As I listened to these extravagant tributes to me tonight, I am reminded of the story of an elderly single woman, who, for years, was eager to get married. One day, an engagement announcement appeared in the newspaper. When a friend called to congratulate her, she replied: “There is not a word of truth in it, but thank God for the rumor!”

Such is my initial reaction to all of the lavish words of praise heaped on me by Rabbi Yoskowitz, Buckner Fanning and Richard Planto. Even if I don't possess all of these attributes now, I will aspire to make them my goals in the next chapter of my life.

Serving Temple Beth-El for these 26 years has been a tremendous privilege for me. Our congregation includes some of the most caring, sensitive, gracious and supportive people Lynn and I have ever encountered. At this auspicious moment, I feel impelled to offer these heartfelt words of gratitude: “Ashreinu, mah tov helkeinu umah naim goraleinu- How greatly we have been blessed. How good has been our portion. How pleasant has been our lot.”

It seems hard to comprehend that tonight I am bringing 35 years of an active rabbinate to a conclusion. Tonight I think of my religious journey that has brought me to this hour. It started in high school, when I became active in the youth group of my home congregation, Temple Beth Israel, in Sharon, Pennsylvania. At the age of sixteen, I attended the summer conclave of the Northeastern Lakes Federation of Temple Youth, at Camp Roosevelt, near Cleveland, Ohio. There I met several Rabbis whom I greatly admired for the appealing way they taught Judaism to young people and I wanted to emulate them.

It was during that five-day conclave that I decided to prepare for the rabbinate. In 1961, after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. I entered the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, America's seminary of Reform Judaism.

Classical Reform Judaism was very much in vogue at that time. No one, except a tiny handful of foreign students, wore a kippah at services in the College Chapel and no one ever donned one in class. Never was a tallit seen in the Chapel. The organ was played at every service.

Though a few students observed the dietary laws, the College kitchen was not kosher. However, no pork or shellfish was served. The mood of Reform Judaism in the early 60's was somewhat lukewarm on Zionism. Many in old-line Reform Temples opposed the idea of Zionism altogether.

I was ordained on June 3, 1967, the Shabbat immediately before the Six-Day War erupted two days later. I believe that this historic event radically transformed the nature of Reform Judaism. Reform's most sweeping and dramatic changes today can be traced to this pivotal moment.

When Abdul Nasser of Egypt threatened to drive the Jews of Israel into the sea, we American Jews instantly felt an acute vulnerability. We feared that if Israel were destroyed, we, like the victims of Hitler, would be without a haven of refuge, a place to find safety. We would be robbed of our security symbol.

Many Reform Jews, until then, had been anti-Israel or ambivalent toward the idea of a Jewish state. Almost overnight, they turned pro-Israel. Reform Judaism embraced Zionism with passion. Soon, all Reform rabbinical, cantorial and educational students had to spend their first year of study in Israel. Israel Independence Day became an official holiday on the Reform religious calendar. Most Reform congregations were switching from the Ashkenazic to the Sephardic pronunciation of Hebrew, as used in the State of Israel. Instead of saying “Yisgadal viyiskadash,” we now were saying: “Yitgadal viyitkadash.”

About the same time, ethnic pride came into vogue. Until then, most Americans with Polish, Italian, Slovak, and Jewish backgrounds wanted to shed their foreign baggage. They wanted to blend in and behave and look like white Anglo-Saxons. Now, since 1967, it became “in” to be different. It became fashionable to be outwardly Jewish, to speak Yiddish, to learn Hebrew, to tell Jewish jokes, to enjoy Klezmer music, and to eat lox and bagel.

Since 1967, people have also been craving more emotional, and less cerebral, religious experiences. Many are not pleased just to be spectators at worship services any longer. They don't want choirs to sing to them. They want to sing the melodies themselves.

The recent pace of change in Reform, however, has quickened in the past decade. Rituals once discarded and even scorned are being recovered. Kashrut, the wearing of kipah and tallit, and even immersing in the mikvah, for purposes other than conversion, have entered Reform Jewish practice. In the last ten years, in Reform temples across the country, the enthusiastic adoption of more traditional ritual practice has been accelerated more than any time in the past.

As we move into the future, Temple Beth-El will mirror many of these national Reform trends. You are fortunate that Rabbi Barry Block will be guiding you, as these developments evolve within our beloved congregation. Rabbi Block, having served here for ten years, will manage these changes sensitively.

He has a profound understanding of the needs of our congregation. He is a native Texan and a life-long Reform Jew. He has highly developed organizational skills and a keen grasp of the pastoral requirements of this great congregation.

There will be the tendency to compare rabbis of different eras with each other. Remember that as people's needs changes, new leaders must arise to meet those needs. In the Bible, we read about two leaders, whom people tended to compare: Jephthah, an early judge of Israel, and Samuel, the first literary prophet of Israel. The Rabbis of old admonished their people not to compare Jephthah and Samuel, when they observed: “Yiftah bedoro, kiShemuel bedoro- Jephthah in his generation is like Samuel in his.”

Every leader's style and mission is shaped by the generation he or she serves. The era of Samuel Stahl's leadership of Temple Beth-El has come to a close. The era of Barry Block's is about to unfold. Please give him your unqualified support and cooperation. He will lead this great congregation to even higher peaks of accomplishment. I am also confident that he and Toni will find in their service to you the abundant satisfactions and rich rewards that Lynn and I have known.

