Message from Elliott McCarthy

Doing It for the Kids

Fatherhood changed me. Before becoming a father, I looked at everything in terms of what was best for me and my wife. But having a little one changed what is important. Rather than asking myself what would be best in the next year or two, I now ask myself what will be best for my Bea when she turns 10?

What do I want my house to look like when she has her first sleepover? How can I work to make Spartanburg the
best possible place to live when she becomes a teenager? How do I keep her and her friends safe in uncertain times?

Having a second child less than two weeks ago changed my perspective all over again.

Rather than thinking in terms of what is best for one child, I am now thinking about

fairness and how to treat them equally. I find myself wondering how they will be different from one another and how my parenting will have to reflect those differences, whatever they may be. I find myself wondering how they will engage with their Judaism differently. More importantly, I wonder what I can do to assist them on their religious journeys.

It is my goal to provide the best possible experience for our community but, because of my children, I am taking the long-view. I would like our youngest congregants to look back fondly on their years here and to look forward to coming back to visit. I would like
them to say that we prepared them for the wider world and gave them a solid Jewish educational foundation on which to base their religious lives.

I would like them to be equipped with the knowledge they need to be as religiously active (or inactive) as they want to be, but to have that decision to be an informed one. I want them to love their
Jewish identity and heritage, but also to enter the broader world with their eyes wide open and their minds primed to learn. As we enter 2025 and chart our course forward, I encourage
everyone to help make our congregation the best it can possibly be for our little ones.

Fill our pews, our social spaces, our classrooms, and our hearts.

Create meaningful experiences for those around you. Remember that every experience doesn’t have to be life-altering. Afterall, there is power in consistency, tradition, and regularity. Our children likely will not remember exactly what we say, but they will remember how they felt when we said it. Let us work to fill their hearts with joy, love, and compassion. That is how we will make the best B’nai Israel possible for generations to come.

Elliott McCarthy

Spiritual Leader