MEMBERSHIP 

Last year I completed 12 Triathlons and by the time you read this article, G-d willing, I will have finished my first half- marathon (13.1 miles)!

I was once asked “What is faith?”  At the time, I couldn’t provide a meaningful personal definition. But once I framed the question in the context of a sports metaphor, I was successful.  I know from years of physical training that I can finish an athletic competition because I have committed to the necessary preparation.  I have faith that I will finish the run, the swim, or the tennis match because I did the research and physical groundwork to support my desired result.   Similarly, if I pledge myself to the rigorous study of Judaism, I should be confident of my faith.   Maimonides stated, "that physical exercise should lead one to the development of an emotional and psychological state of happiness, joy and contentment.”   I continue, then, to workout regularly and to push myself to my physical and spiritual limits because it is important for me to finish the race and “hold my own” in any religious discourse.

While I adore triathlons, the reason I signed up for the half -marathon is because I lost a bet with several men far younger than I!    In triathlon, one calls on many physical and mental facultities to cross the finish line.  Arms, legs, mind must all converge harmoniously for success.  In a half- marathon, the legs become heavy; feet grow numb; and arms hang leaden.  Finishing is a discordant endeavor. 

Like the pavement or the pool or the gym, Congregation Etz Chaim is our training ground for personal development, spiritual expansion, and rigorous Torah Study, all of which prepare us for life’s endurance events.   Rabbi Harold and your Congregational Family stand ready to join you for this exciting journey.  I challenge you to become a Member of Congregation Etz Chaim.  Without your support, our trek to the finish line is going to feel more like the discordant half-marathon than the synchronous triathlon!

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