Message From The Rabbi

Rabbi Max Miller

On Sunday, we kicked off the new year at Temple Emanu-El’s Diamond Family Religious School. This is a big deal. We welcomed over 600 parents and children into the building. Our enrollment has never been higher. At the beginning of the year, we registered over 290 students. And, that number will inevitably grow to over 300 students—from PreK 3-year-olds to 12th-graders preparing for college.  

I attribute our success to a set of subversive guiding principles. While we teach our students the necessary content of Jewish life, like reading Hebrew from the prayer book, the sacred stories of our Torah, and the history of our people, we are guided by a different set of goals. We want our students and their parents to create lasting relationships with their classmates and fellow congregants. We want to foster Jewish pride in every family. And we want students to associate Temple Emanu-El as a place filled with joyful memories. It's not always easy to be Jewish these days, but we want everyone to feel the love and energy of Jewish life when they walk into the synagogue.  

And Sunday mornings aren’t only for the kids! During every Sunday school, from 11:15–12:15, Rabbi Spike, Rabbi Rachael, and I will teach adult education for all congregants. We believe that learning is a lifelong endeavor, and we want to make it easy for everyone to deepen their knowledge of our sacred heritage. This is an opportunity for you to engage directly with your rabbis and your fellow congregants on a higher level. If you’re tired of small talk and want to go straight to big talk, these classes will be for you. The first lesson is this Sunday, where I will teach about the origins of the Torah. 

Finally, Sundays are not only for learning, but also for fun! In the Merkaz, formerly the youth lounge, we have created a space for folks to gather, play a few holes on our new golf simulator, watch TV on a 100” screen with surround sound, and enjoy some leisure. The opportunities in this space are endless, and we envision the Merkaz becoming a central hub of social activities on Sundays and throughout the week.