Dear Friends,
The theme of this year’s Jewels, The Art of Welcoming, was inspired by a project on which I recently embarked. Last January, I purchased a church that was originally built 105 years ago as the first home of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. Our dream – fast becoming a reality – is to create a multi-faith cultural arts center that will help reinvigorate the surrounding community and reflect the great Jewish value of being a light to all nations.
As we worked on opening our center and on this year’s Jewels, I came to realize that welcoming is more than just the way we greet people, it is a way of life. Welcoming is the attitude with which we respond to people, ideas and the world around us. It’s not just about opening our doors but also opening our hearts and our minds to that which is new and sometimes even frightening. Only when we overcome our fears and choose to trust can we be welcoming in the truest sense of the word.
I would like to thank all the contributors who shared their insights and wisdom with us this year. They are experts in their fields – look them up! A special thank you to Sam Rotenberg, who coordinated this year’s volume of Jewels of Elul. Sam taught me, an uber-micromanager, about the pleasure of letting go and welcoming in the expertise of others.
During these holy days, my prayer is that the coming year will be filled with health, joy and true welcomings.
Craig Taubman
