What you missed

What you missed:

At a previous regional biennial, we learned the following lesson about worship attendance: If people are not at services, they are probably not at home, doing nothing. So where were you last Friday night, May 9? At a movie? Out to dinner? At a friend’s house?

Well, here’s what you missed at Temple B’nai Israel.

You missed six of our best and brightest get confirmed in the Blatt-Levenson Sanctuary. They culminated years of Sunday morning and Wednesday evening classes. Highlights included:

· Abby Rubenstein and Bailey Bennett beautifully read Torah.

· Hannah Masnek delivered a d’var Torah, completing the sentence, “I am a Reform Jew because …”

· Baylea Barlow, Chelsea Judge and Daniel Stein highlighted the nature of Reform Judaism, how it has changed, and how it has stayed the same.

In addition, ICSS Director Sarah Sorrell shared inspirational words that the confirmands will be able to take with them wherever they go; and the Confirmation parents worked hard behind the scenes to ensure that the oneg was extra special and memorable.

As I looked out at the sanctuary, I was struck by how few congregants were present to watch the evening unfold. If I subtracted the confirmands’ parents, siblings and grandparents from those in attendance, the resulting number was embarrassing low.

At the temple, we speak of how we are a family, how we support one another, how we are there for one another during times of sorrow and celebration. The reality of last Friday night was a stark contrast from this lofty vision.

For the Confirmation students and their families, the event was still memorable and sweet. But how much more memorable and sweet could it have been if more congregants were present, expressing their support?

The argument that we do not know the confirmation students does not hold water. We know their parents or grandparents or great grandparents; we know some of their family members in passing; and that should be enough. I have officiated at four confirmation ceremonies at Temple B’nai Israel. I have taught our youth and gotten to know their families. But for each ceremony, attendance has been disappointingly low.

We can do better.

So where were you last Friday night? I promise you that our youth created a Confirmation experience that was better than yet another night out at the movies, out to dinner or at a friend’s house.

We say we support our youth. We say we are a congregational family. Let’s do a better job of backing up our words with action.