Lehigh Valley clergy wish you Shalom

By Rabbi Steven Nathan

Jewish tradition teaches "each Jew is responsible for one another." We are an interdependent people. That is how we have survived and thrived over so many millennia in spite of the fact that so many have tried to destroy us.

The Lehigh Valley Jewish community certainly understands this, as do its clergy members. This is not something which we should take for granted. I've lived in other communities where the clergy had difficulties cooperating. This is not the case at all in the Lehigh Valley. And it's one of the things I treasure most about living here. Clergy cooperation, and collaboration, are not just given "lip service" here.

Once a month, the Jewish Clergy Group of the Lehigh Valley meets to discuss how we can best serve our community, ways in which we can collaborate, and simply to create a community of colleagues. Conservative, Reform, Chabad, Modern Orthodox, Reconstructionist… we all support each other and work together in order to serve our community.

It's my pleasure to serve as the chairperson of this wonderful group of colleagues. On behalf of all of us we say "Shalom Lehigh Valley!" May this be a year of joy and fulfillment for all of us.

Front row: L-R: Rabbi Melody Davis, Congregation Bnai Shalom; Rabbi Allen Juda, retired Congregation Brith Sholom, currently JFS president; Rabbi Moshe Re'em, Temple Beth El. Back row: L-R: Rabbi Michael Singer, Congregation Brith Sholom; Rabbi Steven Nathan, Lehigh University Hillel; Rabbi Nisan Andrews, Congregation Sons of Israel; Rabbi Seth Phillips, Congregation Keneseth Israel. Not pictured: Rabbi Marjorie Berman, Temple Israel of Lehighton; Rabbi Yaakov Halperin, Chabad of the Lehigh Valley; Student Rabbi Armin Langer, Congregation Am Haskalah; Cantor Jill Pakman, Congregation Bnai Shalom; Cantor Ellen Sussman, Temple Shirat Shalom; Cantor Robert Weiner, Congregation Bnai Shalom.

6043 Lower Macungie Rd Macungie, PA 18062

A Residence of Legend Senior Living® LegendSeniorLiving.com