The key to being a successful High Holy Days volunteer is simple, according to usher Mina F. “You have to really like people,” she said. “If you can have composure and warmth, a lot of people respond to that.”When Mina moved back to Manhattan from the New Jersey suburbs, she joined Temple Emanu-El. After joining, Mina decided to volunteer as a High Holy Days usher.“I love High Holy Days services. It was a great way to give back and be part of the High Holy Days experience at the same time,” Mina said.
During the course of the High Holy Days, Mina did everything from assisting members with mobility issues to helping members locate their seats amidst the energy of High Holy Days services in the Fifth Avenue Sanctuary.
“It’s lovely to assist and have that warm connection, give a smile, say hello, and be of some service,” she said.As a new member, serving as a volunteer usher was a gateway to building new relationships and further exploring her Jewish identity. Growing up in a first generation Korean-American family, Mina first felt a strong pull to Jewish life and culture when she was seven years old. She raised her children in a Jewish home, formally converted to Judaism, and was a member of the committee for family services at the synagogue she belonged to in New Jersey. When she moved back into the city, Mina craved an environment where she could develop and flourish as a Jewish adult. Temple Emanu-El’s High Holy Day services and volunteering experience filled that need.“It was exactly what I was craving,” she said.
Interested in becoming a High Holy Days volunteer usher? Email membership@emanuelnyc.org. Volunteers must be members of Temple Emanu-El.
