I am honored to serve as your president! I came to Missoula from Washington, DC in July of 2020 with my husband and 3 boys and fell in love immediately. It became clear very quickly that my whole family wanted to stay. I grew up at Jewish day school. My zaidee was president of our synagogue. We had Shabbat dinner together each week followed by Israeli dancing. I wanted to make sure that we could raise our family in a similarly rich Jewish environment in Missoula. As I met other Jewish families, I realized there was a need for an in-person Hebrew school. With support from Zootown Jews, Rabbi Mark, and many of you we were able to create Home Shul: a religious school that met in my kitchen. Two years later we are thrilled to have merged with Atidaynu to create one Hebrew school for the community.
As Har Shalom was looking for a new president, I was motivated by the trust and guidance of many of you to step up into this new role. I am reminded of a quote that my 7th grade Judaics teacher shared often from Pirke Avot: “Who is truly wise? One who learns from all people.” I am excited and humbled by this opportunity and recognize that everyone has their own relationship and history with the synagogue. My goal as president is to harness all of the potential to make this community both strong and inviting, building on the progress and hard work of those who came before me. I am thrilled to have an incredible board to serve with me. We are a combination of old and new board members, all looking forward to doing what we can to make Har Shalom a vibrant community with efficient systems in place. We also will strive to make sure that all members can feel at home under one roof. As we all know, it takes a village. The board and I welcome you to reach out and share any ways you would like to contribute in strengthening Har Shalom!
Shanah Tovah. May this be a year of growth and peace.
President, Har Shalom