I could not have realized some of my dreams and aspirations for this congregation without the help of countless numbers of you. A very large percentage of our membership has been involved in the life of our Temple in one capacity or another over these 26 years. However, the constraints of time force me to limit my expression of gratitude to a very few.

First, I want to commend Richard Planto, for so lovingly chairing the events of this retirement weekend. Richard is a fantastic human being, and life-long Temple member who loves this congregation and leads it with outstanding skill and energy. I also thank Rabbi Barry Block, for his wise and creative guidance to our marvelous Tribute Committee through these many months of planning.

I also single out Harry Levy, our current president. Harry was in my Confirmation class and in a special post-Confirmation afternoon Hebrew class, when I served as Rabbi in Galveston. Now he is the president of Beth-El when I conclude 35 years of active rabbinical service. I am proud of the peerless, selfless, and mature leadership he has given this congregation during the past two years.

Furthermore, I thank those many other devoted leaders who served with me as presidents of Beth-El during my tenure: Bernard Harris, Carl Wulfe, Morry Beldon, z”l, Elliott Cohen, Casey Lieberman, Jerry Kelfer, Buddy Gardner, Mickey Roth, Dr. Larry Cohen, Lee Rosenberg, Dick Zucker, and Bobi Stern.

I am also grateful for those gifted rabbis who worked with me throughout these years and added so immeasurably to the vitality of our congregation: Melanie Aron, Morley Feinstein, Mark Goodman, z”l, and our incumbents, Allison Bergman Vann and Barry Block.

In this connection, I want to recall the incomparable legacy of David Jacobson, who, after a long and productive rabbinate, entered eternity last fall. He was the quintessential Rabbi Emeritus, and I hope to emulate him in my own retirement. It was upon his legacy of exemplary interfaith relations that I tried to build during these years in San Antonio.

Our congregation has also been blessed with a galaxy of talented education directors during these years of my tenure. I single out, in particular, Cantor Scott Colbert, Marty Hoenig, Roberta Louis Goodman, Madelyn Mishkin Katz, Deena Bloomstone, Renee Rubin, and our incumbent, Avram Mandell.

For the efficient and smooth day-to-day management of our Temple, we need capable administrators. I thank those who served with me over these years: David Myers, z”l, Sue Wiseman, Dick Hunder, z”l, Warren Lieberman, and our incumbent, Gregg Orloff.

I have also been blessed with a most devoted and caring office and custodial staff. I am particularly thankful for the conscientious and loyal, devotion and efficient service of the secretaries who have assisted me over these years. I single out two of my most recent, Sara Jordan and Sharon O'Neill.

We are among the tiny number of synagogues with Membership Coordinators, who recruit prospective members and integrate those who have join into the life of our Temple.

I thank, in particular, two women who have excelled in this role: Rene Wender, who caught my vision and developed it into what it is today, and our incumbent, Nancy Gerson, who has filled Rene's shoes admirably.

On so many occasions, our musical personnel has lifted us to great heights of spiritual exaltation. I thank in particular our incredibly dedicated Music Director and Organist, Jean White, and our versatile Cantorial Soloist, Dr. David vanAbbema, for their aesthetic contributions to the majesty of our worship.

I could never have accomplished all that I have without Lynn, my beloved life's companion for almost 36 years. At home and at Temple, she has been an ezer kenegdo, my most ardent supporter and most honest critic. I feel blessed to be the beneficiary of Lynn's charisma, her penetrating understanding of human nature, and her vibrant enthusiasm. Together we have raised two precious and talented daughters, Heather and Alisa. We also rejoice as we welcome Jeff, Heather's husband of seven weeks, into our family circle. As we can imagine, growing up in a rabbinical household imposes added strains and demands on children. Yet I am grateful that, because of the nurturing and love you showered on them at Temple Beth-El, Heather and Alisa today look upon you with the deepest affection.

Beginning tomorrow, I change my status from Rabbi to Rabbi Emeritus. I recount all that we have shared over these years we have been together, by citing the words adapted from the writings of Rabbi Reuben Katz, uncle of our congregant, Dr. Robert Brody:

How long ago was it? --A generation! --A lifetime?- --Just yesterday? When I sought you and you responded.

We became family.
I shared your fretful days,
Your sleepless nights.
I felt your anguish, your pain, your frustrations.
I agonized with you, when loved ones were ill.
I wept with you, when we laid them to rest.

But I also laughed with you when you rejoiced
Together we greeted your newborns with prayer and pride
And trained them to walk the proper path.
We watched their progress as they grew from infant,
To Consecrant, to Bar and Bat Mitzvah, to Confirmand, to collegian, to the wedding canopy.
We couldn't believe how wise and talented and responsible adults they became.

Then a new generation came into being.
And the cycle was renewed, with a new burst of joy and pride and love.

It's been an eon of sweet sorrow.
Part of us withdrew, others vanished.
But you, for whom I endured winter's frost and summer's heat,
The agonies of creativity, and the advance of years,
You became a part of me.

I hope that in your heart I have found a safe haven, closeness and warmth, appreciation and affection….

I leave you now- not completely-
For though we part, you'll never be far from me.
I have learned to love you
And truly believe that you have taken me into your heart.
Isn't that a form of immortality? Amen.

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