Micah Celebrates Simchas with Laughter, Tears and 7th-Inning Stretch

Two simchas: One inconceivable without the other: The 25th anniversary of the leadership of Rabbi Zemel and the physical expansion of Temple Micah--the connection was inescapable as more than 300 members gathered Feb. 8 to celebrate both milestones and to usher in the next stage in the life of the congregation.

"What does it mean to dedicate?" Rabbi Zemel asked the crowd packed into the expanded social hall. "Do we not come...hoping to rededicate ourselves?"

It is a time, he said, "when we consider our core values, our communal dreams."

With songs, stories, heartfelt emotion and hearty laughter, young and old recalled the history of the 46-year-old temple--its roots in Southwest Washington, where it shared space for 25 years with an Episcopal church; the arrival of the great change agent, Daniel G. Zemel, in 1983; the move to the new building in 1995.

"If it ain't broke, break it!" Betsy Broder, former president of the board of directors, exclaimed in summation of Rabbi Zemel's leadership philosophy.

As empirical evidence of this creed, she pointed out that social action has always been a hallmark of the Micah community, so naturally, Rabbi Zemel "disbanded the social action committee"--a move in line with his belief that committees are obstacles to progress.

There were serious moments in the celebration, too, when, for example, member Josh S. read an emotional letter to Rabbi Zemel from Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, his mentor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Rabbi Hoffman called Temple Micah his "dream congregation" and declared his former student the rabbi of whom he is most proud and whom he most admires out of more than 600 who Hoffman has taught in 35 years.

"You are a very rare combination of all the virtues one looks for and admires: honesty, goodness, love, intelligence, humility, and more," he wrote. "It is hard to define authenticity, but one recognizes it in your constant soulful ferment. You never rest satisfied; your mind is always active; you are ever on the prowl for a better thing to do or a better way to do it. You are the quintessential truth teller, at war with mediocrity, as if it were Amalek." (Amalek, a warring tribe against the ancient Israelites, has become the representation of the archetypical enemy of the Jewish people.)

The music, a hallmark of Temple Micah, was stirring. Music Director Teddy Klaus directed the Adult Choir in "Holy Place," Cantor Meryl Weiner sang "If We Hold On Together" and member Doug Mishkin led the crowd in "Who Can Build," which he composed.

Members toured the new facilities, munched on fruits, vegetables and other treats provided by Micah Cooks, and listened to a series of speeches that told of how the $3.2 million expansion came to be and what the more than 465 member families can enjoy as a result:

--More than double the amount of classroom space and completed ceilings in original classrooms

--Building-wide sprinkler system

--Additional office space

--Bigger social hall

No longer will Micah students--there are now more than 230 in religious school-- have to leave the premises to learn.

"Now we will be able to accommodate all of our children in the building for Sunday school, provide dedicated office space for all of our staff and offer adult education activities in the building at the same time as school is in session," said Bill Nussbaum, board president.

And, he said, the congregation managed the expansion without incurring any long-term debt.

Yet there are some renovations that remain to be done--still awaiting new resources. And there are other issues facing the board, most important, a budget deficit projected at about $50,000. Nussbaum said an earlier projection was halved by deferring some elements of the expansion, such as moveable walls, and making do where possible with existing furniture.

But the cutbacks went unnoticed at the dedication, where new mothers with infants, 20-somethings who grew up in Temple Micah and original members joined in the celebration.

"It's like a big reunion," said Tanya C., 22, a Goucher University senior who has been a member of Micah since she was in second grade and remembers going to Hebrew school at St. Augustine's church. "I've seen people here I've known from the beginning... This new space definitely feels more comfortable for people to learn and get together."

The first part of the ceremony concentrated on the expansion and when that was over, the crowd was led in a rousing "seventh-inning stretch" and the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"--a prelude to the tribute to the White Sox-obsessed Rabbi Zemel.

Then the focus shifted to the more than 25 years of Rabbi Zemel's leadership, which began when Micah was 20 years old and, he recalled, had just over 100 families. He joined, he said, "in search of sacred community" and found it at Micah, an urban congregation receptive to new approaches. That sensibility has only grown under the guidance--and sometimes insistence--of Rabbi Zemel.

"We take our Judaism, but not ourselves, seriously," he said.

The program was run with great humor by member Michael Feuer. Messages of congratulations were read, and those upon whom Rabbi Zemel depends were recognized. Susie Blumenthal, temple administrator, was greeted with a standing ovation, as was Louise Zemel, who, Broder noted, "completes" her husband. Kate K. told about being a Christian young woman who came to Temple Micah with her Jewish fiance and subsequently found a spiritual and emotional home with the help of Rabbi Zemel.

Others, too, during and after the program, spoke of Rabbi Zemel's impact on their lives.

"I feel privileged to have grown up in the Temple Micah community under Rabbi Zemel's leadership," said 26-year-old Eliza S.. "Since my childhood, he has always been a teacher, mentor and source of wisdom and advice for me."

At its heart, the temple building unites three houses under one roof: Beit Tefila, a house of prayer; Beit Sefer, a house of study, and Beit Knesset, a house of community. The renovations respond to the strain on facilities while thoughtfully expanding or reconfiguring the temple's three houses so that all generations can worship together, study together and celebrate the spiritual moments of life's passage as one community.

The expansion and the original building were designed by architects temple members Robert Weinstein and Judith Capen, who are principals in architrave pc, an architectural and design firm on Capitol Hill. The project's general contractor is Humphrey Rich Construction Group of Gaithersburg.

Next up for Temple Micah, according to a not-at-all-serious Feuer: Consideration of a high-speed rail from Micah to the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, used for High Holy Day services.

And, said an entirely sincere Kate K., the benefit of many more years at Temple Micah with Rabbi Danny Zemel.

[By Valerie Strauss; from March-April 2009 Vine]