“From Matzah to Mitzvah”…It always makes me smile to see those words, to make the connection from the mitzvah of eating matzah, to the mitzvah of giving, and to the heartfelt sentiment of giving beyond the mere legal obligation or duty to do so. 

As we celebrate our Passover Zoom Seders on March 27 and 28 at 7:30 pm, I remind you that when we re-open our shul to the joy of seeing one another live and in-person, the “Matzah to Mitzvah Fund (http://e3d.7d4.mywebsitetransfer.com/donate) will support our shul and those delightful oneg schmoozes that we have sorely missed throughout this year of the pandemic. 

Yes indeed, we are thinking ahead. Plotting and planning. Building upon the foundation of our pandemic successes and seeking ways to create new hybrid activities. Virtual events and programs will continue on Zoom for those who like sitting at home in their pajamas with a fancy necklace and for those who live many miles from Greenport and can’t fly or drive here. But those who choose to venture out, to be at the shul in person, to interact with those at home as well as with those within arm’s reach, will reap the rewards of a merger of both realities. I imagine that hybrid reality to be a breathtakingly welcome place.

This past year we gave ourselves permission to step up and step out, to take a risk. And it worked. Services online and from the sanctuary. One year of weekly Lunch and Learn sessions —  new learning experiences each week as we discovered the skills, the expertise, and sometimes the surprising passions of our members. 

It was also a year of unprecedented growth in membership and fundraising. We are now 121 strong, with 17 new members in the past year alone. New fundraising campaigns and a refresh of past successes enabled us to close 2020 with a surplus. And now, for the first time in a long time, we don’t worry about gathering a minyan for services. Now, let’s fill the Zoom screen just as I hope we will fill the sanctuary in the months ahead. These are our building blocks for a future bright with renewed strength and resiliency.

—Judith K. Weiner