Bulletin Blurb Welcoming TBE’s New Assistant Rabbi, 1987
Cover of Installation Program, 1992
Kabbalat Shabbat Service for June 21, 2024
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman and Cantor Katie Kaplan
Musicians: Chris Coogan and Jason Terry
Speakers (scheduled)
After Lecha Dodi:
Sol, Julie and Sean Rose
Adam and Gabriela Pollack
Jami (Shapiro) Fener and Lauren (Shapiro) Chitalia
Allan and Roni Lang
After The Shabbat Psalm: Keith Brewer
Rebecca Rakowitz
Mitch, Kyle, Brandon, Anya and Eliana Nadel
Rae-ann and Scott Allen
After the Sh’ma:
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Rev. Mark Lingle
Rev. Winton Hill
Rev. Ann Schmidt
After the Silent Amida:
Jewels and Nathaniel Harrison (including Musical Selection)
Cantor’s Musical Selection
Ethan, Vivian and Eric Kaplan
Diana (Kalter) Binger and Lauren (Kalter) Ha ss
Evan, Tina and Sophia Cwass
Kiddush by Judy Aronin
Peter Kempner
Elissa Garber-Hyman
Concluding Comments and Blessing: Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Cantor Katie Kaplan
From Rabbi Hammerman’s Final High Holiday Sermons at TBE
(From First Day RH Sermon)
True, none of us will be here at Temple Beth El in 6242 – hey, I won’t be here in 2024 . But whether or not this synagogue is standing, something, something inside me – some gut feeling tells me that there willbe a Torah, a Judaism and a Jewish people. In 4,000 years, there will still be Jews, just as the Jewish idea and Jewish people came to this world around 4,000 years ago.
How could our people not persist through the millennia? We’ve just survived genocide. If we can survive that, we can survive anything. If we can survive the Romans, Inquisition, Cossacks, Czars and Nazis, we can survive synagogue shootings, or secularization, or the Protocols of Zion, or BDS or the judicial coup. From a God’s eye view, the Jewish people will be here in thousands of years because we’ve already proven that we can last thousands of years.
For a hundred generations, our ancestors prayed to return to Jerusalem three times daily. Ahundred generations! If just one generation had stopped facing Jerusalem, we wouldn’t be here. Each person mattered. Each prayer recited by each person – it mattered. I wouldn’t bet against the Jewish people, despite the great challenges we face now, here and in Israel. I wouldn’t bet against us, and not because of God (which I can say from this God’s eye view) but because of each of you. Each of you matters. And I know you’ll come through. Why? Because you are here today! Something mysterious has drawn you back here today.
And that’s why our little speck of time along this journey, this journey that we’ve taken together –matters. These 37 years we’ve been together – they’ve mattered And that’s why your life matters, and my life, they’ve all had a purpose, and all those who are buried next door at Beth El Cemetery, their lives did too.
Teachustocountourdays. To look at time from God’s perspective and see the big picture. The huge picture. For that’s the key, not just to our relevance, but to our immortality, which rests on the indestructibility of the Jewish people and the Jewish idea.
(Adapted from Second Day RH sermon and In This Moment, 11/30.2023) https://www.joshuahammerman.com/2023/11/ect-in-this-moment-authenticity-is-word.html
I have always looked at religion from the prism of the humanities, not as doctrine but as lived experience, not as something supernatural, but something very down to earth.
LoBashamayimhee – it says in Deuteronomy. “It’snotintheheavens.”“Thisthingisvery closetoyou,inyourmouthandinyourheart.”
Religion is right here– in your heart. That’s what’s real – and our sacred wisdom reminds us of precisely that.
We are not in the business of keeping a dying religion on life support just because it’s been around for a few thousand years and some people feel guilty about eating a ham sandwich. It’s been around so long because it helped human beings who happen to be Jewish to become better human beings. It has helped us to make the world a better place, for all people. To be Jewish, in other words, is to be fully human. To be fully human is to be fully engaged with the universe and with the epic saga of unfolding Creation.
To be Jewish is to be radically authentic, trusting and being trustworthy, being fully present and true to our commitments, trusting sources of inherited and inner wisdom. Jews are covenantal beings. We are tethered to something greater than ourselves. That is what keeps it - and us - real.
Perhaps we’ve grown to intuit this difference between the virtual and the real. Perhaps that is why people keep on coming back to their houses of worship, to find guidance as we engage in God’s sacred labor. If we can be the locus of the real, that point of light where “I” meets “Thou,” we will be fulfilling a sacred mission that we are uniquely qualified to do.
And perhaps that, in the end, will save Judaism, as it guides us through that most dehumanizing of locales, the real-life battlefields of Gaza. And if through all this, through the fighting and infighting, the real suffering and the propaganda, the feverish emotions and those few moments of measured reflection, if we can just cling to the ideal of our common humanity, that we are all created in Go d's image, we can get through this. If Israel can thread that needle that separates machismo from menschlichkeit , maybe we can win this war on our terms.
If we do not allow ourselves to fall victim to dehumanizing the other, turning the other into an object, a facsimile of the human - even when the other acts in barbaric, inhuman ways - we will have taken the first step toward a real victory and toward the eventual possibility of real peace.
(From Yom Kippur Day Sermon)
And now, 37 years after I spoke to this congregation for the first time and saw seedlings, I now look out and see 37 fully grown gardens. One stacked on top of the other. And each pew is stacked 37 times, like planes over La Guardia. Circling. Circling. I see them all, the dead, the living, the not yet dreamed of. It feels like that last scene from LesMisérables(which opened on Broadway one month after my opening night here).
