On the evening of May 26, the Jewish community came together for its Annual Meeting, an evening of dinner, reflection and celebration that honored the past year's accomplishments, recognized extraordinary community members and looked with excitement toward the year ahead.

The night carried a theme of transition, carried forward with warmth and gratitude.

"Two years ago, I described this role as the passing on of a boat, well-built and well-loved by those who came before us," Outgoing Board President Steve Marks reflected. "Over these past two years, we've taken that boat into open water. We've explored new places, navigated uncertainty and done it together — with steady hands and a shared vision."

CEO Eric Maurer opened with a question drawn from Torah. When God commanded Moses to craft silver trumpets to gather the people, he noted, those trumpets were never passed down. Each generation was charged with fashioning its own, because how we call one another together must be responsive to the specific needs of the moment.

"What trumpets are we making?" Maurer asked. "What does THIS moment require of us?"

The answer was visible everywhere he looked. A rebrand that declares the J is a place for every family on the Peninsula. A summer camp that sold out in three days — entirely to returning families. A renovated gymnasium. A reinvigorated CNU Hillel. Tens of thousands of dollars in security grants deployed to synagogues navigating a frightening rise in antisemitism. And a communal gift directed toward rebuilding Shlomi, a community in northern Israel.  

"Every gift. Every renewal. Every person who decided that Jewish life on the Peninsula was worth investing in," Maurer said. "You are not simply funding a budget line. You are fashioning trumpets."

Incoming Board President Steve Shapiro set his sights on the future, highlighting the J's award-winning preschool, its wildly popular summer camp and the work of the newly formed Facilities Committee, which has engaged a surveying and engineering firm to explore campus enhancements.

"This is truly an exciting time to be involved with the J," Shapiro said. "We have a tremendous staff, a dedicated Board and a great opportunity to do wonderful things for this community."

The evening included a deeply moving tribute to Neal and Barbara Rosenbaum, who are stepping off the Board after an extraordinary 40 years of service. Marks reflected on Neal's words about filling the shoes of his forebears, who helped establish the first JCC and purchase the cemetery that remains sacred ground for the community today, and on Barbara's lifelong commitment to nurturing the J and leaving it stronger than she found it.

"Your service has not simply strengthened the J, it has strengthened its soul," Marks said.

Adding to the evening's spirit of generosity, the Pearl Society, a women's giving circle, now in its ninth year announced its local grant recipients at the Annual Meeting. After months of research, discussion and deliberation among its 26 members, the Pearl Society was proud to direct funding to two outstanding local organizations making a difference right here on the Peninsula: the J's Jewish Family Services (JFS) and The Chance to Dance Program. This is in addition to the four non-local grants that were funded by the Pearls.  

The evening also included the presentation of the Barbara Rosenbaum Young Leadership Award to Dr. Jonathan Rathsam. "Serving the Jewish community helps me feel connected to something bigger than myself and to generations that came before," Rathsam shared. "I hope to find ways to help strengthen that sense of connection for others." 

Tuesday night's Annual Meeting captured something essential about Jewish Peninsula. This is a community that knows how to hold the past with reverence and the future with hope. A community that shows up for its children, for its neighbors, for Israel and for one another. And a community that, year after year, finds new ways to make music that calls people in.

The next chapter is already underway.