Today, we read from Parashat Yitro and collectively stood for the reading of the Ten Commandments, as if we were at Sinai. We are reminded not only of the revelation of the Ten Commandments, but of the power and purpose that comes from coming together as a community to pursue something greater than ourselves. The giving of the Ten Commandments was not just an individual experience; it was a collective moment—a covenant made with every member of the nation, young and old, standing as one.
The Torah describes an awe-inspiring, if not slightly terrifying, scene of the mountain enveloped in smoke, with the thunder and shofar blasts growing louder and louder. During this, Moses ascends the mountain as God descends. God tells Moses to return to the people. It was here, in Yitro 20:1-14, that God spoke to the Israelites. In this extraordinary setting, the Ten Commandments were given as part of a collective covenant, uniting every individual in shared purpose and responsibility. The experience was deeply personal and profoundly communal at the same time. Our traditions are built on unity, shared purpose, and vision.
Reflecting on our ARJE initiatives from the past year, I see a powerful parallel. We, too, have gathered each of us bringing our own individual strengths, passions, and perspectives to accomplish meaningful collective goals. Whether it was launching new mentorship initiatives, hosting an annual meeting that provided an in-person, regional gathering that included 143 of our member (a 50% increase for annual meeting attendance over the prior year), or deepening our commitment to creating spaces of belonging where we can support one another, each initiative has required not just individual effort, but a willingness to unite in purpose and vision.
One year ago, I stood before you and shared my vision for creating a community of belonging and cultivating spaces where each member feels they have a place in our ever-changing story as it unfolds. I spoke about having a budget that would allow us to offer a culture of experimentation and provide new types of professional development to meet the needs of all our members, and finally, I aspired to highlight the diverse career paths and career trajectories of our members to strengthen our connections and elevate each other’s voices.
As we stand here today, we have launched:
- A Volunteer Engagement Task Force, based on feedback from our listening campaign, to have a better understanding of the needs of our members, especially around feeling seen, heard, connected, and engaged.
- We have a balanced budget, with over a million dollars in reserves and an unprecedented development campaign surrounding Rabbi Jan Katzew’s Jewish Educational Leadership Award, which raised over $70,000 to establish the Rabbi Jan Katzew Mentorship Fund.
- Additionally, We have received grants from the WRJ and the Mandel Institute which have allowed us to provide scholarships for 20 ARJE26 attendees, as well as to begin two small group training initiatives – The New Directors Group, which meets monthly with Michele Lynn Sacks and our YES Fellowship, which is geared towards emerging career professionals working with senior level educators, in partnership with HUC and under the leadership of Kathy Schwartz.
- We have seen a large jump in ARJE membership, with the ARJE increasingly being named as our members’ primary membership. This reflects the many diverse ways in which our members engage in the field with an ever-increasing range of professional backgrounds.
Just as the Ten Commandments provide a foundation for Jewish life and a compass for ethical living and communal responsibility, so too do our accomplishments serve as building blocks for ARJE’s future. Rabbi Louis Reiser z”l wrote “Before meeting God at Mount Sinai, Moses meets Yitro as he approaches the Israelite camp. It was no coincidence that Moses left the camp to meet Yitro (Yitro18:7).” In the words of the Mekhiltah, the ancient commentary to Exodus, we learn that one who welcomes another person is greeting the Shechinah. When Moses and the elders welcome his father-in-law, the Shechinah accompanies them (M’chilta Amelek 3).” The people’s robust welcoming of Yitro prepares the way for God to greet them at Mount Sinai. In the same way, every person who joins the ARJE deserves to be welcomed into our organization and seen as both an individual and someone whose unique gifts and contributions are just what we need collectively for the ARJE to thrive.
Each step we’ve taken over the past 70 years has been guided by those who came before us and organizational priorities such as strengthening our culture of belonging, cultivating creativity in our offerings to members, and enhancing the quality and quantity of ways that we recognize and celebrate our members. Each ARJE priority echoes the spirit of Sinai. As we celebrate all we have achieved, let us also remember that, like the Israelites, we are collectively striving to embody these priorities not just in words, but in our every action.
May we continue to stand together, individually, with our own unique paths and aspirations, and seek the vision and wisdom that comes from our collective strength.
Just as the Israelites stood together at Sinai, each person with their own story to tell, yet bound together by the covenant they received, may we also embrace the next seventy years with strength, creativity, and a commitment to one another, and may we be inspired to act with hope, compassion, and the enduring impact of our shared journey.