This is my farewell column as President of Congregation Tifereth Israel. It is the closing of a powerful three-year journey that officially concludes on June 11. What a privilege and honor it has been to work with an extraordinary Board of Directors, and an amazing and dedicated Vice President and Treasurer.

Who can string words together better than Sara, turning out prose at a moment’s notice? She will correct every misplaced bit of punctuation, devote herself to every task that suddenly emerges, and is undaunted by any challenge.

I daresay it would be impossible to find a more dedicated numbers guy than Alan, someone who can manage projections and contracts and plans with such accuracy. His uncanny ability to analyze and assess proposals often positions him as a soothsayer.

And of course, let me not overlook Elaine, who will always tell it like it is, unabashedly direct and honest. And she is always right. And look no further for a model of volunteerism than Adrianne, who never quits, is always there to do any crazy job, and is unflinchingly dedicated to the shul.

I was planning to go on with a detailed inventory of activities and programs and successes. But it is really the list of intangibles that have truly impacted my life in this role as President. The return on investment has been far greater than I could have anticipated, although I admit there are moments when June 11 seems so far away. As Rabbi Gadi warmly encourages me in those moments, I am paying it forward. His wisdom and warm enthusiasm, coupled with his wit, makes our weekly discussions endlessly interesting and innovative.

The love and friendship I have discovered at CTI nourishes my soul and will, I suspect, last a lifetime. My experiences as President have fueled my creative spirit, buoyed and animated my energy, even as the tasks sometimes have challenged my political prowess.

Of course, in my new role as a past president, I will continue to keep my eye on the prize, the funding that makes this shul hum. The small budget that goes so far because we are so careful and so frugal. As we move into the future, we must assess our needs for growth, and for the enhancement of our physical plant and programmatic innovation for children and young people.

Where am I going from here? Back to my children and grandchildren. Back into my studio. Back to my life-long love of making art. My passions have been short changed these past three years, so I am thrilled to be able to jump back in, fully engaged to work on an upcoming one-person show and add to my paintings on view at Ilon Art Gallery in New York City.

Going out requires going in to draw upon new resources.

—Judith Kaufman Weiner