What is PARR you ask? PARR is the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis. And our annual conference that takes place each January begins today! And you thought it was a golf tournament!
No, each January Reform rabbis from 13 states on the West Coast and British Columbia gather together for learning and support and a little business thrown in. I have had the great honor of being President of PARR this past year. I will step down at the end of the conference and hand it over to my colleague from northern California, Rabbi Harry Manhoff.
We always have a keynote speaker (this year Mark Pelavin of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism), many scholars who lead workshops on scholarly issues to expand our learning;the Israel Consul General, Jacob Dayan will address us. The leaders of the Central Conference of American Rabbis will be there to teach as will the leaders of our seminary, Hebrew Union College to keep us informed of the news of our beloved alma mater.
We will welcome new colleagues from around the region and we will welcome our fifth year rabbinical students who will be ordained this spring.
We will pray together with innovative worship. We will remember the rabbis who have died this past year. Our colleagues who shared so much with us.
We will laugh, and visit with old friends and sing, and gain strength from being with one another.
It has been an honor to serve my colleagues. And I am blessed to have been selected. I look forward to this last week as President.
Thanks for the opportunity!