Congregation B'nai Shalom: Bulletin

To all the members of our congregation. I want to share with you a document I created, a document that outlines what I believe is the ideal relationship between a rabbi and his congregation. Please read it and let me know your comments!

Rabbinic Covenant

We hold these truths to be axiomatic: that the Blessed Holy One gave Torah to Israel, His beloved people; that Torah is our life-blood, our supreme source of instruction, inspiration, and spiritual sustenance; that the fulfillment of our mission as Jews depends on strengthening our connection to Torah, and that, from the time Israel stood at Sinai until the End of Days, Torah remains the most fundamental pillar of Jewish life.

Whereas	the Blessed Holy One gave Torah freely to His people as a loving gift and inheritance; one may not use it as a means of earning a living. Hence, in centuries past, the Jewish people received instruction from rabbis and teachers who earned their living through the practice of various trades and professions.
Whereas	numerous historical factors—the general decline in Jewish knowledge and commitment, increased communal demands upon the rabbi, and the widening of the rabbi’s role—have resulted in the institution of the professional rabbinate. Nevertheless, the office of rabbi may in no ways be compared to that of the trades and professions. A rabbi is not an employee of the community. He is their spiritual leader and partner in a relationship of trust and mutual respect.
Whereas	the Halachic basis for a rabbi to be paid a salary is the principle that the rabbi’s duties prevent him from fully earning a living elsewhere; he is thus compensated in order that he may serve as the community’s spiritual leader.
Whereas	the age we live in is an age of unprecedented weakening of the bonds of tradition that previously linked the Jewish people to Torah, our heritage; engaging, nurturing, inspiring spiritual guidance is the highest priority of the Jewish community.
Whereas	the Jewish community known as ________________________ (“the congregation”) is comprised of individuals who genuinely seek to strengthen the bond of faith that binds them to the Blessed Holy One; they seek to grow in their knowledge of Torah, their observance of the mitzvot, and their connection to their Jewish heritage.
Whereas	the congregation seeks to enter into a relationship with Rabbi ______________ in the hope that the joint efforts and partnership of rabbi and community will facilitate this connection and growth.
Whereas	Rabbi __________________ (“rabbi”) is familiar with the congregation and sincerely believes that his G-d given gifts of mind and heart, when faithfully applied to the goals set out above, will result in such facilitation.
Whereas	both rabbi and congregation enter into this partnership of their own free will.
*Therefore*	let it be said that the duties of Rabbi ________________and the community in Israel known as ________________________________ are hereby outlined as follows:

As to the Rabbi: For the purposes of this covenant, the rabbi’s responsibilities are comprised of two indispensable areas of service. They are: 1. The rabbi’s cultivating a relationship with the Blessed Holy One, and 2. The rabbi’s cultivating a relationship with the members of the congregation.

The rabbi’s cultivating a relationship with the Blessed Holy One includes, but is not limited to the following: Torah study for its own sake, communal prayer, individual prayer, periodic reflection and contemplation, seeking wisdom and guidance from those in whose presence his soul is rejuvenated.
The rabbi’s cultivating a relationship with the members of the congregation includes, but is not limited to the following: sensitivity and tending to the spiritual needs of congregants—especially during times of difficulty, providing the congregation with numerous and varied educational opportunities, initiating, and acting as a resource for congregational events, presiding over the nature and content of all religious services and life-cycle events of the congregation, supervising all educational aspects of the congregation.

As to the Congregation: The congregation’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: congregants seeking to cultivate a relationship with other congregants, welcoming and being hospitable to new people in the congregation, seeking to cultivate a relationship with the rabbi, not engaging in malicious speech regarding any member of the congregation, the rabbi, or any other matter that pertains to the congregation, general responsiveness to educational, religious and other congregational activities, willingness to plan and help organize such activities, providing the rabbi with housing, salary, and benefits such that the rabbi can reasonably be expected to live and support his family comfortably in the community in which he serves. Both parties agree that they will seek the guidance of a senior rabbi acceptable to both parties in the event that there is any issue, concern, or dispute pertaining to the relationship that has not been resolved through dialogue to the satisfaction of both parties.

Both the community in Israel known as _____________________________ and Rabbi_______________pledge to a relationship based on shared vision, open communication, trust, and mutual respect. May the Holy One bless the congregation and the rabbi, guide them continually, and bring their hearts ever closer to Him. May their ever-growing connection to the wellsprings of their heritage be an agent of transformation for the good, for themselves, their families, the Jewish community and all of humanity.

