The Gratitude We Carry With Us

In a few days, many of us will sit down for a Thanksgiving meal and go around the table sharing what we are grateful for. Gratitude is a powerful practice that brings us into the present moment: what is true in my life, right now, for which I can give thanks? But gratitude can also be a practice that helps us carry the impact of days that have passed. Over the past month, we have moved farther away from the spiritual upliftment of the haggim (High Holy Days, Sukkot, Simhat Torah) and settled into our daily routines. Yet we can keep those holidays from fading from memory, and continue to access their spiritual impact through ongoing gratitude; with Thanksgiving just ahead of us, we take this opportunity to look back with enormous thanks to the hundreds of BJ volunteers who gave their love, time, and effort to make it all possible. To all of you who helped the BJ community enter 5786, and move into this new year with hope and connection, we say thank you. And thank you. And thank you again.

Below, you’ll see all of the names of the volunteers who helped make BJ the place you know and love this High Holy Days season. It’s our honor to recognize them for all they have contributed. 

Elul/Rosh Hashanah/Ne’ilah Shofar Blowers: Samuel Bruce, Stevie Friedgood, Elana Roberts, and Jonathan Silver.

Elul Spiritual Preparation Group Leaders: Susan Bodnar, Jenny Mariaschin-Rudin, Jonathan Silver, and Linda Thal.

The Holy Rollers (Those who rolled all the Torot to the appropriate places and otherwise prepared the Torot during the holidays): Myriam Abramowicz, Sharon Anstey, Vitina Biondo, Barbara Blum, Alan Caro, Suzana Caro, Madeline Cohen, Micah Dicker, Susan Fein, Shira Fernandes, Paul Fischer, Lynda Fisher, Freddy Goldstein, Robin Kerner, Paula Kramer Weiss, Gail Landis, Sara Levine, Dova Marder, Ellen Metzger, Peggy Moss, Michael Mostow, Nancy Mostow, Rachel Park, Seth Park, Elenor Radzivilover, Stuart Rapaport, Yosef Riemer, Sue Salwen, and Bob Wolfson.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Service Leaders: Matan Marder Friedgood, Sarah Rosenthal, and Belle Yoeli.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Torah and Haftarah Readers: Martha Ackelsberg, Miriam Blumberg, Ziv Yair Cohen-Margolius, Alisa Doctoroff, Lev Eisenberg, Susan Etra, Jenny Golub, Harriet Goren, Eli Klotz, Tova Leibowitz, Maya Liran, Emily Ostrager, Mariel Priven, Simon Rosenthal Arenson, Aiden Sol, Sivan Sol, Arthur Staub, Sy Sussman, Ezra Tiven-Gottesman, David Waldman,Rebecca Waldman, and Rina Wallach.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Divrei Torah and Haftara: Rabbi Adam Gillman and Rabbi Joanna Samuels.

Eleh Ezkerah Speakers: David Molton and Lilli Platt.

