Hours before writing these words, Marin’s Kol Shofar Senior Rabbi Susan Leider shared over lunch her excitement for what is happening in Vallejo on Sunday, June 23, and her intention to attend the official launch of Common Ground… Rooted in Relationship … Ready for Action. This historic gathering, anticipated to include well over a thousand
people comprises nearly 20 organizations, each uniquely dedicated to the improvement of life in Solano and Napa Counties.
Rabbi Leider and Tiburon’s Congregation Kol Shofar (where I am Emeritus) are active members of a West Bay version of this group: Marin Operating Committee which oversees addressing imbalances in life, where consciousness and advocacy is needed, in the North Bay in partnership with scores of churches and nonprofits dedicated to societal wellbeing. Rabbi Leider
and many others involved in sister/brother organizations throughout the Greater Bay Area, generated through IAF, will be heading to Vallejo on that date for the historic founding of the Solano and Napa Counties efforts to create and grow
such a caring infrastructure to enhance life in our communities, i.e. where CBI members live.
Numbers are growing of CBI members involved in the creation and formation of this promising new coalition of nonprofits religious and otherwise, as we prepare for this exciting launch on Sunday, June 23 at 2:30 PM on the campus of St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School.
B’nai Israel has been involved in the formation of this group for over 2 years and is a committed, dues-paying member.
Each involved organization is ramping up their efforts to have as many of their members as possible attend this great founding moment.
As Sister Judy Donavan, IAF regional lead organizer, and wonderful friend of CBI (we should thank her for being an ex-officio member of our membership team given the way she encourages Jews wherever she meets them to come to CBI [and always
surprised they did not know about us] indicated: this will probably be the largest gathering of people ever attending an event in this area not generated by an entertainment billing or a sports event; it is simply caring people coming out to meet friends and neighbors of many different backgrounds sharing a commitment to join in relationship that can lead to better times for all of our
members residing in Solano and Napa Counties.
B’nai Israel members already involved have been impressed with and motivated by the quality of everyone else they have met from so many amazing backgrounds, each curious, even if at first skeptical, and now excited, about how we can turn wonderful energy, insight and growing enthusiasm into blessings that will benefit us all and well beyond. We have discovered this energy simply in the planning meetings for growing this new community organization.
Sunday, June 23, is the launch of this new community building enterprise and we want you to be part of it.
Personally it calls to mind my involvement in founding a new organization when I was a young adult in 1968: the college level of Young Judaea. The founding conference for what was called Hamagshimim, the “Fulfillers” was held in Asbury Park, NJ
and I was flown there as a delegate from San Francisco. What makes the memory extra special was that while the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, Yigal Alon, who was supposed to address the gathering, was called away, someone at my table for lunch had the chutzpah to invite his replacement, another member of the Knesset, to sit at our table. We didn’t realize at the time how special it was to have the one empty seat that was between the inviter and, as it turns out, me, filled by Alon’s
replacement, Golda Meir…a memory I will always treasure especially as it turned out she would become one of Israel’s most famous and significant Prime Ministers.
Part of the outreach for attendees for this founding conference and celebration is to those who lead us locally, regionally and statewide, so we are very excited about the mix of people that will be attending. Please make sure to set aside that afternoon and be among the thousand and more to celebrate the launch of Common Ground. I can tell you already that CBI will be well represented in some of the facilitation of that day. I hope to see a hundred and more CBI members present for this historic
moment.
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