The day Brian and his wife Lisa visited Temple Emanu-El, their search for a synagogue stopped. On that summer night in the Beth-El Chapel, Brian felt a unique connection that would spark the beginning of his family’s journey at Emanu-El.
“It was so grand, calming, and beautiful. Coming on a Friday night, the end of a work week, it created this very sharp break with the five days before it,” Brian recalled. “I felt the calm, peace, and happiness of Shabbat.”
Since that first Friday night, Brian and his family have been immersed in Temple Emanu-El. Before getting married, he took an Introduction to Judaism course with the Emanu-El clergy. A few years later, he decided to convert and did so through Temple Emanu-El.
Brian and his family are active in many different facets of temple life. He is on the membership committee, and facilitates the “Bronze Shadows” poetry discussion group through the Gather Program. Brian, Lisa, and daughter Poppy are active participants in the temple’s Young Families programming. He is also a member of the temple’s interfaith dialogue groups.
For Brian, serving the temple is his way of giving back to a community that has given him so much. “I am very keen to give back where I can and to put my own energy into perpetuating that warm, welcoming community. These are all different small ways to do that,” Brian said. “The chance to contribute is one I really appreciate.”
Since joining the temple, Brian and his family have experienced many life transitions. Marriage, his conversion, and the birth of a child. These are the first moments in what Brian hopes will be his family’s legacy at Emanu-El for the temple’s next 180 years.