Kol Nidre Appeal Pledge Card Collectors: Karen Adler, Lisa Adler, Sheila Bleckner, Max Bordereau, Madeline Cohen, Nilda Dicker, Elissa Fishman, Liz Greenstein, Sherry Kohn, Ellie Krupnick, Shira Nadich Levin, Jessica Mantel, Alex Margolies, Lisa Mednick Owen, Andrea Newman, Rachel Park, Seth G. Park, Yosef Riemer, Ilene Rosenthal, Mindy Schactman, Laurie Spear, Judy Stern, Judith Trachtenberg, Dana Trobe, Eli Weiss, Ira Wolfman, and Lisa Zucker.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Head Gabbaim: Myriam Abramowicz, Sharon Anstey, Carol Gelles, and Paula Kramer Weiss.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Gabbaim: Hadley Allen, Avi Ashman, Ellen Block, Max Bordereau, Sandee Brawarsky, Susan Fishman, Rochelle Friedlich, Martha Ginsberg, Susan Grodnick, Susan Hyman, Ilene Katz, Mark Lehrmann, SarLevine, Susan Margolis, Ellen Metzger, Susan Miller, Toni Siegel, Eli Weiss, and Weslee Yacker.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Head Ushers: Diane Goldkopf, Peggy Moss, and Henry Weinberger.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Ushers & Greeters: Gideon Abraham, Harriet Abraham, Robin Aronow, Marjorie Backman, Toby Baldinger, Sarah Baron, Dale Bernstein, Andrea Bigelisen, Stacy Bolton, Mandy Braun, Joni Brenner, Deborah Cabaniss, Sheryl Checkman, Sandy Cheiten, Anya Cohen, Ayelet Cohen, Elizabeth Cohen, Madeline Cohen, Sara Cohen, Penelope Dannenberg, Nilda Dicker, Donna Divine, Jenny Eisenberg, Bracha Eugeni, Alex Federman, Andrea Feirstein, Shira Fermandes, Donald Fishbein, Paula Galowitz, Christina Gantcher, Mike Gantcher, Aaron Garcia Haddad, Steven Morey Greenberg, Alice Greenberg-Sheedy, Liz Greenstein, Laurence Haddad, Marlene Halpern, Miriam Herscher, Jennifer Hirsch, Joanna Kahan, Julie Kantrowitz, Beth Kern, Anne Kohn, Steven Koppel, Shira Nadich Levin, Ricki Lieberman, Wendy Linderman, Mimi Lox, Harry Lutrin, Jack David Marcus, Alex Margolies, Laura Nowak, Rachel Park, Seth G. Park, Deborah Ramer, Jodi Reiskind, Raquel Rosenfeld, Cindy Rosenthal, Ilene Rosenthal, Jerry Rothman, Sheila Rothman, Bette Samuel, Susan Sanders, Suzanne Schecter, Martha E. Sherman, Gabrielle Silver, Gabrielle Silver, Leah Silver, Renee Silverman, Jeffrey Singerman, Carol Smokler, Laurie Spear, Alexandra Stern, David Stern, Amy Sugin, Jennifer Sylvor, Nancy Tepper, Susan Thal, Judith Trachtenberg, Gail Tuzman, Shary Wagreich, Scott Weiner, Barbara Willinger, Gary Wingens, Ira Wolfman, Lisa Zucker, and Ariel Zwang.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Family Service Leaders: Danielle Baldinger, Ari Berman, Heather Berman, Izzy Blumenthal, Galia Cohen-Margolius, Natan Hockenstein, Lily Ingber, Margot Klein, Eli Klotz, Julian Maher, Landon Maher, Matan Marder Friedgood, Paige Mittler, Abby Mosesson, Emily Ostrager, Charlie Rosen, Alexander Schulz, Maya Schwartz, Sasha Shapiro, Julia Slavin, Bennett Sloane, Tahlia Trobe, Rebecca Waldman, and Abby Weinger.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Family Service Volunteer Musicians: Miriam Blumberg, Robin Kerner, Eli Klotz, Aiden Sol, Izzy Sussman, and Sy Sussman.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Family Service Torah Readers: Eliora Merav Ancowitz, ​Barry Waldman, and David Waldman.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Family Service and Early Childhood Service Shofar Blowers: Sam Bruce, Stevie Friedgood, and Sy Sussman.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Family Service Kavannot: Judah Hahn and Eli Klotz.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Family Service Head Gabbais: Dova Marder and Sofia Hubscher.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Family Service Lead Usher: Oriyan Gitig 

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Family Service Gabbaim, Ushers, and Greeters: Sarah Baron, Hannah Bayer, Samantha Berman, Ilona Coleman, Jenny Eisenberg, Stevie Friedgood, Sarah Friedman, Oriyan Gitig, Ross Goldstein, Penny Hahn, Alison Holden, Tate Holden, Alison Holden, Joanna Kahan, Vicky Kahn, Robin Kerner, Aaron Krayn, Anna Krayn, Galit Lopatin Bordereau, Jenny Mariaschin-Rudin, Ella Martin, Andy Sherman, Dana Trobe, Barry Waldman, and Deborah Zeigler.

Sukkah Artists: Carol Gelles, project lead. Melissa Birnbaum, Lois Bender, Michael Davis, Stephen Dicker, Charlotte Caplan, Judy Geller-Marlowe, Audrey Melkin, Michael Mostow, Ariela Noy, April Stewart Klausner, as well as participants in watercolor painting class taught by Lois Bender.

Sukkot, Hoshana Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret, and Simhat Torah Service Torah and Hafatarah Readers: Matt Arons, Sheila Bleckner, Shira Bodnar, Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, Rabbi Anne Ebersman, Susan Etra, Joan Heffler Goldstein, Jenny Golub, Harriet Goren, Elizabeth Greenstein, Lizzie Kraiem, David Lieberman, Dova Marder, and Joanna Samuels.

Simhat Torah Honorees Kallat Torah: Joyce Gottleib, Kallat Bereishit, and Belle Yoeli.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Aviv Service Leaders: Nina Simpkins, Matt Arons, Jake Samuels, Belle Yoelli, Matt Teitelman, Ari Freed, and Justinas Zlabys.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Aviv Service Torah Readers: Michael Braun, Jacob Caplain, Micah Dicker, Gabriela Helf, Rebecca Passman, Rebecca Tuchman, and Nina Simpkins.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Aviv Service Shofar Blower: Matt Teitelman

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Aviv Service D’ivrei Torah and Haftara: Rabbi Danny Stein, Micah Dicker, and Brett Uslaner.

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Aviv Service Gabbais: Hannah Bachman and Micah Dicker.