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October 31, 2025 - 10 Cheshvan 5786
Dear Friends, When we think about the lives we've led, recalling the choices, the ups and downs of the journey to date, we find that so many of our most significant moments are those of transition, of moving from something known to something new. This, of course, makes perfect sense. True growth isn't possible without change, and the converse is true as well. But it takes strength and courage to grow and change, and no matter how terrific our friends, family, and support network may be, that strength and courage must, ultimately, come from within ourselves. As we read from Parashat Lech L'cha this week, the beginning of the actual Jewish story, the curtain opens on Abram. All we know about him is that he is a son of Terah, he married a girl named Sarai, and that the three of them, plus Terah's grandson Lot, traveled from Ur of the Chaldeans towards Canaan, stopping in Haran. That's it. That's the sum total of Abram's backstory in the Torah. And then God calls upon him - to leave behind everything he's ever known, and sojourn to a place God doesn't even specifically identify. Abram appears at the end of a genealogy, is called on by God and, without saying so much as a word, "went forth as God had commanded him." Somehow, some way, despite the dearth of information - for us and for our protagonist - Abram just knew that this intervention was right and good. Sometimes, as folks say, "when you know, you know." As I sit down to write this, I am about to officiate my first wedding at our beloved Center Avenue Synagogue. We are thrilled to wish Morgan and Steven Mazal Tov, and excited to have them as part of our congregational family. I am deeply moved by their love for and commitment to each other, by their openness and willingness to change and grow together, not only without fear, but with absolute certainty that each is perfect for the other, that they will empower and encourage each other to continue growing and changing for the better. And, like Abram and so many of us in so many moments of our own lives, sometimes, "when you know, you know." After the conclusion of the ceremony, I will privately recite the Shehechyanu prayer, partly to recognize my first wedding as your rabbi. But even more so, I will offer this prayer of gratitude on behalf of our entire Kehillah (congregation), with hopes that I will be blessed to officiate at many weddings and S'machot (joyous occasions) in our shared sacred space. May we be inspired by Abraham to never stop growing and changing for the better, and may we be blessed to celebrate many happy occasions in this new year! Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Joshua Strom
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