Annual Meeting

Washington Hebrew Congregation

WHC Welcomes New Officers and Board of Directors at the 2008 Annual Meeting

Washington Hebrew Congregation held its 156th Annual Meeting on Monday, June 2, 2008 and welcomed its new Officers and Board of Directors. WHC would like to congratulate Lauren Racoosin, President; Peter Winik, First Vice President; Cheryl Baraf, Vice President; Sherry Kahn, Vice President; Michael Cornfeld, Vice President; Leslie Maitland, Vice President; David Astrove, Treasurer; Linda Collier, Secretary; Meg Flax, Assistant Secretary; and Richard Newman, General Counsel and the New Directors: Robert Bindeman, Joan Churchill, James Klein, Dorothy Kornhauser, Richard Lane, T

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Rabbi Lustig’s Speech

odd Perkins, Ivan Sabel, Marvin Spivak, and Mindy Strelitz.

During her first speech as WHC’s president, Lauren Racoosin reflected on what it means to be Jewish. The following is an excerpt from her remarks.

“Judaism provides us with a value system by which we may live ethical and moral lives. Judaism provides us with a calendar full of holidays in which we express a full range of human emotion-- awe, thanksgiving, repentance, forgiveness, sadness and joy. Judaism charges us with the responsibility of working towards peace in the world and toward creating a better world for the next generation. Judaism, Jewish values, traditions and rituals give us a strong foundation for living a meaningful life. Washington Hebrew Congregation provides us with a home to seek and find spiritual, intellectual and emotional growth. Washington Hebrew provides us with opportunities to enrich our hearts, our minds and our souls. Washington Hebrew provides us with opportunities to reach inward for strength, comfort and understanding and, as well, to extend ourselves outward into the community with acts of loving kindness and social justice.

Yes, Washington Hebrew provides us with opportunities to experience a meaningful Jewish life. Over the course of the next two years, I invite you all to join me, in worship, in study and in service to the community. The true meaning of congregation is not only a group of people, but, a sacred community, in which values, dreams and visions are shared.

Washington Hebrew is at the same time historic and dynamic. Our steadfast commitment to our congregation is unwavering. We are blessed with an outstanding senior staff and will continue to strive for excellence as we open our search for a Religious School director and embark upon a Rabbinic Search. Our Long Range Strategic Planning Committee has spent the past year reviewing and reflecting upon all aspects of Temple life, and is hard at work, finalizing priorities based on your input from the congregational survey. With an eye toward the future, we will focus on opportunities to enhance life long Jewish experiences with respect to worship, Jewish education and member involvement, all the while working to create a warm, welcoming and embracing community that is accessible for all.rns co

Accessibility and inclusion for all is especially important to me given my professional background. For the past 25 years, I have worked as an audiologist, with patients who have hearing loss as well as multiple physical and cognitive challenges. I am particularly sensitive to how disabilities can be isolating. We all want Washington Hebrew to continue to be a comfortable home for everyone. I know the next two years will certainly bring challenges for me and for all of us. Those challenges will bring opportunities. Opportunities for our congregation to learn and to grow and to work toward shared dreams for our community. May we find meaning in our prayers, in our studies, and, especially in our actions. May we gather in this house in all seasons and may we be strengthened by our connections to one another, to our community and to God.”