In preparation for a small Synagogue 2000 conference that I will attend this summer, I was asked to write a brief spiritual statement describing myself. "Not my kind of exercise," I first thought. "Too touchy-feely." Upon completing the statement, I felt differently. The exercise was admittedly self-indulgent, yet it taught me something about myself. Everyone should try writing a personal spiritual statement.

Part of my own statement touches on American Jewish religious life generally, as well as Temple Micah specifically:

"I worry a lot about American Jewish organized religious life where mediocrity seems to reign and where models of quality are few and far between. A lot of people and a lot of thinking seem very wrongheaded to me.

"I wish I were a more educated Jew. I worry that American rabbis are not nearly educated enough or smart enough to meet the needs of the hour. I do not think that we have yet found the formula for Jewish life to thrive in this country. I worry that not enough people are even thinking about the question. I like Synagogue 2000 because I think that it is one of the only places that is considering it. I cherish honesty and have a severe allergy to phoniness. Pretentious phonies give me apoplexy.

"I have worked hard at Temple Micah trying to create a community that prizes learning, is engaging, modest, fun and tries to do at least its share of repairing the world. I want the experience of setting foot into Temple Micah to be different than any other experience in the world. I want Micah to be a place where people feel different, where they can be relaxed and open and interested and feel a sense of the holy."

I like to think that at least part of the Temple Micah experience reflects what I wrote for my friends at Synagogue 2000.

With our Capital Campaign and building expansion, our community is now taking its next major step in creating not only our own future, but in addressing the future of American Jewish life. Each one of us is a maker of Jewish history. Just consider your life in that light, as a creator of Jewish history. This statement is so obvious that we live our lives fully unaware of it. But what we do, what we create, how we live out our Judaism is, in fact, the future history of the American Jewish experience. This is just one reason that we have to take our lives and ourselves seriously.

This is also why Temple Micah is so important. Temple Micah is not only for us. Temple Micah itself is part of Jewish history. I truly believe that we at Micah are trying to create a new norm for synagogue life in this country. We are trying to create Jewish religious life that is vibrant with energy, steeped in wisdom, tolerant of others, rooted in the past, over. owing with diversity, ethically demanding and passionate for justice.

I believe that we are at the very beginning of our journey of discovery. We are at the forefront of what is being called the re-creation and redefinition of the American synagogue. In order to fully embrace that future, I know that each one of you will be supportive, generous and enthusiastic in your gift.

A Washington summer is upon us. It is a time to be very generous when you are asked - and then to go and read a good book!