KI Spring Celebration Tribute Journal 2022

KI Spring Celebration Honoring Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D. May 20 – 21, 2022





4 4 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022 With Deepest Gratitude for Our Platinum and Visionary Patrons Marci and Richard Abt Gay and John Binswanger Margie Curtis-Cohen and Marc Cohen Connie and Jules Kay The Korman and Langsfeld Families Caryl and Mike Levin Charlene and Nathaniel Mayer Norma and Arnold Meshkov Anne and John Solis-Cohen Rabbi Sussman Philanthropic Fund Harriet and Larry Weiss

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 5 5 Celebration Chair Pamela Saltzburg Celebration Committee Andrew Altman Brian Rissinger Robin Fine-Furman Janice Schwartz-Donahue Donna Bleznak Keller Jaimie Shmelzer Karen Langsfeld Karen Sirota Cantor Amy E. Levy Kelly Sussman Mark “Skip” Pitkow Tribute Journal Mark “Skip” Pitkow Celebration Oneg Sonnie Katz and The Oneg Team Cocktail and Hors d’oeuvres Reception Ellen Segalow Printing and Design Jim Rosenthal Paradigm Digital Color Graphics Marjorie Trager Closer to Eden, LLC Thank you to the KI office staff for all they do year-round and especially in support of the Spring Celebration, and our event volunteers. (215) 887-8700 • www.kenesethisrael.org

6 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022 Dear Lance/Dad/Pop-Pop, We as a family are extremely proud and grateful for all of your accomplishments and the countless lives you have touched throughout your Rabbinic journey. After 42 years, since your ordination as a Rabbi, we are so excited for you to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor in this next chapter of your life. You have given your all to your work, you have poured endless energy into your passion of being a spiritual leader and educator. Your outpouring of love, care for this synagogue, and those who have walked through these doors, has become abundantly clear in your 21 years as Senior Rabbi at Keneseth Israel. Your leadership and belief in Hesed, divine, and human love, has reached all communities throughout your career in this city, country and even the world. Even more to note is how you have managed to take your other passions in life like history, art, and inclusivity and brought them to the forefront of our Jewish learnings. Judaism will remain a central part of our family life. We look forward to Shabbat without the pressure of the pulpit and evenings without meetings. Most of all, we look forward to holidays together at home. You have had an amazing career for which we are all honored to have been a part of. We are forever thankful to KI for allowing him to pursue his life’s calling and wish the congregation great success in its future. Retirement is not an end, but a beginning. We all look forward to the countless post- retirement poems, articles, presentations and tours that you will inevitably pursue with new energy. With love, Your Family Liz Benji, Kelly, Sophie, and Charlotte Josh & Sheri Micah, Judah, and Chana

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 7 Dear Friends, One of the things I always tell my Bar and Bat Mitzvah students is that their simcha (“hap- py event”) is not over until they have written all of their ‘thank you notes.’ Remarkably, they universally seem to agree that expressing gratitude, publicly and in written messages, is part of their responsibility. It’s also my custom to follow up with the parents to make sure that their children “followed up” and, again, I’m glad to report that the parents tell me “all done,” “a few more” or “we are doing a few everyday.” Saying “thank you,” I tell them is essential and remind them that one of the first things we teach our little children to say is “thank you” and never to take receiving a gift for granted. It is not just good manners, it is fundamental to being a good person. For me, as a rabbi of 42 years, the second half of them here at KI, it is just as important for me ‘to practice what I preach.’ So please accept my deepest thanks for this Tribute Book. It is a remarkable compilation, which reflects and records so many aspects of my life and career from my own family to congregational work to community work to professional alliances beyond the synagogue. It is, indeed, gratifying to hear from so many of you from so many different parts of my life to “report in” as to how we have worked together for so many years. In its own right, it is an enormous “thank you book” and is bigger than any “thank you” I can offer in return. So, please accept my humble but sincerest thanks for this amazing compilation! I will cherish it forever. In closing, I feel I must point out that saying thanks is absolutely central in our Jewish tradition and that prayers of gratitude are always part of our worship service. So let me end with two prayers of thanks. The most complete prayer of thanks begins, “We acknowledge with thanks that You are the Eternal One, our God and God of our ancestors….Let us thank You and praise You – for our lives which are in Your hand, for our souls that are in Your care….and for Your wondrous deeds and favors at every time of day: evening, morning and noon.” And, in its sim- plest form, we join together in saying Shehecheyanu, “Blessed are You, Eternal One, our God, Sovereign of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us and for enabling us to reach this joyous time together.” To that, to 21 years at KI, for your kind words and tributes contained in this book and for all the many blessings I have enjoyed, my most heartfelt Amen! Gratefully yours, Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D.

