Groucho Marx once said, "I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member." In certain respects you can call a synagogue a club. We speak of Judaism and Jews in terms of being a member of the tribe, so why not a club? Often, clubs become divided, as do tribes and peoples. There are those who like black socks and yet again those who like brown socks and the two groups will bicker over the benefits of each. Over time, people forget what they were arguing or fighting about and keep up the argument for argument's sake. This is when people or members begin to forget why they joined a synagogue or a club.
So why belong to a synagogue anyway? What do you get from it? Do you appreciate your synagogue? Does your synagogue appreciate you? Do you know what having and belonging to a synagogue means? Do you understand the message you send to others by belonging? Do you feel the pride of listening to three- and four-year-olds in preschool singing Shabbat and holiday songs? Do you feel the fullness of heart when watching Jewish children in Religious School filling the halls of the synagogue as they go from Hebrew class to Judaic class? Do you get comfort from knowing that in the best of times or in the worst of times, you are not alone? Do you know that there is an extended family that you are part of that will work tirelessly to make sure that you have a minyan at your house after a loss or make sure that the Social Hall is set just right for your simcha? Do you feel pride when you turn the corner onto Elbo Lane and there stands a building which you built and sustain, which acknowledges to the world your pride and heritage? Does that pride swell when you recall that 185 Nobel Prizes have been won by Jews? That 0.02 percent of the world's popula-tion has won nearly 25% of the Nobel Prizes awarded since its inception. It is not only the honoree who wins when he reaches the heights of receiving a Nobel Prize, the entire world wins and benefits. The same can be said about your belonging to a synagogue; your belonging benefits the rest of the membership. This is what this club gives you. And what you get is then passed down to your children who then take it out into the world with them enabling them, just as you did, to make a better world.
Recently we experienced some changes in our synagogue: New Early Childhood Center Di-rector, new Administrator and soon, God willing, a new Rabbi with the coming of the New Year. New players for the team! The future is now and the greatness of Adath Emanu-El has many more chapters to be written but it will be done by all of us and not by "woulda, coulda, shoulda" and parties no longer here.
Do you see now why you belong to a synagogue? Poor Groucho, had he only lived in Mt. Laurel... Alan Bell, Administrator
Groucho Marx once said, "I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member." In certain respects you can call a synagogue a club. We speak of Judaism and Jews in terms of being a member of the tribe, so why not a club? Often, clubs become divided, as do tribes and peoples. There are those who like black socks and yet again those who like brown socks and the two groups will bicker over the benefits of each. Over time, people forget what they were arguing or fighting about and keep up the argument for argument's sake. This is when people or members begin to forget why they joined a synagogue or a club.