RABBI BARBARA BORTS AGM REPORT

DARLINGTON HEBREW CONGREGATION – 2012

It is a pleasure to give this, my first AGM report to Darlington.

I have now been your rabbinical consultant for almost 4 years, and it has been a pleasure. My work has consisted primarily of taking the second day Rosh Hashanah service, and 3 additional Shabbat services a year. Before the Shabbat services, I do some teaching, on a wide variety of topics,often after receiving suggestions from the congregation. We recently had visitors from a church, so my teaching was about the nature of the Hebrew Bible; I have also recently done a session to help people learn to do mitzvahs in the service, and some people then went on to have their first mitzvah.

I introduced Darlington to the new siddur and am pleased that you purchased it, being the final synagogue in the movement to do so, and making it a unanimous adoption.You have recently been sent copies of the accompanying musical suggestions book, and we have begun to learn a few new melodies. I will be recording some of these for the congregation to log on and learn.

I am also ‘on retainer’ for other work. I facilitated a conversion at the Beth Din, and then, a welcoming ceremony for Jimmy Robertson; I have been working with Aaron McAllister and will conduct his Bar Mitzvah Shabbat; I offered pastoral support and then conducted the funeral of Betty Herman; I do some pastoral calls and emails; I field questions about conversion from people who write in; I represented the congregation at an interfaith gathering; I advise the ‘officers’ on matters Jewish and halachic. And I have helped ensure that Darlington is able to use the relationship with NRS forcertain events, such as Bar Mitzvah classes and the seder.

I want to thank Peter, Raymond and Peninah for all of their support during these years. I enjoy my time with Darlington very much, as a warm, committed and hospitable congregation.