Signed this__________________,_________________,Rabbi.
Signatures of Congregation:

As I said at our annual meeting, we are all deeply honored that Rabbi Glass has agreed to be our Rabbi for at least two more years. We look forward to a meaningful relationship and partnership that will enrich us all. Speaking of partnership, let me briefly set out a quick guide to the allocation of shul-related responsibilities. The Rabbi drafted a covenant that beautifully explains the relationship between a shul, the community, and its Rabbi, and the covenant can be found in this issue of the bulletin. Please note that the financial and logistical management of the shul is the province of the Board leadership.

This division of responsibilities between community leaders and Torah scholars makes so much sense that it is one of the seven instructions Rabbi Akiva gave to his son, Rabbi Yehoshua (as set out in Talmud Pesachim, p. 112a). Along with such advice as “do not withhold shoes from your feet” and “do not enter your house suddenly, and certainly do not enter your friend’s house suddenly,” Rabbi Akiva instructed his son: “Do not live in a city whose leaders are Torah scholars.” Why? The Rambam explains that sometimes torah scholars are so engrossed in their studies that they tend to neglect communal affairs. Ben Yehoyada offers two other explanations: (1) true Torah scholars will not pander to the masses, which may cause resentment and retribution from a large portion of the populace; and (2) community leaders typically partake of a grander lifestyle, and Torah scholars should not be pressured to do so as well.

So, if you have questions about the shul’s logistical and financial affairs, please bring them to the Board’s attention. If you have questions about religion (both personal observance and communal observance), or about why Rabbi Glass does (or doesn’t do) things a certain way, please please please direct those questions to the Rabbi himself. Together, we all look forward to a bright future.

On May 15th, Congregation B’nai Shalom of Buffalo Grove stood up for all of Buffalo Grove to let them know that we are here and thriving. At the Walk With Israel, WE could not have been more visible. It started with Rabbi Glass leading the crowd of over 2,000 walkers in a beautiful rendition of Hatikvah. One CBS congregant commented, “seeing him up there singing brought a tear to my eye. I love this congregation so much and hearing him made me feel proud”. No one there could argue with this sentiment.

When the shofars sounded to begin the walk (Rabbi Glass and Nathan L. representing CBS) over 70 CBS congregants started the wondrous journey. The kids held a stunning banner that displayed our shul name and the 12 tribes of Israel that our congregation was assigned to educate walkers about. Young and old, all congregants finished the 5.7 kilometer walk, visiting, singing, and most importantly, walking as one in showing their solidarity with the State of Israel.

Many people helped make this day possible. The shirts that were worn by almost all congregants were just wonderful. Marty K. (847-470-1190, email marty@on-time-promotions.com) went above and beyond in providing these shirts for us. Thank you to Steve H. of Martin Stuart Decal Co. (773-379-7501), brother of our congregant Brad H., for providing the banner, If you get a chance, check it out the next time you are in shul. The 12 tribes of Israel artwork that was displayed at our table was done with much attention and hard work by some terrific artists-Logan, Fallon and Cody M. all directed by the head artist, Ronda L. Believe me, many hours were put into this project.

And finally, Steve and Mona K. really pulled all of this together. They attended the meetings, made the calls, made sure we were prepared, secured the busses, and overall were terrific representation for CBS of BG.

It was a day to be proud of and feel good about who we are as a congregation, as a community, and to celebrate the 57th birthday of the creation of Eretz Yisrael.

Rummage Sale: July 10, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Please drop your items off starting on 6/27 through 7/6 during Shul hours. Books, clothes, jewelry, toys, shoes, and bric-a-brac can be donated. No large furniture will be accepted. Due to safety recalls, we can no longer accept car seats and infant furniture.

Kabbalat Shabbat Services ---Come join our Family Kabbalat Shabbat services at 7 p.m. until Shavuot Don't forget to bring the kids! Kabbalat Shabbat Services will be held at 8 p.m. after Shavuot, through July.

OUR LIBRARY NEEDS GOOD JEWISH BOOKS----This is a beautiful way to memorialize a loved one or honor someone special and promote Jewish education at the same time. No shul library should be without a set of Talmud. We need one! ---Artscroll Hebrew English Talmud ---$50 per volume---Your donation can dedicate one or more volumes today!