Placement Meeting

Today at 2 pm I had my placement meeting with Rabbi Spilker, Rabbi Adler, and Stephanie Fink. It went really well and I had no need to be nervous. I took a few notes about what we talked about just so I would know what to say in this blog. haha.

First I gave alittle bit of background on the program and gave them some time to read my resume, goals and annotated bibliography. They asked a few questions about some of the classes I am taking and some of the articles I read. Rabbi Spilker commented on the articles from I Am Jewish by Judea and Ruth Pearl and the article I read by Rabbi Wolf ( Thank you Rabbi Saks and Rabbi Sommer for the suggestions). During the meeting, Stephanie was very helpful in adding in points that I had forgotten to address. In the summer we had had a meeting of this same capacity so she knew more about the program than Rabbi Adler or Rabbi Spilker.

Than we started to talk about the exciting parts. This included when I will be starting my mentorship (Monday, February 23) and some of the things I will be doing. They had many ideas. Some of the things I will be doing are: observing confirmation and adult classes, attending torah study, hospital visits, becoming invovled in the caring community, observing b'nai mitzvot meetings, writing and delivering a sermon, co-writing a service, leading daily evening services, being invovled at Purim ( chanting Meguilah), a mitkadem data project and of course a lot more reading. As we discussing activities I can do that would help me in my mentorship the question popped up if Icould do projects that could benefit the rabbis. Rabbi Adler specifically had in mind that I could help her clean her library. And than Stephanie jokingly said I could help her pack her office. You can't have a meeting with rabbis without there being some humor.

After my meeting was over I went to talk to Judy Marshall. Judy is in charge of the Caring Community Program at the synagogue. This programs supports people in times of emotional need.

After I set up a few meeting times with Judy, I went straight to Amy's office to talk to her. Amy is always a busy person so when I first when to her office she was typing away while on the phone. One of the first questions she asked me when I came into her office was when will i be writting a d'var torah. Than she asked me how the meeting went. She gave me a few more suggestions about activities I can do and tasks she can help me with. Some mentoring I will be doing with Amy is Jewish value study, Torah study, classroom observing and leading youth programs. I also talked to her about how I want to make time to celebrate Shabbat every Friday. Currently I'll I do for Shabbat is light the candles with my mom.

It has been decided that most of my mentoring with take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I will also get some hours in on Sundays and Saturdays. On Monday I will start my mentorship off by observing Rabbi Adler in a b'nai mitzvah meeting about writting a d'var torah and sitting in on an adult class she teaches. In between the meeting and the class, I will be meeting wth Judy Marshall to learn more about the caring community program and how I can be invovled. On Wednesday I will be sitting in on the confirmation class, observing another b'nai mitzvat meeting and talking to Judy. Hopefully on Saturday morning I will be able to attend the Torah study.

After my meeting I could not stop smiling. Even now, after I had to work at Burlington Coat Factory for four hours and deal with an annoying boss and customoers, I am still smiley.