must exceed our memories. Because if we do not, and if our memories exceed
our dreams, then we are doomed. At a recent conference on Jewish education by Dr. Jeffrey
Solomon, President of the Charles and Andrea Bronfman, Philanthropists, offered the
following thought, "When memories exceed our dreams, the end is near."
My dear friends, as your Rabbi, I would like to issue, to put forward, a challenge
to every one of you. What are your dreams for our SBH Congregation? What would you
like to see to preserve those memories with a dream, a dream that becomes a reality?
I would like to very briefly put forward some thoughts, but I would like your input.
This will take time, but if we all work together toward those goals, it could become
a wonderful reality. But you should understand that it will take a concerted effort
on the part of every member of our SBH to embrace this wonderful opportunity and to
play your part.
Part of my dream is to see that we prioritize our needs and our goals and as we begin
anticipating our vision for the future, we must focus on creating youth and adult
programming that is dynamic, vibrant, appealing and educational. We must make sure
that our religious services and lifecycle events continue to reflect our unique heritage.
We must reach out to those members of our community to involve them as part of our
extended family, and reinforce the bonds they have with us, as well as bringing new
members into our family. We are very fortunate and very proud that we have among us
in the SBH membership many wonderful, hospitable, welcoming people; but we have to
strive even higher to encompass the entire community. Hospitality has to be a fabric
and part of our entire vocabulary.
There is something you can do tonight. In the back of your dinner journal is the
first step of our comprehensive strategic planning process. This form, compiled
by Robert Gladstein, is for you to review and complete. I have been informed that
there are designated receptacles by the exit doors for those who wish to fill it out.
To make this process succeed, it is vital that we all have an opportunity to express
our ideas, thoughts and dreams. Ultimately, we, our families, even our children's
grandchildren, will benefit from what we are able to accomplish.
I look forward to hearing each of your dreams and aspirations, and together, we
can turn our collective dream into a brilliant reality.