8 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022 Dearest Rabbi Sussman, “Asei L’cha Rav, Kaneh L’cha Chaveir,” This quote from Pirke Avot that says: Find yourself a rabbi, and then you have found Cantor Amy E. Levy yourself a friend. You are my dear Rabbi, my friend, my best friend. What can I say- I am one spoiled cantor. For 18 years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside a great Rabbi, one who is making a mark on the history of our people through scholarship. For 18 years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside a compassionate Rabbi who lifts up our congregation through laughter, love and friendship. Fate is debatable in our tradition, but following a divine path is not. Wherever I went, you were there; our lives intertwined. It started 24 years ago, from the day I took that Greyhound bus to Binghamton, New York as a cantorial student to serve as a cantorial soloist at your son’s Bar Mitzvah. I instantly fell in love with your family, and I felt that circle of love and perhaps thought we were family already. As a young woman, I remember admiring Liz’s strength as a mom and as a professional. I adored the laughter and love in your home. I was in awe of your sermons, your warmth and organization as a rabbi. It was to my delight that you said: Some day we will work together again. Literally as a shofar call, when the time came, you called. This thing called the KI Family became my family too. The Sussmans and The Levys, special years of you blessing my marriage with Ross, we raised children who you have named, who you have hugged, who you have nurtured Jewishly and personally, helped with homework, decision-making, and you stood by Aria’s side as she became a Bat Mitzvah. You and Liz, with your open-armed, loving approach to family extended to each and every person in our KI family; young to old.

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 9 Lance, during our time together, we dreamed big and many of those dreams we made happen. We re-envisioned ways to reach the hearts of all. From creating visual tefillah, to reimagining spiritual spaces and services together, to singing the most glorious Jewish music of our past and our present, to creating a documentary…when we dreamed together we saw it through. Side by side, and we never let anything get in the way of our bringing high quality music, programming, spirituality, art, culture, or educa- tion to our KI family. Working with you has been my dream job, and fulfillment to my calling as a cantor. Now my friend, I say Mazal Tov on your retirement. There is so much more to say and so much more to achieve together. I wish you good health as you move forward. This is not the end, only the beginning of a new chapter of your life. I love you, Liz and your whole family so much. May you go from strength to strength,

10 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022 Dear Rabbi Sussman, Brian D. Rissinger As a child in Sunday School, I learned to recognize the positive traits of Biblical characters and was taught to apply these traits as models for a fulfilling life. Since our first encounter in June 2006, it has been an easy task to relate your strengths to these Biblical qualities. Like Moses, you lead a large community and you have built a strong team whom you motivate and trust. Like Aaron, you are a gifted orator and qualified spokesperson for the community. Like Solomon, you are a talented writer, a scholar without peer and your wisdom is legendary. Like Nehemiah, who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, you are tireless in your efforts to strengthen the Jewish community. These are but a few samples of the life lessons I have learned from you. It is a privilege to work beside you and to count you as a teacher and friend. May we celebrate this bond for many more years, Brian D. Rissinger Executive Director

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 11 Dear Lance, Mazel Tov on your retirement. Thank you for all you have given to this congregation, and to me per- sonally, these past 21 years. You will leave behind a legacy of wisdom and compassion that will last forever. Jaimie Shmelzer You arrived at KI during the short period of my life that I was living out of town, but I remember hearing about the “new rabbi” from my family. You formed a fast friendship with my father, bonding over a love of history and opera. When I came back to the area, I quickly realized why people were so fond of you. Then about six years ago I became the membership engagement director at KI. I remember feeling so intimidated having meetings with you when I first started working here. But you made me feel at ease right away. My first week working here you sent me some- thing that you wrote and asked for comments. You told me that you valued my opinion, and that I was important. I know you didn’t really need me to proofread your article; you were just trying to make me feel like a valued member of the team, and it worked. I know that “rabbi” means “teacher,” in Hebrew, and there is not a better word to describe you. You have not only taught at every level in a formal setting, but you are constantly teaching wherever you go. I have learned so much from you these past few years; during our weekly staff meetings, our one on one meetings, and our casual conversations. I know this will continue even in your retirement, but I might not reap the rewards quite as often. Good luck in your next chapter. I look forward to learning all about it. Best Wishes, Jaimie Shmelzer

