Faces of Emanu-El: Terri L.

Woman with long brown hair and glasses stands in an empty synagogue with wooden pews and stained glass windows.
For over 35 years, Temple Emanu-El has been a spiritual home for Terri L. It was where she and her husband raised their daughter. She has spent countless Shabbats and holidays as an usher, greeting members and visitors with a warm smile. For years, she volunteered as a docent, guiding visitors from all over the world through the Fifth Avenue Sanctuary. Nearly four decades later, Terri still loves coming to the temple for worship, whether in person or via livestream.
 
“It’s home,” Terri said. “It’s a large part of who I am.”
 
Memories from a lifetime at Emanu-El come easily for Terri. She has warm recollections of connecting with Rabbi Richard S. Chapin and Rabbi David Posner z”l during her early years at the temple. She fondly recalls re-rolling the Torah with Rabbi Amy B. Ehrlich in Lowenstein Sanctuary and visiting the various places in New York that Temple Emanu-El has called home during celebrations of the congregation’s 150th anniversary.
 
As Temple Emanu-El plans for the next 180 years, Terri prays the temple’s plans and ambitions continue to rise.
 
“I want Temple Emanu-El to grow, and to continue to serve,” she said.

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