In the Torah, God calls to Moses and Avraham and they both respond: Hineni. Here I am. Here I stand. During Yom Kippur, the white-clad cantor chants a haunting, heart-moving prayer, entitled Hineni, where he stands before God and begs for mercy to him or her and to his community.
Here I am. Here I stand. I am open, receptive and open to being engaged. Hineni.
We say Hineni when we choose to be in relationship with another.
We say Hineni when we meet our children for the first time, and accept our role as parents.
We say Hineni when we are called on to be present, no matter what we are doing…When our children wake up in the middle of the night with a bad dream.When our three year old daughter wants our full attention– no matter what we are in the middle of—we respond, Hineni.
Our call to respond expands beyond the walls of our home. Our families depend on us, and so do our communities. Research has shown that smaller communities tend to have more committed, active volunteers, while in larger communities, the perception is that each individual has less of an impact, and therefore, people are less compelled to take on leadership and volunteer roles. We see these trends reflected within our organization, and throughout the non-profit world.
The mishnah teaches us, “Do not separate yourself from the community” (Pirket Avot 2:5)
We are reminded on an ongoing basis, that each person does make an incredible difference to shaping our community, and we are grateful to the many volunteers who help us envision, and implement our programming over the course of the year. Not only does each volunteer make an impact, we are obliged to ‘opt in’ and say Hineni. As we begin our new year, we would like to present the opportunity to you to say Hineni. Here I stand.
I will help to plan a program. Hineni.
I will volunteer at an event. Hineni.
I will do a Warm Welcome visit. Hineni.
I will make a donation to Family Programs.
Hineni. I will enroll in a new class with my child. Hineni.
I will enroll in a class for my personal enrichment and growth. Hineni.
I will reconnect with my JBU community. Hineni.
On November 1st, the JCC will be honoring Joyce Zeff, with the first Hineni Award for a community leader at our Annual Dinner. We will also be showcasing ‘Shalom Baby’ and raising funds to help support and sustain the entire JCC Family Programs department.
In preparation, we are connecting with JBU alumni to hear their stories, and to learn how this program has impacted their lives.
When you get the call- please say Hineni. Share your story with us.
Consider joining us at the dinner on November 1, Hineni.
Even if you recently joined the Shalom Family community- and did not participate in Jewish Baby University, say “Hineni.”
Take the first step to giving a bit of yourself- your skills, your time, your expertise, and your passion- ensure the success of our programs for years to come.
Hineni.
Here I stand.
Please join me.
