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Todd J. Sukol
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Listening for a phrase: Rosh Hashanah 5778

Posted on September 20, 2017November 10, 2017 by Todd J. Sukol

By Todd J. Sukol

As the sun sets on 5777 and final preparations for Rosh Hashanah 5778 are tended to, our attention turns in earnest to the inner work of the coming days and the outlook for the coming year. It is so tempting to use this time of reflection to make a new laundry list of things to work on, new years resolutions as it were. But we know that tiny bits of progress in a multitude of pursuits leaves us feeling empty and accomplishing little. How can we do less and accomplish more in the coming year? What should we be most focused on? What does the world need most from you right now? What is the single biggest contribution you can make to humanity? To the Jewish people? To your community? To your family? To yourself? To your body? Your mind? Your soul? What does G_d want from you above all?

These are questions worth asking over the coming two days of Rosh Hashanah.

For me there is a certain tension between my choice to observe the halachic prohibition against writing during the holidays and my commitment to use the time for personal introspection in service of repentance, renewal and growth. My own approach to the kind of introspective work called for during this season of renewal and repentance almost always includes lots of journal writing as well as prayer and meditation. How can I do the introspective work of Rosh Hashanah without pen and paper in hand? Is the holiday one thing and personal growth another or can traditional Judaism play an integral role in personal growth in an integrated way?

In an age where halacha, Jewish law, is often viewed as anachronistic or irrelevant, I choose to follow it to the best of my ability because I believe in my heart that it matters. Sadly, halacha can at times be observed by rote and become separated from its meaning and deepest value. But uninspired practice is not an indictment of the wisdom of the practice itself. I find that despite my internal resistance, the specific disciplines of halacha, when observed with deliberate intention, often help channel my exertion of effort toward personal and communal growth. Perhaps this Rosh Hashanah can be such an occasion.

My plan for the coming two day holiday is use my time in synagogue to engage in prayer (formal and informal), reading of inspiring material and personal reflection and meditation. Since I won’t be journaling, I’ll have to listen carefully for a common, overarching themes rather than a long list of fixes and resolutions. As I review mentally the past year and rethink my values and priorities, I’ll be opening my ears to G_d, listening for a phrase rather than an essay. Maybe just maybe, I’ll emerge from the process with a singular, simple principle that I can concentrate on in all areas of my life in the coming year.

May it be a year of growth, depth and truth for us all.

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The Inside Job

Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way

December 29, 2020

I stumbled upon a precious lesson in a gritty industrial town in Northern New Jersey.

It happened many years ago, in a plastic bag factory, to be precise. I was visiting the owner, a donor to the organization for which I was executive director at the time. After handing me a check for our humanitarian work, he asked my colleague and I if we would like a tour of the factory. Anyone who’s worked even a single day in major gifts knows the answer to the question. But beyond the perfunctory humoring of a donor, I was genuinely curious. This world of factories and smokestacks was something I had gazed at from the highway, but never wandered into before. I’ve probably encountered plastic bags just about every day of my life, but I had never given a second thought to where they come from.

Lead, follow or get out of the way!

Various

Our host showed us around the machinery, introduced us to the various foremen and workers and nonchalantly gestured at the final product being produced that day and prepared for shipment to customers across the country. The factory floor was a single gigantic room with a high ceiling and a cacophony of high and low pitched noises all blending together in an efficient whir of endless productivity. High above our heads, smack dab in the middle of the room hung a sign that grabbed my attention and has stuck with me to this day. It read simply: “Lead, follow or get out of the way.”

Attributed variously to Thomas Paine, General George Patton, Lee Iococca and numerous others, the quote had been a favorite of our host’s father, who founded the company and had hung the sign there many years ago. What he understood is there is an ever present tendency in human beings to lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish. We forget the goal, overthink things and get lazy. That sign was an unambiguous reminder to everyone working at the company to stay focused on the task at hand and contribute decisively to the whole team’s success.

As our nonprofit careers take us into ascending roles of leadership, organizational life frequently becomes a world full of meetings, planning, trouble shooting and reacting. If losing sight of the goal can happen on the floor of a noisy factory, with the final product right there for all to see, just think how easily it can happen in your situation. Living one or more steps removed from the front line work of our nonprofit organizations, or those we support, can make us — to put it bluntly — numb and dumb. The purpose of our work can fall into a hazy background, upstaged by day-to-day urgencies. Don’t let that happen.

Whatever your nonprofit does, get out into the field as often as you can. Talk to the people doing the front line work. Pitch in and help where practical, even if only for an hour here and there. You’re a better planner and a better manager when you have recent first hand experience with the work. You’re a better fundraiser when your heart remembers the impact of the work. Regular visits to your organization’s “factory floor” are unrivaled in their ability to deepen your connection and strengthen your leadership.

Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

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