About my new pulpit in Lexington Park. Folks, I need to clarify - this is a part time pulpit (about twice a month) - I am NOT leaving Bethesda. We are NOT moving anywhere.
I am very excited about this opportunity. They are very sweet people - they seem to be as happy that I am to be their rabbi as I am to be there. They are a highly talented group - very tech oriented. Many of them are academics and many are engineers - designing military aircraft out of the Patuxent Naval Air Station. Interestingly, I've yet to see anybody in uniform - Pax River is now largely a civilian facility.
The listing said they were looking for a pulpit rabbi (check), who could work with the Navy (check, I am a former naval reserve chaplain), who could also work with students at St. Mary's College (check, I am a former Hillel director), who can do chaplaincy (check, I have a unit of CPE and was chair of the pastoral care committee of Howard County General Hospital). I thought, perhaps, it would be a good match. Seems they thought so, too. As they are largely engineering types, it is a plus that I am an active amateur radio operator.
Our High Holiday cantor will be Rabbi Hannah Greenstein - I officiated at her bat mitzvah a few years back!
I am still running the Vine and Fig Project here in Bethesda.
Rosh Hashanah sermons are all done. Ideas are still percolating for Yom Kippur. I'm open to ideas.
Thanks for all your words of encouragement.
Here is a picture of the air station (and my new ride.)
כתיבה וחתימה טובה