“If you’re having trouble installing your rabbi, try rebooting the congregation!”
My brother-in-law thinks he’s very clever.
But I have to admit I like his joke better than the more common ones about installing air conditioners and ceiling fans. It’s not a terrible analogy to say that a rabbi works in the operating environment of a congregation and its board, as we work together to address the needs of the community.
The term “installation” for clergy likely has its origin in an old Catholic ritual of leading a priest to his “stall,” or throne, as he took up his position as bishop in a cathedral. Similar to a coronation, it represents a leader taking on the role of leadership over a congregation. It is not clear to me at what point American Jews took on the practice of “installing” rabbis, but I find it telling that it is usually done a year or so after a rabbi’s arrival, and not prior to the first service officiated by the rabbi. Rather than establishing the rabbi’s authority over the congregation, the ritual affirms and sanctifies the relationship between the rabbi and the congregation.
Over the past year and a half we have celebrated many Shabbatot and two High Holidays together, mourned and celebrated life-cycle rituals together, and wrestled with important questions. We taught our children, studied as adults, and dedicated a cemetery for our dead. I feel blessed to be a part of the life of this community, and grateful that the board has decided our work together is promising enough to sanctify with an installation ceremony.
I am thrilled that the Installation Committee was able to secure the services of my teacher Rabbi Dan Judson to perform the ceremony. Rabbi Judson is the Provost of Hebrew College, a historian of American Judaism, and an amazing storyteller (check out his story at themoth.org/storytellers/daniel-judson). I can’t wait to hear what wisdom he has to share with us.
As we look forward to the next chapters of our life as a congregation, I see both opportunities and challenges. Our community is simultaneously grounded in our long history and open to new members and new possibilities, inviting us to ask ourselves: who do we want to be? What will our community look like when we are truly thriving? On a very practical level, the board has recently recognized the need to install a lift to make both our sanctuary and vestry accessible to all, and I would like to invite each and every one of us to contribute what we can towards making this vision a reality.
Whatever the future holds for us, I look forward to facing it together.
Reb Josh.
