From Adam to the Community
It is with a full heart that I write this email as I step down from my role as chairman after almost ten years. It feels almost impossible to sum up a decade of service, memories, challenges, and achievements in just a few words, but I will try.
First and foremost, I want to say thank you. Thank you to each and every one of you who has supported me on this journey—whether through encouragement, advice, patience, or simply by being part of our kehilla. A chairman may hold the title, but it is the community that truly gives life to the shul.
Over the years, we have experienced many highs—moments of growth, celebration, and pride—as well as some inevitable lows—times of challenge, difficulty, and loss. Yet through it all, what has always shone through is the strength of our community: our resilience, our commitment to one another, and our shared dedication to Torah, tefillah, and chesed.
I feel humbled to have been entrusted with this responsibility for so long. I have learned so much from our rabbis, our lay leaders, and from so many of you personally. I have seen what it means to lead, but also what it means to serve—and I leave this position enriched by both experiences.
As I step aside, I do so with gratitude, confidence, and hope; gratitude for what we have accomplished together, confidence in the wonderful people who will continue to lead and guide this community, and hope that Yeshurun will continue to flourish for many years to come.
It has been the greatest privilege of my communal life to serve you. Thank you for your trust, your support, and your friendship.
May we continue to go from strength to strength.
From the Honorary Officers
Members will have read Adam’s note concerning his retirement from Shul matters after 10 long and tiring years. We do not believe any lay member in its history has served Yeshurun for as long and with such dedication and want to extend our warmest and deepest thanks to Adam for his many years of hard work.
Adam came forward in July 2005 to assist Benjamin Mire in running the Shul (with ex-member Jeremy Fisher) when the former HOs resigned without notice. When Covid hit, Adam more or less single-handedly organised and operated Shul services, undoubtedly saving lives by his actions in doing so.
Adam has overseen the transition from Rabbi Lewis to Rabbi Czitron as well as the many bumps along the way, and his patience and desire to achieve the best for the community has shone clearly throughout.
We wish Adam well for the future and thank him for all he did in his time as President, or Chairman, as he liked to term the role. We also wish to thank Juliette and their children for supporting Adam and allowing him the time and space to fulfil his role so successfully.
The HOs have decided to co-opt Michael Kleiman, a former HO, who served with Ben and Adam for several years, as an advisor to the HO team, as we have done with Avi Grossman.
