WAM! 3 years on
We are in that period of the year when we celebrate (or ignore) the anniversaries of some interrelated events. On the last Sunday of January 2006, BSBI had a meeting to decide its location issue. It was a tumultuous event, and a good many good people were very offended and disheartened at its outcome.
In reaction to this, and to the need to find a place to pray without distressing distractions, you know, like memories of the meeting, a group began holding Shabbat services in a private home in the vicinity of Charleston's JCC. The first such service was held a week or two into February. That group became the New West Ashley Minyan, aka WAM, which will be 3 years young by the end of this week.
The growth of this group has been a special experience. WAM is more than anyone thought it might be. But as we reach this milestone, there is a shadow hovering over us.
In order to shed light on the issues at play, I present here the letter I wrote to the Long Range Committtee that was set up recently to investigate options for WAM's direction. The purpose of the committee was to provide a detailed appraisal of WAM's potential, and review scenarios of its future, in order to optimize what we are doing in the here-and-now. Such proceedings are always fraught with risk. You see, it's really about the "Hear-and-Now"!
Editor's note: I was requested to soften some of my remarks regarding BSBI. I have complied with this request, and have noted changes from the original text with this [device].
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Dec 14, 2008
To my Dear Fellow Wammers,
Here follow some thoughts I have on the matter of long-range plans.
First, I offer a vote of thanks to Ken for chairing these deliberations. Let's hope the discussions take place in a spirit of reaching a clear understanding of the different thoughts circulating among us. I believe the general options under consideration have been framed as the following:
1) nurture WAM as is,
2) expand and form a new shul, or
3) reconcile with and rejoin BSBI.
I do not see these as mutually exclusive options. It's more a matter of sequence and timing, and in my view the order is just as it stands above.
I have chosen not to participate directly in Ken's committee for two main reasons - personal time constraints, and the sense that we are really best positioned to maintain WAM as it is.
Maintaining WAM as it is at present is nothing to be scoffed at. First, I feel privileged to be part of this group, and to be helping provide the framework for Sabbath observance in the JCC area. I would have loved to have had this when my boys were growing up, and I take personal pride and joy in seeing other young families enjoying this opportunity. In addition, both those who are observant, and those who are not, have given others the opportunity to buy homes, and settle into the community in ways that were previously unavailable to them. Expanding Jewish choices in Charleston is a win-win for all.
In fact, a key element in this process is that WAM has drawn a range of people, of different levels of observance, to participate. Slowly but surely, new people are showing up at our services. All the while, everyone has been left to define (or redefine) their relationship/s with BSBI, each as each sees fit. Just as there is no compulsion to participate - participation in WAM is, first and foremost, by individual choice; so too, there should be no compulsion regarding BSBI - no compulsion to remain members of BSBI, and no compulsion to resign your membership. That flexibility is a very important piece of WAM's uniquely cohesive, living-jigsaw-puzzle. WAM must be nurtured and cultivated with the same care one provides all living things. So, in my estimation, we are in phase 1 - maintaining and growing WAM.
I will now briefly address phase 2 - Expanding and building a new shul. In very simple terms, this is also a simple sequence, based on the notion that the key to what you can do depends on your ability to sustain your regular operations. The core functions of a shul begin with regular Shabbat services. Once you have the basis to cover those costs, the next cost-effective step is to hire a rabbi. In this framework, you need to be sure you will have sufficient money to run your operations for between 3 and 5 years. If you want to build a shul by putting up a building, you need to know that you can sustain running it for 10 to 15 years. That is why renting space and holding services comes way before building, and why hiring a rabbi comes before committing to a building as well.
A quick look around shul at WAM, and you will see that we have about 24 family units at present. How many do you need to hire a rabbi? I would say at least 40, but preferably 50. So I would be very careful about doing this in the wrong order (i.e. building first) or doing it too soon - before you have something like the numbers above. The last thing we need is to paint ourselves into a corner, where we have to hunt around and beg for money to run something we set up that is beyond our means. In a word, we must hold to that which is sustainable.
So for me, phase 3 is rejoining BSBI. As with everything, there is a kernel at the heart of the matter. In the case of BSBI, that kernel is the notion that "process" speaks to the "spirit" of the institution. [ With regard to ] BSBI's governance [there is much that needs to be redressed.] BSBI no longer provides meaningfully for the Sabbath observances of its core contingent - the Sabbath observant. In so doing, BSBI fails to comply with its own mission statements. Until such time as BSBI gets back in sync with its own mission, there is no sense in striving for reconciliation.
Those who seek to reconcile with BSBI as their primary goal for WAM need to recognize the facts as they are. The fault that prevents WAM and BSBI from reconciling is not within WAM, but within BSBI. I do not wish to discourage anyone from seeking reconciliation. I respect their right to work as hard as they can to achieve their goals. They can remain members of BSBI, and participate in all its functions as much as they choose. They can encourage others to do the same, but there should be no coercion. All that I do ask is that they recognize in which forum their efforts must be exercised. The fault lies [with] BSBI, so please address this and correct it within BSBI. WAM should not stoop to rejoin a flawed, dysfunctional [ ] institution.
In contrast, within WAM, we are building something fresh, something new and something integral and true. To succeed and to preserve this essence, we must not rejoin BSBI until BSBI is fixed. Dragging WAM into BSBI before BSBI is fully healed is simply not an option now. We do need to keep an eye out for when that change comes, but we know it will not be soon.
Now, just a brief comment on how we sustain ourselves financially, and cover WAM's operating costs. At about the time we began renting space at the JCC (2 and a half years ago), I was contacted and asked if I was willing to pay a regular amount to the JCC to support that rental, which I have done. I believe others were asked as well. This issue needs to be revisited by WAM, possibly within the long range committee discussions, but certainly at the next general WAM meeting. Pledges for WAM's rental and other expenses need to be renewed soon, and preferably annually.
By way of closing, let's always keep before us the recognition that WAM is almost what it is sometimes called - a "family". Families strive to stay together, and members of families try to care for, and respect each other, so that all feel valued, nurtured and encouraged to grow. Let us be duly cautious about any changes we embark on in this context.
Respectfully,
Peter Rosenthal
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