Shabbat Shalom. My name is Irene Metz and I am the new Clergy Coordinator at Temple Beth Abraham.
Although I have always had a connection to Judaism, it took a beginning Hebrew class some 15 years ago at Community Synagogue of Rye (CSR) to jumpstart my journey of Jewish discovery. Now each week I look forward to Saturday morning Shabbat services. It is my sacred time to exhale, count my blessings, talk to God, reflect on the week and think about my missteps. The Torah discussion lead by the rabbis enables us to unravel and question the Torah portion of the week. Using ancient and modern commentaries helps bring relevance and present day meaning to the Torah.
Community Synagogue has given me the opportunity to meet new and interesting people and absorb a wealth of knowledge from the clergy. The learning opportunities are endless, but I also learned that a Temple does not run itself and that the professional staff is very important to the existence of a synagogue.
At CSR my personal volunteer involvement started small and has grown over the years. I chaired the membership committee, served 6 years on the Board of Trustees, was a part of Reimagine, participated on search committees, and am currently recording secretary on the Community Synagogue’s Executive Committee. When my 35 year professional career in supply chain management at Scholastic, Inc. (publisher of children’s books, including Harry Potter and Hunger Games) concluded, the logical step for the next phase of my career was to combine my prior work experience with my commitment to the Jewish community – Temple Beth Abraham seems like that perfect workplace.
My husband Jonathan and I live in Rye Brook in our almost empty nest. Our son Joshua, 26 years old, lives in Manhattan and my daughter Isabel, 20 years old, is a junior at Indiana University. I enjoy attending the ballet, theater and movies, reading, gardening, and spending time with my family and friends.
I look forward to meeting the TBA congregants and learning from Rabbi Holtz, Cantor Goldberg and the professional team. How wonderful it is to have two synagogues to call home!
