June 2013

Dear friends,
I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on my upcoming wedding, invite you to our community celebration, and give you some credit for the joy I am now experiencing.
Twenty-two months ago, I began serving as your rabbi. Shortly thereafter, I met Jeremy Ronkin, my fiancé, whom I am marrying in just a few weeks. Coincidence? I think not!
You see, beginning my work at Sha’arei Shalom was my first real opportunity to use what I had learned in rabbinical school — to connect with lovable congregants, learn from your good questions, and sing our soulful prayers. By the time my first two services were over, I felt very optimistic that I had made the right choice in coming to work at Sha’arei Shalom and getting to know all of you (and I have only gotten surer over time). After the uncertainty of the job search, I finally felt grounded in a rewarding new path.
In this happy and whole state, I met Jeremy. I’m sure that feeling so good about the rest of my life allowed me to put my best foot forward in this new relationship.
The more I got to know Jeremy and all of you, the more I wanted to introduce you to each other, and connect the two worlds I inhabit. That introduction happened at Lexi Maher’s and Leanna Klein’s b’not mitzvah on Wachusett Mountain. Our first meeting was an adventure that included a major snow storm in which Jeremy’s car was driven into a snow bank, forcing Jeremy to hike up the mountain in his suit, only to find that his car had been towed when he arrived at the b’not mitzvah!
Though this may seem like a rough start, actually, our community wowed us with incredible hospitality and kindness. Robin Maher took time away from her own celebration to make sure the staff helped us locate Jeremy’s car, Jane Greenstein took a collection to help us pay to retrieve Jeremy’s car from the tow place, and all those present welcomed Jeremy as a member of the Sha’arei Shalom family.
Since then, from b’nai mitzvah invitations to honors when Jeremy comes to synagogue, the community has continued to welcome Jeremy, and to make both of us feel right at home. Feeling such a deep connection with the Sha’arei Shalom community and with Jeremy has made this one of the happiest times of my life, and I thank you for your part in that.
One of the hardest parts of our wedding planning has been the impossibility of inviting all of you to our wedding, since we would so love to share this special occasion in our lives with the whole congregation. Oy! To think of all the beautiful flower girls and boys we’re missing out on! Still, we’re including you in spirit by actually holding the weekend on Wachusett Mountain, near the site where you all first met Jeremy. Hopefully, this special place will be the scene of an auspicious — and less snowy — beginning to our marriage.
And, more important, Jeremy and I both hope that you will join us on Wednesday, June 26th for the community celebration of our marriage, at 6:30pm at the Community Center. You have welcomed us so warmly into your family, and we want to welcome you into ours.
Warm regards,
Rabbi Margie