I visited Plainview Jewish Center for the first time last February. I was so impressed with the warmth of the people I met that I brought my wife and family back in April. Not only were we welcomed enthusiastically by everyone we met, but we also experienced firsthand the strong commitment of Plainview Jewish Center’s membership to the synagogue and the Jewish people. We came away convinced that Plainview Jewish Center was the perfect choice for our family.
I hope that many people will have the same experience that I did in the coming months and years. Of course, being the rabbi of a synagogue is different in many ways than being a member. But rabbis—and their families—are people too. We want to be warmly welcomed when we come to synagogue. We want to be part of a synagogue that addresses our needs as a family. We want to be part of a synagogue that inspires us and brings joy to our lives. Plainview Jewish Centers offers all these things for us as a family— and that’s why we’re here.
I hope to help Plainview Jewish Center build on its successful past and continue to inspire, educate and serve our community across the generations. Plainview Jewish Center is large enough to offer a full array of high quality services, programs and classes. At the same time, our synagogue still offers the opportunity for me to take a very personal approach to our members. It is my goal to get to know each and every one of our members by name. I have set this goal not because I am competing for the title of World’s Greatest Rabbinic Memory, but because the relationships I have with members of our congregation is the most meaningful part of my rabbinate. I have the privilege of getting to know lots of different people and helping them at key times in their lives. For me, knowing that I can make a difference by providing a sympathetic presence, a listening ear or just a smile and kind word to someone in need, is enough to make me cherish the work that I do.
I am looking forward to a wonderful future for Plainview Jewish Center. I plan to be deeply involved in all aspects of synagogue life; including education for children and adults. I am hoping that we can continue to expand our offerings to include services that will engage and inspire people wherever they are on their Jewish journey. Our congregation is already infused with the spirit of joy and inclusiveness; and I would like to find many ways to share that spirit with the community at large.
Come join us at Plainview Jewish Center for a service, a class or social program. Our doors are open to all. I know you will experience the same warm welcome that I did when I first walked through the doors. I hope you will find, as my family and I did, that Plainview Jewish Center will be the perfect spiritual home for you.
Rabbi Steven Conn
