Leadership and Giving

This is an adaptation of a talk I gave to a gathering of graduated from the Farber Leadership Classes through the years. I have adapted it and offer it as a pre-holiday message to all!

They say a pessimist sees a glass of water as being half empty;

They say an optimist sees the same glass as half full.

The rest of the saying goes: But a giving person sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who might be thirsty.

I would change that to say: A leader sees a glass of water and starts figuring out how to top it off, put a system in place to get that water to people who might be thirsty and develop a campaign to make sure everyone who’s thirsty has access to clean water when they need it.

THAT’S leadership!

We are blessed with five classes of leadership from the Farber Leadership Initiative. People who have, through the years, stood up and said, put me in coach, I am ready to put on the mantle of leadership and put my hand on the rudder of this ship we call Temple Beth El.

Temple Beth El is a special place, full of people with the ability, willingness and vision to lead.

But a Synagogue is an interesting entity. It’s a place where people come to be nurtured…for life cycle…for warmth and for help and hope. A synagogue like Temple Beth El is a place of caring that is as far from “business” as you can get.

BUT

On the other side of the coin…it IS a small business, with a mortgage, utility bills, personnel costs and issues and risk management…insurance, contracts and a budget. It’s a business with a renovation project, a capital campaign with contractors to be paid, projections to be met and expectations that money pledged will be wisely invested spent as outlined. Believe me, it’s a business.

It is an interesting hybrid. It’s a place for which people feel a sense of ownership. “This is MY Temple!” We value that sense of ownership and passion and count on it. It’s a place where we care about Social Action and Justice, Domestic Violence issues, Affordable Housing, Youth, Inclusiveness, education and more.

Temple Beth El is a place that needs cool heads and the wisdom of Solomon to operate. And we haven’t even BEGUN talking about the Reform movement…we’re just talking about our small corner of the world.

So in 2005, my dear friend Larry Farber, who is one of those cool heads, realized that we had plenty of people who had the ability and the interest in leadership…we just needed a process to give them the tools to understand this interesting hybrid called Temple Beth El. He began this Farber Leadership Initiative in memory of his dear sister Robyn…and with Rick Glaser, Cary Bernstein, Sara Schreibman and others, the first class was formed, a curriculum developed and we were off and running.

Friday, Sara and I pulled out the list of Farber graduates. The names are current and former Board members, committee leaders and community leaders. It is a system that works.

I came across a really interesting quote the other day…by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. He’s the author who wrote The Little Prince”.

He said “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

What he means is, it’s not enough to create a spreadsheet with the list of tasks needed to create a plan to make something happen. You can do that, and often, you need to do that. You can TELL people what to do.

But that’s not enough.

How much more satisfying is it, especially when we have a complicated place like Temple Beth El, to create a clear vision, articulate that vision clearly and ask others to joins us on the journey and make that vision their own?

That is leadership.

And as Farber Leadership has evolved, we have begun to weave in more “leadership” training…not just “how does the place run” which is essential. But we are now incorporating, “what is leadership?” “How can we spell out the vision and encourage others to come with us because we are on the same path?” We are teaching people to yearn for the immensity of the sea of knowledge, of Torah, Mitvzot and Tzedakah.

Believe it of not, Muhammad Ali also has one of my favorite quotes: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”

I believe that sincerely. Everyone who volunteers for a Temple Beth El committee, who serves in leadership, who has donated to the capital campaign, who supports the work of Social Action and Justice or who has participated in Mitzvah Day or any project at the Temple that makes a difference in our world serves and continues to serve.

I leave you with a reminder from Lily Tomlin, of all people. She said “I always wondered why somebody didn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.”

We are ALL the “somebody’s” who must do something at Temple Beth El and in our community. This holiday season and beyond, please join us on this journey of servant leadership. I am grateful for each and every one of you.

And if you want to be one of those who raise your hand to lead, and join a Farber Leadership class, please contact Sara Schreibman at the Temple office at (704) 366-1948 or sschreibman@beth-el.com.