News

Sabbatical Message from President & Rabbi David

Dear JCOGS family,

The JCOGS Board is well prepared for Rabbi David’s upcoming departure this Sunday, October 15 for his well-earned sabbatical. The process for planning Rabbi David’s sabbatical began early last spring as a committee of lay leaders interviewed candidates for the position of rabbinic intern. As our entire community learned over these past weeks, we are very fortunate to have Emmanuel Cantor as our spiritual leader while Rabbi David is away. Emmanuel will be traveling to JCOGS two weekends each month for Friday night services and Saturday educational opportunities with our Mitzvah students, Kinderlach and Gesher families, and adult education participants. Other Shabbat services will be led by local guest clergy and, excitingly, by a team of lay leaders who have been learning and preparing with Rabbi David. When Emmanuel is not in Stowe he will meet with members, staff and lay leaders via Zoom. Emmanuel is eager to hear from members and offer rabbinic support. He may be reached at: emmanuel.cantor@jcogs.org.
 
On the administration side, staff and lay leaders have already stepped up, taking on additional roles and responsibilities. A big thank you goes to Beth Liberman, education director, beth.liberman@jcogs.org, Laura Kittel, administrative assistant, laura.kittell@jcogs.org, and Amy Rosenthal, mitzvah coordinator, amy.rosenthal@jcogs.org for working patiently and so diligently to serve our JCOGS community. Our JCOGS office is here for you. The office is open for visitors every day, Monday-Thursday 10-3 and Friday 12-5 or by appointment. Email us at jcogs@jcogs.org.

All of us wish Rabbi David a rejuvenating sabbatical and look forward to his return in April filled with fresh ideas and a renewed spirit. To this end, during his absence Rabbi David will be unavailable by phone or email. Rabbinic intern Emmanuel Cantor (emmanuel.cantor@jcogs.org) is the contact person for rabbinic needs; please contact the JCOGS office for administrative questions; and I invite members to contact me (cyndy.wyatt@jcogs.org) at any time, especially as questions arise during this transition period.

Cyndy Wyatt, President


Sabbatical reflections and plans from Rabbi David

As I head out on sabbatical, beginning after Shabbat, I am keenly aware—with a heavy heart—at what a horrific time this is for the Jewish people.  As Alison and I thought about the sabbatical, one of our top choices was to be in Israel.  Alas, we chose differently—particularly poignantly now—as we will spend our time in New Zealand.  But Yehudah Halevi said what many of us feel today, that wherever I am, “my heart is in the east.”  And it shall be.

I want to thank the board and community for their deep consideration in making this sabbatical a success for both the congregation and myself and our family.  I will return in time to co-lead the annual second night Passover Seder at JCOGS alongside our rabbinic intern Emmanuel Cantor.

This sabbatical is a meaningful time for the synagogue’s growth and learning.  We are so blessed to have such devoted and committed lay leadership and strong staff support.  I feel the congregation is particularly blessed to have our rabbinic intern Emmanuel Cantor (emmanuel.cantor@jcogs.org), who impresses me with every interaction.  Emmanuel has a caring, empathetic, and passionate soul.  He will be a thoughtful and devoted spiritual leader for JCOGS in the coming months.

I remarked on Yom Kippur that I see this sabbatical as sacred time, and I thus hope to use the time wisely to rejuvenate and replenish in the following ways:

I will be devoting myself to much Torah learning.  I hope to work on a translation project (permission pending) of one of my beloved hasidic 20th century teachers, Netivot Shalom.  I also have a suitcase full of books (under 50 pounds for the airlines!), as well as access to Jewish libraries in New Zealand. I am looking forward to studying sources and articles that will be a source of enrichment for the coming years, including particular interests in Jewish storytelling, and plans to study our Siddur Lev Shalem in depth.

I will also be continuing as part of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality fellowship for clergy, which includes Torah study, meditation and mindfulness, prayer, and more.

Finally, of course, I also plan to take this time to devote to my family.  Given my day-to-day schedule on typical days, it feels important, sacred, and deeply Jewish to prioritize my family on this sabbatical.

You will be in my thoughts regularly, and I will keep our whole community in my prayers during this time.

I hope to see you tonight—in person or on Zoom—as we gather for Israel and in honour of Shabbat. Now is a time to be together, to lean on each other and our Jewish home here in the mountains.  
 
Tihiyu bri’im, may you be healthy and safe.  Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi David

Announcements and Upcoming Events