Our Voices

Shalom PTS,

A few months ago, I went out to lunch with Karen and a few of our Executive Director friends. It was a Friday afternoon, a lunch date I had been looking forward to all week. As we sat down, Karen shared the news that she was retiring from her position. If you could have stepped into my mind at that moment, you might have gotten lost in the whirlwind of thoughts running through it. Here are just a few…

I was filled with admiration for the woman sitting opposite me—someone who had so much love for a community she had first been a part of and then served as Chief Community Officer for so many years. I imagined—go ahead and laugh—a whole community of people just like her. What would that look like? In my head, it was about 600 people, all wicked smart, put together, graceful, thoughtful, moving around in perfect harmony. And as soon as I had that thought, I realized just how narrow my frame of reference was.

Now, as I stand at my desk (yes, it is a sit-stand desk) looking at the words appearing on the screen with each of my key strokes, in the beautiful facility, overlooking my new friend, a young olive tree standing in view in between my two screen, I am filled with excitement to be here, in this community.

I am so filled with anticipation of getting to know you, that I almost wish I were like Neo in "The Matrix," getting the feed straight into my being to just ‘get it’ already. All be it, I will have to buckle up with patience, so all my wonderings, or some of them can come in time. The same things you’re probably wondering about me—I’m dying to know about you.

So, who am I? That’s a tricky question, isn’t it? I’ve been on a soul-searching journey for the past few years, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that defining yourself is almost a fool’s errand. But alas, let me try.

I am deeply curious. About what? Yes. That. You. Your stories. The things that make you smile—, or even burst out laughing, and the things that don’t. I am curious about what you had for breakfast (mine is coffee—Israeli Elite coffee, of course) and what your favorite book is (mine is either The Four Agreements or The Good Earth… or maybe Harry Potter—J.K. Rowling had me from the first page). I want to know how many years you’ve been a member at PTS and what draws you in. Just to name a few. I assure you, I have many more wonderings than are on this page.

And I’m so looking forward to meeting you. Yes, you—the one reading these words right now.

I have three children, and they are my heart. A heart that was reborn three times, expanding and teaching me about the concept of infinity. Each one is a miracle in their own way, and I marvel at watching them grow. My oldest, Jordan, just finished junior year at UC Berkeley Bioengineering, and in about a month he will go to Paris for a semester. My son, Daniel, is about to start UC Santa Cruz in the fall. And my little one, Amalia, at 13, is still discovering her emerging self, and I’m getting to know this beautiful paradox of a fierce and gentle person—she and I are in the process of moving closer to the temple and making this area our home.

As we finish this moment together, here on this page, I look forward to many more moments with you. To stand with you and say Hineni—here I am.

Looking forward to connecting with you,

Keren