Volunteer of the Year Winner! By Lee Lapensohn

In the past several years, your Trustees have selected a Volunteer of the Year. The rules that the trustees worked with included the fact that we would not select a member of the Board of Trustees or an elected officer of the congregation. This being said, it also should be noted that in the past several years we have selected adult members of our congregation.

Surprise for this year's Volunteer of the Year. This year we have chosen a young man who has been outstanding as a volunteer for our small congregation. The trustees have selected Jacob Sickerman, the son of Carolyn and Stephen Sickerman.

Jacob is a wonderful young man of whom not only may his parents be proud but also all the members of our congregation. He is a high school senior and for the past three years has has been a teacher in our Sunday school. Just think about that, if you will For those of us who have raised teenage children, we know all too well that it's often not easy to raise them from bed on Sunday mornings. But to expect them to get up and go to a school to teach our youngsters about being Jewish is something extra special. And Jacob has done more than that. Simply by being there he has set a splendid example for the younger children in our congregation. They see him there and in so doing they learn that some day they, too, may stand at the head of that class. They learn from him by example -- a wonderful way to learn about the importance of being Jewish.

Jacob also has given all the children in our congregation -- even those who are not involved with the Sunday school -- anither important example to follow. He has blown the shofar on the High Holy Days and in so dong, he has told all the children in the congregation by example that they, too, may partake in our important services, may partake in Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. They also may help observe these important holidays.

He has gone a step further, however. I'm sure all of you realize our ancient Rabbis have told us that they most important Jewish holiday is the Sabbath, the time when G-d rested after creating earth and all that dwells therein. Jacob and his father Stephen have led Sabbath services from time to time and in so doing, Jacob once again has volunteered and thereby has again set an example for all of the young people who have watched while he and his dad, a former president of our congregation, have conducted the most important Sabbath service.

So your Trustees award Jacob Sickerman the honor of being identified as Volunteer of the Year, And since Jacob is a counselor at Camp Coleman at this time, we'll as his wonderful parents to notify him of this honor. We'll give him a copy of these remarks along with a certificate of appreciation. And now that he is known as the recipient throughout the land, we also can have his name engraved on the plaque that hangs in our foyer.