This will be my final JCRC Observer article, and as usual, I am right at the deadline. On May 15th, I retired from the position as JCRC Director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville and my tenure in the role was bookended by Mark Freedman. Mark and I met originally during a Jewish Agency For Israel (JAFI) P2G trip to Israel in 2013. His very talented wife, Leslie Klein, had an original work of art in an exhibit displayed in our region, Hadera Eiron. Apparently, someone liked the piece so much it was stolen. Mark and I bonded as we worked with our P2G partners to arrange for Leslie to quickly recreate the piece for the exhibit. Fast forward a few years and Mark hired me for the role of JCRC Director in January 2018, and “retired” his position as CEO in June 2018. He is not a good retirement mentor.
During the interview process for this position, I met with lay leaders, specifically Ron Galbraith, then JCRC Chair, and Leslie Kirby, JCRC Vice Chair. I was immediately impressed with their leadership, knowledge, and devotion to the Jewish community, and their commitment to Jewish values which underly this work. They were more than lay leaders; they were talented and skilled professionals and brought all their experience to the table in addressing Jewish community concerns. They, along with JCRC member, Avi Poster, of blessed memory, provided the foundation of my work over the past years. I am grateful that Ron and Leslie oriented me to the position, and fortunate that they are both still my close friends.
When I started in January 2018, I was new both to the position and to Nashville. The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville professional team was critical to my integration to the community, the organization and the city. Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with tremendous professionals, and the current team has been my support through several personal challenges, and blessings, in the past two years. We as a Jewish community can be rightfully proud of this team, and their ability to put community needs front and center. Not seeing these amazing team members daily is something I will miss, but our relationships transcend the office, and I know we will remain closely connected.
Current JCRC Chairs, Harold Benus, Arthur Perlen and Vice Chair Erin Coleman, along with our strong committee members, will continue the critical work of JCRC, maintaining relationships with elected leaders, law enforcement, faith communities, schools, businesses and civic groups to ensure that Jewish voice, values and concerns are shared throughout the greater community.
As I make the transition from professional staff to engaged community member, I am deeply aware of how blessed we are to be part of a strong, supportive and welcoming community. If you extend one hand, you will get two back in return. We rely on each other, in joy and pain, and together we will meet the challenges we face. If you are already involved with the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, thank you. If you have not yet engaged, I urge you to reach out to any of our amazing professional team members or lay leaders. You will not be disappointed. As we navigate an uncertain future, we can find strength and courage in our tradition and history. By connecting with each other we will survive and ultimately thrive. By relying on each other, we can do this with kindness, beauty and joy. We are truly stronger together, and may we always go from strength to strength.
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