A Rabbi's World: How Do You Measure Success?
Posted By James BesserA Rabbi's World: How Do You Measure Success?
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In the world of the pulpit rabbinate, it is rare indeed for a rabbi to stay in one community- one pulpit- for his/her entire career. Most rabbis change communities at least once, many far more often than that.
I am one of those few rabbis who has stayed in the same community throughout my rabbinic career, all twenty-seven years of it. In fairness, I guess I should say that I stayed, and the lay leadership let me. Ours has been a mutually respectful and gratifying relationship, with all of us enjoying the blessings that come with continuity of leadership and shared vision. As I've said many times, I consider myself a very lucky rabbi, and on my good days, I allow myself to consider my community lucky as well.
One of the challenging aspects of serving the same community over the long term is learning how to measure, and then re-measure, success.
When you change communities as a rabbi, you can pull out your best sermons as if they were new, run your most successful and inspired programs and get credit for them all over again… you get the picture.
But when you stay in the same community, the task of staying fresh and innovative- of doing something genuinely new, or accomplishing something you've never been able to accomplish, is a daunting one. The tendency is to glide along on established patterns- the rabbinic version of "do no harm." Doing no harm is a good thing to be sure, but it's not enough.
One of the things I've always wanted to do is take a group of people to Israel who have never been. I've led many congregational tours to Israel, mostly repeat visitors, always five-star in every way. I have enjoyed each one enormously, and the last one I did also took us to Poland first- an experience none of us will ever forget.
This Wednesday night, I get to realize that other dream.
A large group of parents and children from my synagogue's Religious School are traveling with me to Israel for ten days, along with the director of our Religious School. Few of those families have ever been to Israel before.
I am in awe of the commitment these families have shown, many spending hard-earned savings to realize their own life-long dream, and share it with their children. Even going down a star or two in hotels, it's still a real stretch for families to go on a trip like this together. It's one thing to send a child on a summer trip, which is expensive enough. It's still another thing to let Birthright do the heavy lifting. Many do. Who can argue with sending your child on a trip to Israel paid for by the community?
But when I get on that plane with these families, I will feel more successful than I have felt in a long time. They are really walking the walk, and they're walking it with me. The very best part of it is that I have the chance to show them the Israel that I love, and maybe- just maybe- begin for them a life-long love affair with Israel that will bring them back there again and again.
All these years down the road, it feels good to feel so good!
