Rabbi Wilfond Featured in Jewish Journal
Rabbi David Wilfond was interviewed by the Jewish Jounal, where he shared his inspiration for becoming a rabbi, his approach for his first year at Temple Emanuel, and his interest in education and building relationships with congregants. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
“The first year is about listening and learning. It’s not about innovation. The congregation has already had too much change to be able to absorb innovation. So minor innovations would only be gentle, like adding a happy moment during the service. But nothing would be taken away,” he said.
“I like to say old melodies are like old friends. There’s no need to confuse people with what’s the rabbi’s favorite melody. I want to know [what are] the congregation’s customs and favorite melodies.”
As to Wilfond’s rabbinical style, he said he has an internal compass that guides him. “True North” is that relationships matter, “East” is Shabbat and the High Holidays, “South” is Education, and “West” is Outreach.
“Funerals, bar mitzvahs, weddings, confirmations – you make lasting relationships with families. People remember if you buried their mom. They remember that for a lifetime, especially if you’re there with them at the Shiva. They remember that if you do a bar mitzvah for their children, they say ‘this is the rabbi who worked with my child.’“There’s a formal way of making relationships. Then there is the informal. I’m usually the first one to show up on Friday night, the last one to leave. The words we say at the Oneg can be as holy and as sacred as the words we say in the actual prayers,” he said.