Lynne Weygint
Director of Religious Education
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Lynne's Latest Musings
| New Beginnings |
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| Written by Laura Juitt |
| Tuesday, September 13 2011 09:23 |
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It was so wonderful to be together again yesterday at our Ingathering service, wasn't it? Ingathering always feels like a reunion of sorts to me, having been away all summer. This year I found the service particularly meaningful as the sun rose on a day so like ten years ago on September 11th. And later in the day, after spending part of the afternoon with several of you at the Turano's house, meeting and learning about their beekeeping hobby (an auction item well worth the bid – thanks Turanos), I attended the interfaith memorial service on the Battlegreen. I almost didn't go to the service on the Green, as it had been a full day, and I was tired, but decided to go since Peter was leading the opening prayer, and because it was an interfaith event, I felt a degree of obligation to my colleagues. When I arrived about 15 minutes before the service, most of the seats were empty, and I didn't think it would be well attended. But by the start of the service, every seat was full and many more stood or sat on the grass on the fringes of the seating area. Many of you were there. Peter's prayer was beautiful, and I found myself unexpectedly moved by the entire service. Unexpectedly, because 9/11/01 was, after all, ten years ago. But throughout the service participants were invited to remember 9/11/01 in their own ways as three of the leaders reminisced from the podium about their own experiences. Rabbi Jaffe was one of the speakers, and as he spoke, my memories took me back to that auspicious day which I spent mostly with him at Temple Isaiah, where I worked as an administrator. The Synagogue Security Council had recommended early in the day that all synagogues lock down and not accept deliveries until it was clear what in the world was going on. Early on in Jewish communities, fears that the attacks on the World Trade Center might have been committed by anti-Semitic extremists were rampant. Rabbi Jaffe, having moved to Lexington from New Jersey the year before, had so many connections in New York that he was beside himself with worry. And his nephew attended middle school just a couple of blocks from the World Trade Center. While I created the signs we posted on the doors after locking them, someone else went home and brought back a small television and then the entire staff at the temple crowded into the front office and watched in disbelief as the world we knew crumbled before our eyes. It became a day of watching, waiting, and worry. Sometime in the early afternoon it became clear that none of us were going to get any work accomplished that day, so we canceled all evening meetings and Hebrew school, and went home, most of us to await the buses bringing our kids home from school. While sitting on the Green yesterday evening as the sun set, allowing the memories to flood in as I hadn't in a long time, I realized suddenly that I didn't yet know you in 2001. How can that be, I thought. I had taken part in the interfaith service in that same spot ten years before with my ten year old Jamie in tow. I imagine many of you were there with me. The bells of First Parish tolled on that day, too, and I remember feeling pride that there was a Unitarian Universalist church on our town Green. We must have lit candles together on that day, too. But it would be three more years before we met. How is it that I have only known you for seven years? You, some of the people I care most about in the world! And how is it that many of the children I work with, your children, were not yet born in 2001, or were tiny little ones with no memory whatsoever of 9/11/01? While reminiscing yesterday, surprisingly, my thoughts kept returning to my work with you and all we have done together in the time since I began in 2004. We've entirely restructured the Religious Growth and Learning (RG&L) program, we've added professional teachers to our staff, we've worshiped together, and laughed and cried and grieved at the crazy turns in this, our community of faith. So much has happened in the ten years since 9/11/01. I am profoundly grateful to have spent much of that time here with you. And here we are again, ready to begin a new year of RG&L next Sunday, September 18th. The RG&L annual Open House is happening from 9:30 to 10:15 am in Parker Hall, and families with children in preschool through 8th grade are invited to attend. Enjoy breakfast treats, register your kids for RG&L programming, meet Peter and me and the RG&L staff, and visit your children's classes. Later this week, look for a detailed email which will be sent to parents with Cluster specific information about this year's program. I can't wait to begin again! |