This Is Where I Leave You

I am sitting here at my computer, boxes surrounding me, as we pack up our house and prepare to leave this lovely community in Wildwood to go off to our new adventure as Rabbi at the Tri City Jewish Center in Rock Island, Ill. When this column comes out we will be loading up our moving van, prepared to leave our home of the last seven years. I am filled with so many thoughts at this moment as I say goodbye to this community and this town that has given me so much.
I first arrived in Wildwood in March of 2008 for my interview weekend, something that seems so long ago. I was a man about to turn 40 with our first child on the way. We had not known yet whether we were having a boy or girl and all through that special weekend while staying in the Elvis suite at Sheila Brown’s Summer Nites B&B our thoughts were filled with the future of what life would be like in this island community. We shortly found out after our return to San Diego that we were having a boy and the first person we called (after our parents) was the president of our soon to be congregation, Lonnie Goldberg, to tell her.
So, in the summer of 2008 we loaded up our car with our sweet dog, Jessie, and our not quite as sweet cat, Shmooey, and of course my eight months’ pregnant wife, Naomi, and made the cross country trek from San Diego, Ca. to our new home in Wildwood. It took us almost two weeks with many stops along the way to arrive in late June. We were greeted by Sheila and Lonnie embracing us, excited about what our new community in New Jersey would be like. I will never forget the kindness so many in this special community has given my family and it makes me sad to say goodbye.
Now seven years have passed and our family is now four again with Ari being born within that month of our arrival and my other son, Alex, born three years later, each having their bris on the bimah of Beth Judah Temple. Ari was named after my brother David (Ari’s middle name) and Alex was named after my father, Allen, who passed away four years ago. Our dog and cat are also sadly gone now with only memories of the great trip East seven years ago.
It is at this time that I say this is where I leave you. I have seen amazing things in this community including having the honor of serving as Rabbi at Beth Judah as she turned 100. I have made friends, seen others born into this world and blessed their arrival and sadly helped escort far too many as they left this world for the next.
It is with this that I carry memories of this place in my heart as my family moves on to our next endeavor and adventure. This last year I had begun jogging on the beach near my house and I have found it almost philosophical to see the change as the cold winter blooms into the green spring and finally as I leave the beaches begin to fill with so many unique individuals playing in the surf and the sand and embracing the beauty that is Wildwood. There is a serenity of the ocean that brings so many close to God.
Above the Bimah is a phrase etched over the ark that states “da lifney me ata omed,” which means “know whom before you stand.” This is a line from Perkey Avot meant to remind us in the act of prayer to think of God and the awe-inspiring event we partake of in prayer. I often looked at that phrase and thought of the many greats that have come before me as Rabbi of this community, some living, many now gone, and wondered where my place will be amongst those greats.
I loved so much of my time in this community from my time at the Greater Wildwood Lions Club, to the Minister’s Association and the interfaith events I was involved in and especially this column in the Herald. I have loved every aspect of this time with all of you and I am so sad to say goodbye. I want to thank you all for helping me become a better Rabbi and for helping me understand that phrase above the ark. I now know whom I stand before in my life.
Being a Rabbi is often difficult because we never really understand if we make a difference in the lives of the people we hope to help. I have watched so many important things in my life but looking at this lovely ocean near my home for the last seven years has brought some inspiration in what it means to be a Rabbi.
There is a story told about an old Rabbi who used to go to the ocean to do his learning. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one day, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old Rabbi noticed a small boy picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.
The boy came closer still and the Rabbi called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves. When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”
The Rabbi replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “To that one, it made all the difference in the world!”
I hope my writing this column has made a difference in some of your lives and I will miss you so much and wish all in Cape May County blessings for teaching this Rabbi something special about life on the Jersey Shore.
As I close, my wife, Naomi, wants to publicly thank the rehabilitation staff and supervisors at Cape Regional Medical Center, where she has worked as a physical therapist for over five years, for being such wonderful coworkers and for making coming to work a fun and fulfilling experience.
God bless you all.
Rabbi Jeffrey Lipschultz is the spiritual leader at the Tri City Jewish Center in Rock Island, Ill. He welcomes your comments at dvjewish@rof.net.