And, as I see you, marking this moment, I’m taking a mental snapshot right…now… and will carry it with me for the rest of my days, wherever I find myself, next Yom Kippur, and the one after that, and God willing, beyond. And as I look out, I see a reflection of what I could only imagine 37 years ago, shimmering through our windows and sparkling in your eyes – and as I look very closely, squinting in the dimming light, running my fingernails into the dirt, I think I may have spotted what I’ve been searching for all along.
Selected Letters, Posts and RSVPs
Rabbi Hammerman and Mara,
How can I summarize our 35 years together in a way that does justice to everything we’ve been through? Rabbi, you were one of my first Stamford friends when we moved here in 1989. I was a shy 12-year-old, prepping for my Bat Mitzvah in a new city where I knew no one. I soon met Mara, and later became a loyal Monday night babysitter to Ethan and Daniel. I vividly remember Daniel in his high chair, and how Ethan would adorably chat himself to sleep at night.
Through those early years, I saw you around the temple all the time. Lauren and I were here for junior choir rehearsal with the Hazzan every Sunday morning, as well as for those Kabbalat shabbat services. I also worked at the religious school for many years, and frequently participated in Shabbat services. Early on, we learned that we shared a mutual connection to Camp Ramah, and I have always loved that the temple’s first outdoor Friday night service was during my Bat Mitzvah weekend- or at least that’s what my dad always told me!
You and the Hazzan also married us, and it meant so much to Scott and me that you and Mara were there to celebrate with us…
…and to be sad with us. You supported our family through the losses of both my parents, 8 years apart. I was so moved by how respectfully you navigated my father’s deeply personal request to out him at his funeral. My father asked this of you in his last days living with AIDS, a tragic ending to a lifetime he spent hiding his true self, even from his own family. His wish was that in telling his story, he could inspire others to live more authentically, in a way he just couldn’t. You and my father together taught me that it is always worth finding a way to be our unmasked selves.
Looking back, it should come as no surprise that many years later we ended up as coworkers as well. At your encouragement and maybe also a little push, I began working here as the Young Families Coordinator and later the Engagement Coordinator. Those three years working here meant a lot to me; to reconnect to this place that holds so many beautiful family memories. This temple, this congregation, and you leading it, have been my lighthouse through so many of my life stages, and so many hard times.
It will never be the same without you on this pulpit. But I know this isn’t the end for us- just the end of another chapter of our story together. I look forward to the next one!
All my best,
Jami FenerDear Rabbi Josh,
I am sorry to miss your special final Shabbat service at Temple Beth El where you are being honored and recognized by your congregation, and your community, one in which you have been instrumental in shaping over the past 3 plus decades. I have a good excuse though – as you have often emphasized the importance of family, I will be in Oregon with my extended family to celebrate my nephew's marriage.
I am honored to represent the Family of Mann, most importantly my parents, Norma and Milton Mann, of blessed memory. Temple Beth El was the congregation where our family shared many life cycle events, and you became a central part of them as we “grew up”. You were my parent’s Rabbi and in turn, you became my Rabbi, our Rabbi, even though I had my congregation in the Boston area where I raised my family. I am aware that my parents were instrumental in helping to seal the deal in bringing you to Stamford from Peekskill, NY, as they were half of a reconnaissance team sent up to Peekskill one Friday night to “see you in action”. Despite your request that they try to blend in and not be too conspicuous, you have shared many times, how my mother ended up holding court, serving coffee, and asking your congregants if they were having a good time.
My parents both had a special and unique relationship with you Rabbi Josh be it through their collaborating with you via their leadership roles in the congregation or the community at large, or when they were hosting the Scholar-in-residence with you and fellow congregants or hosting a conversion in the river behind their home. Yet what stands out the most to me, as their adult daughter, was how much you meant to each of them as they aged, became ill, and ultimately passed away. Your ongoing compassionate pastoral visits to the house when Mom was bedbound were extraordinary. The visits with Dad who was bereft and feeling unmoored, were grounding. And, the way you comforted and supported me, my sister, and our children during their respective funerals left a lasting impression of a truly caring and dedicated Rabbi who could help to ameliorate our emotional pain.
I could go on, but I know these comments are meant to be brief so I will wrap up by offering my deepest gratitude to you and your family for allowing you to be the mensh that you are, offering insightful and thought-provoking sermons that I still read, and for being you. I wish you all the best in your next chapter of life, may your days be filled with fulfillment, health, joy, and peace. My parents would join me if they could in saying, “Thank you for your dedicated time as their Rabbi, our Rabbi, Toda Rabah and Mazel Tov on reaching this exciting point in your career, retirement time!”
With love and gratitude, Pamela Mann
Dear Beth El Congregation,
While I was one of the Rabbis at Agudath Sholom from 1986-1993, I was privileged to welcome your talented and spirited Rabbi, Joshua Hammerman, to the nearly exclusive fraternity of Associate Rabbis in Stamford. From day one, as well as from the first Stamford Board of Rabbis meeting that he attended, it was more than clear that this was not your ordinary humdrum rabbinic school graduate who felt himself constrained by the usual job specs of a second rabbi in a congregation. On the outside, Josh was a handsome and energetic professional who was easily capable of sermonizing and teaching and officiating with dignity and kindness at Jewish life cycle events. But on the inside, if one could accurately x-ray this new and then 8th member of the Stamford Board of Rabbis, there was a leader and scholar and social changer and pied piper to the young and a sensitive and empathetic support to the veterans of Temple Beth El. Josh Hammerman was, in my eyes, not in any way a diamond in the rough, rather, he was already a polished gem only gaining luster and a sparkling Shine of the Divine. And that shine has, thank God, blessed all of you across several decades.
