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Dear Prospective Member,

I am delighted that you are interested in becoming a member of our sacred community.

I can identify with your curiosity about this congregation and am happy to share my own sense of what it is like. I am serving as the interim Senior Rabbi for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, following the retirement of its longtime, beloved Rabbi Jennifer Jaech.

When I was invited to consider the possibility of coming to Temple Israel as interim, I spent time finding out about the congregation, as you are doing, and meeting its members. What I found was a group of warm, engaging people who greet newcomers with open arms. These are people I would be happy to spend time with. I am sure you would be as well.

I met the people who would be my clergy colleagues. Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky and Rabbi/Cantor Dan Sklar are extraordinarily gifted musicians, a joy to listen to. They are deeply learned and deeply committed to their calling. And they are warm, caring people who are eager to inspire our members and excited about teaching our children.

The rest of the staff, all of them -- Temple Administrator Michelle Cohen; Administrative Assistant Amanda Rissman; Director of Finance and Membership Robin Safarowic; Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations Melanie Appelbaum; and Head of Maintenance Ryan Aleman and his assistant Shane Thornton -- treat their work as a calling, an opportunity to be of help to people and enrich their, and our, experience of Jewish life

I was also impressed by the breadth of programming of this congregation. With the amazingly active Brotherhood and Sisterhood, the extensive adult education programming, the newly invigorated Social Justice Committee, you are sure to find something to interest you, enlarge your horizons, and enrich your life.

And I haven’t even mentioned the music. This is a Temple that takes its music seriously. Services are enriched, of course by our cantors. In addition, they are enhanced by the volunteer choir, Hallel B’Shir, (under the amazing musicianship of Eddie Pleasant), often with music specially composed by our Composer-in-Residence Dina Pruzhansky. The Temple even has its own band, Sh’ma Na Na, which performs at services throughout the year. For me, every Friday night is a delight. I am sure it can be for you.

Being at Temple Israel for me is a joy.

I hope that it becomes a joy for you as well.

Rabbi Daniel Polish