Counting: Up, Down, and On

Today is my last day as President of HPCT-CAE. In that spirit, below is the last article I wrote in the Kiruv, talking about what the last month or two of my term was like.

Thanks to everybody who worked so hard for the shul over the past 2 years, and thanks to my family for dealing with my being president.

We spend most of our lives marking time in one way or another. As kids in school, we counted the days until winter or summer vacation. In high school or college, we watched in alarm as the due date for a big project approached, or we avidly anticipated the release of a new movie or the chance to buy tickets to a concert. As adults, we eagerly track the weeks and months until our children are born, and then we note the milestones in their lives by the week, month, and year.

Thinking about all of the ways we count in our secular lives brings to mind the most significant counting season in the Jewish calendar: the Omer. There are, of course, similarities between our everyday counting and the Omer; after all, in both cases we are counting until we reach a particular date or event. But there is one difference. In most of our everyday counting, we count down, but for the Omer, we count up. To my mind, a countdown implies something negative about either the period being counted (like counting the days until school is out), or a dread of what happens at the end (like the test or work deadline). In contrast, when we count up, we anticipate the upcoming event (such as the birth of our child or Shavuot itself), but we also savor the journey to get there.

I’ve been thinking about counting because of the question I’ve been hearing with increasing frequency in the past few months: “So, are you counting down the days until the end of your term?”

The answer to this question is not as simple as it seems. Of course, I am aware that my term as Temple president is coming to a close (When you read this, there will be fewer than 30 days left!). But the implication of counting down the days is that I can’t wait for it to be over, and that is not the case. Being president has not been easy, but it has been incredibly rewarding and I am very thankful to have been given the chance to do it.

So instead of counting down the days until it’s over, I’ve been counting the things that have made it special to me: The good wishes I received from the “Seudah Shlishit society” on my first Shabbat as president. My testimony at the Zoning board hearing, and the excitement of presiding over the Livnot groundbreaking. The privilege of addressing the congregation on Yom Kippur, and of representing the shul in the wider community. The honor of addressing B’nai Mitzvah and sharing in their simchas. The joy of sharing my seat on the Bimah with Noah and Aviva, and the editing sessions with Sue as we’ve worked on my speeches and Kiruv articles. These things and many others have helped me to count every day instead counting the number of days left.

Besides counting down and counting up, there is one other type of counting I’d like to mention: counting on. I’ve had dozens and dozens of people to count on during the past two years. Committees and committee chairs implement our programming. Members of the Board of Trustees provide oversight and guidance. The officers and past presidents provide invaluable advice and perspective, in addition to all of the work they put in to oversee our activities. The staff keep everything running smoothly, even in the midst of construction. Cantor Weis brings us together with his davening, and Rabbi Malomet guides us as leader and teacher. Finally, I am blessed with a wonderful family. I’ve missed spending as much time with Aviva and Noah as I would have liked, but they have been proud to be the president’s kids. Sue’s support has made it all work – I couldn’t have done it without her.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as president of HPCT-CAE. It has been one of the most worthwhile experiences of my life, and I am counting up to my next opportunity to serve the Temple and the Jewish community.