By Melissa Hunter
Assistant Editor
Last week, Isaac M. Wise Temple released the second of their two-part YouTube series Rabbi to Rabbi: A conversation between Rabbi Kamrass and Rabbi Hirsch. In the second half of their discussion, Rabbis Kamrass and Hirsch discussed the role of the synagogue in the context of today’s challenging climate, and viewers heard what Rabbi Hirsch hopes to learn from congregants as he begins his tenure in July.
According to Hirsch, congregants of the earliest synagogues in the United States considered themselves the “remnants of Israel.” With the current status of American Jewish life and concern over what the future is going to look like, Hirsch believes we are at a precipice, a “watershed” moment when something new is going to emerge.
After 9/11, synagogues were often filled and offered a sense of sanctuary. This was true after the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue as well, and it remains true today in the wake of October 7 and the war in the Middle East. “People want to be in their synagogue community,” Rabbi Hirsch said. “The synagogue is a landing pad, the place where we get to come to try to make sense of it all.” This is a visceral desire that was also felt after the pandemic, when everyone was isolated and felt alone and cut off from community. The synagogue is also “a place where we find others with backgrounds similar to ours, and offers a chance to have open and honest dialogue about what’s going on in our lives.”
When asked what request Rabbi Hirsch has of members of Wise Temple during this time of transition, his jovial response was, “Please help me remember names! There are a lot of you and one of me.” Rabbi Hirsch also looks forward to hearing what everyone’s “Wise Story” is, or the moment when congregants have really felt a part of their community. These are the stories he’d like to start to collect. They are “the beating heart of what the congregation really is.”
As the first new senior rabbi in 40 years, Rabbi Hirsch also wants to learn what to bring into the next chapter of the synagogue’s life. According to Rabbi Kamrass, there will be more opportunities to get to meet Rabbi Hirsch beyond Friday night Shabbat services. At these smaller programs and venues, Rabbi Kamrass invites congregants to come and share their own story with Rabbi Hirsch and get to know more about him.
In the first video in the series, released earlier in April, Rabbi Hirsch shared that his favorite aspect of the rabbinate is the chance to be with others. He draws energy from the congregation’s energy, whether at life cycle events or just during pick up and dismissal of Sunday school. He also acknowledged the sense of pride and ownership he noticed among congregants he’s met. “Not only are congregants taking over this community’s history, but also its vibrancy today. It’s a ‘both/and.’ It’s an interplay between the two. That is remarkable. Not every congregation can say that.”
He is also looking forward to working with Rabbi Kamrass during this time of transition. Both rabbis feel it is a great model. Along with that, he has been overwhelmingly amazed by the staff at Wise. “The more I’ve gotten to know the staff … I am so absolutely impressed. The dedication, the thoughtfulness, the professionalism that each staff person is bringing to their role and as a team, is not something you find at every synagogue today. It speaks to the strength of this congregation.”
