By Barbara Shuman

Just a quick note about a wonderful session I attended this morning. Sam Joseph shared his vision of leadership - that leaders should be connectors, not controllers, heroes, or bosses. The job of leaders is to create space for congregants to talk about and act upon what really matters to them, not just on jobs that need to be done. We need to postpone problem solving and talk about possibilities for the future, to envision and invent a better reality, to invite people to give voice to dissent (rather than boring them with reports about what has already happened).

What do you care about? Do the leaders of your congregation provide space for you to converse about meaningful issues? Do we acknowledge and value the various gifts that congregants might share with others? Lots to think about! Even those of us who have been in leadership positions for decades need to learn new ways of meeting others in our communities, and truly listening to them on deeper levels. Its good to be reminded of this .

Shabbat is approaching soon and you can feel the energy shift as people prepare for what promises to be the highlight of the Biennial - a 24 hour Shabbat filled with prayer, song, fellowship and learning - a taste of the world to come. (I'm even going to change my clothes!) Shabbat shalom!