As Associate Rabbis, when we saw each other, we needed only to give each other the "look" to understand what each of us was feeling as we pondered our limited roles. We both had the privilege of working with esteemed rabbis of national renown, me with Rabb i Joseph Ehrenkranz and he with Rabbi Alex Goldman. I was in an orthodox congregation and Josh was in a Conservative congregation, and we each modeled admiration and respect for each other, knowing that from each of our perches we had so much to contribute, especially when we worked together. We always enjoyed being together and laughing together and hoping each of us would get the opportunity to become Senior Rabbi of our respective synagogues. I was so proud of Josh when he became your Senior Rabbi, as you were blessed with a compelling speaker and writer, intense listener and a leader with impeccable character and wisdom, who was inclusive with a fierce desire to bring the margins into the center of the Beth El tent. When I left Stamford in 1993, I served two congregations in Baltimore, one as the Senior Rabbi of my own congregation for 9 years prior to making aliyah in 2010. So, the two Associates achieved their goals, and now your Senior Rabbi is retiring and leaving huge shoes to fill. I suspect two shoes may not be enough.
To Josh and Mara and your loving family, I wish you bracha v'hatzlacha, abundant blessings and success in your next chapter. Whatever you do, and wherever you go, may you be blessed with "sipuk hanefesh," deep and soulful satisfaction, along with good health, happiness, and continuing to contribute in new and singular ways.
Mazal tov!!
Rabbi Elan Adler
Efrat, IsraelDear Rabbi Hammerman
Unfortunately, I cannot attend your final service as I have to pick up my youngest son, Ethan, from sleepaway camp in PA on Friday. I did make it a point to come to services a few weeks back to say an official goodbye (and was thrilled that Cantor Jacobsen was there as well that evening). I couldn't pass the opportunity to write a tribute to show my appreciation for everything you have done for me and my family. I feel like I have three chapters with TBE and you have been part of all Three:
Chapter 1: Being a member under my parents’ membership:
I was lucky to have met you back in 6th grade and have you at my bat mitzvah back in 1989, my confirmation in 1992, and as a Merkaz teacher in High School. I remember thinking it was cool to have a younger Rabbi and learning about more thought-provoking topics at Merkaz like Euthanasia. One of my strongest memories from this chapter is your support during my father's sudden passing in January 1999. You came to the hospital and immediately consoled me and my devastated mother and brother. I will forever be grateful for your unwavering support in the days, weeks, months, and years to follow.
Chapter 2: Becoming an Adult Member
In 2003, I moved back to Stamford as an adult and you conducted my son Jordan's bris, and my daughter Jasmine's baby naming. I cherished bringing them each on the bimah during the blessing of the newborn children and was blessed to do this alongside my brother with his newborn babies. You helped me make a critical decision regarding the future of my family at a time when I really needed someone like my dad to help with me that decision. This set me on my path to Chapter 3
Chapter 3: The FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Years
In 2013, I moved to Westport and lived 2 minutes from The Conservative Synagogue (TCS) in Westport. As much as I wanted to continue with the TBE membership, I knew I needed to build a community around the local synagogue. Often during the high holidays, tears would stream down my face as I missed TBE during these special days. I made it a goal to come to services on my father’s yartzeit every year. This helped me feel closer to my father and gave me a minimal annual reason to come to TBE.
Chapter 4: The post Rabbi Hammerman Years
This Chapter is yet to be written, Other than for a few short years early in my life, I haven't really known TBE without Rabbi Hammerman, I'll still have FOMO because the community is so special, I'll still make it an effort to come for my father’s yartzeit, I know I'll shed tears at both TCS and TBE because I will greatly miss the Rabbi who has become a moral compass for me, especially in these unimaginable times.
Wishing you the best in your well-deserved retirement and I look forward to continuing to learn from you and I know I can lean on you for your support in the future.
All the best, Pegah Hendizadeh Rosenthal
From Steve Hoffman
From Cantor Deborah Jacobson
Temple Beth El, my cherished community of friends, was my first full-time pulpit after graduating and being ordained from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2002. Rabbi Hammerman set a high standard for me, inspiring me to work only with rabbis who are true mensches a nod to his excellent book, ‘Mensch-Marks’, and who are wise, collaborative, and inspirational partners. He, his wife Mara Hammerman, and their sons Ethan Hammerman and Dan Hammerman have been a blessing in my life and the lives of countless others.
From Darah GolubThroughout my life, aside from my father, Rabbi Mark S. Golub z"l, Josh Hammerman has been my rabbi. In all the years growing up in Stamford, anytime there was a simcha or a ceremony outside of my father's chavurah, in my memory it was always at Temple Beth El with Rabbi Hammerman. And that was not by default or by accident.
The connection they shared as dear colleagues, as Stamford rabbis going through all of life stages together, sharing a love of the Jewish People and Jewish Tradition, that was a bond that transcends description.
