 |
|
|
| |
Quick Links
The Installation of Rabbi Michael Berk
Past President Barbara Haworth's Comments at teh Installation
THE INSTALLATION OF RABBI MICHAEL BERK
OCTOBER 19, 2007
October 19-21 marked CBI's installation weekend and community celebration as Rabbi Michael Berk was officially installed as CBI's new senior rabbi. The Installation ceremony and Erev Shabbat service kicked of the weekend, with hundreds of congregants attending, along with members of Rabbi Berk's family, special guests San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and his wife Rana Sampson, Rabbi Lennard Thal and Rabbi Lewis Barth.
A highlight of the evening was Mayor Sanders' pesentation of the City Council's proclaimation declaring October 19 to be "Rabbi Berk Day" in San Diego.
The weekend continued with Saturday morning Torah Study, led by Rabbi Barth, a Shabbat service and Sunday's Meet and Greet the Berks for Religious School families.
Click on thumbnails below to view larger images.
Images by Gates Photography |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
go to top
Past President Barbara Haworth's Comments
at the Installation of Rabbi Berk
There are many wonderful Yiddish expressions that are very amusing when translated to English. My personal favorite is one my grandmother used to tell her granddaughters, “when the right one comes along you will know it in two words”. I must say that my sisters and I spent considerable amounts of time in our youth trying to figure out exactly what those two words were.
Finding the right partner for any scenario in life is a daunting experience. And so it was an honor and a burden for eleven other individuals and me to serve as the Search Committee tasked with finding our third senior rabbi in six years. We knew that WE had to get it RIGHT—that the future of our congregation literally hinges on it.
We joked with Rabbi Berk at the end of the search process that we would not have an installation service for him until the start of his second contract, or in other words, the first day of his fourth year. Here we are tonight after his three months and three days on the job. I think most of you will agree that it feels like Rabbis Michael and Aliza Berk have been in our community for a very long time. It is hard to believe that it was only one year ago last week that we first received his resume and ironically, the Torah portion he chose to teach us on his first visit is Lech Lecha, this week’s parasha.
We were told throughout the search process that the words that define Rabbi Berk are menchlekeit, humility, warmth, sincerity, and especially, his keen ability to partner. We received a lot of insight about him and how he reacts from someone who served as the president of his region for four years because, in her words, “he made it fun”.
In three months and three days, things at CBI have come a very long way.
Together with a new executive director, a new sense of teamwork and happiness is apparent among the clergy and staff and a genuine partnership has been extended to our president and the lay leadership. Rabbi Berk has said many times that the community he intends to build here will start with the staff, move to the lay leadership and then, have a rippling effect out to the rest of the congregation.
During the search we heard from many of his former congregants who expressed such continuing affection for him. His warmth, lack of pretension, and ability to connect with people has already had a huge impact at CBI. We are so ready for a rabbi who will “love us back”.
My search colleagues and I are so pleased to see that things seem to be going so very well. This is the healing rabbi we heard about. This is the rabbi who will comfort the sick and teach the teenager. This is the rabbi who can engage the seniors AND delight in the toddlers. This is the rabbi who will build a new cadre of leadership for Beth Israel by showing appreciation and respect for the Board. This is the rabbi who, in the words of his former president, “will make us a family again”.
All throughout the search, we also heard about Rabbi Aliza Berk. We heard first from Rabbi Michael that she is a phenomenal asset to him. The praise about Rabbi Aliza grew extensively and loudly from there and all who know the two of them commented to us that this is a truly rabbinic couple who live the life they preach and do indeed set the example for others by their behavior, demeanor and attitude. Rabbi Aliza, thank you for becoming such an integral part of our congregational family. You are truly an asset to all of us and we are doubly blessed by your presence.
And so back to that Yiddish expression about “the right one coming along”. As far as our search was concerned, it seems those two words are “Michael Berk.”
go to top
|
|
|
|
