A Word From the Chair of the Board
In Proverbs ( 6:23 ) we read : “ Ki ner mitzvah v ’ Torah ohr - the commandment ( mitzvah ) is a candle and Torah is light .” At times like this , when we find ourselves - as Jews , as Americans , as citizens of the world – still confronting so much war , death , poverty , uncertainty , it can lead even the most optimistic to a sense of darkness and despair . It is precisely then that we are advised to turn to our sacred text , the Torah , to be a source of light for the present and for the future .
Just a few weeks ago , in the Shabbat morning reading of Parshat VaYetzay , we read of Jacob ’ s famed dream of a ladder , with angels of God ascending and descending on it . I have often remarked on the unusual nature of a ladder as an implement or tool , in that it requires us to both step up and to stretch out if we are to climb its rungs . An apt metaphor for the ways in which we must individually and communally proceed if we are to rise up , out and above that which constrains our ability to be more God-like in our endeavors . And our text tells us that , contrary to what we might think , the angels were first ascending from the earth heavenward toward God before descending back down to earth . Surely a lesson to be learned about our responsibility to create those angels , those messengers , who aspire to reach the Divine and then bring a piece of the Divine back into this world .
As we have grown dramatically in the past year , we are ensuring a pluralistic Jewish future creating rabbis , cantors and Jewish leaders who can be those sacred messengers .
The Board of Trustees , in conjunction with AJR ’ s Senior Administrative Leadership Team , remain steadfast in our commitment to continue to step up , stretch out and work together to help AJR continue on its sacred mission . As we have grown dramatically in the past year , we are ensuring a pluralistic Jewish future creating rabbis , cantors and Jewish leaders who can be those sacred messengers , veritable ” angels of God ,” bringing the light of Torah and the purposeful living of meaningful Jewish lives , to the world .
Dr . William Liss-Levinson
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