The first time Barry attended a Daily Sunset service at Temple Emanu-El, he felt at home. He would come to the neighborhood for regular meetings at the Union of American Hebrew Congregations headquarters, now the Union for Reform Judaism, which were then across the street from the temple.
“I went into the Daily Service and found it a lovely experience,” Barry said. “I would plan [my schedule] so I could go to Saturday morning services [too].”
What began as occasional visits has since blossomed into Barry’s 25 years of active temple membership. For years Barry has been an active participant in the Barbara C. Freedman Artist’s Beit Midrash, a program of the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center. His early experiences with the Daily Sunset Service inspired him to become a service reader, a position he has held for years. Barry is also a facilitator for the Ask Big Questions Gather group, Temple Emanu-El’s small group program.
For the past five years, Barry has held weekly phone calls with a high school aged temple member, Ethan, through the Calling Generations program. The two began talking with each other when Ethan was in high school. He is now a rising sophomore in college. “It’s a wonderful experience,” Barry said.
Since Barry first walked into Temple Emanu-El for a Daily Sunset Service, contributing to the vibrancy of the temple has been an essential part of his story. As a member he has done it all: from leading tours of the Fifth Avenue Sanctuary, having an adult bar mitzvah, to leading Daily Sunset Service Worshippers in the blessing of the Chanukah candles.
“Belonging to Temple Emanu-El is an important thing in my life,” he said.
As Temple Emanu-El celebrates its 180th anniversary, Barry hopes the temple continues to play a critical role in the life of Reform Jewry. In the next 180 years, one never knows who will walk in like Barry as a curious first time visitor and leave as a decades long temple member.