12 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022 Dear Rabbi Sussman: In May 2011, Cantor Levy brought me to meet you. I was retiring as Hazzan and Music Director from Beth Sholom Congregation after a 36 year tenure. You and Cantor Levy invited me to join the KI professional staff as choral director of Shir KI Adult Choir. Ellen and I discussed this innovative offer, and I decided to accept this new challenge. The past eleven years went by so quickly! These years were filled with new congregational and religious leadership, new singers, new music, and a succession of fabulous Jewish musical events. Five years ago, you asked me to serve as pastoral outreach professional, reaching out to congregants during times of stress and illness. Every year, I taught classes as part of the KI adult education program, and you invited me to participate in your Rabbi Speaks Zoom classes. You encouraged me to be consistent with my personal commitments as a Conservative Jew. You taught congregants to be proud both of their membership in KI, to be passionate Reform Jews, and to understand the lifelong consequences of both. You enabled me to fulfill the commandment in Ethics of our Fathers, !\"#%$ &$ '( )*\"+' -, ,#.! $&(' )0/\" 12. Make for yourself a Rabbi, and acquire a friend!(1:6). You supported, challenged, and encouraged me every day. You opened to me a new world of Jewish thought and affiliation! Ellen and I shall be forever appreciative and thankful for your eternal friendship. With great admiration and our sincere prayers for your good health as you begin this next chapter of your life, until 120 years in good health, Hazzan David F. Tilman

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 13 “It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it, and all its supporters are happy.” Proverbs 3:18 Dear Rabbi Sussman, I cannot think of a more perfect symbol to acknowledge your transition from our Senior Rabbi to our Rabbi Emeritus than the “tree of life” that decorates our “Love, Learning & Leadership” Spring Celebration invitation. We all know that the tree is a met- aphor for Torah and learning from Torah renews us in spirit and in wisdom. As our Rabbi and teacher for twenty-one years, we have become a little more spiritual because of you, a little wiser because of you, and I personally have learned to embrace a little more Torah because of you. Torah teaches us that like trees, we too need to put down strong and deep roots for nourishment. If a tree is planted firmly in the earth it will sustain us by bearing fruit and by giving us shelter. In return we need to make sure we water and cultivate our tree so it will be with us for generations, yielding fruit and with luxuriant foliage. During your tenure on our Bimah you have nourished us, taken us on an intellectual and spiritual journey, imparted your love of Torah and, in doing so, laid down roots that will help sustain our congregation for generations to come. You are a tree of life! Sincerely, Janice Schwartz-Donahue KI President

14 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022 President’s Reflections “From strength to strength,” that is the way I would describe Rabbi Sussman’s superb leadership of KI as he guided our congregation to new heights in difficult times! Bud DuBois, President, 1985 - 1987 Lance Sussman made KI the most important synagogue on the Old York Road Corridor and was one of the best things that ever happened to KI. Lance is the greatest Rabbi I ever met and a fabulous person! We wish him long life and good health! Connie Kay, President, 1991-1994 Rabbi Sussman has been not only a close friend but an integral part of my family. Over these many years, telephone calls, email, and texts gave us an opportunity to discuss synagogue business, politics and world events. His down to earth approach to issues was something I found refreshing. I hope our contact never flounders. Harris Baum, President, 1996 - 1998 Having served on the Rabbinic Search Committee that selected Rabbi Sussman, I have held a sense of pride in his many gifts and accomplishments within our community.  The years have only deepened my respect and affection for both Lance and Liz. Thank you for the years of giving and giving. Norma Meshkov, President, 1998 - 2000 Early in Rabbi Sussman’s tenure we faced structural issues of our entrance pillars. The reconstruction and celebrations were a powerful statement of KI’s permanence and commitment to the Old York Road corridor, and it symboli- cally laid the cornerstone for Rabbi Sussman’s 21 years of accomplishments in our congregation and greater community. And it prophetically demonstrated the pillar’s ancient words: “Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself”. Karen Sirota, President, 2000 - 2004 Mitzvah 613, the final one: “Therefore, write down this poem and teach it to the people of Israel…” Deuteronomy 31:19. I was most proud of overseeing the writing of a Torah for KI. The writing of our Sefer Torah was such a galvanizing and joyful time for our entire community! Carey Roseman, President, 2004 - 2007

