In our tradition, when we finish one book of the Torah, we say the phrase, chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek, which essentially means that as we finish one book of Torah, we ask that it give us strength as we move forward in life.
Rabbi Maya Glasser started her rabbinic career here three years ago and, in that time, she has shared an enormous wealth of Torah with us. Each one of us, myself included, has benefited greatly by her teachings. We have watched her and been a part of her journey as she moves from assistant rabbi to rabbi of a congregation of her own. I’m sure each one of us can list many things that we’re very grateful to her for over these last three years.
I hope you will all join me for Shabbat services on May 21st as we thank her for her time with us and wish her the very best as she and Jake head down to Jacksonville, FL to forge a new path forward. Personally, I am very excited for all that she’s going to do and I’m sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is going to have a great impact on all of her congregants. I am sure of that, because she had a great impact on all of us. So, as she concludes her tenure with us, I can only think of the words from our tradition, chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek, and I hope that the time she has spent engaging in Torah with us has not only made her stronger, but us stronger, and that she will move from strength to strength and help strengthen others by the Torah she has to teach.
Philip N. Bazeley