For my own sense, Rabbi Hammerman created a sanctuary that was not only a haven for so many fortunate congregants, but it was the only synagogue home away from chavurah-home that I and my family knew. From hosting joyful musical celebrations or hard-hitting debates centered on shared values of pluralism, to offering a comforting embrace during the most brokenhearted moments of all, Rabbi Hammerman was a gift to my father, and is a gift to my family. Temple Beth El has always been our place because it is indelibly imbued with the unique gifts of wisdom, humor, inspiration, and quiet strength of Rabbi Hammerman.
But Rabbi Hammerman is as generous with his insights outside of temple as he is inside.
My father and Rabbi Hammerman shared a mutual passion not only for the Jewish Tradition, but for expressing that passion through media. Rabbi Hammerman was a frequent guest of L'Chayim, my father's long-running talk show, where Rabbi Hammerman would often come on to discuss his latest book, debate the meaning of God, or his choice to be a rabbi. Always with Rabbi Hammerman's signature calm, composure, and wisdom.
How my father and Rabbi Hammerman gave to each other through their rabbinate and in life is forever. The bonds they forged were the best you can hope for in a career not only warm, supportive, and mutually beneficial, but I believe also transformative for them both. And I'm certain that's the same kind of impact Rabbi Hammerman had on every single person who called him their rabbi.
Mazal Tov and Kol Hakavod to you, Rabbi Hammerman.
In my father's words, "Mitzuyan, Mitzuyan!"
And on behalf of the entire Golub family, Todah L'Chah.
With love and warmest wishes, - Darah Golub
We appreciate that Robbi Hammerman had the confidence to encourage congregants to fully participate in all aspects of Shabbat and holiday services. He is a “mensch”!
- Maryl and Hank Silverstein
Dear Josh,
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for being there to support me and my family over the past 34 years through all of my highest and lowest moments…. From the time I first met you when you officiated Jarad’s Bris in 1990, I felt how you welcomed me and also educated me about all of the nuances of Jewish ceremonies and rituals which I had not really experienced as an adult. I was a newcomer to Stamford and TBE and so appreciated your guidance and teaching about traditions.
I learned early on that you were there for me in whatever way was needed and you could take the front role or step back as needed to make things work… Over the years you officiated at Jarad and Spencer’s Bar mitzvahs and as you did at the many bnai mitzvot ceremonies I attended, you always found the way to find the personal connection to the child and formed a bond with that child and made the service itself so much more personal and meaningful with that added touch.
Of course you know how much you were there for me to guide me and support me through what was the darkest moment of my life, my brother Michell’s untimely death at the age of 43. I will always feel tremendous gratitude to you for your being there to lead me through this tragic moment, educate me on the ways of Jewish mourning and speak in a heartfelt personal away officiating Michell’s funeral. Your way of connecting to Mitchell who you did not know after hearing about his death on “the Fan” prior to finding out about the forthcoming funeral and then taking that extra step to contact Chris Russo to find out more about Mitchell was above and beyond what anyone could hope for and expect from their Rabbi. You have not only always been there for me but you have always been there above and beyond, adding that extra touch, stepping further to make everything more personal. There are no words to express my gratitude for this. I think of it now and my eyes well up thinking about your Neshoma…
Thank you for coming to my home during Covid to visit with my father in his final days… Thank you for bringing his death to life with your words…. Thank you for being so supportive ago and kind to my mother… Thank you again and again….
Josh, from the time I met you, I have always felt you were “one of us”. Having children the same ages, Dan attending school with Spencer, Jarad and Ethan a year apart at BCDS, I’ve felt your understanding of the issues of concern for “us” over the years as I have grown with you. Your sermons have always touched me on many levels- your words speak to me… I have each year looked forward to your High holiday sermons….
I will greatly miss you. I wish you and Mara and your family the best of life always… I hope our paths continue to cross. Please always know how much your kindness, wisdom and dedication have strengthened and supported me and my family. You hold a very special place in my heart….
Best always,
- Robin EvansDear Rabbi Hammerman,
As we approach your final Shabbat as TBE Rabbi this Friday, I wanted to let you know how much your words of wisdom, comfort and humor have meant to Jerry, Elana, Helene and me throughout the years. We have truly been blessed to have had so keen an observer of human nature and so spiritual, eloquent and learned Rabbi for our entire time in Stamford. Thank you for everything - your stirring
sermons, your sense of place and history, your unswerving dedication to the welfare of this congregation, your commitment to indelibly etching a love of Judaism in its members young and old and your comforting presence when it was most needed. We wish you and Mara the greatest joy in your retirement. Enjoy the sea and the shore and write some inspiring articles and books. Best wishes, - Belle-Ann Abrams, Jerry, Elana and Helene Leichter
Dear Rabbi Hammerman,
It is amazing that you have been with four generations of our family. We are so thankful that we have been able to celebrate, learn, work and pray with you and Mara. We are truly going to miss you! Here are a few words that we feel describe you:
Reliable Accepting
Big-Hearted Benevolent Illustrious
Humanitarian Affable
Married to Mara
Memorable Enthusiastic
Red Sox Fan
Moral Altruistic Nostalgic
We hope to see you soon, - Nancy, Jeff, Jacob, Mollie and Owen Herz
Hi Josh,
I've called a few other rabbis by their first names, but it never stuck the way it did with you. I never expected to be comfortable in a conservative synagogue. I grew up in a non-religious house where science was the only higher power. I still believe that today, but what you created at Temple Beth El was something connected to, yet going beyond, faith. You made TBE a center of goodness. You could always be counted on to do your very best at being truthful and wise. Not a pedantic wise, a search-for-thetruth kind of wise.