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 15 President’s Reflections, continued “While my friend Rabbi Sussman and I worked closely throughout my Presi- dency, it was during the 2008 High Holidays that we spoke daily to make real time decisions enabling KI to survive the global financial crisis and support our congregants in need.” Andrew J. Flame, President, 2007 - 2009 Congratulations to Rabbi Sussman on his long and successful career at KI. In addition to traveling to Israel, working together to raise funds in our Shelanu capital campaign and traveling to Cincinnati to hire an assistant rabbi for KI, I will never forget dancing the hora with Rabbi Sussman at my daughter Leah’s Bat Mitzvah. Peter J. Soloff, President, 2009 - 2011 The major event which took place during my presidency was the renovation of the sanctuary, especially the creation of the lower bimah, inspired by Rabbi Sussman. Andy Brookman and Brian Rissinger were the principal movers and shakers. Dick Weiss , President, 2011 - 2013 “As President, it was my pleasure to develop a great friendship with Rabbi Sussman; he is a special example of knowledge, compassion, and scholar- ship. He is one of the rare persons in my life who I can say without hesitation is someone whose ideas and advice I have and always will value.” Arnold Meshkov, President, 2013 - 2016 During my Presidency we celebrated KI’s 170th Anniversary, premiered the Cantata “To Bigotry No Sanction”, approved the Inclusion KI Rainbow Logo, formed the Social Justice Committee, expanded Social Action programming, and launched the Hazak Campaign funding the Lance J. Sussman Rabbinic Chair. Evonne Jonas Kruger, President, 2016 - 2019 I helped KI adapt to life during a pandemic, kept our congregation spiritually together while we were physically apart; learned how to Zoom, expanded our Tent, welcomed transitions in JQuest, conferred the title of Rabbi Emeritus on Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, and co-chaired the committee that searched for and found our next KI Rabbi! Janice Schwartz-Donahue, President, 2019 - 2022

16 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 17

18 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 19

20 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 21

22 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 23

24 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 25

26 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 27

28 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 29

30 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 31

32 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 33

34 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 35

36 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 37

38 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, PH.D 39 Rabbi Rick Jacobs April 8, 2022 7 Nisan 5782 Rabbi Lance Sussman Congregation Keneseth Israel 8339 Old York Road Elkins Park, PA 19027 Dear Lance, How delighted we are—both personally and on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism—to add a hearty mazel tov and yasher koach to the many others you are undoubtedly receiving as you are honored by Congregation Keneseth Israel on the 21st anniversary of your ordination. It is no surprise that members of the congregation are celebrating you, and we are proud and pleased to join together in spirit for this simcha. As one of our most brilliant American Jewish historians, you have spent much of your career researching and writing about American Jewish life, but for the past years you have been making history during your distinguished tenure at Congregation Keneseth Israel. Under your inspired rabbinic leadership, Congregation Keneseth Israel stands as a beacon of serious Jewish learning and is a vibrant Reform Jewish community of spirituality and kindness, truly a place of living Torah. You have planted seeds of commitment in the next generation of Jewish life making your congregation a kehilla kedosha—a holy community—whose members are deeply devoted to each other and to the Jewish living, learning, and celebrating they do together. We are exceedingly proud of you, of Congregation Keneseth Israel, and of the well-deserved praise, respect and affection being bestowed upon you today. As you and your community mark this occasion together, it is most fitting that congregants, friends, and colleagues are bestowing much deserved praise, recognition, and affection upon you. It is our hope that you take great pride in your rabbinate and in the many sacred moments that have been associated with your professional endeavors throughout your career. On this milestone occasion— and always—may the countenance of the Holy One shine brightly upon you and your whole family, and may you continue to receive an abundance of blessings as you continue to go from strength to strength. Yasher koach. L’shalom, Rabbi Rick Jacobs

40 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D.. 41

42 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 43

44 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 45

46 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 47

48 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022

HONORING RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, Ph.D. 49

50 KI SPRING CELEBRATION 2022 Thank you for your strength & your leadership, & for all you have done for our beloved synagogue. We wish you health, happiness, & joy as you begin the next chapter of your life. With love from our family to yours, Marci & Richard