Dear Friends,

Yesterday, CJP convened 75 professional and volunteer leaders from our Jewish communal organizations to reflect on the challenges of leadership and to imagine the future we are building together.

These talented, passionate individuals have been holding their organizations and communities on their shoulders during these extraordinary and challenging times, and it was great to be with them. Especially in times of disruption, when it is so easy to feel overwhelmed and unmoored, I found myself feeling inspired and hopeful for the future of our community.

Leadership can often be lonely, but supporting and learning from one another and collaborating to tackle our most pressing challenges not only provides us with a sense of comfort and strength but also ensures that the collective impact we make — our whole — is greater than the sum of its parts.

As I told these leaders yesterday, I am so grateful both for the work they do every day and for the impact they and their organizations make on our community and Jewish life. As we look toward Thanksgiving next week and take time to reflect on our many blessings, I want to remind us that the reason why Greater Boston is one of the most innovative Jewish communities in the world, the reason why we were able to mobilize the second-largest Israel emergency response in the country (second only to New York, which is 10 times our size) is precisely because of the incredibly strong foundation on which we stand.

That foundation is the result of commitment, dedication, and hard work, day after day and generation after generation. I am grateful for the leaders in that room and for the institutions they lead, for all of you — our community of communities — and, perhaps most importantly, for the relationships between us and the ties that bind us.

What a privilege and blessing to serve this community, meet this moment, and build our future together with all of you. There is no other place and there are no other people with whom I would want to be doing this sacred work.

I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Thanksgiving.