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A few years back, I went off to Paris to study for a year. Before I had left, I had been teaching the junior service on Saturdays, up at the church, and occasionally as a substitute teacher for the Burquest classes held at Douglas College. When I came back from Paris, it was to this building, here. Some months later, I replaced a Sunday school teacher who had to leave. After a few years, I noticed something interesting. Nearly all the students in my class had followed a continuous curriculum, and though the teachers may have changed, the basic instruction had a continuity that was all that these kids had ever know. Previous classes were made up of students who, to a large degree, encountered a new curriculum with every new teacher. That had all changed - now there were a group of kids who were building upon a solid foundation of education, a house of bricks, rather than one of straw, or sticks.

June 2007, we elected a new Board of Directors, most of whom are new to the Board, but what is really interesting is that many of them have only known Burquest at its present location. Like those students a few years ago, we have people who see the programs we offer here, not as something that is relatively new, but rather as their own personal "norm," something to use a foundation to build upon, to grow and develop for all the new people coming in.

It's something like immigrants, where the first generation struggles and builds, while the next generation knows no other life. The earlier Directors, from whose wisdom and foresight we have these walls and this roof over our heads, were like the First Aliyah, the early pioneers of Israel, while now we have Kibbutzniks who are thinking of diversifying by building a factory.

It's a funny thing. Apparently, statistics have shown that the vast majority of our population, regardless of where they travel to, eventually end up back where they grew up. I grew up here - even went to Charles Best just up the hill. I've been most everywhere but here I am again. Back in the `70's, my family was a part of Burquest, meeting in peoples homes for an occasional Shabbat, or car-pooling in to town for services or Sunday School. What did Burquest mean to me back then - I don't know, it wasn't a very significant part of my life compared to Temple Shalom, for example. But what did it mean to my parents? The fact that they continued to be a part of this family for at least a decade must have meant something.

Take a look around you - what do you see? There are seniors, and they have a lot of things happening here - with the Lunches and outings, organized by our programmer, a resident counselor, and clubs for meeting to cook or play games.

The parents of the younger kids tend to be a bit more focused, with that goal of the B'nei Mitzvot on the radar. I've even had it said to me that all they want is to have their kids spend some time with other Jewish kids, to hopefully grow up with them, and form life-long friendships.

But there are also quite a few parents with teenage kids. What does Burquest offer them? By the time I was a teen, my older brothers had pretty well dropped out of everything but Camp Miriam. I continued on to a Confirmation class, because Rabbi Bregman started the program, and we had the numbers - but what can we offer here? A place to hang out a bit, socialize with some friends in a comfortable setting? Not just for the teens, but their parents, too.

We are a community, a family, a place for everyone to become a part of.

And like a family - everyone needs to pitch in and help out. Whether you bring a snack to munch on after services, or help out by clearing the dishes afterwards. Maybe you'd like to volunteer at one of our community parties, like Sukkot - coming up, or helping out Ben Sheppard with putting on the big one at Channukah. Maybe you'd like to sit on a committee to help organize it from the onset - things only happen when you step up and make it happen.

And then there's money. Getting together to watch a movie on our new huge TV set donated by the Hoffers doesn't cost anything - but keeping this building running with heat or a good roof, or hiring professionals to lead us in services does cost. Sponsor a Shabbat, maybe, or buy one of the few remaining leaves on our Tree of Life. Instead of shopping at Hallmark, send a Burquest card for a birthday, or make something like these beautiful Torah covers that Laurie Sheftel made for us this year. But most of all, what we do need is more members. If you're not a member - think about it, think about becoming a part of this family and helping us to build something amazing together. Maybe you've run across somebody with a Jewish background, who lives nearby - invite them to join us sometime, for services, or for events. The more people we have in our family - the more ideas and energy, the more passion for having more of the same - the better it is for us all.

Thank you, and may we all be sealed in the Book of Life for a good year.

Ben Fishman, President