My friends, recently someone shared with me the definition of a Jewish telegram. "Start worrying - details to follow."

Tonight, on this installation Shabbat, on this night when we consider the state of our congregation, I would bring you this message: "Rejoice and give thanks - the details are as follows." The activities of our congregation since last we met in Annual Meeting represent an appropriate tribute to the 131 years of vitality and dynamic leadership which congregation Temple Sinai of the city of New Orleans has given to this Jewish community and to the National Reform Movement.

The challenges and opportunities which present themselves in the beginning of the 21^st century, are tremendous. Particularly as modern Jews move from the descriptive from "a chosen people" to one best portrayed as "a choosing people." Such choice is at the heart of the recent American Jewish experience and has resulted in a tension between waning enthusiasm, assimilation, lack of participation, on the one hand and revival, re-imaging, and renewed vigor, on the other. As we struggle with modernity and individualism, a new vision emerges - Temple Sinai of the 21^st Century. You know, that that vision will not be fulfilled by accident. It will be one that we choose; the result of a careful process of long range planning, strategic visioning which is about to recommence. Developing a strategic plan for our congregation will ensure that as we move into the early decades of this millennium, our congregation will do so consciously with map and blueprint in hand, to point us in the direction which will not only enable Temple Sinai to maintain its leadership position but which will also allow our tradition of excellence and innovative programming to be maintained and enhanced.

In conversations with our new president, and in harmony with the gifted and insightful officers and board members who are being installed this very evening, in complete cooperation with my clergy partner, Cantor Joel Colman, our Religious School Director, Barbara Greenberg, and our Executive Director, Betty Zivitz, we all intend to address the demographic, technological, spiritual, and nuts and bolts realities of Temple Sinai. We are intent on boldly moving forward, recognizing and embracing the importance of Jewish values and traditions, while at the same time utilizing tools and ideas of modernity to foster an ever richer Jewish life for our members, for their children and families, and for those unaffiliated Jews within our city to whom we intend to extend a most warm welcome.

I am particularly pleased to announce that we will soon have, in operation, a Temple Caring Committee, comprised of two most talented and extraordinarily well-trained volunteers, Cindy Small and Dr. Ruth Ettinger. They will endeavor to support the clergy team in contacting Temple members in times of trial and to ascertain ways in which we may reach out to them and support them during their time of stress, of sickness or loss. No doubt, as time goes on, we will enlist the support of others in this important committee which can help to further humanize and personalize Temple Sinai's telling presence in the life of its member families.

In addition, and with the complete support of our new Temple president and several other members of our congregation, we intend to initiate a ministry of outreach to the Jewish gay and lesbian community of New Orleans. We do not know exactly how this will develop, or for that matter, in what manner in which we will be most helpful to the gay and lesbian community, but a meeting has been scheduled for mid-June to help ascertain exactly how Temple Sinai might extend its presence in the spirit of acceptance and of support to that ever growing segment of our Jewish community.

The growth of our Hebrew School, the dramatic increase of B'nai Mitzvah scheduled for next year and in succeeding years, the increased excellence of our Religious School, the wide variety of liturgical expressions commonly used here at Temple Sinai, the success of Temple Sinai University as a new instrument for continuing education within our Temple family, the broadcast of our Sabbath services on the radio each week, the continued contributions of our Brotherhood and Sisterhood and Youth Group and ReJEWvenate to energize and to deepen the life of our congregation - all of these lead me to nothing but optimism regarding our Temple's future.

Suffice it to say, however, we still have much to address. Sometime along the way we must talk about a capital campaign for these aging buildings of ours. Twenty-first century children studying in classrooms with one electrical plug simply tells the tale: We must prepare ourselves and this building for a new century in which we have already entered. Sacrifices will be called for.

Additionally, we have yet to take seriously an aggressive and coordinated membership campaign. You know it and I know it, we have unaffiliated children, grandchildren, and parents who ought to be members of Temple Sinai and who are not! They have never been asked and we should be ashamed of it! I know that our new president intends to address this situation.

We have seen, with the dramatic success of the "Friday Nite Live" services, a gift of Matt Greenbaum, that our congregation and the larger community will respond to quality and innovation. We are determined to continue in that direction. Cantor Colman's recent cantorial concert inspired hundreds of people with its beauty and good spirit. To know him is to love him! The Cantor and I will have additional plans and new programs to bring to your attention and it is our great honor and pleasure to work with you in directing the future course of this great house of prayer.

I want to add a personal word of thanks to Mark Heller, who complete's his term as president. Mark has served with amazing dedication and he has always been available whenever his rabbi has needed his council. Countless hours of sacred and dedicated devotion have, on the part of our Temple President, resulted in a congregation which is healthy, open, optimistic, and worthy of the pioneering vision which called us into being 131 years ago. The name Heller has always been one of great prominence and distinction here at Temple Sinai and Mark has maintained that grand tradition and, through his example of teaching Torah to our children on Sunday morning and in New York with the Confirmation Class, has underscored the need for all of us to follow his lead, in taking a place as a teacher in our religious school. And so, as he leaves office, I offer him my sincerest thanks and mazel tov on a job well-done and on a trust well-kept.

To all of the Board members, who have served with him, I extend my most heartfelt appreciation. We are a team, and we have worked as such, always respectful, unfailingly loyal, dedicated to the fullest to do justice to the trust we have received from the members of this congregation to care for it and to maintain its sanctity.

Our Torah portion this Sabbath is known in our tradition as Emor. In it we learn of the festival calendar of the Jewish people, God's appointed seasons - the Sabbath, Passover, Shavuot, the High Holy Days, and Sukkot. All of these appointed seasons, all of these times of holiness are heightened by the presence of this temple, now 131 years Young! Here we come to sanctify life. Here we come to give praise to the creator of all life! Here we come when our hearts our filled with thanksgiving and here we come when our hearts are heavy with concern and loss.

This is a house of prayer for all seasons of life and for all that life can bring us, the bitter and the sweet. May we preserve it and may we hand it on to those who will follow so that, when that day comes, a new generation will rise up and say of us, as we are quick to say of our forebearers, "Yes, they did well, and they preserved the heritage of the household of Israel."

Thank you.