That is the part that made me comfortable within the walls of the community you formed. Though Esta and I, and our family too, didn't come to weekly services, you could count on us being with you for the High Holidays. and in our hearts.
And of course, when we have needed you in times of sorrow, you have always been there. You cradled our loved one's memories and made it clear that whatever spirits were available would do their best to celebrate our loved one's eternal memory. We know those wishes and prayers were sent off in the right direction by your presence and your words.
Like so many others, your departure will be an incalculable loss. Quite simply, you wear special shoes that will never be filled. Others will walk in your footsteps, but things will never be the same. It will always be different, even when it is great.
I know a thing or two about retirement from a job that is loved. Retirement opens doors, sometimes unexpected ones. I know you will write essays and you will help others. And you'll have time for other things too.
I hope you will keep a newsletter or blog from time to time that reaches us. I hope when we pass by Madison, or wherever you may be, we can stop by and say hello. You never know, we might still call on you when we need a connection to the warmth of humanity or a hotline to whatever higher powers are listening.
Esta and I wish you and your family all the things you might wish for yourselves. You have earned enough love around here to catapult you to whatever comes next with so many wishes and prayers that your satisfaction is guaranteed. 100%
Thank you,
- Jeff Price & Esta Berman-PriceSubject line: Your early sermons changed my life and held me to Judaism
I hope this message finds you well. As I reflect on my spiritual journey, I am reminded of two of your early sermons that profoundly influenced my life and helped shape who I have become as an adult.
The first sermon that stood out to me was about imagining what aliens might say if they landed on Earth today and observed Judaism and humanity. As a teenage sci-fi fan, I was captivated by your perspective and understood the importance of stepping back to see the larger picture. This lesson has been invaluable in my professional event planning work and public servant volunteerism. The concept of Shabbat, taking a moment to pause and reflect, has been a crucial practice in my life. My parents and grandparents were initially puzzled by the alien analogy, but I appreciated your point about evaluating our actions without preconceived notions.
The second impactful sermon came during a holiday when you discussed the challenges of growing up Jewish in a predominantly Christian area. You shared insights from a study about the appeal of Christianity, I think you called it the "Lovefest of Christianity" and why it led to so many Jewish people leaving the faith. I resonated deeply with this as I had often compared the sermons I heard about postWW2 persecution with the more uplifting messages my Christian friends experienced. They had fun Young Life meetings, dinners, ice cream and bowling nights ...all faith wrapped with laughs. Your sermon emphasized the joy and positivity in Judaism, advocating for music, poetry, and inclusivity, even towards those who married outside the faith. This message was a revelation to me. It reinforced the idea that Judaism could be joyous and accepting. When I moved away from the area, I searched until I found a Temple that embraced these same values. I raised my children to know the type of Judaism you preached with a positive and inclusive approach to our faith that they should be proud to be Jewish and not hide. Thank you for these profound teachings. They have left a lasting impact on my life and continue to inspire me.
- Tammy A. Meltzer-Kaufman (Granddaughter of William and Sally Tandet)
Hi Rabbi Hammerman and Mara,
It's hard to believe that it's time to say goodbye after being in our lives at Temple Beth El for nearly 31 years. You married Greg and I on September 5, 1993, just one year after your installation. I remember you made everyone laugh during the ceremony (our request you made good on) and you said we were the smiliest family. Five and eight years later you officiated over our baby namings of Sarah and Shayna and then you and Mara (their favorite teacher) guided them through Hebrew school and their Bat Mitzvahs. You kept them involved for years afterwards with their Yom Kippur afternoon sister/sister Torah readings. You were both very supportive of my move into local politics. And then most recently you provided comfort after the unexpected loss of Greg's beloved mother. You have been with us for an entire life cycle and we will always cherish these memories. We wish you many happy, relaxed years ahead on the peaceful CT shore. You will be very missed.
My parents still speak very fondly of their years at TBE with you and Mara. No other Rabbi has held up to your high level of sermons and services in their eyes. They loved returning to TBE each year for your High Holiday services.
Much love,
- Robin, Greg, Sarah, Shayna Druckman and Belle and Ron Agronin
Dear Rabbi Hammerman and Mara,
I remember some 35+ years ago when you first arrived at Temple Beth El as assistant Rabbi, my late husband Steve and I were hired by TBE to plan and run a 6-8th grade retreat. We took 30+ kids to Camp Eisner for a Shabbat. Late Friday evening a few kids were entertaining themselves by sliding down the old wood hallways in their socks. This fun activity quickly came to an end when one boy ended up with a very large splinter right through the top of his foot. Needless to say, it was very eventful. My husband ended up in the ER with the young boy that night.
I developed the utmost respect for you as a rabbi and a leader over the years and when Peter and I decided to move to Stamford, there was no question that we would join TBE. Thank you both for your leadership and friendship. We wish you much health and happiness together as you embark on the next chapter of your lives.
- Best, Lisa and Peter Raider.
