Last night’s Hoffman lecture cannot be measured on the normal scale of measuring such lectures and programs. Typically, we measure attendance (over 500), media presence (local and national coverage, including a Shalom TV national broadcast), and the impact of the speakers (tremendous X3) and, on rare but special occasions, community partnering (we were blessed with rabbinic involvement from the entire community, and the active assistance of the UJF.
Those are all the normal measures. But last night was more than that. It was more than a huge success – it was a gift to the Jewish people. Leaders of our three main movements spoke eloquently and passionately about Jewish commitment and solidarity. And their mere presence on the bima together was a symbolic statement of our common destiny as Jews.
They regaled us with their wisdom and wit. Dr. Eisen’s last statement summed it all up, imploring us to support the institutions that train our future leaders. “We are living at a historical moment for the Jewish people that may not come again soon. We have a vibrant, strong, dynamic, wealthy Jewish community, living side by side with a vibrant, strong State of Israel. We have resources right now at our disposal that we might not have 30 years from now. We have young people with all their idealism rallying to the cause. Let us not let this moment go to waste. This is a moment that we must seize as a community.”
We'll be posting the audio file on our website shortly. Don't miss it!
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