Keeping the Faith - The Center for Jewish Life

The High Holy Days are a time to look back, so that we can move forward and evolve.

We do not just pray, but think about the ways in which we pray. And we don’t just meet up with one another, we think about the ways in which we interact. How do we carry our customs, traditions, relationships, and rituals with us into the future, in ways that will remain relevant to us?

During Rosh Hashanah services, Joseph Falk spoke about what the dynamic of looking back to move forward means for our growth as a community, focusing on The Center for Jewish Life.

Mr. Falk knows us and our needs well. Growing up, he first understood shul through the lens of his parents, who were always devoted members. He then gained additional perspective thanks to the many roles that he has had in our community, from being a religious school student to serving as president of the congregation. 

It was a long-held dream of Mr. Falk’s father to expand Beth David, to have a new campus and facility for the community. In keeping with that hope, his mother endowed the naming gift for the Falk Sanctuary after his father died.

It is thanks to that endowment that we were able to take the first steps in making The Center for Jewish Life a reality. When Rabbi Jacobs approached Mr. Falk about our goal to build The Center, he quickly gave his blessing and permission to use the Falk Sanctuary space for the new facility. It clearly would fulfill his father’s dream for Beth David’s growth.

Now, Mr. Falk is going to share his experience with us too.

As a member of the Frost Science Museum Board of Trustees, Mr. Falk was heavily involved in the construction of their $300 million facility, from inception to completion. The museum is a perfect example of the complexity of a project like The Center for Jewish Life. It took time, commitment, and – at times – blind optimism, to make the museum a reality. The end result is a monument to keeping the faith.

Mr. Falk believes that as a community of faith, we too must remember to keep the faith while we create The Center, a new, special space that will support us and generations to come.