The echo of the shofar—and a personal note from the bimah

As the final shofar blast resounded through our sanctuary to close Yom Kippur, there was an unmistakable feeling of collective stillness in the room. After a day of deep reflection, quiet prayer, and fasting, that moment when we step out of sacred time together leaves an indelible mark. Standing up at the bimah, looking out across a sanctuary filled with familiar faces and new generations, I felt immense gratitude for the sacred home we have built at Darchei Noam.

This year was deeply personal for me. When I was pregnant with my first daughter back in 2020, I was just beginning my journey with service leadership—following in my father’s footsteps to lead a few prayers during the Torah service. Over the years, that role has grown into something central to my life. When I am up there, it is never a performance; I truly feel like I am channeling light and song, resonating with each of you in a shared, sacred space.

This High Holiday season, I stepped into a new role: co-leading and curating the Family Service alongside David Lefkowich. As a mother raising two young girls—with my youngest now just over a year and a half old—the way Darchei Noam embraces families made all the difference. The space next to the bimah laid out for children to play in transformed my ability to participate. Now, my little ones can soak in the sacred sounds and build their own earliest memories. My youngest even runs up to me mid-prayer so I can hold her while I lead.

That is true inclusion. It is the exact reason I keep coming back—because the warm memories I formed growing up in this shul as a child are the very ones I am now passing on to my daughters.