Dear Rabbi Hammerman and Mara,
Thank you for instilling Judaism into our family over the decades. Your wisdom, guidance, and dedication, especially in assisting with Roni and Russell’s bat and bar mitzvahs, have greatly enriched our lives. Mara’s 1:1 tutoring for Russell’s BM was truly a life saver. He now wears a Jewish star on his neck and is truly so proud to be Jewish! Who would have ever thought?! Your leadership and warmth will be deeply missed. Wishing you both a joyous and fulfilling retirement. With heartfelt gratitude,
- Leslie and Michael Moskowitz
Josh,
When we arrived in Stamford in 1998, I was in London on business. Michele attended the outdoor Shabbat service and felt so welcomed that when I got home she convinced me she had found our spiritual home. In our years at TBE you were so supportive of us way before Keruv became fashionable. You made us feel so welcome. I enjoyed serving on the Board and my two terms of Men’s Club President.Youintroduced us to so many people who became our dear friends. Because of you I was
inspired to become one of the first Keruv Consultants joining Chuck Simon at the outset of the initiative. Of the six Conservative Temples we have belonged to in the last 40 years. It was because of you that we felt TBE as our home. I hope you will be taking the “Boston” sports memorabilia with you as a reminder of the Kanarek’s.
- Barry Kanarek
Dear Rabbi Hammerman and Mara,
Thank you for being such a big part of my childhood. Both of you are a huge part of my Jewish Identity. Thank you for that. Good luck in the next chapter!
- Best, Ronnie Minkoff
More than ever, we recognize how fortunate we have been at Temple Beth El during the past 37 years. We look forward to a new continuing relationship. Best wishes for a Happy Anniversary on the 28th.
- Barbara and Paul Schultz
Rabbi Hammerman, Thanks for being there through the darkness and the light. We wish you and your family every joy in the next chapter in Madison. With gratitude and deep appreciation,
- Vivian and Don Wishingrad
Thank you for your extraordinary leadership and scholarship, which has had rippling effects through the congregation and the community. Your daily presence will be missed.
- Marc Teichman and Caroline Temlock Teichman
We have shared a lot of things over the last 37 years with laughter, tears, travel experiences and serious discussions galore. It has been a privilege being able to call you "our Rabbi" and "our friend". We wish you and Mara happiness, good health and continued fulfillment in the future and look forward to visiting you in Madison.
- Scott & Rae-ann Allen
Happily looking forward to celebrating Rabbi Hammerman's tenure at TBE. Sadly, however, we will miss him and having him on our Bema.
- Sandy and Alvin Siegartel
I am so sorry I cannot attend this opportunity to honor and bid farewell to "my" Rabbi. I am so grateful to him and Mara for their leadership and friendship all these years.
- Barbara Aronica
Dear Josh and Mara, We are so grateful for all you have done for our community, temple, and family. You both, as well as Dan and Ethan, are important people in our and our children’s lives. We are so glad to celebrate you and grateful to be beneficiaries of your legacy here!
- Beth, Brad, Aliya, Josiah, Elias Boyer
We have thoroughly enjoyed your 37 years at TBE and we wish you nothing but the best for the future.
- Mel and Amy Bloomenthal
Thanking you for all the special blessings you have given to the Ditesheim family.
- Lorraine (Binnie) Ditesheim
We've enjoyed your services very much and will miss you.
- Moss Roberts and Beverly Frank
Dear Rabbi and Mara: I wish you lots of happiness and health in retirement. It’s been an honor to know you for all of the 37 years and I appreciate everything you’ve done for our family! We particularly love traveling with you to Eastern Europe and Israel. we love our walking tour of Jerusalem and as always learned a lot from you! Thank you for everything!
- The Frieden family
We are looking forward to being there, though also very sad to be saying so long to Josh and Mara as our Congregation’s leaders. You two both helped educate our children and you’ve been with us through so many events, happy and sad. We will miss you at TBE very much.
- David Friedman and Meira Rosenberg
Wonderful to celebrate a lifetime of dedication to all of us, but sad to say goodbye.
- Rob and Suzanne Fruithandler
Dear Rabbi,
As you prepare to embark on this new chapter of your life, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your thirty-seven years of dedicated service to Temple Beth El! You have been more than a spiritual leader, you have been a guiding light, a source of comfort and helped us navigate both joyous and challenging times with resilience! Thank-you for everything, Josh! You will always hold a special place in our hearts! With love,
- Heidi, Harrison, Evan, Jordan and Ashley Ganz
Mazel TOV. TBE was so fortunate to have Rabbi Hammerman lead us for 37 years.
- Gary and Phyllis Gladstein
We look forward to celebrating a distinguished career and a wonderful and thoughtful spiritual leader, We will miss these guiding lights.
- Marshall and Joanne Goldberg
"Josh" has celebrated every life cycle event with our family since he's been with Temple Beth El and look forward to honoring him.
- Fred and Sandy Golove
Wishing you the all the best in this next chapter of your lives. Denise and Dave Greenman
We look forward to celebrating and honoring Rabbi Josh and Dr. Mara Hammerman’s dedication to our synagogue for over three decades.
- Juli Harris-Sekular and Scott Sekular
Dear Rabbi - We have been blessed with you being our Rabbi and spiritual leader over the last eight years. We admired your intellectual and spiritual look at the world, as well as you being a real "Mensch"! Wishing you and Mara Mazal Tov on starting your next exciting chapter of life, and I can
assure you that "there is life beyond TBE...". I hope our paths will cross in the future, and till then, Be Well!
- Yaffa and Pinchas Gross
It’s been a wonderful journey knowing you and Mara all these years. We have felt privileged to consider you not just our Rabbi, but our friend. We hope that the years ahead will provide you with a new exciting path. We look forward to seeing you both in Madison!
- James Hyman and Elissa Garber-Hyman
Wishing you the best of luck on the next part of our journey. Thank you for being there for us here in Stamford. We know you will continue to be a blessing for others. Big hugs to "my boys"!
