Letter to my new congregation

Also found here on their website.

Letter from Rabbi Loving

Dear Temple Beth Orr Family,                                                  I feel extraordinarily humbled and unbelievably honored to be chosen as your next rabbi. I must express my gratitude to President Steve Feinstein, past-President Harriet Docteroff, Chair of the Rabbinic Search Committee Steve Goren, and the entirety of the Rabbinic Search Committee and Board of Trustees for so ably guiding the process, and for acting as matchmakers in this shidduch. The counsel of Rabbi Mark Gross has and will continue to be invaluable. Thank you to each and every person I have met who has given me a warm hug, shared a joke, and sent me an email or Facebook friend request. Because of you, I truly, already, feel like a part of the TBO community. I am so excited to join you in a few short months and begin our journey together. While I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you in person, for those of you whom I have not yet met (or who need the reminder!) please indulge me in letting me tell you a little about myself. I grew up an only child with two mothers, five cats, and a dog in Long Beach, California, and found my spiritual home at Temple Israel in Long Beach. Every summer from the ages of seven through eighteen, I traveled to Holon, Israel, to spend time with my father and his family, where I ate bamba with my half-siblings and learned to speak Hebrew at Israeli summer camp. I graduated from Whittier College in 2002 with a Bachelor's degree in English and Philosophy and a Women's Studies minor, and after working in HR for four years, earned my Master's in Philosophy from California State University, Long Beach. I came to my life's passion while accompanying my husband, Jonathan, through his conversion process in 2004. As we explored Judaism together, I realized how much our faith and tradition creates meaning in each of our lives, and how through our actions and beliefs we can connect to God and each other in a myriad of ways, both spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. I want to provide the opportunity for everyone, no matter our backgrounds or differences, to embrace our own individual Jewish paths and find our own truth. I cherish teaching Torah because I love to impart the rich values and culture of our heritage, and instill a sense of rootedness in history and l'dor v'dor. We cannot know where we are going unless we know where we have been. When we feel connected to each other, we feel part of a greater whole. Soon after having this epiphany, Jonathan and I moved to Jerusalem for my first year at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and then for the next five years to study in Cincinnati, Ohio. There I interned at the American Jewish Archives and had the privilege of serving as student rabbi to three small congregations in Indiana and Illinois. Following ordination, I came to Congregation B'nai Israel in Sacramento, California as the rabbi-educator. It has been my pleasure to be able to reinvigorate youth engagement and educational programs, lead worship from the bima, be involved in the Reform CA social justice movement, and share simchas and losses with congregants who have become dear friends. What else should you know about me? I adore lasagna, consider myself an avid reader, wore a handmade wizard's cloak to themidnight showing of the 7th Harry Potter movie, and love to write (please see some of my writings at www.rabbiloving.com). My most valued title other than "Rabbi" is "Mommy," as my three children, Xander (short for Alexander), Ari, and Connor make every day a new delight. I am greatly looking forward to having the two youngest attend the Kuhn Early Childhood Center, and I know that you won't judge me for arriving in the morning still singing the theme song to The Octonauts, or for being able to seriously discuss the relative merits of Spiderman's superpowers versus that of Iron Man and Wolverine! As soon as I arrive I want to connect with each of you, to hear your stories and take part in your journeys. TBO is and will continue to be more than a brick-and-mortar building, but is a tapestry of genuine relationships, threaded with laughter and tears and the everyday moments in between. Together, we will find meaning and Jewish relevance in day-to-day life, and ensure that everyone who comes through our doors considers us a second home, and feels accepted and embraced for who they truly are. Todah rabbah for your trust in me, and for your faith. What a marvelous adventure this will be! L'shalom, Rabbi Michal Loving