It is with great joy that I announce that, like Abraham, I am about to embark on a new journey. I will be the new rabbi of Congregation Kneseth Israel (CKI) in Elgin, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. I start August 16th.

God said to Abraham, L’chi lach, go to the land that I will show you. And you shall be a blessing. So Abraham (and Sarah) left, his land, the place of his birth and his father’s house. The rabbis have lots to say about this phrase, that lech lecha means go to yourself, sort of an ancient finding of yourself. They also taught that God’s list left for last that which was most precious to Abram. It is harder to separate from your own home, than the land of your birth, then your father’s house.

Elgin is in a familiar land, having lived as a child in Evanston for six years. While born in New York, it seems like a return to my roots. We have often remarked that it was beshert, destined when my husband and I met in Lowell, MA. My husband’s family and mine are buried in the same Jewish cemetery about 100 yards apart in Chicagoland. They must have known each other. So far we love Chicago and the people.

Leaving my home, the place of Sarah’s birth and the only home she has ever lived in, is more difficult. We are sad about traditions that we have developed as a family that we can’t necessarily continue in Elgin. We are sad to be leaving Temple Emanuel of the Merrimack Valley, where we met, were married, raised our children, celebrated milestones, cried when our parents died, and have deep ties to long time friends. We have been members there, Simon for 32 years, me for 29. We are sad about losing some of the deep connections we have made with people. Yesterday we said goodbye to GLILA, the Greater Lowell Interfaith Leadership Alliance. It was a good chance to reminisce about all of the things we have done together (a blog on that forthcoming). By the end of the ceremony marking our departure, I was crying, felt peaceful, and could honestly say (for the first time, perhaps) that I know Simon and I  have made a difference in the greater Lowell community. I am sad to be leaving Mayyim Hayyim, the community mikveh and education center, a place that has helped me heal, to celebrate, to teach and to be a quieter presence. They have taught me so much about creating a pluralistic non-judgmental space. I am sad to be leaving Congregation Beth Israel. It is a place with some wonderful families that care about the Jewish education of their children. They have been warm and welcoming. If I could think up an idea to try they were willing to figure out how.

Now it is time to look forward. I am excited about taking what I have learned and practiced about creating that safe, non-judgmental, welcoming space, and helping nurture a congregation on my own. The members of CKI have done a good job of visioning, and are building on their strong foundation to be a diverse, welcoming congregation, embracing life-long learning, and meaningful worship, while building community.  I am excited about having a partnership with the leadership of the congregation, who understand, from my perspective, what a congregation is about, who want to grow spiritually and learn with me. I am excited about meeting new people and seeing new places, about being back in a part of the country that has meant a great deal to both my husband and me. I am even excited about a new house that we have fallen in love with. All of it seems “beshert”. Even the house. On Joy Lane. The realtor’s photos show that the last owners had a Red Sox banner and a Patriots banner with a sign reading “Nashua” in the upstairs bedroom.

And I am deeply humbled by the trust and the faith that the congregation is putting in me. Together we will grow. I tell my children, “Stick with me. You’ll go places.” I never dreamed it would be Elgin, but that is the land that has been shown to me. Together we will all go places.