Why I Support LIFE & LEGACY
In 1998 I was offered a position at the University of Calgary. Before I accepted, I needed to know that there was a good Jewish congregation in Calgary for me and my son. Temple B’nai Tikvah was the only choice – it was then the only Calgary congregation that would let me on the bimah. But it offered much more. From the first service we attended, we found a warm and welcoming egalitarian community, a congregation committed to inclusion and diversity, that combined worship, learning, and tikkun olam. Temple became my Jewish home. I celebrated my Bat Mitzvah here at age 59, my son and daughter-in-law were married here, my grandsons were welcomed into Jewish community here.
Three years after I joined Temple, Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman invited me to join the Temple Board. I’m still there, still moved by the diverse commitments to Judaism that inspire Board members to support Temple’s worship, services, and community.
I support LIFE & LEGACY because I want to ensure that Temple B’nai Tikvah endures. I want it to be there to welcome newcomers and connect us, however we engage Jewishly. My two most important reasons are my grandsons. I want our congregation to be there for them as they attend Shabbat School and celebrate their Bar Mitzvahs, to be there for them as adults if they remain in Calgary. I trust that wherever they may go some generous people are now ensuring that another congregation will be there to welcome them. LIFE & LEGACY expresses my gratitude for this community. It is my small contribution to ensuring Jewish community l’dor v’dor, from generation to generation, for all our children and grandchildren.