- David and Elissa Kaplan
Thank you, Rabbi and Mara, for all your years of love and dedication to all of us. I wish you all the joy your hearts can hold.
- Ellen Krinick-Porto
Thanks - we look forward to honoring Josh and Mar and their service to TBE. This celebration is well deserved.
- Jodi Maxner and David Rauch
Thanks to you both for your erudition, commitment, passion & compassion… So appreciative, Rabbi Hammerman of your always remembering throughout the years the wolves pervading Travis’ Bar Mitzvah!
Warmly & to your new adventures,
- Gwendolyn (Morris) & Travis (Kahn)
Thank you for being in our lives all these years....I am so thankful and wishing you the very best in everything to come.....words seem so inadequate.....sending love and good fortune.......
- Bill Nabel
Looking forward to a hearty celebration of everything that Rabbi Hammerman and Mara mean to us all!
- Jonathan and Cheryl Phair
We wish The Rabbi & Mara Health & Happiness & a wonderful retirement. They will be truly missed!
- Fran and Bob Plansky
Wishing you both much joy and excitement in your new adventures!
- Sue Plotzky
Yashar Koach to Rabbi Hammerman and Mara. We will miss you! - Beverly and David Stein We are babysitting for our grandkids that week and the toddler will be difficult to bring. We will most certainly try to attend at least a little teeny bit of the service, one of us at a time.... We will miss them terribly! - Alvin Rosenfeld and Dorothy Levine
Far too many memories to share here but I will try to do some of them. All the birthday parties for the boys, rides to funerals where you included my comments in your remarks, so many classes, chairing Chanukah Concerts with Mara, organizing services, ritual committee meetings, connecting with the
children. I will miss both of you and I wish you the joyful retirement I am having. Time to do whatever you want including doing nothing, reading and traveling., enjoying the beach and the dogs.
- Eileen Rosner
Josh and Mara: You have both been there for me and the kids through everything. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for going beyond the call of duty. Congrats on your retirement and wishing you both the best life has to offer … Sending you both hugs filled with love and appreciation.
- Liz Kirshner
Wishing you good health and happiness as you pursue your next endeavor. Thank you for your caring and support of me over the years.
- Maddy Shapiro
Carol and I, Sara, Josh and their families thank you. You had a large hand in both our children’s Jewish education. Your dedication, care, concern and guidance was appreciated and is ingrained in our Jewish identities. Enjoy your deserved retirement.
- Richard Cohen
Josh, I can’t believe how the years have flown by. We are so grateful for all you have done to make TBE our sanctuary.
- Rivka Wasserman Lieber
Two of our proudest moments as parents were watching Ali and Rach become Bat Mitzvahs on the bimah; the TBE constants before, and after, were Rabbi Josh and Mara. Sprinkles of lifecycle events on top of heapings of normal TBE activities, remind us that we’re grateful for your decades of religious, Spiritual and academic leadership, and personal engagement with the Wolffs!
- Cheryl and David Wolff
From strength to strength, old friend! Here's to the next chapter! Mazal Tov!
- Rabbi David Wolfman
From my poignant first visit to TBE, when I came as a non-member to recite Kaddish for my father, to the many significant milestones we’ve shared since. Steve and I are so grateful for your presence in our lives. Your support, from that first heartfelt gesture following up with me after I said Kaddish and inviting me to the Oneg, to standing by us through our son’s bris, our children’s Hebrew School experiences, and offering solace during times of loss and illness, has been a source of great comfort and strength for us. Your leadership and legacy in our community have left an indelible mark, shaping the lives of many, including ours. Your unwavering commitment to building a warm and inclusive environment have made a profound difference in the lives of countless people. As you start this new chapter, we want to extend our heartfelt wishes for all the best. May your journey ahead be filled with joy, fulfillment, continued blessings and of course, lots of poodles.
- Sharon and Steve Katz
Best of luck on your retirement and you did a great job. Mara, me and the boys will miss your smiling face. You made it fun to go to Sunday school. Good luck to you guys.
- Shelley Zielinski
Mazal tov to you and Mara. It was great having you as our family rabbi from your first day at TBE, through the girls’ bat mitzvahs and for many years since then. Even after we moved away from Stamford, thanks to email, I’ve been able to enjoy and learn from your teachings in the TBE bulletins and Shabbat announcements. I know that in 37 years at TBE your teaching of Torah (in the widest sense) has influenced a lot of lived and I wanted you to know that I was one of them. Your love of Israel, Judaism, ethics and standing up for what’s right was an example to all. And among the many things I think that you should be most proud of is the fact you were, and taught others to be, a mensch.
- Neil and Peggy Perlman
Yasher Koach. It has been an honor and pleasure working with you these last three yrs. Thank you for all your help with Sophie. Best of luck in the next phase.
- Eric Sigman
Josh, just want to say that you have been the best. TBE has benefited greatly for all your years there and I know the members all appreciate them. I wish you the best in health and happiness with wonderful memories.
- Peter Weissman
You did really good Rabbi Hammerman! Thank you for everything and the difference you made in my life and so many others
- David Shepard
I'll really miss you!! Happy retirement! And I look forward to continuing to read your insightful writings!
- Beth Madison
Wow. All true. It would take volumes to write what the Rabbi has done for each of us , during happy and sad times. We will surely miss him , but happy for him to enjoy his family Keep well rabbi and we will always think of you.
- Carol Brewer
It’s hard to imagine Temple Beth El without you and Mara. You will be missed!!
- Mary Harrison
Josh, your retirement is well deserved. You have put an enormous amount of yourself to your congregation and the results are evident. I personally thank you for your welcome of me and allowing me to give the d'var on erev Rosh Hashanah. I hope we can stay in touch, now that you will have (hopefully) some more time! Congratulations - all the compliments are well deserved!
- Rabbinic Pastor David Daniel Klipper
Josh, I appreciate you and our collegial friendship. Will never forget Learning & Latte , the Confirmation Class visits to Temple Bethe El , World AIDS Day Interfaith services and your impactful leadership in the Stamford community. All the best in retirement
- Rev Douglas McArthur
Well deserved for a wonderful Rabbi & friend. You will be very missed.
- Samantha Klein
Dear Rabbi Hammerman, I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your guidance and service. Your wisdom and compassion have been a source of strength and support for me, especially after the death of my grandmother. I particularly appreciate you always including me in all things “TBE” even though I am not Jewish. Your insights have helped me to learn so much, not only about Judaism but the human spirit. Thank you for being such a wonderful and compassionate leader. To say I will miss your leadership, guidance and intellect is an understatement. Sincerely,
- Melissa B. Fahey
Josh – by coincidence we attended the Friday night service when you were guest rabbi. We were there for the same purpose. To check Temple Beth El out. Can’t say for sure you influenced our decision to join, but …. Thank you for being there for our family, the bar and bat mitzvahs, helping with Lauren’s wedding ceremony and all the other life events we’ve experienced. Glad that you still remember the tour of ESPN Seth gave you and Ethan.
We wish you and Mara only the best on your new adventure.
- Maxine and Rick Brody
Congratulations! Wishing you and the family all good things in Madison!
- Debbie Zieses
God's Place: The City
The following address was delivered by Rabbi Hammerman at a joint service between Temple Beth El and Bethel A.M.E., held at the church on December 19, 1993. The service was the second in a series of cooperative ventures between the two congregations, aimed at strengthening the bonds between the Jewish and African American communities of Stamford. The full text can be found at https://www.joshuahammerman.com/2008/03/gods-place-city.html
I am so happy to be here at the invitation of your spiritual leader. As we've gotten to know each other, Reverend Winton Hill and I have come to realize that there is so much more that unites us than divides us. We are so fortunate to have Winton Hill our community. He is, in every way, a soulmate and friend.
The Beth El - Bethel relationship was forged by a dream. Several dreams, really. The dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to be sure, and of generations of Jews and African Americans who have worked together, suffered together and grown together in their efforts to build a more just, more compassionate America for their children.
But there is one more dream that we share, one embedded in our very identity, our name, and our Bible. It was Jacob's dream that occurred in the place he called Beit El, Beth-el, the House of the Lord. And in Jacob's dream, a ladder was set on earth with its top stretching forth unto heaven, and angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
When Jacob awoke, he understood what he hadn't before, that God's presence could be felt in a place utterly ordinary, seemingly earth-bound, and a simple place, cluster of stones, really,
became holy.
Our dream today is nothing less than to make Jacob's Beth-el a living concept in our living city. We stand together, as Stamford's two Beth-els, committed to transforming Stamford into a house of God. We must build a ladder to heaven. Right here. Right now.
Ancient holy cities, Jerusalem, Mecca, Benares, all were built around sacred spaces, which allowed for a feeling of intersection, where the horizontal plane could meet the vertical. Where people could remove their shoes in the knowledge that this place was God's place. In those days, the city came to symbolize hope, reaffirmation, and resolve. In recent times, cities have lost their ability to build those sacred ladders, choosing instead to build secular palaces of concrete and glass, to be centers of commerce rather than compassion, coming to symbolize corruption, confrontation, and despair.
But Stamford does still care. Stamford still puts people first, or at least it can. And Stamford has two very different Beth Els who wish to bring the entire city to an understanding of how we can build that ladder to heaven.
We can become a healing city, a place where all citizens feel sustained and nurtured in its midst. We can become an organic city, not of disparate neighborhoods and conflicting groups, but a collage where the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. The great cities of the past all felt organic and whole, down to the last detail, the restaurants, the sidewalks, the neighborhoods, the gardens, the walls. In Jerusalem, for instance, there is not a single stone that is not tear-stained, whether it adorn an ancient shrine or a modern cafe, it is all Jerusalem, all reaching up to the heavens. Our city can reach heavenward too, but only if we provide the tears, the laughter, the kindness, and imprint them on every stone and girder.
It all comes together today. Today we are not African American and Jew, we are Stamford. And if we can come together, the rest of the city will have to follow. If they see that we can care for each other, we who are so different, we who still have somewhat differing agendas, but we who do care for each other, if they can see us holding hands, if we can pull this off, the rest of the city will take notice. Like the Maccabees and martyrs of old, we can change the world.
This city can care for its homeless, for its sick, for its downtrodden, for its living and for its dying. And we can help it.
The writer James McPherson noted that there has been of late an unfortunate tendency among Jews toward greater racism and among Blacks toward greater antisemitism, and that it can be traced to same thing: each group is trying to join the majority. The rest of the world hates, so we'll hate too. We can't deny these trends, nor can we deny that the temptation exists to hate.
There may be comfort in numbers but we, as two peoples who have seen the results of senseless hatred, we've got to fight it. We've got to love each other, even if that is just one more thing that places us against the tide.
Today, right here, right now, we each are adding one rung to Jacob's ladder. And together, we stretch forth to the heavens, as our city becomes a House of God.